Luke Kempen, UWEC SBDC Director

The Wisconsin Small Business Development Center at UW-Eau Claire recently opened an office in Meggers Hall at UW-Eau Claire – Barron County in Rice Lake.

The office will be staffed by SBDC consultants from the Eau Claire office, with office hours available by appointment. The office opening stems from the increased number of clients the SBDC serves in Barron, Washburn, and surrounding counties. Client service requests in these counties grew from 47 requests in fiscal year 2016 to 103 requests in fiscal year 2018. Future plans include staffing the office on a part-time basis and holding regular office hours.

The SBDC will offer the Entrepreneurial Training Program in Rice Lake. This 10-week course will be held Thursdays, Feb. 21-April 18, from 6-8:45pm in Meggers Hall at UW-Eau Claire – Barron County. For more information on the class offering, visit the Entrepreneurial Training Program website (wisconsinsbdc.org/eauclaire/attend/etp) or contact the SBDC at (715) 836-5902 or etp@uwec.edu.

The SBDC at UW-Eau Claire, which is directed by Luke Kempen, is part of a statewide network of SBDCs that works with business owners and entrepreneurs to facilitate business growth and improvement, and to help launch successful new companies. Through no-cost consulting, low-cost entrepreneurial education, and strategic facilitation, SBDC experts serve as resources for small and emerging midsize companies.

UW-Eau Claire’s SBDC office received Wisconsin’s 2017 Small Business Development Center of Excellence and Innovation Award for playing a critical role in the state’s small business community.

The Wisconsin SBDC is hosted by the UW System and is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. To learn more, visit the UW-Eau Claire SBDC website. To set an appointment to meet with SBDC staff in Rice Lake, contact Luke Kempen at (715) 836-5902 or kempenls@uwec.edu.