Is this a good business plan...

Let's start by making it clear that the ARCC greatly appreciates the services provided by New York's Small Business Development Center. We've had a very productive partnership with the SBDC out of the University of Albany for many years. Between the Albany SBDC office and our local SCORE program, dozens of entrepreneurs have been helped to create local jobs for local people.

The popularity of these services is that they are FREE and the SCORE and SBDC Counselors are very good at helping entrepreneurs to develop solid business plans. At the same time, you do not need to be a Chamber member to get this help and assistance. You simply give us a call and we help you to set up a confidential appointment. In many cases, local economic development officials in Washington and Warren Counties and/or commercial lenders refer those with an interesting business idea to the ARCC and these programs. In other cases, entrepreneurs contact SCORE or SBDC directly and still others learn about both programs on the ARCC's website.

This week the SBDC is announcing plans to expand these services in Warren County. You'd think we'd be thrilled. But instead of asking the SBDC in Albany to offer more counseling and contacting the ARCC as a long standing SBDC partner to evaluate local demand for these additional services, the Plattsburg office of the SBDC is about to announce plans to send its own Counselors from Plattsburg to Lake George once a week.

To see if the ARCC had done something wrong, we contacted the Plattsburg office of the SBDC. The individuals with whom we spoke indicated that both the Albany and Plattsburg SBDC offices "serve Warren County." This sounded to me like a duplication of services. These officials insisted, however, it was not. They argued instead that it is a benefit that both SBDC regional offices will now offer counseling services in the same county.

They then indicated that they didn't know that the ARCC was in Warren County. That is why the ARCC was not contacted to evaluate the need for this additional service. They said that they thought our Glens Falls office was in Saratoga County. I wish I was kidding!

So here's some math that we did with the help of mapquest; the Plattsburg SBDC's stated plan to provide counseling services one-day per week in Lake George; the federal POV mileage reimbursement rate of $.485 per mile; and conservatively estimating the salary of an SBDC Counselor at $24.72/hour.

According to Mapquest, the SBDC Counselor from Plattsburg will drive 204 miles round-trip over 3.5 hours. The SBDC Counselor from Albany will drive 108 miles round-trip over just less than 2 hours. As a result, the cost to expand SBDC services in Warren County from the Plattsburg SBDC office to Lake George one day per week over a year is estimated to cost $9,640.28 for gas reimbursement and the Counselors travel time. On the other hand, the cost to expand this service from the Albany SBDC office to the ARCC is estimated to cost $5,089.85 per year.

So luckily for those looking to secure FREE business counseling, our region will soon have double the SBDC Counselors available to help you. After Wednesday, you can call either the Lake George Chamber or the ARCC to set up an appointment. But please remember - - according to the folks in Plattsburg who thought Glens Falls is in Saratoga County - - this is an added service not a duplication of efforts. Let's hope the SBDC Counselors from Plattsburg are driving hybrids!