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Bucknell University celebrates small business development centers

Bucknell has helped dozens of businesses since opening its incubator ten years ago.

LEWISBURG, Pa. — Starting a business can be difficult, frustrating, and overwhelming, but small business development centers specialize in helping. Bucknell University has helped nearly 70 entrepreneurs out of its Lewisburg and Danville incubators.

"We've helped them find $21 million of capital, and we've got 7,000 hours of business consulting," said Denny Hummer, the assistant director of business incubation at Bucknell University.

Wednesday is National Small Business Development Center Day, and Bucknell has one of 16 in Pennsylvania.

"We get to work and help entrepreneurs and encourage them to grow, to start to prosper."

The centers help people learn how to start a business.

"We focus on everything from business planning, marketing. We look at everything as far as financial projections, and also marketing turns into all the digital aspects," Hummer said.

"There's educational and networking opportunities, and we've even worked with some of the student consultants at the SBDC on some projects that are more forward-looking for our business," said Jennifer Ruelens, owner of One Focus Property Management in Williamsport.

Ruelens joined the Small Business Development Center to help expand her business.

"Being located here in the Danville incubator about a year and a half ago helped us get a foothold in this market. Now we're serving quite a large portfolio down here, and it's been a huge help."

For more information on Bucknell University's Small Business Development Center, click here.

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