Small Business Solutions and Transitions Manager

Program Objectives, Requirements & Metrics

The Small Business Solutions & Transitions Manager (SBSTM) will provide Technical Assistance (TA) to growth-focused & acquisition-focused entrepreneurs. The successful candidate will support business owners as they navigate growth, investment, transition, & change. The position will focus on helping growing & established businesses strengthen operations, pursue expansion opportunities, access capital, & prepare for long-term sustainability. Working closely with business owners, lenders, service providers, & regional partners, this role will help businesses identify challenges & implement strategies to achieve their goals. The role will directly support business capital access efforts by preparing internal microloan packages, assisting businesses in developing financing applications, & helping owners navigate lending opportunities with traditional financial institutions & alternative capital providers.

Position Duties & Responsibilities

• Guidance: Manage clients through BDCC's established intake & onboarding process, conducting initial assessments, developing service plans, & delivering a structured advising experience that includes three core meetings focused on needs assessment, action planning, resource connection, & next-step implementation.
• Topic-Based Workshop Development: Under the direction of the Assistant Director, coordinate technical assistance workshops & programs based on equitable practices that align with the interests of small to medium-sized business owners & their communities.
• Weekly or Monthly Lab Hours: Solely responsible for providing regular access for clients to receive business support & make connections at routine and consistent intervals.
• Group-Based Counseling & Program Development: Tailored services based on the SBSTM’s expertise, including: Analyzing specific business & industry data related to finance, marketing, management, & operations. Troubleshooting to identify problems & areas for improvement. Supporting the development of business models, plans, & financial packages suitable for rural & small businesses. Calculating & interpreting historical & projected financial ratios in accessible ways. Supporting business owners in preparing cash flow statements & financial statements. Working with business owners to identify unique expansion opportunities Providing information on federal, state, & local regulations & programs. Guiding access to capital & loans.
• Caseload Tracking: Maintain accurate client records, monitor progress toward business goals, & coordinate referrals to lenders, technical assistance providers, & strategic partners. Updates are expected to be timely, clear & thorough. Maintain records in Salesforce, ASANA, & Cognito per funding & organizational requirements. Provide ongoing post-loan support to borrowers through regular communication, performance monitoring, & problem-solving assistance that helps businesses remain healthy, resilient, & positioned for long-term success. This includes tracking & delivering technical assistance deliverables included with their loan agreement & quarterly-yearly follow up meetings with borrowers, depending on their particular arrangement.
• Program & Resource Development: Collaborate with the Assistant Director to continue the coordination & delivery of dynamic & accessible resources & programming for: Start-up & early-stage entrepreneurial education & ecosystem building. Cooperative & acquisition-focused entrepreneurial education & ecosystem support. Capital Access Programming & Education Developing educational & awareness programs in concert with the Vermont Employee Ownership Center, including events to bring more cooperative & transition-focused work to southern Vermont. Co-create & empower business support networks within Windham County to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Activities will include supporting monthly calls, hosting regular meetups, & developing lectures on business topics, capital-access strategies, & other areas of interest. Identify new opportunities in the marketplace & devise ways to promote needed services to growing businesses & suggest emergent-topic focused webinars & learning opportunities. Support the Assistant Director in the development & dissemination of & communications, training resources, or toolkits to enhance skills & capacity within the business community, making high-quality training from experts available at reasonable costs. Evaluate the effectiveness of training programs & measure the impact of services provided.
• Lending: Business Financing Support Individually & through cohort-based models, guide entrepreneurs in loan application preparedness, needs assessment, & other capital access requirements. Develop BDCC’s capital access learning materials to be more accessible, highlighting individual learning needs & stages of development. Follow an established process to collaborate with the Assistant Director in the preparation, review process & submission of complete loan files for underwriting & internal or committee review. Track the status of loan applications & assist clients in completing the process promptly; communicate clear expectations to potential borrowers about the process & timing considerations. Conduct loan monitoring as required by funding sources for loan disbursement, including: Tracking monitoring requirements for each borrower. Ensuring loan files (hard copy or electronic) are updated accordingly. Conducting site visits as necessary. Reviewing monitoring materials to ensure business practices are in place, noting areas of concern, & establishing plans for resolution.
• Grant Reporting: Some of BDCC’s funding to provide technical assistance to both pre-loan & post-loan clients comes from federal sources by way of grant funds. As a result, this funding requires the completion of progress reports on a quarterly basis, or as requested, working in conjunction with the Assistant Director, Comptroller, & Finance & Grants Manager. This role is responsible for quarterly reporting.

Qualifications

• Must be able to approach duties & responsibilities with an entrepreneurial spirit.
• Bachelor’s degree or at least 5 years of progressive experience in business leadership with financial decision-making authority, small business education and/or economic development.
• At least 1 year of experience supporting business plan development, cash flow analysis preparation, business financing, loan preparation, underwriting processes, capital access programs, or financial analysis.
• Comfortable with all levels of an organization (owners, entrepreneurs, managers, & labor).
• Interest in & passion for rural and/or cooperative economic development.
• Preference for experience planning, coordinating, & facilitating workshops, trainings, cohort programs, networking events, or community-based initiatives.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office, Google Suite, contact management systems (such as Salesforce), & online collaboration tools (such as ASANA).
• Understanding of economic development tools & resources.
• Strong written & oral communication skills.
• A people person with a passion for networking & building connections.

Working Conditions

• Work is generally performed in an office setting with frequent interruptions, multiple deadlines, & peak workload periods.
• The position requires regular travel throughout Southern Vermont to attend meetings, conduct site visits, facilitate trainings & events, & provide direct support to businesses & community partners, attend trainings, conferences, & collaborative activities with VEOC & other statewide partners.
• The position follows BDCC's hybrid work policy, which allows remote work 1 day/week. The majority of work is expected to be performed in person to support client engagement, team collaboration, community relationship-building, & event facilitation.
• The position is 40 hours per week, with occasional evenings & weekends.
• This role requires a valid driver's license, reliable transportation, & appropriate insurance coverage.

Physical Requirements

• Work may include prolonged sitting, light to moderate lifting, reaching, stooping, pulling, pushing, manual dexterity, clear speech, & visual & hearing acuity.
• The need to transport files, paper, & documents weighing up to 25 pounds is also required.