Small Business Development and Management Institute

Cynthia K. Beaulieu, Director

Office: CBA Small Business Incubator Building, Suite #151

Phone: (504) 286-5032 Fax: (504) 284-5421

Email cbeaulieu@suno.edu

Diana B. Thomas, Small Business Advisor

Office: CBA Small Business Incubator Building, Suite #154

Phone: 284-5512 Fax: (504) 284-5421

Email dthomas@suno.edu

Vacant, Administrative Assistant

Office: CBA Small Business Incubator Building, Reception Area

Phone: (504) 284-5514 Fax: (504) 284-5421

Program Description

Purpose

The Small Business Development & Management Institute (SBDMI) was established to provide high quality technical assistance and small business incubation to small and emerging businesses in the Greater New Orleans Area and surrounding parishes through one-on-one counseling, seminars, workshops, entrepreneurial training classes and business outreach and support activities. Additionally, the SBDMI provides hands-on learning to small business clients through business development activities facilitated by the SBDMI staff and the College of Business and Public Administration (CBA) faculty and students.

The SBDMI is located within the CBA, Southern University at New Orleans. It is housed in a 10,000 square foot stand-alone building made possible through a grant from the Department of Education’s Title III program. Both the SBDMI staff and the SUNO Small Business Incubator are domiciled in this pleasant and attractive atmosphere adjacent to the main College of Business building. The SBDMI was created by the Louisiana State Legislature in 1985 to be housed in the College of Business and has provided invaluable services to many small businesses.

The SUNO Small Business Incubator (SUNO, Inc.) is operated by the SBDMI and was initiated by a HUD grant. The program serves the local community in the development of start-up and support for fledgling companies by providing entrepreneurs with an array of targeted resources and services. The business incubator’s main goal is to produce successful enterprises that will leave the program financially viable and freestanding. Incubator graduates have been able to create jobs, revitalize neighborhoods, and strengthen the local and regional economies.

Mission

The Mission of the SBDMI is to enhance the economic wellbeing of the citizens of Greater New Orleans area and surrounding regions by providing comprehensive, high-quality technical assistance to existing and potential small businesses, and to promote the formation and growth of small businesses in order to expand and diversify the local and regional economy.

The SBDMI fulfills its mission by providing basic professional management consultancy services through individual counseling, business seminars/workshops, small business incubation, and a large collection of business information resources. The SBDMI has identified its target markets as those individuals in the pre-venture stage, start-up businesses, and on-going businesses that are primarily comprised of 1-20 employees.

Vision Statement

The vision of the SBDMI is to position small and emerging businesses to become a vital force in the economic development of the Greater New Orleans area and the State of Louisiana by increasing entrepreneurship, empowering businesses through the development of sustained financial strategies, providing education and training for the workforce of the small and emerging businesses, and securing procurement opportunities for these businesses.

Goals

1. Provide entrepreneurs and small business owners’ opportunities to learn more about starting and managing their small business.
2. Provide entrepreneurs and small business owners’ management and technical assistance in planning, implementing, and controlling their ventures.
3. Provide a research support system that generates information for entrepreneurs and small business owners that relates to starting and managing small businesses.
4. Establish and maintain an environment conducive to business incubation that will contribute to business faculty and student academic growth through hands-on learning that will enable business students to acquire skills and abilities necessary for careers in business, industry, and entrepreneurship.
5. Promote the growth of workforce development opportunities for small businesses in order to expand and diversify the local and regional economy.
6. Increase partnerships in the SUNO community and the community at large by creating links to other departments at SUNO, local businesses, for-profit and non-profit organizations, and government agencies to foster economic development opportunities.