81-1275. Nebraska Business Development Center; duties.

If the Nebraska Business Development Center is authorized by the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska pursuant to section 81-1273, the Existing Business Assistance Division shall contract with the Nebraska Business Development Center to administer, manage, and deliver regional small business services, and the Nebraska Business Development Center shall:

(1) Provide such services as close as possible to small businesses through a network of small business development centers located in Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney, Wayne, North Platte, Scottsbluff or Gering, Chadron, Peru, and such other communities as the Existing Business Assistance Division shall determine based on the applications of communities desiring to be the location of a small business development center. Small business development centers in such communities shall not be required if the location within a community is on property under the control of the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska or the Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges and the governing body with control of such property has not authorized such small business development center pursuant to section 81-1273. In determining the location of small business development centers, the division shall consider several factors, including, but not limited to: (a) Preexisting small business development centers; (b) geographic accessibility; and (c) existing resources such as building space and office equipment or the willingness of a community to provide some or all of those resources. The division shall prescribe the form of the application for location of a small business development center and take all actions necessary in the processing of such applications;

(2) Integrate activities funded through the Business Development Partnership Act with those funded by the United States Small Business Administration or any other program supporting the Nebraska small business development centers;

(3) Furnish one-to-one individual counseling to small businesses;

(4) Assist in technology transfer, research, and coupling from existing sources to small businesses;

(5) Maintain current information concerning federal, state, and local regulations that affect small businesses and counsel small business on methods of compliance;

(6) Coordinate and conduct research into technical and general small business problems for which there are no ready solutions;

(7) Provide and maintain a comprehensive library that contains current information and statistical data needed by small businesses;

(8) Maintain a working relationship and open communications with the financial and investment communities, legal associations, local and regional private consultants, and local and regional small business groups and associations in order to help address the various needs of the small business community;

(9) Conduct indepth surveys for local small business groups in order to develop general information regarding the local economy and general small business strengths and weaknesses in the locality; and

(10) Provide other services as determined in consultation with the Existing Business Assistance Division.

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