News

We love our SBDC Veterans! For Veteran’s Day 2021, we’ve interviewed each of our veteran staff members about their time in the service and what they learned from their experiences. We’re incredibly grateful for each of them and their service to our country. Learn more about our veterans below! Name: Sharon Nichols Position at the Mississippi … Continued

Harmonized System (HS) Tariff Classification The classification of goods for export and import is carried out through the Harmonized System (HS) of Tariff Classification. The HS system was developed and continues to be managed by the World Customs Organization (WCO), an international organization that brings together the Customs administrations of most countries. They are used … Continued

These days international trade takes place in a rapidly changing environment. Keeping up to date with frequent changes to laws and regulations, consumer preferences and shipping and payment issues is key. The Mississippi Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) network offers a variety of virtual live and on-demand training sessions on topics that are of interest … Continued

Succeeding at Exporting through E-commerce Technology has been changing the ways that sellers of goods and services reach potential international buyers for some years now.  COVID-19 has accelerated many of the trends that were well underway before the pandemic hit hard and disrupted trade flows during first few months of 2020.  As a result, entrepreneurs … Continued

Question 1:  What is your personal background with small businesses? Shirley: Yes, I studied classes in business in college but my reality of operating a business surfaced much later. Not only have I worked for a local chamber for several years in assisting both small and new businesses, but I also have the awesome pleasure … Continued

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a key strategic component of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. As its formal name indicates, the new free trade area spans the entire African continent with 54 of the 55 members of the African Union and an estimated 1.3 billion people part of it.  Based on the … Continued

Small businesses are highly vulnerable to cybersecurity threats as employers, suppliers, and consumers in a modern digital economy. Many cannot afford dedicated Information Technology (IT) staff to navigate and mitigate risks and are wary of investments in pricey software. Cyber Security is such an important issue for small businesses that our director Sharon Nichols was … Continued

Charles “Chip” Templeton, Director of the Mississippi State Small Business Development Center and Team Lead for the Mississippi SBDC’s Cybersecurity Center has been awarded as the 2021 Mississippi State Star. After working for several family and small businesses as a young child, Templeton went on to manage and work high positions in several businesses of … Continued

After 27 years of service as the director of the East Central Community College branch of the Mississippi Small Business Development Center, Ronnie Westbrook has announced his retirement.  Westbrook joined our organization in the autumn of 1994 and has been a valuable member of the team ever since. Westbrook, a Mississippi native, worked first as … Continued

North American Small Business International Trade Educators The North American Small Business International Trade Educators (NASBITE) is a non-profit professional organization that is comprised of a diverse group of members including practitioners in international trade from the business community, State and Federal government trade officials, SBDC International Trade professionals, and Academia. NASBITE also oversees the … Continued

With COVID-19 ongoing, many have had to increasingly rely on digital methods to store information, communicate with employees, and conduct their work. Whether this means more reliance on computers at the office or at home, businesses have opened themselves to countless new security risks. To help ease the burden on small and growing businesses, the … Continued

The Mississippi Small Business Development Center is honored to receive this year’s Resource Partner of the Year award from SBA! “I’d like to thank the SBA for acknowledging us with this award. It was a wonderful surprise and I am happy to share this with my hard-working team who has gone above and beyond this … Continued