Colleagues from the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center statewide network met in Little Rock last week for the 2023 ASBTDC spring meeting. Employee Excellence awards were presented to Mary Beth Brooks, ASBTDC, U of A director; and Lori Lieblong, ASBTDC, U of A business consultant.

Brooks was recognized as one of the state's Capital Access Stars, given to top performers in capital acquisition and based on dollar amount of loans, seed funding and other forms of capital investment. She helped small business clients in Northwest Arkansas obtain $10 million in 2022. Lieblong was presented with awards for top performance in two categories, Business Starts and New Capital Projects. She assisted clients with 21 new business starts and helped clients obtain funding to start or grow their business with 22 projects.

The meeting included learning opportunities, strategic planning and staff collaboration. In-house experts provided training that included presentations on customer discovery by Catherine Corley, ASBTDC, U of A business and innovation consultant, and valuing a business for purchase, presented by Brooks.

The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at the U of A helps small business In Northwest Arkansas thrive. With offices in Fayetteville and Bentonville, ASBTDC consultants provide one-on-one confidential consulting at no cost to the client and in-person and virtual trainings and workshops to help entrepreneurs gain the knowledge and skill to be successful.

The ASBTDC, U of A is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration through a partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and is a unit of the Division of Economic Development at the U of A.