The UGA SBDC Partners with Southeastern Universities to Bring Business Education Programs to Rural Communities with Support from SBA Grant  

In 2023, the UGA SBDC piloted the Digital Marketing Bootcamp, a three-hour training program that guides attendees through setting measurable marketing goals for their business and instructs how SEO, social media and technology can help them reach their goals. The program was held in 18 cities across Georgia, reaching 852 small business owners with great success—99.8% of attendees surveyed said the program met or exceeded their expectations.

The $300,000 grant provides $100,000 to each participating state’s SBDC program to execute the Digital Marketing Bootcamp program. The UGA SBDC can reapply for an additional two years of funding through the Portable Assistance Program for a total of $900,000 in funding over three years.

Thanks to the funding provided by the SBA’s Portable Assistance Program, the Digital Marketing Bootcamp will be replicated in Alabama and Mississippi. Faculty at the UGA SBDC are working with digital marketing experts at the Alabama and Mississippi SBDCs to produce an updated common curriculum for the 2024 Digital Marketing Bootcamps.

“The decision to emulate Georgia’s Digital Marketing Bootcamp program in Mississippi stems from its demonstrated success in rural markets across the state of Georgia,” said Sharon Nichols, state director of the Mississippi SBDC. “UGA SBDC’s experience with these bootcamps shows positive outcomes and significant participation. This success indicates the potential for similar positive impacts in Mississippi.”