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WAYNE – Benjamin Benton has been named the new Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) center director for the Northeast region. Based at Wayne State College, Benton will provide no-cost business consulting services for small business owners and entrepreneurs wanting to start, grow, or transition their companies in 30 counties in the northeast portion of the state. His role is part of NBDC’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program which provides a range of no-cost services for entrepreneurs and business owners including business plan development, financial projections, market research, and more. “I like to bring people together and find solutions to problems,” Benton said. “You don’t need to go all the way to Omaha, Lincoln, and the I-80 corridor for opportunities. They’re all right here in northeast Nebraska.” There are really exciting things happening in the business ecosystem in northeast Nebraska, said Tony Schultz, state director of NBDC’s SBDC program. “Benjamin is going to be an incredible resource to the business community and will add to that momentum,” Schultz said. “He’s great at helping business owners tackle challenges, and I’m looking forward to seeing the impact he will have.”
Benton comes to NBDC from the City of Randolph where he served four years as city administrator/clerk.
The Small Business Development Center program is one of four NBDC programs that support Nebraska entrepreneurs. In 2023, NBDC consultants served more than 2,000 Nebraska business owners, leading to an impact of $523.3 million to the Nebraska economy through job creation, business investments, sales increases, and government contract awards. NBDC is a center of the University of Nebraska-Omaha with offices located across the state. NBDC has cooperative partnerships with other higher education institutions in Nebraska including Wayne State.
NBDC’s services are provided at no-cost and consultants are available for in-person or virtual meetings. Business owners or entrepreneurs interested in NBDC’s services can learn more at nbdc.unomaha.edu. Benton is now accepting appointments and can be contacted at 402.375.7575 or [email protected].
