Rebecca Lobina, the regional director of Northwest Missouri State University’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC), received two awards from the University of Missouri Extension Business Development Program for her efforts to assist small business owners.

Lobina was recognized among the Top Five Greatest Impact Generation for business starts, and she was named among the top 5 for Highest Client Satisfaction. The awards recognize individual and team performance for the most recent fiscal year.

“Small Business Development Centers offer Fortune 500 resources to small businesses across the country,” Lobina said. “Access to those types of resources is usually unobtainable to the backbone of our economy – small businesses. That’s why our services are so vital to entrepreneurial success. We are paired with universities because of how we operate, which is by offering information and expertise that educates business owners so they can make the most informed decisions for their company. Receiving recognition from the MU Business Development Program just reflects that I’m doing exactly what I need to assist with making northwest Missouri a great place to live and work.”

The Northwest SBDC serves an 18-county area in northwest Missouri and focuses on economic development assistance for businesses with fewer than 500 employees. It provides individual business counseling to small business owners and individuals, coordinates and conducts research related to technical and general small business problems, and conducts conferences and workshops on topics of interest to small business owners.

Lobina is a management and consulting professional who works to help small businesses with process improvement, fiscal management, writing ISO-9000 procedures and attaining annual goals through strategic planning and implementation.

The University of Missouri Extension Business Development Program assists businesses throughout the state through various programs, including Missouri Small Business Development Centers, Mid-America Trade Adjustment Assistance Centers and Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, among others.