Clemons and Associates’ COO Graduating from SBA Program

BALTIMORE:   November 18, 2011 – Graduation is the completion and celebration of a period of time that enables a person to gain knowledge and experience in a particular area of study. The number of times a person experiences a graduation can vary.  At 5pm on November 18, 2011, Natalie Villabon-Martz will walk across the stage at the University of Baltimore as a graduate of the SBA Emerging Leaders Program.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has a prestigious program known as the SBA Emerging 200 Initiative. According to their website, “the SBA Emerging 200 Initiative will enable the participating small businesses to engage in an intensive curriculum focused on developing a winning, expansion strategy for their business, including options for capital access and contracting. The program participants will have the opportunity to work with experienced mentors, attend workshops and develop connections with their peers, city leaders, and financial community”.

Natalie Villabon-Martz explained, “the SBA program was 8 months of work, but the end result was a positive, rewarding experience”.

The class Villabon-Martz participated in included 14 other CEOs and C-Level executives, or managing partners of a variety of companies. They met every other Wednesday and on the Wednesday they did not have class, they were expected to meet with their CEO mentoring group to discuss different topics. A few of the Wednesday classes were held at the Clemons and Associates, Inc. office. “I developed friendships with those in my CEO mentoring group and we are working on continuing to meet after graduation”, said Villabon-Martz.

This is a federally funded program with the purpose of teaching small businesses how to succeed in a tough economy and grow their businesses. Clemons and Associates, Inc. applied for the program and was one of the selective few that had the opportunity to participate.

The culmination of the program involved each participant creating a strategic growth action plan the spanned over the next three years. This detailed plan needed to explain what is taking place in the business right now and how the business will be moving forward. The participants also had to present their plan to a panel that would offer constructive criticism, as well as their fellow program peers.

“I met interesting and dynamic people that shared the same business-related issues. Throughout the previous 8 months we were able to share ideas and learn from one another”, said Villabon-Martz.

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