Minority Business and Small Business Enterprises

Western Connecticut State University is committed to the goal of enhancing economic opportunities for minority owned, woman owned, disadvantaged and small business enterprises. The State of Connecticut  Supplier Diversity program (Set-Aside program) targets that at least 25% of the state’s business is transacted with small business and minority business enterprises. To participate, simply register with the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services. Once certified, you can bid on contracts covered by the program as well as all other state contracts.

Connecticut Small Business Development Center

The mission of the Connecticut  Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is to promote and encourage the creation and growth of small business by providing sound business advice through professional no cost counseling, seminars, technical assistance and education for business owners and entrepreneurs in one-on-one or group training environments throughout the state of Connecticut. The Connecticut Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is dedicated to advise and nurture small businesses at the grassroots level.  Regional offices are staffed by professional business counselors who provide the one-on-one counseling without charge to Connecticut’s small business community. The Connecticut  SBDC also conducts small business training and educational workshops throughout the state. Please click here  to download a PDF file with the latest training brochure. Topics of training workshops include: business planning, financial analysis, international business, loan packaging, marketing, and management.

Small Business Administration

The Small Business Administration (SBA) programs and services support you, the small business person. Learn about SBA-backed loans, government contracting opportunities, disaster assistance and training programs to help your business succeed. The Small Business Training Network (SBTN) is a customer-focused SBA strategy designed to enrich, educate and empower small businesses. It is an Internet-based learning environment – operating like a virtual campus – offering online courses, workshops, publications, information resources, learning tools and direct access to electronic counseling, and other forms of technical assistance. Many online courses are offered in both English and Spanish.