RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS THE NUMBER ONE GOAL OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ADV AN CEMENT NATIONAL CENTER Don B. Bradley III* University of Central Arkansas ABSTRACT This article's purpose is to acquaint the reader with the services a\•ailable at the Small Business Advancement National Center. listed in this article you will find information on the SB/DA National Center, Small Business Advancement Network, and long range goals and objectives of the Small Business Advancement National Center, all housed at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas. There is also a brief summary of some of the data collected on a national Small Business Institute survey. INTRODUCTION The Small Business Advancement National Center is the home of the Small Business Institute Directors' Association National Center and the Small Business Advancement Network. A staff of seven members constitutes the center at this time with the possibility of growth as· other grants are pursued. The center is located in the College of Business Administration on the University of Central Arkansas campus in Conway, Arkansas. An IBM AS/400 is the backbone of the center computer operations with an IBM PS/2 model 95 housing the network operations. This center was funded by a grant given to the University of Central Arkansas by the United States Congress, initially in the sum of $200,000 with a renewal of $150,000 for 1992-93. This grant is administered by the United States Small Business Administration in Washington, D.C. Funding has also been secured from the State of Arkansas through the University of Central Arkansas as well as the Small Business Institute Directors' Association. *Dr. Bradley is 1hc dircc1or of lhe Small Business Advancement National Center. 73 SMALL BUSINESS INSTITUTE DIRECTORS' ASSOCIATION NATIONAL CENTER The Small Business Institute Directors' Association National Genter provides a link between the SBI universities and government. One of the SB IDA center's functions is lo serve as a facilitator of correspondence for universities with a Small Business Institute program. The center sends out correspondence from national officers, SBA personnel, SBI programs, the United States Congress, businesses, other small business organizations, and national center staff. Another function of the center is keeping up-lo-date records on all SBIDA universities and members as well as the processing of memberships and association financial records. SBIDA's Secretary-Treasurer has the authority over all SBIDA funds while the center serves as a repository of records, providing a stable address and location for the association's financial records and obviating the necessity of their movement with the election of each new officer. All records housed al the SBIDA National Center are open lo any member or interested party. The SBIDA National Center serves as the association's archives for all historical documents, proceedings and pamphlets (on a "space available" basis) as well as a clearinghouse for research and small business development. For the first time in the history of the association all important documents are housed in one location. If any SBIDA members have any artifacts or documents that they feel should be a part of these archives. they are asked to provide the national center with a description. Please note that because of lirnited space, no item should be sent without prior approval. Advocacy for the Small Business Institute program is one of the major functions of the SB IDA National Center, performed in cooperation with SB IDA 's National Officers. The center comple- ments the efforts of the total SBIDA family with its advocacy efforts. The advocacy program requires work with governmental agencies, businesses, universities, business students and faculty, professional organizations, the press. stale governments, the President of the United States, and the United States Congress. The SBIDA NEWS, which is the association newslener, is also published al the national center on the University' of Central Arkansas campus. Dr. Don B. Bradley III serves not only as National Center Director but also as editor of the SBIDA NEWS, the objective of which is lo keep all members infonned of changes in the SBI program as well as of national association and regional news. It also infonns the association members of outstanding work being done in small business, entrepreneurship and SBI's. SMALL BUSINESS ADV AN CEMENT NATIONAL CENTER The Small Business Advancement National Center's main purpose is to perfonn research and gather information about small businesses to be used in public, private, and academic senings. Long range goals of the SBA National Center are the following: (a) to serve as a research center for all aspects of small businesses and their effects on the business community; (b) to specialize in gathering data on minorities, women, veterans, disaster relief, small businesses in rural and urban areas, international entrepreneurship and small business, and Small Business Institute pro- grams; (c) lo invite academic faculty members from the United States as well as other countries to do research on small business and entrepreneurship; and (d) lo serve as a training center for small business, entrepreneurship, and the Small Business Institute program. 74 At the present time we are collecting peninent information on the Small Business Institute program which can be used to further the program from an academic point of view. This information is also very useful in selling the SBI program to _business, Congress, and SBA. For the first time in the 20 year history of the SBI program pertinent data pertaining to SBI and small business is housed in one location at the Small Business Advancement National Center. Our first survey has reflected many relevant facts. As of March I, 1992 the center has received completed surveys from 307 SBI programs which reveal the following: SBI directors have an average age of 47 .8 years; males strongly dominate the director's position with 240; only 53 females are reported at this time; 184 of the overall total are veterans of the United States military; the ethnic background of the SBI director is predominantly Caucasian (of 279 responding); survey respondents include three American Indians, two Asians, three Pacific Islanders, two Hispanics, and five blacks. Every reporting SBI director has a minimum of a master's degree, 133 hold an earned Ph.D., 20 have a D.B.A., and four a J.D. degree; 50% hold terminal degrees. The following teaching areas, reported to us on the SBI director's survey, truly demonstrate the varied backgrounds of individuals working with the SBI program. Only those that received three or more responses are listed below. SBI DIRECTORS' TEACHING AREAS Business -103 Political Science - 11 Management - 89 Mathematics -9 Marketing - 83 Agriculture -7 Economics -57 History -7 Finance - 27 Psychology -6 Accounting - 23 Foreign Languages -4 Sciences - 21 Sociology -4 Engineering - 17 Law -3 English - 15 Organizational Behavior -3 Education - 14 Speech - 3 Our respondents have been SBI directors for an average of six years with an average of seven years experience in the SBI program. We are collecting data on activities of SBI directors other than SBI cases and hope to have a report on this project within the next two months. The Small Business Advancement Network is collecting data in the following areas: I . A listing of grants available for small business and entrepreneurship 2. A listing of congressional leaders (with addresses and phone numbers) that are involved with business 75 3. A !isling of all SCORE chaplers wilh addresses and phone numbers 4. A !isling of all SBA offices wilh addresses and phone numbers 5. A listing of periodical resources pertaining lo small business and enlrepreneurship 6. SBA publicalions 7. SBIDA proceedings A bullelin board is available 1hrough !he Small Business Advancemenl Nelwork for !he leaving and receiving of messages, relrieving of pertinenl informalion, voling on issues pertaining 10 small business and SBI, and answering additional questionnaires. The above listings are ava~lable. and research malerials can be scanned inlo files and accessed lhrough !he bulletin board. The Small Business Advancemenl National Center al !he University of Cenlral Arkansas is pleased to provide you with these services, and each center staff member constantly strives to serve SBI and small business beuer. If you have a need. lei us know. You may be sure Iha! ii will receive our serious auention and Iha! we will do everylhing we can 10 see Iha! ii is salisfied. Our message is a simple one: please use us; we are here to serve you. 76 I