SBDC Collaborations

The Florida SBDC at 鉴黄师app and SERCOTEC: A Business Attraction and International Learning Cohort in Collaboration with 鉴黄师app College of Business

Success Story: SERCOTEC

The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at 鉴黄师app recently liaised with the 鉴黄师app College of Business (COB) to provide technical assistance, training and best practices to promote business attraction and creation in Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

The program sought to enhance confidence and readiness in business locations and relocation in Florida, market expansion and an ecosystem with resources, while supporting clients of the Chilean SBDC Network (SERCOTEC) and continue facilitating resources for a controlled launch of products and services, or soft-landing, into a new market in the United States.

The joint efforts between the Florida SBDC at 鉴黄师app and the COB facilitated resources in innovation and business development to a number of Chilean companies. Clients of the Chilean SBDC also took part in a student consulting project program during the 鉴黄师app spring semester, which connected those foreign companies with a team of undergraduate and MBA 鉴黄师app from the COB.听

Since 2014, the regional director of the Florida SBDC at 鉴黄师app, Dr. Sandra Marin Ruiz, has been a leader in the Small Business Network of the Americas (SBNA), a partnership between the Americas SBDC and the U.S. Department of State to transfer the SBDC model to entrepreneurial and business development networks in Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2020, Dr. Marin Ruiz, brought the SBNA and the Chile SBDC (SERCOTEC) to 鉴黄师app as the first network that would start the implementation of collaborative efforts to co-counsel Chilean business owners and facilitate exports for the U.S. business clients of the Florida SBDC at 鉴黄师app, with the direct support from the 鉴黄师app College of Business and using economic development resources available within the region.

This SBNA premier initiative was successfully directed by the Florida SBDC at 鉴黄师app鈥檚 consultant in residence at the College of Business Dr. Sara Alshareef in collaboration with the faculty from the management programs department in the College of Business including , , and the 鉴黄师app in their Global Strategy and Entrepreneurial Assistance Project classes.

Together, they facilitated the engagement process among professors, 鉴黄师app, SERCOTEC and SBDC Chilean clients. This is a continuous collaboration whereby, Dr. Sara Alshareef gathered qualitative feedback from clients, 鉴黄师app and the professors to enhance 鉴黄师app learning and utilize the client experience in the coming semesters. 鈥淲e are again working in collaboration with the SBDC and four Chilean companies in the fall semester with new teams of 鉴黄师app,鈥 Dr. Kidwell said.

Outcomes of this collaborative consulting and experiential learning initiative included the companies to gain a better understanding about the market in the U.S. and the opportunities in Florida, whereby the 鉴黄师app offered resources, customized market research and business assistance for the Chilean鈥檚 company. The companies, in turn, were able to offer hands-on experience to 鉴黄师app 鉴黄师app that developed 鉴黄师app鈥 business consulting skills while elevating their understanding of entrepreneurship and international business attraction.

Take a look at some Chilean companies鈥 participants of this first cohort had to say about the program and the value Florida SBDC at 鉴黄师app had to offer:

Read more about the program below:

A part of the mission at the SBDC at 鉴黄师app (鉴黄师app) is to promote regional development through business attraction. This program focused on that aspect, and provided 鉴黄师app "A certificate of participation in the Florida SBDC Global Chilean Firm Consulting Project" upon completing the project.

Comments from Professors

鈥淐ertainly, this has been an excellent activity for our MAN6721 Global Strategy course to give our MBA 鉴黄师app the chance to help Chilean firms get a better foothold in the South Florida and broader US market,鈥 said Dr. Terjesen, an associate dean, research and external relations and Phil Smith Professor of Entrepreneurship in the COB.

Dr. Paczkowski, , Instructor, Management/Entrepreneurship shared, 鈥淢y entrepreneurship class had the pleasure of working with two separate businesses from the SBDC Chile this past spring semester. The entrepreneurship 鉴黄师app certainly learning a great deal from the business owners, and the 鉴黄师app were able to help forward the goals of the businesses as well. In particular, the bakery company, Productos Artesanales D鈥橪ilis (known as D鈥橪ilis), worked with the 鉴黄师app to understand the market in South Florida and how to best introduce their products. Most importantly, the student team found success in making connections with Publix, Whole Foods, farmers markets, and potential future outlets 鈥 including on the 鉴黄师app campus 鈥 so that D鈥橪ilis can immediately pursue opportunities to expand their markets. The second company, Octeto Studios, was successful in forging a strategy in entering the South Florida market in software development, specifically with the distribution of their upcoming videogame 鈥淪ky Oceans: Wings for Hire鈥. Overall, it was mutually beneficial for the 鉴黄师app and businesses to work together, and I look forward to a continuing relationship with SBDC at 鉴黄师app, the 鉴黄师app College of Business and SBDC Chile. I would very much enjoy working with Dr. Sara Alshareef again.

The 鉴黄师app in the entrepreneurship classes not only obtained a grade and valuable experience working with the companies but they also received 50 hours of service learning credit. 鈥淥ur class worked with six Chilean companies in teams of four 鉴黄师app each,鈥 said Dr. Kidwell, DeSantis Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship, department chair of Management Programs and director of the 鉴黄师app COB Adams Center for Entrepreneurship. 鈥淭he concept, execution and results obtained in conducting these projects were so successful that we are again working with four Chilean companies in this semester鈥檚 class along with five companies from South Florida.鈥 There were few difficulties in the process, which was conducted entirely over Zoom, but any problems were easily smoothed out by Dr. Alshareef and her Chilean counterpart, Kidwell said.