July 2012 Tennessee Small Business Development Centers (TSBDC)

The program for the July 21 TIA meeting included a presentation by Jutta Bangs from the Tennessee Small Business Centers office in Oak Ridge. She discussed some of the business aspects of inventing. Joe Martin gave an update on the planning of the upcoming Tennessee Inventor Expo scheduled for January 19, 2013.

Jutta Bangs runs the Oak Ridge office of the Tennessee Small Business Development Centers. She provides business consulting services for Oak Ridge and surrounding communities.

Jutta came to Oak Ridge from Germany, with a stop in Chyenne, Wyoming. Her first business was selling baby clothes on ebay. She has since started many businesses before becoming a business consultant with the Tennessee Small Business Development Centers (TSBDC).

The Tennessee Small Business Development Centers (TSBDC) are a network of business advisors with 20 locations throughout Tennessee. Funding for the state run program is provided by the federal Small Business Administration, the Tennessee community college and university system, and various commercial partners.

The TSBDC provides several services for inventors and entrepreneurs. These services are generally free, although some seminars may have a small fee to cover expenses. The services offered include

• Training on business topics, both in the classroom and on-line. Check out the TSBDC website for more information.
• Consulting on business issues. Consultations are confidential, one-on-one, and free. Consultations can be in-person and/or on-line, such as via e-mail, Skype, or webinars.
• Resources such as research databases and financial analysis

Jutta discussed the Advanced Composites Employment (ACE) Accelerator. The ACE Accelerator Project is designed to develop the composite material/carbon fiber cluster in East Tennessee. The goal is to establish East Tennessee as the nation's epicenter for low cost composite material/carbon fiber.

ACE Accelerator is funded by the US Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration, the US Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA), and the SBA. The Department of Labor seeks to train people to work in the advanced materials industry. The Department of Commerce EDA activities include technology commercialization of advanced materials through marketing and outreach to promote growth opportunities for existing industries.

For more information, visit the Advanced Composites Employment (ACE) Accelerator website.