July 18, 2018
NEWS RELEASE
Part of its continuing effort to further enhance constituent services and support
Richmond, VA – The Virginia Department of Small Business & Supplier Diversity (SBSD) is set to officially unveil a new agency logo, next week, as it continues to enhance the countless ways the department supports small businesses in the state of Virginia. The new logo allows for a more recognizable brand presence for SBSD, a department born in 2014 after the merger of the legacy agencies, the former Virginia Department of Business Assistance (DBA) and the Virginia Department of Minority Business Enterprise (DMBE). SBSD helps small businesses make connections to vital financial resources, assists businesses with navigation of state licensing and registration processes, processes applications for state and federal certifications, and provides development support to small businesses.
The department is a vital part of the business landscape in Virginia where 95% of businesses are categorized as “small”. SBSD helps small businesses continue their contributions to job creation and revenue growth in the state. SBSD’s Business Development and Outreach Services team conducts approximately 200 events statewide and provides one on one business counseling services to over 6,000 clients, annually. Some of the events conducted include express workshops for entrepreneurs as well as growing sales conferences. The agency recently launched a nationally-recognized Scaling4Growth Initiative aimed at assisting small businesses in achieving growth and reaching their next level of success making Virginia the first state to have such a program.
“We’ve done a great deal over the past three years to better serve businesses in the state of Virginia, including helping them gain access to financial capital and linking them to resources to better ensure their longevity. But, we hadn’t quite found the right footing where our branding was concerned,” stated Agency Director, Tracey G. Wiley. “We used a very collaborative approach in this rebranding effort, soliciting feedback from a number of our partners throughout the region to ensure that we hit the right mark. Now, our customers will be able to make a better connection to who we are and how we can help strengthen their efforts.”
SBSD recently relaunched its website to streamline the process for accessing many of its services for small businesses and has implemented enhanced customer service protocols for all staff. This year, the agency is preparing to streamline data collection and reporting to identify trends to better support the vendor and agency procurement communities. The agency has also identified additional program offerings that will support small businesses and provide those offerings across the Commonwealth. SBSD is committed to the growth and development of our small business population allowing them in turn to grow and develop Virginia’s economy.
Next week, in celebration of the launch, the agency will offer expanded social media interaction with small businesses through Twitter (@VA_DSBSD). For ongoing information about SBSD services and programs visit the agency website at www.sbsd.virginia.gov.
Press/Media Contact:
Tracey Wiley
Agency Director
Tracey.Jeter@sbsd.virginia.gov
(804)371-0125