Eligibility has two important aspects:
Formally Determined Eligibility. SBDC clients (a) are owners or managers of small businesses or those who are contemplating starting a new venture that (b) is a for-profit business. The term small business is defined by the U.S. Small Business Administration (see www.sba.gov/regulations/part121.txt for size regulations in 13 CFR 121.121.) Exceptions to this policy or to SBA definitions require the approval of the State Director.
Informally Determined Eligibility. The policy of the Hawai`i SBDC Network permits consultants to decline to provide consulting to a potential client under any of the following circumstances: If the consultant (a) has a conflict of interest with the potential client, (b) has safety concerns in working with a potential client due to a fear of uncontrolled anger from the potential client, whether physical, emotional, or verbal, (c) believes the potential client will not let go of highly unrealizable expectations, (d) believes the client will not maintain appropriate boundaries, or (e) believes other situations are likely to occur that will tend to cause the consulting case to fail. Consultants are encouraged to discuss such situations with the associate state director or state director.
It is not necessary that a consulting case have any face-to-face consulting. (See Electronic Consulting.)
See related topics in this section:
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Eligibility of Clients |
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