During National Small Business Week and the proclamation of Nebraska Small Business Week, Omaha entrepreneurs welcomed a new education and consultation hub to turn their ambitions into action. 

Leaders from Metropolitan Community College and the University of Nebraska at Omaha gathered with community members, partners and stakeholders during the MCC Small Business Development Center ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 6. The event took place at the Ashton Building in Millwork Commons, celebrating the official launch of Nebraska’s second federally designated SBDC. 

“Businesses generate revenue, entrepreneurs generate momentum and that momentum changes communities,” MCC SBDC Director Daphne Cook said in her speech. “Right now, there’s somebody thinking, ‘Is my idea good enough? Is it realistic? Can I make this happen?’”

“I hope that they walk through these doors and they understand this is not something that you have to do alone. We will walk beside you,” she said. 

The MCC SBDC soft-launched last year. Targeting entrepreneurs in MCC’s service area of Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy and Washington counties, its offerings include one-on-one consultations, free and low-cost workshops and specialized courses open to the public that can transfer into college credits.

Curriculum and mentorship center on scaling a venture and answering business-related questions, from marketing and financing to forming a business plan. Now in the ranks of UNO’s Nebraska Business Development Center, MCC’s SBDC designation means more opportunities to connect business owners to the resources and networks they need to be successful. 

MCC Executive Director of Business Development Marla Ashe said the MCC SBDC is structured to better address modern higher education needs. As community members may question the significance of committing to a college degree for their own career trajectories, the center tries to provide a flexible approach to education that is immediately accessible and applicable to entrepreneurs already building.

Ashe said the MCC SBDC is meant to meet entrepreneurs “where they are.” In the physical sense, its Millwork Commons location means it is based at a widely used networking and event center to attract founders in the area. 

But on the experience level side of things, Ashe said the center’s approachable consultants and meetups are meant to assist entrepreneurs at any stage of their business journey. This could be the conceptualization of a business or wondering when to sell ownership of a venture. 

“The consultant is there to advise, to direct,” Ashe said. “Entrepreneurs, we’re multifaceted and we have a lot of things on our mind, but (consultants are) just like your thought partners.”

“They’re going to push back, they’re going to talk through your business plan, but that’s what you need,” she added. 

Ashe said she seeks to collaborate with local startup founders and experienced entrepreneurs to share their insights and lead teachings. She said she is also working to collaborate with larger, established companies to potentially spark business-to-business relationships with small business owners. 

“We really want to be everything to everybody — and we should,” Ashe said. “Metro has a well-deserved brand that people trust. We’re just going to leverage that legacy.”

You can learn more about the MCC SBDC, its community-facing offerings and how to get involved here.