News

Opening of Upper Darby Outreach Center - July 31, 2007

With the financial backing and sponsorship of Citizens Bank, Widener University Small Business Development
Center, the Chester Microenterprise Partnership and the Delaware County Commerce Center have opened
an outreach office in Upper Darby to provide assistance to small businesses in the township and help
budding entrepreneurs turn their ideas into reality.

According to Glenn McAllister, director of the Widener SBDC, many of the county’s key economic
development organizations are based in Chester or Media, leaving Upper Darby – the county’s most
populous municipality – largely underserved.

With the outreach office in Upper Darby, the organizations will be able to more effectively serve the
eastern portion of Delaware County, and provide much needed convenience to small businesses in Upper
Darby. The office will provide all of the services currently available at the Widener SBDC main office in
Chester, including educational programs, one-on-one management consulting, assistance with pursuing
government contracts and information resources. For now, the office is open by appointment only, but
McAllister said he anticipates that demand will require full-time staffing in the near future.

For more information on the services available at the Upper Darby office, or to schedule an appointment,
call the Widener Small Business Development Center at 610-619-8490.

E-Learning Comes To Widener SBDC - June 1, 2007

The Widener University SBDC now offers the E-Learning program "SmallBizU". This program is free to our
clients. Courses offered include Accounting, Finance, Government, Marketing, Sales, Business Plans and
much more. Each on-line module is self-paced, individualized and accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. To Access SmallBizU Click Here

EMAP Director Testifies at U.S. Senate Committee Hearing - March 8, 2007

On March 8, 2007, Chris Lynch, Director of the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center's
Environmental Management Assistance Program (EMAP), testified in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on
Small Business and Entrepreneurship. He spoke on "Small Business Solutions for Combating Climate Change."
The hearing highlighted the large role that the nation's 25 million small businesses can play in reducing U.S.
energy consumption and climate change emissions. If you would like free consulting with EMAP concerning
an environmental problem at your business, please contact the Widener University SBDC.
Click Here For Full Version of the Article

Widener SBDC Grand Opening - January 19, 2007

Widener SBDC officially opened it's new facility at 1450 Edgmont Avenue in Chester with a grand opening
hosted by Widener University and the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers.

The Widener University Small Business Development Center, made possible through funding provided by the
Pennsylvania General Assembly, will provide Delaware County small businesses owners and aspiring
entrepreneurs with a wide variety of services and resources to help them start or grow small businesses.

Several state representatives visited Chester in support of the new center. Senate Majority Leader
Dominic Pileggi (R-9), a key champion for the center's funding, was among those speaking on the state's
behalf. "The entrepreneurial assistance provided by the SBDC system has a clear record of success," said
Sen. Pileggi. "I am certain Delaware County's small businesses will benefit tremendously from this resource
at Widener University."

Widener University President James T. Harris III said the Widener University SBDC will be a lasting example
of the university's commitment to civic engagement. "The success of small businesses is vital to the
future of the City of Chester, Delaware County, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," Harris said.
"Widener University is proud and honored to be the host institution for the Small Business Development
Center that will serve this great region."

Within Widener University, the School of Business Administration will be the administrative unit of the
SBDC, according to Savas Ozatalay, Dean of the School of Business Administration.

Glenn McAllister, previously a business advisor for the Delaware Small Business Development Center, will
serve as director of the Widener University SBDC. A certified public accountant, McAllister is no stranger to
running small businesses. He ran a bank and four businesses of his own including a franchise postal service,
a Subway restaurant, an ice cream parlor and a convenience store.

"I think that at some point in our lives, we have all dreamed of owning our own business," McAllister said.
"But many of those dreams go unfulfilled because people don't take the next step. That's where Small
Business Development Centers can help. Our purpose is to help aspiring entrepreneurs take that next step
toward making their dream become a reality, and to help those businesses grow and prosper once they are
established."

Martin Luther King Day - January 15, 2007

The 2007 Martin Luther King Day Celebration in Chester included a Widener SBDC free seminar on "First
Steps in Starting a New Business". The session was presented by Glenn McAllister, Director of Widener
SBDC and attended by representatives of seven aspiring new businesses in Delaware county.