Tennessee Small Business Development Centers - State Lead Center

06/11/2026

If your business wants to pursue state procurement contracts, this is where you start.

Join us on June 18th for a live GO-BID Certification Workshop, where we'll walk you through the state's certification application process step by step and help you understand the procurement programs and opportunities available to your business.

Learn more and register: https://clients.tsbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=100460031

06/08/2026

We're not here to push you to use AI (or to push you away from it), but if you're curious about how to use it well, we've got a new blog post that lays out a practical framework for using AI as an assistant while keeping your judgment at the center.

Read the full post: https://tsbdc.org/ai-for-small-business-start-small-stay-practical-review-everything/

Written by David Wells (Small Business Specialist with Tennessee Small Business Development Center at SWTCC).

AI for Small Business: Start Small, Stay Practical, Review Everything Business Growth, Start-ups When I taught my first Introduction to AI workshop last year, I asked, “Who is using AI?” Almost no one raised their hand. Three months later, in an AI marketing workshop, nearly everyone raised thei...

05/29/2026

Last week we asked what season your business is in. Here's what we heard (and what it means.) ➡️

05/26/2026

Are you marketing to your customers, or to yourself?

If your ads feel right to you but aren't resonating with customers... Cheryl (Small Business Consultant with TSBDCChattanooga) has some advice for you.

05/18/2026

The number one reason customers leave?

It's not price, competition, or the economy.

Charles, Director of the TSBDC at Vol State, says it's the relationship. Or rather, the lack thereof…

05/05/2026

Aaaand that’s a wrap! Last week all Centers in the TSBDC network came together in one room to learn, collaborate, and celebrate. 🙌

We’re proud to invest in the professional development of our staff, knowing that stronger teams mean stronger communities, and better support for Tennessee’s small businesses!

A special thank you to our event sponsors - you made this incredible week possible!
🔹 First Horizon Bank
🔹 Truist
🔹 Republic Bank
🔹 Three Roots Capital
🔹 Pinnacle Financial Partners

05/04/2026