Butler University is the new host of the Central Indiana Small Business Development Center, which provides guidance and resources to entrepreneurs and small business owners at all phases—concept, startup, growth, and maturity. The Central Indiana Small Business Development Center’s mission is to have a positive and measurable impact on the formation, growth, and sustainability of small business in Indiana and to develop a strong entrepreneurial community.

The Small Business Center (SBDC) will become a division of the Lacy School of Business’ Old National Bank Center for Closely Held Business. The four-employee Central Indiana Small Business Development Center will be primarily located at the Speak Easy Downtown Indianapolis, but will be part of the Indianacoworkingpassport.com network providing access to multiple co-working spaces across Central Indiana.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) administers a grant from the federal Small Business Administration that enables these small-business development centers to exist and partners with local organizations to host them. The Indy Chamber has hosted the Central Indiana Small Business Development Center since 2014 and integrated it into its other key initiatives, including the Business Ownership Initiative (BOI) and the Women’s Business Center.

“The Indy Chamber has been proud to host the Central Indiana SBDC team for the last three years,” Indy Chamber President and CEO Michael Huber said. “While we will miss having these amazing individuals in our office, we are excited for the growth of their small business support services through this new relationship with Butler University. We will continue to partner with the Central Indiana SBDC team, the US Small Business Administration, and additional partners to further develop the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the Indy region.”

Dennis Wimer, Director of the Old National Bank Center for Closely Held Business said he wants Butler to build on the good work done by the Indy Chamber to help small businesses grow and will maintain the partnerships already in place. This partnership will help the Butler community connect more deeply with the small business community in Central Indiana.

Steve Standifird, Dean of Butler’s Lacy School of Business, said having the Center become part of the University is “a great addition to Butler.”

“It will give us additional opportunities for experiential education, enable us to partner with the business community, and continue our efforts to help Indiana businesses grow,” he said.

Media contact:
Marc Allan
mallan@butler.edu
317-940-9822