Small Business Solutions and Transitions Manager

Job Title: Small Business Solutions & Transitions Manager

Reports to: Assistant Director & Head of Business Acceleration

Salary: $68K - $75K a year

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.

While the position will serve as an entry point for entrepreneurs & startup businesses, its role with startups is primarily one of coordination & resource navigation, ensuring early-stage business owners are connected to the most appropriate programs & technical assistance providers within the region's entrepreneurial ecosystem. The position will also play a central role in advancing business transition & succession efforts across the region. By supporting owners preparing for exit, connecting prospective buyers with acquisition opportunities, & helping businesses explore alternative ownership structures, the successful candidate will contribute to the preservation of locally owned businesses & the retention of community wealth. A significant portion of this part of the work will be undertaken in close partnership with the Vermont Employee Ownership Center, which will provide technical expertise, training, & direct support as BDCC expands its business transition & cooperative ownership services throughout Southern Vermont.

Position Duties & Responsibilities

The SBSTM will provide support through TA & 1-1 Consulting & Resource Navigation Target.

Services Include:

• 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 requires attendance at periodic board meetings, staff meetings, community events, & networking functions. Daily collaboration with colleagues, business owners, lenders, service providers, & regional partners is expected. 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.