Does Your Organization Offer Small Business Support Services?

WBEC-East is proud to have been selected by the US Small Business Administration to unite the Women’s Business Center program in Pennsylvania.

As part of our expansion effort, we will be looking to partner with other entrepreneurship-focused non-profits, incubators, and associations, to join forces as one connected network of support for new and growing small businesses across the Commonwealth.

What is the Keystone WBC Network?

This new initiative is designed to offer more comprehensive services to women business owners throughout Pennsylvania, as well as greater connectivity between entrepreneurship-focused organizations and business coaches. While services are women-focused, they are open to all regardless of gender.

Pennsylvania is home to three current Women’s Business Centers – one in Pittsburgh, Lancaster, and Philadelphia. As part of this initiative, our three centers will unite under a shared CRM and program strategy to better coordinate our efforts. To complement this program, we are seeking partners in additional hubs throughout the state to formally become a part of the WBC ecosystem as subcontracted partners – to be known as the WBC Keys.

The goal is not to create more traditional WBC centers, but to connect and harness the strength of already existing small business support organizations throughout the state.

Who are the WBC Keys?

We are welcoming outreach from established non-profits, Chambers of Commerce, main street coalitions, CareerLinks, community colleges, industry associations, incubators and others with a proven track record of providing support to small business owners in Pennsylvania. These organizations would join the Keystone WBC Network as the “WBC Keys.”

Qualities of the Ideal WBC Key Partner:

• Located in one of PA’s counties not adjacent to the established WBC centers in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Lancaster. Organizations without a formal physical office must show consistent evidence of in-person community presence in their location.

• Offer specialty programming that could be made available virtually to the entire Commonwealth. This could be industry-specific, access to capital, workforce development, or some other technical education.

• Have an established following of business owners in your local area and/or your programming specialty, along with the staff and organizational infrastructure necessary to become a part of this program.

Benefits of Becoming a WBC Key

• Expanded reach of your programming to the entire Pennsylvania WBC network to grow your client-base and deepen your community impact.

• Access to the full range of SBA resources, programs, consulting, and more for your membership or network, without having to build new infrastructure.

• Opportunities to co-host events in partnership with WBC’s Pennsylvania Lead Center, with state-wide promotion and hosted in your location.

• User access to the statewide client CRM for your staff, where you will be able to track a client’s journey across all participating partners, make and receive referrals, and view both the local and statewide economic impact of your programs.

• Inclusion of your organization, resources, and programs in the Pennslyvania WBC website, events calendar, newsletter, marketing, and resource hubs.

• Cross-institutional collaboration with other WBC Keys chambers, incubators, and industry associations in a coordinated referral system.

• Statewide and federal credibility as a formal part of the SBA Women’s Business Center program, with the ability to use the WBC Keys and SBA Partner logos.

Contracted Keys Partners will also receive an annual stipend of $5,000 – $10,000 to support outreach and programming towards the WBC network. Stipend amount will depend on client metrics presented in your proposal.

Service Delivery Expectations of WBC Keys

• Provide at least one webinar each quarter on your programming specialty to the entire WBC network, with registration hosted on the WBC CRM.

• Host at least one in-person WBC co-branded event in your local region each year. Can be at your formal office location or another community space in your region.

• Consistently and diligently log client event participation, touchpoints, sessions, and economic demographics into the statewide CRM. This will be a crucial requirement in order for all partners to have ongoing access to client outcomes, shared visibility into client needs, and quality data on program impact (business starts, jobs supported, access to capital, etc.). **

• Regularly post your events, programs, and resources to the statewide WBC network website.

• Regularly promote the offerings of the other Keystone WBC and SBA partners to your client base.

• Maintain already established community-based access points for both in-person and virtual support to business owners in your community.

• Serve as a front door to the WBC network in your community, intaking clients both to your programs and actively referring clients to other partners’ programs.

• Contribute a 50% match of your stipend through a combination of program revenues and in-kind donations of volunteer time, speaker expertise, and/or meeting space. This match is a federally mandated requirement of the WBC grant program. The WBC Lead Center will work with you to design a match strategy that fits the culture and abilities of your organization.

** The CRM software is designed specifically for federally-funded economic development programs. Impact reporting to the SBA by the WBC Lead Center is a federal requirement of participation in this program. All client data will remain entirely confidential and safe within the CRM, and only accessible to approved WBC partner staff users. The WBC Lead Center will only report aggregated impact numbers from the CRM to the SBA.

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