Members of the Key West Business Guild on Oct. 6 heard from Margie Smith and Julie Brown of the Small Business Development Center during the guild’s monthly luncheon at the Marriott Beachside Hotel.
The SBDC, Smith explained, is primarily funded by the Small Business Administration and helps small business owners in areas such as disaster relief, SBA loan applications, marketing strategies, workforce development, launching a start-up and business continuity.
Since January 2020, the Florida Keys SBDC helped 370 local business owners navigate disaster loan applications. “Keys businesses have obtained close to $15 million in capital and SBDC has helped with seven new business launches in 2021,” Smith reported.
