It took a while, but the R.I. Small Business Development Center, the grass roots support agency that is part of the U.S. Small Business Administration nationwide network, has a new chief.
Mark A. Stewart comes to the SBDC, hosted by the University of Rhode Island after eight years with Johnson & Wales University, from a small-business center in rural North Carolina, where his efforts yielded the creation of nearly 100 businesses in four years.
Mr. Stewart, this week’s Newsmaker, intends to encourage intense connections through the center’s staff to the very small businesses that make up the bulk of the SBDC’s clientele. He envisions long-term relationships more than one-off, consultant-like advice. He is hiring a bilingual business counselor in recognition of the diverse nature of the state’s urban fabric.
The Ocean State’s small businesses, especially those in their early stages, are in need of able, focused support if they are to help the state climb out of its economic doldrums. Rhode Island looks forward to a reinvigorated – and successful – SBDC. •