Maryland’s Small Business Development Center network celebrates 20 years

Previously, DuBoff was director of small-business development for the Detroit Regional Economic Development Partnership in southeast Michigan and previously worked for a small-business development office in Moab, Utah.

‘‘I’m just a fan of the program no matter where it is,” said DuBoff. ‘‘I’m very happy to be a part of it here in Maryland. The SBDC program nationwide is a hidden treasure.

‘‘As we go out and do our work we always hear people say, ‘I’ve never heard of you guys. You’re really free? I can’t believe it,’” DuBoff said. ‘‘Until you’re looking for help you never hear of us. We very quietly get results here in Maryland and nationally, helping people start and grow their businesses.”

The state’s SBDC network, with its headquarters in College Park and six regional offices around the state, provides help with writing business plans, offers courses on financing and federal contracting, and conducts meetings on a variety of business topics. The network is a partnership between the U.S. Small Business Administration and the University of Maryland, College Park, linking private enterprise, government, higher education and local economic development organizations to provide management, training and technical assistance for small businesses.

In celebration of the SBDC’s 20th year in Maryland, Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D) is to issue a proclamation Tuesday declaring Thursday SBDC Day in Maryland. Also scheduled to speak during the program at the university’s Kim Engineering building in College Park are Sens. Barbara A. Mikulski (D) of Baltimore and Benjamin L. Cardin (D) of Pikesville, U.S. House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Dist. 5) of Mechanicsville, Del. Michael L. Vaughn (D-Dist. 24) of Bowie and Stephen Umberger, district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Alan Kutz, who oversees the SBDC in Waldorf as the College of Southern Maryland’s vice president, Corporate and Community Training Institute, said: ‘‘One reason why SBDC is so important here in Southern Maryland is because it’s a very diverse community, and it’s moving from a rural, suburban kind of community to a much more commercial community, and small businesses are very important to the well being of this community. SBDC is playing a large role, not only for startups but it’s also important [to help] businesses to grow.”

Kutz said he was responsible for hiring DuBoff. ‘‘I thought he was very well-equipped, having worked for SBDC in Utah and then working for small businesses in the Detroit metro area,” he said.

In addition to administering the Southern Maryland SBDC, DuBoff will oversee a team of business counselors serving entrepreneurs in Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties.

DuBoff said he worked in a franchise business involving education for young children in Vermont and Utah before getting into small-business development activities.

He sold his franchise operation ‘‘just because I got the opportunity, someone called wanting to buy it, and it was one of those moments when I thought the time was right to do something else,” he said. ‘‘And small business development really was the perfect choice because I love helping entrepreneurs start businesses and helping them succeed.”

He said of his goals in his new position: ‘‘One of the new things we are hoping to offer is a food entrepreneurship program that will help people develop a family recipe into a commercial, shelf-ready product. The program will provide entrepreneurs with a basic understanding of the issues crucial to starting a food business including market research, product commercialization, regulatory issues, packaging and labeling, pricing and cost analysis, product introduction and sales, food safety and sanitation, and business structure.”

DuBoff holds a bachelor’s in consumer studies and small-business marketing from the University of Vermont and a master’s in entrepreneurship and administration from St. Michael’s College, also in Vermont. He and his wife, Queenny Wu, live in La Plata. His hobbies include vegetarian cooking, inline skating and photography.