The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC), part of the UALR College of Business, will receive a $100,000 grant to fund programs for veterans that promote business ownership and provide services to small businesses dealing with the deployment of key personnel overseas, the U.S. Small Business Administration has announced.

The grant is one of only 10 awarded to small business development centers across the country to increase entrepreneurial assistance to veterans. The Arkansas center was one of five to receive a second year of veterans funding. ASBTDC was so successful in its work with veterans during the initial grant period, the center was invited to showcase its best practices during the national Association of Small Business Development Centers conference in Orlando in October.

ASBTDC will use the new funding to provide online consulting and educational services tailored to Arkansas veterans. ArkansasVeteran.com, a Web portal launched in 2009 by the ASBTDC, will serve as a hub for services. The portal hosts ASBTDC’s veteran-specific distance learning programs and also offers blogs, discussion forums, news, and links to a range of veterans services.

New webinars and podcasts on starting a business, writing a business plan, business financing options, business planning with market research, and using social media will appear on ArkansasVeteran.com throughout the year. ASBTDC also plans to host a conference in Little Rock for veterans interested in small business this fall.

Serving as online consulting point-of-contact will be Herb Lawrence, center director of the ASBTDC regional office at Arkansas State University. An Army veteran and member of the Arkansas Yellow Ribbon Task Force, Lawrence has worked closely with the Arkansas National Guard and other military groups to provide consulting and other business services and helped develop the ASBTDC’s Arkansas National Guard Business Mobilization Guide.

“A significant number of veterans become small business owners after or during their military service. ASBTDC is pleased to be able to offer free small business training to Arkansas’ veteran entrepreneurs through this grant,” said Janet Roderick, state director of the ASBTDC. “We hope veterans, particularly those serving abroad, will utilize our online resources to start and grow their own businesses.”

Established in 1980, the ASBTDC program is a partnership of the SBA and the UALR College of Business. In addition to UALR and ASU, other regional offices are located at Arkansas Tech University; Henderson State University; Southern Arkansas University; University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; and University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology in McGehee.