The Small Business Development Center at the University of Maryland, Partners with CEO of ERIMAX Inc

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Dec. 2, 2014 - PRLog -- COLLEGE PARK, MD–  The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the University of Maryland, has partnered with Eric Franklin, CEO of ERIMAX, Inc., entrepreneur, author and angel investor to launch the Franklin Entrepreneurial Accelerator.

“Over the years the Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has identified the key areas where businesses fall short. These are implementation and critical-thinking,” said Ellen Flowers-Fields, SBDC southern region director, “The Franklin Entrepreneurial Accelerator has been developed to effectively address those factors and to extend our SBDC current entrepreneur programs into a platform where growing business in Southern Maryland can thrive economically for long time success.”

The Franklin Entrepreneurial Accelerator (FEA) will initially focus on business growth and strategic planning. It is for executives and entrepreneurs, who want to fast track their companies’ growth, sharpen their critical-thinking skills, and take their businesses to the next level. Participants will choose their highest priorities and with the help of SBDC facilitators will develop their own strategic plan.

“The SBDC has demonstrated expertise in assisting many businesses over the years at the start of their business albeit with limited resources. For these businesses to thrive and achieve we, private industry and the government, must continuously challenge them to adapt and grow,” says Franklin. “With the launch of FEA, I am proud to be start of new private industry initiative in Southern Maryland that has stepped up and committed to help growing businesses prosper. It is my hope that the success of the Franklin Entrepreneurial Accelerator will connect the Southern Maryland to entrepreneurial ecosystems across the state and nation.”

The pilot entrepreneur program will be launched in January of 2015.  Interested businesses can obtain more information or apply at: http://www.marylandsbdc.org

About the SBDC

The SBDC is a partnership that links private enterprise, government, higher education and local economic development organizations to provide high-quality training, confidential consulting and market and industry research to small businesses in all stages of development.  Founded in 1989, the SBDC provides assistance to more than 10,000 entrepreneurs each year through a combination of consulting, training and outreach events.

About Eric Franklin

Eric Franklin is the president and CEO of ERIMAX, Inc. an information technology and acquisition management company headquartered in Maryland that provides services to more than 20 Federal agencies in 7 states across the nation. Franklin has a long history of advocating for small, women-owned and minority businesses. He is a past recipient of the Leading Edge CEO of the Year award and was named as Maryland Minority Small Business Champion of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.