The Small Business Digital Alliance (SBDA), founded as a collaboration between the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Business Forward, Inc., offers a comprehensive set of free digital resources, virtual training, and expanded opportunities to help small business owners reach new customers, strengthen business operations and more. The alliance turned one year old in February 2023.

Isabel Casillas Guzmán, SBA administrator, noted:

Our Small Business Digital Alliance has empowered countless small businesses to make or strengthen their digital pivot.

The SDBA at one year

In addition to engaging a growing list of national members and local allies who support small businesses going digital, the SBDA has also been noted for:

• Reaching more than 15 million small businesses and entrepreneurs across America through national programming, regional events, and digital content tailored to small business needs.
• Working with 15 of America's most respected companies and 40 local organizations to provide small business owners and entrepreneurs with more than 300 free digital tools to grow their businesses in the e-commerce economy, create competitive advantages, and lower barriers to entry.
• Organizing a series of 13 regional events and virtual trainings across the country to help entrepreneurs expand their networks and learn new skills, discuss small business trends, and showcase local success stories.
• Hosting four national webinars highlighting free digital tools and featured expertise and testimonials from our National Members and Local Allies.

“The SDBA helps American entrepreneurs leverage valuable free resources to grow revenue, build resilience, and advance the American dream of business ownership. This unprecedented collaboration between the SBA, Business Forward, and leading private sector technology companies is bringing opportunity to more entrepreneurs by helping them with everything from cybersecurity to workforce strategies and marketing,” added Casillas Guzmán. 

Happy 1-year anniversary to @SBDigiAlliance!

As part of our co-sponsorship with @BusinessForward, @SBDigiAlliance has provided resources to help small business owners across America #GoDigital and grow.

Explore the #SmallBizDigital tool library: https://t.co/8R38v4ZJxX

— SBA (@SBAgov) March 2, 2023

Valuable Work

During its first year of operation, the SBDA also stood out for the following:

• Publishing reports on the state of small businesses across America highlighting the economic contributions of small businesses, the benefits of free digital tools, and the advantages of a digital economy.
• Sharing thought leadership from National Members, Local Allies, and the SBDA on small business trends, promoting American competitiveness by going digital, lowering the barrier to entrepreneurship, and more.
• Hosting regional events with entrepreneurs, small business advocates, and private sector leaders on how to create a more customer-centric, tech-forward, and equitable small business ecosystem.

“Since the launch of the SBDA, nearly two-thirds of small businesses have gone digital. Last year, e-commerce sales contributed more than $770 billion to the U.S. economy, representing about one-fifth of total annual retail sales. Thanks to the SBDA’s National Members and Local Allies, our small business community has become more resilient by leveraging digital tools to reach new talent, strengthen their operations, and attract demand from around the world,” said Liz Fairchild, executive director of Business Forward. 

SBDA partners

SBDA's full national membership includes Amazon, Comcast, Cowbell, Google, LinkedIn, Meta, Microsoft, PayPal, Principal Financial Group, Square, TriNet, Venmo, Verizon, Visa, and ZenBusiness.

SBDA's full local alliance includes:

ACE Women's Business Center, Act!, Albany, Community Together, All You Need Method, Anderson Area Chamber, Arena, Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, Caspio, Continuity Strength/Succession Strength, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce, For All Things Digital, GetSetup, GoodCarts, Greater Georgia Black Chamber, Greater Houston LGBT Chamber, GS1 US, International Rescue Committee, Miami Growth Machine, Moneda Moving Forward Small Business, National Minority Business Council, NextFab, Nogales Chamber of Commerce, Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce, Resilience Innovation Hub, State Business Executives, Suazo Business Center, Synergies Work TechTown, Temple SBDC, Terminal B, and Unique Markets.