The Small Business & Technology Development Center at Missouri Southern State University is part of a nationwide network of SBTDC programs and is affiliated with and supported by The Robert W. Plaster School of Business Administration. Our local center was established in April 1987. The SBTDC provides existing and start-up small businesses in Jasper, Newton, McDonald, Barton, Cedar, Dade, Lawrence and Vernon counties with consulting and training.

The SBTDC provides free one-on-one counseling to area small businesses that are existing businesses or start-up companies. The SBTDC at MSSU has provided training for owners, managers and employees of area businesses and industries since 1987. The SBTDC strives to be responsive and flexible in meeting the educational needs of the business community.

The SBTDC at Missouri Southern State University offers training that is practical and useful for the workplace. To enroll in a specific workshop, please contact us at 417.625.3128 or e-mail at sbtdc@mssu.edu.

The SBTDC is proud to announce the opening of a second location in downtown Joplin, the Business Initiatives & Growth (BIG) Hub. It is the culmination of the MSSU SBTDC and Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce (JACC) joining forces to open a satellite SBTDC in the Joseph Newman Innovation Center. The ribbon was cut on October 19, 2011 to officially open the Center. A new SBTDC Consultant, Shawn Wininger, is now in place and a Research Associate will soon be hired for the office.

For numerous years, the MSSU SBTDC has worked closely with the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce(JACC) in planning educational events and seminars for the local business community. The relationship that has been built is one of trust, integrity, and a true partnership. The MSSU SBTDC has worked with the JACC to bring the best opportunities to the Joplin area.  From this relationship, the JACC and the MSSU SBTDC were able to easily transition from separate entities into a partnership which was dubbed, “BIG Hub.”

Mission Statement