Text Box: Spring 2008 Text Box: Volume 1, Issue 1 Text Box: www.clarion.edu/sbdc Clarion SBDC Blog   Text Box: On January 28, 2008, President Bush signed into law H.R. 4986, the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2008 (NDAA). Among other things, section 585 of the NDAA amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to permit a “spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin” to take up to 26 work weeks of leave to care for a “member of the Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or Reserves, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, is otherwise in outpatient status, or is otherwise on the temporary disability retired list, for a serious injury or illness.” Additional information and a copy of Title I of the FMLA, as amended, are available on the Web site. Text Box: NEWSLETTER  

Text Box: Clarion University of Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center** Room 102 Dana Still Hall* Clarion, PA 16214* 814-393-2060

Text Box: President Bush Amends the FMLA

Text Box: “The Clarion University Small Business Development Center helps businesses start, grow, and prosper.”

Text Box: Message from the Director Welcome to the Clarion University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Newsletter. This Newsletter was created in part to raise public awareness of our activities as we work to strengthen and invigorate our community. As Director of the SBDC, I believe that rural universities must find and take advantage of opportunities in creating new businesses. Recently the SBDC joined Clarion University and created a Business Biotechnology Development Center to capitalize on faculty and student expertise in biotechnology, nanotechnology, clean energy technology and information technology. The SBDC will assist the university in developing a more technology educated workforce to promote a more diversified local economy. In turn, educating a region’s workforce helps ensure that students go to college locally. The more jobs and career options a region can offer, the more likely students are to put down roots locally after college. Access to cutting–edge technologies is a challenge in rural areas and the SBDC will support the efforts to introduce various new ideas and developments to our community.                                                                                      Respectfully,                                                                                        Dr. Woodrow W.  Yeaney        

Text Box: SBDC Year-End Statistics In 2007, the Clarion SBDC counseled 367 clients and provided training to 1,375 individuals in various aspects of starting, owning and operating their small business.  

Text Box: Number of Clients Per County 2007

Text Box: In 2007, the Clarion University SBDC assisted 86 clients in securing financing for projects totaling $19,648,639.  Additionally, a total of 59 clients started a business with assistance from the Clarion SBDC.