School of Business Gazette > August 1, 2003

SBDC Receives Grant for Business Development In Dane County's Latino Community

The Small Business Development Center received a UW-Extension Cross Divisional Grant to fund a one-year pilot program to provide Latino-owned businesses and entrepreneurs with business development assistance. This grant, combined with funding from the Evjue Foundation, Park Bank and The QTI Group, will enable the hiring of a 50- percent-time, bilingual/bicultural academic staff person to provide personal business counseling to existing Latino business owners and start-up firms. Collaborating partners in the project are UW-Extension Dane County, UW-Madison Office of Community Partnerships, Madison Area Technical College and the Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation.

Services will include Spanish language-based technical assistance, retail trade analysis, small business training and assistance in obtaining capital to start or to expand their business. The new staff person will work out of the UW-Madison Office of Community Partnerships at the Villager Mall.