(UNDATED) – Today, the Indiana Small Business Development Center (Indiana SBDC) announced new resources to provide employment support to Indiana small businesses and entrepreneurs. Through these initiatives, eligible companies may apply for no-cost assistance to help enhance their workplace policies or recruit and hire employees essential to the business’ long-term growth and sustainability.
“With more than 521,000 companies employing 1.2 million Hoosiers, small businesses play a critical role in supporting Indiana’s long-term economic growth,” said Indiana Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger. “As a state, we’re committed to expanding access to critical economic and workforce resources during these challenging times, while continuing to provide the support small businesses and entrepreneurs need to grow and succeed for years to come.”
Human Resources Support
Through a new partnership with ServantHR, a Fishers-based human resources consulting firm, the Indiana SBDC assists small businesses in creating or updating workplace policies amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 Human Resource Assistance Program pairs eligible companies with trained human resources consultants to update their employee handbooks in order to accommodate remote working arrangements, administration of leave policies, sanitation procedures, and compliance with federal, state and local standards and regulations.
To be eligible, small businesses must meet the following criteria:
- Be or become an Indiana SBDC client,
- Have been in business as of February 15, 2020, and
- Be able to demonstrate a negative impact from COVID-19.
Indiana companies are encouraged to submit applications online.
Recruiting & Hiring
Additionally, the Indiana SBDC recently launched an employment support program, HireUp, to help small businesses recruit, hire and onboard employees essential to the business’ operations. Eligible companies partner with Quintegra, an Indianapolis-based talent connection firm, to identify qualified candidates, provide screening and background checks, facilitate interviews and establish an onboarding process to ensure continued success of the employee. Example positions include, but are not limited to, programmers, general managers, accountants, export development managers and licensed therapists.
To be eligible, small businesses must meet the following criteria:
- Be or become an Indiana SBDC client,
- Have the intent to hire within 30-60 days after entering the program,
- Hire a full time, W-2 employee, and
- Must not have previously participated in the program.
The Indiana SBDC, which is a program of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), provides small businesses and entrepreneurs with expert guidance and resources on how to start and grow a business, including strategy development, business planning and valuation, export assistance and market research. For more information on resources and programs for small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, visit StayINBiz.org. To become a client of the Indiana SBDC, contact the regional office nearest you.
About Indiana SBDC
The Indiana Small Business Development Center (Indiana SBDC) is a program of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, which leads the state of Indiana’s economic development efforts. The Indiana SBDC helps entrepreneurs launch, grow and locate businesses in the state, providing entrepreneurs with expert guidance and resources on how to start and grow a business. With a network of 10 regional offices through the state, the Indiana SBDC creates a positive and measurable impact on the formation, growth and sustainability of Indiana’s small businesses.
The Indiana SBDC is funded, in part, through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. For more information about the Indiana SBDC, visit www.isbdc.org.
