UW and Wyoming SBDC Network Offer Help to Energy Sector Small Businesses and Displaced Workers

The Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network administers a Portable Assistance Grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide advising and training assistance to Wyoming small businesses affected by the economic downturn and ongoing economic uncertainty in the energy industry.

Portable Assistance Grants are provided by the SBA to target negative economic events in specific business segments or geographical areas.

“Although we are unable to provide direct financial assistance with this modest grant, the funds do allow us to increase training and advising opportunities for businesses and workers affected by the ongoing uncertainty in the energy industry,” Wyoming SBDC Network State Director Jill Kline says. “Small businesses are the backbone of Wyoming’s economy, and negative economic conditions usually hit small businesses first, and often, hardest. SBDC staff are experts in assisting businesses at any stage, with everything from business plans to human resources issues to marketing. We also look forward to working with displaced workers who are ready to explore their entrepreneurial dreams.”

For small businesses that have been negatively affected by economic factors in the energy industry or displaced energy workers interested in learning about small-business ownership, contact the Wyoming SBDC Network at www.wyomingsbdc.org to learn about business advising and training opportunities.

For more information, email Paul Johnson, associate state director for the Wyoming SBDC Network, at pjohns45@uwyo.edu.

The Wyoming SBDC Network offers business expertise to help Wyoming residents think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by the University of Wyoming with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. SBA.