TSBDC aided 9,000 jobs, $69M in capital formation in 2025
The Tennessee Small Business Development Center's annual report shows a majority-women client base and deep reach into rural and military-connected communities.
Tennessee’s statewide network of small business advisers helped local entrepreneurs create more than 9,000 jobs and form nearly $69 million in capital in 2025, according to the newly released annual report from the Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC).
The TSBDC offers free, one-on-one counseling and low-cost training to anyone starting or growing a business in the state. For founders who cannot afford to hire a consultant, it is often the first door they knock on, and the 2025 figures show how many walked through it.
The center served 3,773 clients last year and logged more than 6,000 counseling hours. More than 4,000 people attended events and classes, which cover the practical side of building a company, from writing a business plan to reading a balance sheet.
Women at 52% made up the majority of those clients, compared with 47% men and 1% who preferred not to say.
The report also pointed to the center’s reach into communities that often sit outside the startup spotlight. For example, the TSBDC served 949 rural clients in 2025, helping generate $3.4 million in rural sales growth and more than 2,400 rural jobs. Another 479 clients had a connection to the U.S. military, serving either as veterans or as military spouses.
The TSBDC is part of a national network funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Its counselors work with owners on financing, marketing, cash flow, and the day-to-day questions that rarely make headlines but often decide whether a business clears its first few years.
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