SBDC Offers Sheridan Workshops to Help Entrepreneurs Find Financing for Innovations

Small-business entrepreneurs in Wyoming can learn how to obtain federal funding to finance their innovations.

The Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) offers workshops on this topic Tuesday, Aug. 21, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Wednesday, Aug. 22, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., at the WTBC Building, 1981 Double Eagle Drive, in Sheridan.

The SBDC is a partnership among the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming Business Council and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBDC focuses on educating small-business owners and potential owners on how to successfully start and operate small businesses. The SBDC’s main office is located at UW.

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are federal funding opportunities that help small businesses bring their innovative ideas to market.

The first workshop, titled “SBIR Proposal Preparation,” will feature a comprehensive overview of the SBIR and STTR programs, and how to build a strong proposal. The second workshop, titled “SBIR Cost Accounting,” will dive into the often-confusing world of government accounting and how to prepare an accurate and defensible cost proposal. Both events are hosted by the Wyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative (WSSI), which is part of the Wyoming SBDC Network.

Kelly Haigler Cornish, WSSI program manager, says this event is critical to developing fundable proposals that will lead to a growth in high-tech companies across the state.

“We are bringing in Jim Greenwood, a nationally recognized expert on SBIR,” Haigler Cornish says. “Jim will be sharing his four-step method for technical proposal development. Attendees also will walk away with sample proposals from multiple agencies to give them a better understanding of what makes a fundable proposal.”

Greenwood and his wife, Gail, have been involved in the SBIR program since its inception in 1983. The Greenwoods have taught SBIR/STTR workshops in 48 states, plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. They offer training through local and regional economic development groups, universities, federal laboratories, SBDCs and Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS).

The two-day workshop is offered at no cost to Wyoming residents throughout the state and is open to small businesses or those who are thinking of starting a business. To register for one or both days, go to the “events” section at www.wyomingsbdc.org. For more information, contact Haigler Cornish at (307) 766-2904 or haigler@uwyo.edu.

“SBIR is oftentimes one of the only early funding opportunities available for innovators since it can come in at the idea stage, when risk is too high for most angel investors or venture capitalists,” Haigler Cornish says. “The Wyoming Legislature recognized the key role SBIR will play in diversifying Wyoming’s economy when it passed SF118. This workshop is part of the Wyoming SBDC Network’s mission to educate and train Wyoming entrepreneurs so they can compete on a national level for SBIR funding.”

Wyoming SBDC Network programs and services are available to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.  Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities, if requested at least two weeks in advance. For clients with limited English proficiency, language assistance services are available. For more information, call the SBDC at (307) 382-0947.

The Wyoming SBDC Network is a business-advising group of the Wyoming SBDC, the Procurement Technical Assistance Center, Market Research Center and SBIR/STTR Initiative. The network’s mission is to help Wyoming entrepreneurs succeed. Advising and most market research activities are free of charge to Wyoming residents.

The SBDC is funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. SBA. Additional support is provided by the Wyoming Business Council and UW.

For more information, go to www.wyomingsbdc.org.