Happy Thanksgiving!

In the spirit of the season, we say "thank you!" and extend our greatest appreciation to all small business owners of the Rio Grande Valley. We honor your resilience and your contribution to the region's economy. To garner greater support for your small business, sign up for Small Business Saturday®, an initiative by American Express. See below on how to register your business!

We also extend a special salute to our Veteran-owned businesses, as we celebrate Veterans Day on November 11. We join the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in honor of our Veterans, as they host "National Veterans Small Business Week" from October 31 through November 4, 2022. Locally, the UTRGV SBDC is proud to participate in the "Boots to Business Reboot", a training event on November 3 that is hosted by the SBA Lower Rio Grande Valley District Office. You can find this event in our list of trainings below.

The UTRGV SBDC reminds you to take advantage of upcoming trainings and business advising services. For business-advisement assistance, visit eCenter Direct and register to set an appointment with a business advisor. You can also email a request for an appointment to sbdc@utrgv.edu. If you're unable to get online, please call our office at 956.665.7535. Confidential, bilingual, and one-to-one business-advisement is available at no cost!

Stay connected and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date information and resources for your small business.

Warmest regards,

UTRGV Small Business Development Center

"Celebrating over 35 years of service!"

Is your business on the Shop Small® map? American Express created Small Business Saturday® on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to encourage people to Shop Small® and bring more holiday shopping to small businesses. Add your business to the map or update your listing today to make it easier for shoppers to support you in-store and online! Click on red button for more information or to register.

The fourth category of potential applicants for the Texas Travel Industry Recovery Grant Program (TTIR) is now open. The TTIR Program was established to provide one-time reimbursement grants of up to $20,000 for the recovery of Texas businesses in the tourism, travel, and hospitality industries that were negatively impacted due to COVID-19. Click on grey button for more information or to apply.

The US Federal Reserve asks for the input of small business owners. The survey is open to businesses currently in operation, those recently closed, and those about to launch. All responses are confidential. The survey is open through November 18, 2022. Click on the blue button to complete the 2022 Small Business Credit Survey.



11/03/22 Boots to Business Reboot 8:00 AM-4:30 PM | Brownsville, TX | No Fee 

11/04/22 Come and Make It: Cottage Food Law 9:30 AM-11:30 AM | Webinar | No Fee

11/08/22 Business Contracts, Leases, & Agreements 10:00 AM-11:30 AM | Webinar | No Fee

11/09/22 How Small Businesses Can Benefit from Hiring Veterans 12:00 PM-1:00 PM | Webinar | No Fee

11/09/22 Cumplimiento de la Nomina 2:00 PM-3:00 PM | Webinar | No Fee

11/10/22 Intellectual Property Basics 10:00 AM-12:00 PM | Webinar | No Fee

11/10/22 Through the Eyes of Generation Z 1:00 PM-2:00 PM | Webinar | No Fee

11/10/22 SBDC Smart Start 2:00 PM-3:00 PM | Webinar | No Fee

11/15/22 Web Page Optimization 10:00 AM-11:30 AM | Webinar | No Fee

11/15/22 Build a Better Team 1:00 PM-2:00 PM | Webinar | No Fee

11/16/22 Payroll Compliance 10:00 AM-12:00 PM | Webinar | No Fee

11/17/22 Trademark Basics 10:00 AM-12:00 PM | Webinar | No Fee

For those in business, or even new to business, the UTRGV SBDC offers additional, online training modules that can be accessed from anywhere and at any time, 24/7/365. All sessions are at no cost and self-paced!

The following are some of the topics included in the portal:

• Buying a Business
• Finding and Attracting Investors
• How to Write a Business Plan
• Introduction to Pricing 
• Legal Requirements for Small Business
• Marketing 101: A Guide to Winning Customers
• Sales: A Guide for the Small Business Owner
• Selling Your Business
• Small Business Employee Recruitment and Retention
• Social Media Marketing
• Understanding Your Customer

*Registration required. Access the TXSW SBDC Network Training Portal for online training today!

Texas South-West Border SBDC Network

The Texas South-West Border SBDC Network has 10 field offices (including the UTRGV SBDC) that service a 79-county region.

Check out additional training events by our Network sister centers:

TXSW Border SBDC Network Training Registration & Information



The UTRGV SBDC is hosted by The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; is a center of the Texas South-West Small Business Development Center Network; is funded in part through the State of Texas and a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration; and is an accredited member of America's SBDC. 

Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency will be made, if requested at least two weeks in advance, by calling the UTRGV SBDC at (956) 665-7535. Assistance for the hearing impaired can be attained by calling the TDD line at 1-866-410-5787 or 1-866-327-8877.

At The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, the UTRGV SBDC is a center of the Office of Workforce and Economic Development (OWED), under the UTRGV Division of Governmental & Community Relations. OWED aims to address issues that impact the long-term welfare of the community through private/public partnership efforts.

In addition to assistance in business development and growth offered by the UTRGV Small Business Development Center, UTRGV Veterans Business Outreach Center, and the UTRGV Procurement Technical Assistance Center, OWED also offers assistance in training and technical assistance to non-profits; data, research, impact analysis, and maps for private/public entities; and business incubation. For more information on any of these services, please call 956.665.3361 or email vpgcr@utrgv.edu.