Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions:

What is SBDCNET?

SBDCNET stands for the Small Business Development Center - National Information Clearinghouse, which has been in operation since October 1998 in San Antonio, Texas. SBDCNET is dedicated to meeting the information needs of the SBDC community with timely, relevant, research upon request without charge. The web site provides information to both the entrepreneur and services to the SBDC Business Advisor.

What services does SBDCNET provide?

The SBDCNET web site and its many resources are available to the public. The web site contains links of interest to the budding entrepreneur, the established small business owner, and the business researcher including: business plans, industry information, associations, Spanish language business documents, and publications. The research services of SBDCNET, however, are available to SBDC Business Advisors assisting clients only through a specific request for information. These services are more in-depth and can include: market research, demographic information, basic patent and trademark searches and business maps. Business Advisors do not receive legal or medical interpretations or extensive marketing lists.

How can I get help if I am not an SBDC Business Advisor? Contact your local SBDC for free, confidential business counseling. If you require additional market research, ask your local SBDC Business Advisor to submit an online information request to SBDCNET for you. SBDCNET can fill requests placed by SBDC Business Advisors.

How can I find my local SBDC?

Contact your local SBDC.

Is SBDCNET affiliated with the Small Business Administration (SBA)?

Yes. The SBA provides the funding for SBDCNET.

Do you offer grants or loans?

No, we do not have money available for loans or grants. Visit the web site for information regarding grant tips and resource agencies for loans.

How can I suggest a link for your site?

Due to time and budget constraints, as well as the volume of requests we receive, we cannot accept requests for linking. We have a dedicated research staff who cull the Internet for the material we believe best serves the interests of our clients. Thank you for your interest.

SBDC Business Advisor Questions:

What is SBDCNET?

SBDCNET stands for the Small Business Development Center - National Information Clearinghouse, which has been in operation since October 1998 in San Antonio, Texas. SBDCNET is dedicated to meeting the information needs of the SBDC community with timely, relevant, research upon request without charge. The web site provides information to both the entrepreneur and services to the SBDC Business Advisor. How can I contact SBDCNET? To request information for your client, you can: Submit your request on line. If you are a registered Counselor, go to our Request Page and fill out the form. You'll get a confirmation notice on your screen after submitting the online form. Also, you may: E-mail us at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Fax us at: 210-458-7840 Phone us at: 1-800-689-1912

What services do you offer SBDC Business Advisors?

The published and Web-based research products sent to SBDC Business Advisors often include: market research, demographic information, financial ratios, business plans, competitors, business articles, industry outlooks, basic patent and trademark searches, associations, and business maps. business advisors do not receive legal or medical interpretations or extensive marketing lists. Excerpts from the print collection may also be included in the final research packet, which is mailed back to the requesting business advisor or it may be e-mailed upon request.

Please pinpoint what is needed by your client and communicate it to SBDCNET as best you can with any details that you think might assist us in the research process. SBDCNET cannot guarantee the finding of specific information but will certainly provide whatever we have available. The typical turnaround time is two weeks, plus mail time, and there is no limit on the number of requests submitted.

SBDCNET also supports an informative web site, which includes Spanish language business documents, Business advisor "tools", industry links, SBA forms, and SBDC success stories. Additionally, SBDCNET provides referral over the phone, and can provide specialized training on-site or by videoconference or videotape.

Can I request marketing lists for my client?

Where do you obtain lists of potential customers for clients? Where do the client's existing customers come from? From what customer base does the client want to draw from? SBDCNet will not supply you with all the lists your client needs, because of software limitations and price, but read on for suggested sources.

1) Mailing list brokerage firms can provide lists that match the special customer niche. These companies can be found in your yellow pages under "Advertising - Direct Mail", "List Brokers", "Mail Brokers" or through the Direct Marketing Association.  Mailing list brokers rent or sell consumer and business-to-business marketing lists. Their databases are compiled from the subscribers of magazines, school enrollments, yellow page directories, and other sources. Names can be bought and extracted based upon geography, title/function, gender, income or other special criteria depending upon the list's makeup.

2) A free, nationwide "business" yellow pages in www.superpages.com, can be searched by city, state or industry to help pinpoint future clients or competitors. Click on the "About Us and Help" tab for search tips.

3) SBDCNET has access to InfoUSAs RefUSA, a database of businesses. Due to price and software limitations, we are limited to supplying no more than 50 company names per request, which could be competitors or suppliers, but not a customer list. See Info-USA's web site for B-to-B and B-to-C at www.infousa.com and similarly from www.usadata.com and www .zapdata.com.

4) SBDCNET does not have access to consumer listings, but can offer the SRDS "Direct Marketing List Source" for subscriber lists. Each periodical listed provides the list owner or broker, how the data was compiled and from what sources, total number of names and prices per thousand records. The entry will also indicate the number of records by type or if the list can be divided according to other criteria (such as title, ZIP code or state, etc.). Contact the list broker/owner to rent or purchase the mailing list.

5) Additional sources of lists are: www.statlistics.com, the American List Counsel at www.alclists.com, or Focus USA at www.focus-usa-1.com.

How long does it take to receive the information request packet?

Our average turn around is 10 days. All requests are researched in the order in which they are received. We now send out our information requests by e-mail. A request to have it sent by US mail can add up to 2 to 7 days, depending on your location.

What is GIS (Geographic Information System) and what GIS services do you offer for SBDC Business Advisors?

SBDCNet's GIS Services.

How do I know you received my online Information Request Form?

After submitting your online Information Request Form you will see a confirmation page on your screen verifying the information you submitted. If you send a request by E-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it you should receive a confirmation of receipt within 1 business day. If you do not receive confirmation please call or fax in your request. When sending E-mails be sure to include your complete center information: address, phone and fax numbers.

Can I refer my client directly to you?

No. Our services are provided to serve business advisors directly rather than their clients. We also frequently find that the business advisor can phrase the clients' information need/question more clearly than the clients themselves.

How can I subscribe/unsubscribe to the e-newsletter?

What can I expect to receive in the e-newsletter? Subscribe to our e-newsletter on our homepage. Unsubscribe instructions should be included in an e-mail you receive after signing up. In our e-newsletter, you will receive links to key resources for a different start-up business or industry each week. If you have any suggestions please let us know.

What is an SBDCNET success story? How can I share one with you?

An SBDCNET success story is a specific example of how SBDCNET's information services have positively impacted on our SBDC Business Advisors and their clients. The success story, posted on the homepage, is the SBDCNET way of acknowledging our Business Advisors and their SBDC. E-mail us if you have a good experience with our services that you would like to share. The new stories will be posted in two to three months.

Do you provide training to SBDC Business Advisors?

Yes, on-site training is provided on various topics including: site selection, rural business, electronic commerce, market research and SBDCNET general services. Our presentations can fit into your meeting or professional development event running from one to three hours in length. Travel expenses are negotiable. Training is also offered via videoconference or videotape.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration under Award Number SBDC-CLH-2004-01. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations are those of the SBDCNet and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. SBA.