CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Small Business Development Center joined the national recognition of #SBDCDay, Wednesday, March 20, during a proclamation ceremony at the Capitol.

Gov. Jim Justice declared March 20 as Small Business Development Center Day. The governor issued a proclamation which states “the Mountain State understands the importance of supporting entrepreneurship as one of the integral pieces of local and regional economic development. West Virginia recognizes that small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the glue that holds communities together.”

The SBDC Day proclamation celebrates the success of the state’s small businesses and the Small Business Development Centers that support them.

“Small businesses create two out of every three net new jobs in our country,”
said Debra Martin, state SBDC director. “During the previous year, we helped our clients launch new businesses and expand existing ones. We have helped our clients create jobs and leverage $47 million in capital. This SBDC Day, we wanted to honor our small business owners for their innovative ideas, hard work and big economic contributions to the state’s economy.”

The event was led by America’s SBDC, which represents the country’s network of Small Business Development Centers. The day featured a virtual celebration, along with real-time social media feeds and updates on SBDC events and success stories.

The WV SBDC manages a network of business coaches located throughout the state to assist small businesses at all stages of development, from startup to growth. The WV SBDC business coaches provide guidance in areas such as exporting, innovation, technology and economic development, finance, management, cybersecurity and marketing.

WV SBDC is an accredited partner program with the U.S. Small Business Administration and operates under the West Virginia Development Office.