Small Business Development Center at Purdue Fort Wayne could be the answer to your business dreams

FORT WAYNE, Ind.—The Northeast Indiana Small Business Development Center (NE-ISBDC) is currently seeking clients. The NE-ISBDC has been active since 1987 and is a unique addition to our community, as it provides resources to both potential business owners who hope to start a new company and existing owners who want to expand. Their mission: to help small businesses in northeast Indiana succeed and flourish. They not only achieve this mission; they constantly exceed their goals.

The combined State of Indiana/Small Business Administration gives the NE-ISBDC annual goals. (See chart below). This year, they are currently well on track to exceed these yet again.

Their dedicated team is comprised of area natives with decades of experience in all facets of business. Wes Shie, regional director, has been with the NE-ISBDC since 2010, when he started as a business advisor. His background is in banking and financial. Shie is a Northrop High School graduate and received a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from Purdue University Fort Wayne in 1995.

Scot Goskowicz brings with him past experience in finance in his current role as a business advisor. He graduated from Homestead High School and received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Nicole Heffelfinger joined the team in 2015 as a business advisor. She previously served as an economic development specialist for the Allen County Department of Planning Services (DPS) and worked with members of the Allen County Council and other elected officials, and participated in budget management, commercial real estate inventory management, economic development research, and public presentations. Heffelfinger is a graduate of South Adams High School and earned a Bachelor of Education degree from Purdue Fort Wayne and an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University. She was recently recognized as the business advisor with the most capital infusion in Indiana, at $19.8 million.

Billie Wunderlich has been with the NE-ISBDC since 2002 as office manager. As of 2019, she also holds the responsibilities of business advisor and programmatic manager. She works closely with the Division of Continuing Studies at Purdue Fort Wayne, which hosts the NE-ISBDC, and the ISBDC Lead Center in Indianapolis. Wunderlich is a graduate of Elmhurst High School and earned a Bachelor of General Studies degree with a concentration in business through Indiana Wesleyan University.

The NE-ISBDC actively procures funding from various partners throughout northeast Indiana, and as a result, they are able to offer most of their services free of charge. Some of these services include business planning, financial projections and budgeting, seeking out funding, strategic planning, marketing, market and industry research, and accounting

If you believe your business may benefit from the services offered by the NE-ISBDC, or for more information, please contact Wes Shie at [email protected] or give the office a call at 260-481-0500.

###