Apr 4, 2018 By Harry Funk staff Writer hfunk@thealmanac.Net 7 min read

On the road to becoming the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Pittsburgh District director, Kelly Hunt grew up in Washington County with her father running his own repair shop.

“I think now, looking back, if he had known some of the resources that are out there how much easier our life would have been,” she said. “And so what we would like to do is be able to present to you a wealth of information.”

Hunt served as moderator for a March 28 small-business resource panel discussion organized by the Peters Township Chamber of Commerce, hosted by University Veterinary Specialists on Route 19. The panel featured representatives from organizations that offer a variety of services for all types of ventures.

“We’re the only federal agency with the word ‘business’ in our name, and it’s because that’s all we do,” Hunt said about the SBA, which was established in 1953. “We assist in all phases of the life cycle, from startups to existing businesses. We help them to grow. We help them to expand, and we help them recover.”

Panelists from organizations with similar missions spoke about their roles in furthering the cause of small businesses:

Michael Wholihan, manager of training and community outreach, Small Business Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh

One of 17 throughout Pennsylvania, the Pitt-based center serves businesses, of all sizes and at all points of the life cycle, in Allegheny, Washington and Greene counties.

“All of us have either owned a business at one point or have been involved in some type of entrepreneurship,” Wholihan said about the development center’s staff members, who provide free, confidential, one-on-one consulting, often on-site: “I would much rather come to you as a business owner, instead of having you come to Oakland.”

Some of the other services offered by the center include educational seminars, capital formation and networking opportunities, and proving referrals that are vetted. Some areas of specialization are prevention and protection with regard to cybersecurity issues, along with preparing reports on business’ online search optimization.

“Three out of four consumers are going to the Internet first to see if you are a viable business,” Wholihan explained. “We make recommendations on what your business may need along those lines when it comes to anything cyber or e-commerce.”

For more information, visit entrepreneur.pitt.edu/institute-centers/small-business-development-center.

Max Miller, executive director, Washington Area Business Incubator

An assistant professor and director of entrepreneurial studies at Washington & Jefferson College, Miller described the new venture in the works as a partnership of the college, Observer Publishing Co., Washington County and the City of Washington.

“This incubator will be a place where people can grow their ideas,” Miller explained. “The goal is to empower people to develop the idea into an enterprise.”

At the heart of the concept is a physical space – Miller said he hopes the groundbreaking for a new building will be in late spring or early summer – where entrepreneurs in all types of enterprises can gather.

“Think about what you get when you come to events like these and you meet other business owners,” he told the panel discussion audience. “Just imagine doing that every day. You walk in. You talk to people about your concerns. Heck, you may even find another business partner there.”

The incubator goes beyond the networking aspect.

“Wrapped around the physical shape are support services,” Miller said. “We’re in the midst of creating a bench of subject matter experts, creating programming that we hope to start in May.”

For more information, visit wabincubator.org.

Kate Lacey Glodek, director, Government Agency Coordination Office at California University of Pennsylvania

The office is part of a national organization of procurement technical assistance centers that provide help in government contracting on the federal, state and local levels, through training and one-on-one counseling.

“We help you understand the process from start to finish,” Lacey Glodek explained. “I like to think of our counselors as teachers. We all have the heart of a teacher to help you figure all of this out, because it is very overwhelming to anyone.”

While the U.S. government is the world’s largest buyer of goods and services – providing plenty of opportunities for businesses, large and small alike – be forewarned.

“I love working with entrepreneurs because you’re the dreamers,” Lacey Glodek told her audience. “And when people come into our offices and they look at a solicitation, I see that dream sometimes collapse. And we’re here to help you say, ‘It’s doable.'”

Founded by the U.S. Department of Defense, the coordination office has been housed at California University of Pennsylvania since 1985 and now also has satellite locations in Pittsburgh and Slippery Rock. A seminar, “Fundamental Concepts in Federal Contracting,” is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon April 16 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Pittsburgh.

For more information, visit www.calu.edu/community/business-careers/gaco.

Bob Carlson, volunteer mentor, SCORE

Founded as the Service Corps of Retired Executives, the organization since has become known officially by its acronym.

“We’re not all retired,” Carlson explained, “and we weren’t all executives.”

The Peters Township resident is one of about 40 volunteers in the Pittsburgh area and 11,000 nationwide who share their expertise in business through SCORE, a resource partner of the Small Business Administration.

About two-thirds of SCORE’s clients represent startups, Carlson said, and services provided include help with writing a business plan, sharing market research and conducting workshops on small business basics.

Clients also come from existing businesses.

“Not surprisingly, they tend to come in SCORE when they’re in trouble,” Carlson reported. “Sometimes they’re kind of dead on arrival, and we say, ‘Why didn’t you come sooner?'”

A volunteer mentor since 1999, Carlson worked for a nationwide manufacturer of glass-packaging products for 34 years. He encourages people with business experience to consider helping others through SCORE.

For more information, visit pittsburgh.score.org.

Myra Oleynik, director, Peters Township Public Library

Having marked its 60th anniversary last year, the library has a saying that reflects the direction such institutions are taking in the 21st century:

“We want you to think that you do stand on sacred ground when you come into a library, not because you have to be quiet, but because there is so much that a library has to offer.”

Oleynik elaborated: “Libraries are not so much anymore about what we have, but what we can do for and with people.”

That includes small-business owners, and what’s available for them varies from computers and technical resources to meeting spaces to, of course, books.

“The library is like the community’s living room,” Oleynik said. “Think of it in terms of a place you can interact with someone you know or with a new client.”

Five study rooms are available at no charge for up to two hours, and larger meeting rooms can be rented for a nominal fee. A 3-D printer can be used for $1 per hour.

For more information, visit www.ptlibrary.org.