Rights and Responsibilities
As an SBDC client you have the right to expect:
- Consulting Assistance Provided at No Charge – These services are paid for by the U.S.
Small Business Administration, the State of Texas, and West Texas A&M University,
- Confidentiality of Information Provided – Information you provide is held in strictest
confidence.
Exception:
If you would like the SBDC to help promote your business by providing non-financial
information to the news media and to other SBDC clients who might want to do business
with you, initial here.
- Unbiased Recommendations – SBDC representatives are not compensated for any
recommendations they make, and they abide by Standards of Professional Ethics and a Conflict of Interest Policy.
Conflict of Interest Policy
The SBDC policy on Conflict of Interest states that every employee, consultant, instructor, or volunteer must safeguard the program against an actual or apparent conflict that could result from:
- Personal gain, remuneration or pecuniary interest in a past or current SBDC client.
- The solicitation or acceptance or any gift, loan, reward, equity in a business, compensation ore other monetary remuneration, or promise of future employment.
- A compensated recommendation for any goods or services to an SBDC client.
- Soliciting or accepting a compensated position for services which are part of the SBDC network services.
- Disclosing any private or confidential business or personal information to a third party other than SBA without written consent of the client.
- Assistance, Guidance, Recommendations and Education – The SBDC program is an
educational program. The SBDC will work with you on your specific issues to help build your
management skills and knowledge. It is your responsibility to accept and implement
recommendations. The SBDC will not:
- Negotiate on your behalf
- Write your business plan
- Act as an employee of your business
As an SBDC client you agree to:
- Accept Responsibility and Waive all Claims – In recognition that you are ultimately
responsible for the success or failure of your business, you hereby waive any claims of
damages against the West Texas A&M University SBDC, the North West Texas SBDC
program, and the United States Small Business Administration, based on any advice or
information provided by the SBDC.
- Participate in Surveys - This program cares about quality. In order to confirm that our
services provide real value, we periodically send out surveys and your candid feedback is
critical to our long-term success.