Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Penn State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has provided more than 1,000 collective hours of business advising to small businesses owners experiencing supply chain disruptions, staffing challenges, a decrease in revenue, and/or closure because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 347 entrepreneurs who have sought pandemic- related support, 38 have worked with the SBDC to access a combined 4.5 million in capital through local, state, and federal emergency funding initiatives.
To support small business recovery efforts, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) awarded the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers (PASBDC) supplemental funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, in the late spring 2020. The funds allowed the Penn State SBDC to designate one full-time staff member to supporting small business recovery in Centre, Clinton, Lycoming, and Mifflin counties.