Contact:
Shy Hopkins,
Headquarters
973.353.1927
Additional Affiliate/Satellite Office Will Provide Further Accessibility for County Small Businesses
February 15, 2017 (Mahwah, NJ) – America’s SBDC New Jersey, also known as the New Jersey Small Business Development Centers (NJSBDC) network, has announced that Ramapo College of New Jersey has become a full-time Host of its Bergen small business development center.
Ramapo College of New Jersey has been an affiliate partner of the 12-center program for the past two years, but, will now host the Center full-time. The Center is located at the Anisfield School of Business on the Ramapo campus in Mahwah.
“We welcome Ramapo College as our new Host institution,” said Brenda B. Hopper, chief executive officer and state director of the NJSBDC statewide network. “We are certainly looking forward to the new official partnership and expect that this four-year higher education institution will offer new opportunities for faculty and MBA students to engage with our SBDC program in assisting small business clients of our Center serving Bergen County.”
“We are ever so grateful for the 20-plus year partnership that we had with Bergen Community College and hope to continue that relationship as an area satellite office,” added Hopper. “The satellite office will be instrumental to serving small businesses in Central and Southern Bergen County.”
In the past, there have been several high-powered initiatives offered at Ramapo (as an affiliate partner) through the SBDC including a well-attended Cyber Security Conference and ongoing client counseling, and training sessions.
“Our high national accreditation standards for the SBDC program and enhancements for higher educational partnerships, makes this Host partnership ideal,” noted Deborah Smarth, chief operating officer and associate state director. “Having worked with administrators of Ramapo during the affiliate status phase, the Ramapo partnership offers countless new opportunities on various fronts. Its high academic ranking among regional colleges (north) also makes it an exceptional addition to our network’s center higher education hosts.”
“Our new SBDC colleagues will be working with faculty and students as a resource for research and experiential learning beyond the classroom,” said Dean of the Anisfield School of Business, Dr. Edward Petkus, Jr. “This provides an extremely valuable venue for our students and faculty to engage with and impact the small business and non-profit community, and vice-versa.”
“It’s been a real honor and pleasure collaborating with Ramapo over the past two years as an affiliate of the program,” said Vincent Vicari, regional center director of NJSBDC at Ramapo College of New Jersey. “I look forward to bolstering the Center program even further with our new Host and additional satellite offices.”
“As a major funding partner of the New Jersey Small Business Development Centers network, the U.S. Small Business Administration is pleased to welcome Ramapo College as the new Host for the SBDC serving Bergen County,” said SBA NJ District Director Al Titone. “Certainly, this four year college offers a wide array of new possibilities and collaborations that will only fortify the client services provided to SBDC small business clients throughout Bergen County.”
At a future date, Ramapo’s SBDC will announce a new affiliate and satellite office which is currently being formulated and developed.
Small businesses and entrepreneurs located in Bergen County are encouraged to make an appointment for confidential no-cost business counseling by calling the Ramapo College Small Business Development Center at 201-684-7135. The center is located on the campus of Ramapo College at 505 Ramapo Valley Road, Mahwah, NJ.
About America’s SBDC New Jersey (NJSBDC)
The New Jersey Small Business Development Centers network, one of the first pilot projects in the nation, has provided comprehensive services and programs for small business in New Jersey for 37 years; SBDC experts help businesses expand their operations, manage their growth, or start new ventures. Expert staff and practicing business consultants help small business owners and entrepreneurs to develop business plans, find financing, accounting and financial analysis, identify new markets, initiate marketing strategies, find procurement and international trade opportunities, learn green sustainability practices, commercialize technology and develop an E-commerce presence. This non-profit network, a federal-state-educational partnership, leverages funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the N.J. Business Action Center, the educational institutions that host the 12 centers as well as other private sponsorships and additional private/public grants. The NJSBDC Headquarters, located at the Rutgers Business School in Newark, NJ, oversees the network which is an accredited member of America’s SBDC. Approximately 1,000 centers and satellite offices serve small businesses across the country, generating jobs and economic development. Visit www.njsbdc.com.
