The UA Little Rock School of Business and the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC), based at UA Little Rock, have both been recognized in Arkansas Business’s 17th annual Best of Business Awards.

The UA Little Rock School of Business was named the Best Business School in Arkansas.

“Our School of Business, with its AACSB international-accredited status, ranks in the top five percent of business schools worldwide,” said Dr. Robert Mitchell, director of the School of Business. “This year, our undergraduate program was recognized as one of the top-tiered business schools in the U.S. by U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges Edition.”

UA Little Rock School of Business students experience teaching, research, and service opportunities that serve as a foundation for their future business careers.

“Our business programs differentiate themselves by incorporating high-tech components across the curriculum as well as by offering high-flex course offerings, giving students the opportunity to attend class on campus, via Zoom, or fully online,” Mitchell said. “Our undergraduate and graduate programs are designed to provide career acceleration in today’s competitive job market.”

Meanwhile, ASBTDC was named the Best Business Consulting Firm in Arkansas.

“Being named the Best Business Consulting Firm in Arkansas is truly an honor for ASBTDC,” State Director Laura Fine said. “I am very pleased that our team is being recognized for its outstanding work to help small businesses start, grow, and succeed. Building on four decades of experience consulting with Arkansas’ entrepreneurs and small businesses, we launched a strategic initiative two years ago to expand our consulting capacity.”

Since then, ASBTDC has added four new regional offices to make consulting services more accessible to both rural and urban markets. They have also engaged partners with a wide range of expertise, experience, and industry knowledge to collaborate with ASBTDC’s full-time consultants.

“Today, we have a team of more than 75 people focused on making ASBTDC the first and best resource for small business assistance in the state,” Fine said. “We have a passion for client success, and our goal is to support Arkansas entrepreneurs with a suite of services to help position their businesses for growth.”

The winners of the awards were selected by a panel of thousands of employees, employers, and entrepreneurs in Arkansas.