Aspiring Entrepreneurs Encouraged to Explore State Resources to Turn New Year’s Resolutions into Small Business Success

Development Offers Many Programs to Support New Businesses

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — The New Year means new opportunities for Ohioans looking to pursue their dreams of starting their own business, and the Ohio Department of Development is helping turn those resolutions into a reality.

From expert counseling to financial backing, Development offers many services to support future small business owners as they navigate launching their own companies.

“Small businesses are vital to the health and success of our communities,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Department of Development. “If you’ve been considering starting your own, our team is here to help you find success as an entrepreneur.”

Ohio has nearly 1 million small businesses, according to recent data published by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Nearly 10 percent of small businesses are retailers.

Development recognizes the positive economic impact of these businesses and offers several business resources to support the success of Ohio’s small businesses.

Business Assistance and Counseling

Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) provide counseling and assistance to individuals starting or growing their business. Each center is staffed with highly trained Certified Business Advisors® who help small businesses and entrepreneurs increase sales and create jobs.

In 2023, Ohio’s SBDCs served more than 11,000 clients, providing approximately 53,000 hours of business counseling to clients at no cost, and assisting in 397 business starts.

Companies taking advantage of the services say the counselors have been instrumental in them growing their profits and services, including the owners of a trucking company looking to build a permanent space for their growing business.

“From the very start, the SBDC team helped me know certain things that would help us grow and evolve,” said Cecile Armbrust, co-owner of Here We Go Express Inc. located in North Jackson, Ohio. “I have grown as a person and business owner and hope that I will be able to carry on and make our small trucking company prosper.”

Development’s Minority Business Development Division, in partnership with Ohio’s network of regional Minority Business Assistance Centers (MBACs), provides state certification assistance, technical professional assistance, access to capital and bonding. To date, more than $20 million in loans were approved to support more than 200 minority- and women-owned businesses.

Increasing Business Opportunities through State Certification

MBACs also help businesses become state-certified in the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Encouraging Diversity Growth and Equity (EDGE), Women Business Enterprise (WBE) programs, and Veteran-Friendly Business Enterprise (VFBE) Procurement program that help increase the number of qualified competitors in the marketplace. Currently, the program has approved more than 4,000 essential business certifications.

Businesses receiving support include Dos Hermanos, located in Columbus. In 2012, Lisa Gutierrez left her position as a manager with the Cheesecake Factory to follow a dream of starting the food truck business with her husband. Gutierrez worked with the local Minority Business Assistance Center to grow the business into three brick-and-mortar locations, several food trucks, and concession stands in Columbus sporting and event .

“We had a dream and a vision of where we wanted to take our businesses, and the support we received from the Minority Businesses Assistance Centers helped build those dreams into our first permanent locations,” said Lisa Gutierrez. “Because of the resources we had access to, I’m now able to help mentor other new enterprisers achieve their own goals.”

Securing Government Contracts

Ohio APEX Accelerators Program: This program provides education and training all businesses need to compete for government contracts at the federal, state, and local levels. Through one-on-one counseling and group trainings, companies will gain assistance in becoming eligible to enter and participate in the government supply chain. More than 2,600 Ohio clients received counseling services, and more than $1.2 billion in contact dollars were awarded in the 2022-2023 program year.

Starting or Expanding Global Trade Efforts

Ohio Export Internship Program: This program provides students with invaluable hands-on experience and equips them with the skills necessary to thrive in the global marketplace by matching them with companies looking to export for the first time or to improve their current export initiatives. It provides a 50 percent reimbursement for the intern’s wages. The program offers a mutually beneficial relationship to students and companies by providing real-world experiences where both can learn and grow.

Many Ohio businesses are taking advantage of the program, including Hartzell Hardwoods of Piqua. Long recognized as a worldwide leader in walnut and top-quality thick lumber, Hartzell Hardwoods has been an innovator and leader of the hardwood industry since 1875. The company has employed interns for the last three years.

"Thanks to the Ohio Export Internship Program, our company expanded its global territory, gained invaluable insights, and harnessed the exceptional talent of Ohio’s Export interns,” said Robert Kaebnick, CEO and president of Hatzell Hardwoods, “It’s been a game-changer for our business.”

International Market Access for Exporters (IMAGE) Grant Program: To further incentivize Ohio businesses to explore international markets, Development offers a grant to help Ohio companies promote their goods and services internationally, gain export knowledge, and participate in trade missions. The U.S. Small Business Administration's State Trade Expansion Program partially funds Development’s export grants.

International Market Support: Development recognizes the importance of effective international marketing. The State works with representatives internationally to provide opportunities for Ohio businesses to increase export sales and create jobs. The in-market representatives assist with providing detailed market research and matchmaking with potential customers at no cost to the business.

Export Counseling Resources: This program offers businesses expert guidance and assistance in navigating the complexities of international trade, compliance, and logistics. The Ohio Small Business Development Center, Export Assistance Network directors, located around the state, provide companies with no-cost, in-depth counseling to help companies expand globally.

Opportunities for Manufacturers

The Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership helps Ohio’s small and medium-sized manufacturers increase sales, create jobs and generate cost savings through technological innovation, workforce training and improved management practices. The State Ohio MEP office works with, and administers the program through, six regional partners across the state that are strategically selected to serve as a statewide resource to meet the needs of key industry sectors and small manufacturers.

The Ohio Department of Development empowers communities to succeed by investing in Ohio’s people, places, and businesses. Learn more about our work at development.ohio.gov.

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