As of Tuesday, Oct. 6, two university-hosted centers offer South Florida owners one-on-one business advice at no cost. The Florida Small Business Development Center at Florida Atlantic University covers Broward and Palm Beach counties. The one at Florida International University covers Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Both say the consulting is confidential, and both begin with an online request form.
Owners often ask about free coaching only after a grant deadline or a bank turndown forces the question. This guide moves the question earlier. It sets out what each center says it does, who it works with, how to ask for an advisor, what the two pages disagree on, and what neither has published. Everything below comes from the centers’ own pages and the Florida SBDC Network’s pages, read on Oct. 4, 2026.
What Free Coaching Means Today
Both centers belong to the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide program that describes its mission as no-cost, confidential consulting plus training and research for Florida small businesses. The network’s Find Your SBDC page says a center serves every one of Florida’s 67 counties, so an owner outside South Florida is routed elsewhere.
“No cost” has a precise meaning here. The network says consulting is provided at no cost to Floridians looking to grow. The FAU page says sessions are “personalized, confidential and at no cost,” and FIU’s FAQ says most of its services are offered at no cost. The word “most” matters, and a later section covers the exceptions.
For owners in Miami-Dade there is a near-term hook. As our FIU webinar guide reports, FIU’s College of Business and its SBDC host AI Fundamentals for Your Small Business online on Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern. The sign-up form includes an optional box to request the center’s no-cost consulting. If you read this after the session, FIU lists later sessions at go.fiu.edu/sbdc-events, and FAU posts its events on an Eventbrite page linked from its Education page.
Two Centers, Four Counties
The network’s map settles the geography. FAU serves Palm Beach and Broward. FIU serves Miami-Dade and Monroe, with a Key West office. A business is matched by where it operates, so an owner with locations in two counties should call the center for the county where the business is based.
| Item | FAU SBDC | FIU SBDC |
|---|---|---|
| Counties | Broward and Palm Beach | Miami-Dade and Monroe |
| Offices | Davie and Boca Raton | Brickell in Miami; Key West by appointment |
| Phone | 954-235-8605 | 305-779-9230 |
| sbdc@fau.edu | SBDC@FIU.EDU | |
| Hours listed | Appointments 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the FAQ, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the contact page |
| First step | Online request; appointment required at all locations | Online request; Key West by appointment only |
The FIU hours disagree between two pages of the same site, and the FAU page lists mailing addresses for its two offices. Call before you drive anywhere.
Who Each Center Works With
FAU’s consulting page says it serves small and medium-sized businesses, from “pre-venture businesses (exploring business feasibility) to established businesses (in business over three years).” It publishes no minimum number of employees for core consulting. Its specialized-services page addresses established and growing clients with $100,000 in annual sales and three or more full-time employees, and does not say whether smaller firms are excluded.
FIU states its filter more tightly. Its contact page says the center works with Miami-Dade and Monroe owners “with at least three (3) employees” and with “a select number of scalable startups and pre-ventures.” Its FAQ adds that clients generally have revenue of $20 million or less, and that it generally does not serve loan packagers, passive real estate investors, multi-level marketing or gambling businesses.
Eligibility also involves status. FIU’s FAQ says the owner must be a tax-paying U.S. citizen, U.S. national or lawful permanent resident, or a resident on a non-immigrant visa pursuing permanent residency, and that clients self-certify. The network’s request page says the form must be completed by an owner or a person planning to start a business, not by a third party.
What the Advisors Can Help With
FIU lists consulting in start-up assistance, business strategy, financial management, marketing and sales, access to capital, international trade, government contracting and operational efficiency. It also offers training workshops, market research and referrals. FAU lists strategic and marketing planning, cash flow management, social media, feasibility studies, targeted market research, loan proposal development and export planning.
FAU adds specialized services for established businesses: government contracting, growth acceleration plans, business emergency preparedness, certified business valuation and an organizational assessment program. The page says these are no cost and confidential. FAU’s site also lists research databases that advisors use, which small firms often cannot afford alone.
FIU is also building AI into the work. Its site says faculty-led student teams deliver AI-focused consulting projects meant to improve efficiency and support decisions for small businesses.
Capital Help Is Not Capital
Neither center is a lender. FAU says SBDCs “do not loan money or administer grants,” and FIU’s FAQ says it does not directly provide grants but can help identify them. FIU’s home page says Florida SBDC centers “do not provide loans nor investment capital.”
What the centers do offer is preparation. FIU says its access-to-capital specialists review loan applications, help with projections and connect qualified clients to lenders. It advises bringing your latest financial statements, tax returns and a summary of what you need the money for, and it says a business plan may be required for financing help.
That is where this guide meets the Gazette’s grant coverage. Our Broward small business grants explainer shows what a county program asks for, and an SBDC advisor is a no-cost place to test those documents. Other programs are collected in the SoFla Business Grants and Incentives Guide. Neither center promises a grant or a loan, and approval stays with the funder.
Contracts and Exports
Government contracting runs through the Florida APEX Accelerator, which both centers connect to. FAU’s page describes consulting that helps businesses research and bid on federal, state and local contracts, including applying for programs such as 8(a) and HUBZone. FIU points owners to the APEX Accelerator at FIU. If your question is county contracting rather than federal, our SBE certification comparison covers the three counties’ local programs.
Exporting is the one clearly priced service. FAU’s International Trade page says an Export Marketing Plan costs $4,000, with a $3,500 scholarship available to qualifying companies, which brings the cost to $500. FIU’s FAQ calls the Export Marketing Plan its sole fee-based specialized service.
How to Request an Advisor
Both centers use the same front door: the Florida SBDC Network’s Request for Consulting form. FAU’s page sends new and existing businesses to it, and FIU’s “Register Here” button does the same. The form is hosted on the network’s site, and the center pages do not list its fields.
FIU says that once the form arrives, staff review it and decide whether the center or a community partner can best help. You then hear by email or phone. It describes consultations as usually lasting up to an hour, with follow-ups depending on need, held by video, phone or email.
FAU says consultations are one-on-one, virtual or in person, and that an appointment is required at every location. The form asks owners not to use a current employer’s name unless it is the business in question.
What to Bring and What to Expect
The network’s “What to Expect” sheet is short and worth reading. Advisors promise to keep information confidential, to be professional and to follow up. Clients are asked to complete the form, arrive prepared, cancel at least 24 hours ahead, finish assignments before the next meeting and answer a survey after the first session.
The sheet is also direct about limits. A consultant can walk you through writing a business plan, forming an LLC, reading financials or bidding on a contract, but cannot write the plan, form the company, prepare the financials or write the bid. FIU adds that it does not give tax or legal advice and does not prepare taxes.
For a first meeting, bring a one-page description of the business, the last two years of financials if you have them, and the single decision that is costing you the most sleep. The centers do not publish a first-meeting checklist, so treat that as common sense, not a rule.
Confidentiality and Who Pays
Confidentiality is a stated promise at both centers and at the network. The network says all clients, their businesses and related information “are kept strictly confidential” and will not be shared “without your permission.” Clients are also asked to report results on annual surveys, which is how the network measures impact.
Each center’s page carries the required funding line: a statewide partnership program nationally accredited and funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, a federal defense department, the State of Florida and other partners, with the University of West Florida as network headquarters. The network’s disclosure page lists a program total of $21,448,684, with a 39 percent federal share and a 61 percent non-federal share. It does not name the fiscal year.
The pages carry results too. FIU says it has assisted 8,947 business owners through one-on-one consulting since 2014 through the end of 2024, and FAU lists 2023 to 2024 totals for sales, contracts, capital and jobs. Both say the figures come from client surveys run by the network, so read them as self-reported.
What Is Not Published
| Question | What the pages say |
|---|---|
| Is core consulting free? | Yes at both centers. FIU says “most” services are. |
| How long until an advisor replies? | Not published. |
| How many sessions can one client have? | Not published. |
| Is there a fee for workshops? | Network: “Nominal fees may be charged.” FIU lists no-cost events. |
| Does FAU require three employees? | Not published for core consulting. |
| Do the two FIU pages agree on hours? | No: 4 p.m. versus 5 p.m. closing. |
Key Facts for Owners and Search
Is SBDC consulting at FAU and FIU free? As of Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, both centers describe their core one-on-one consulting as no cost and confidential. FIU says most services are free and names one fee-based specialized service, the Export Marketing Plan. The network says nominal fees may be charged for some training events, so check each workshop listing before registering.
Which SBDC serves my county? The Florida SBDC Network’s Find Your SBDC page lists the Florida SBDC at FAU for Palm Beach and Broward counties and the Florida SBDC at FIU for Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. FAU can be reached at 954-235-8605 and FIU at 305-779-9230. Owners elsewhere in Florida are served by other host universities on the same network.
How do I request a business advisor? Complete the Florida SBDC Network’s Request for Consulting form, the entry point both FAU and FIU link to. The form must be completed by an owner or someone planning a business, not a third party. FIU says staff review it and then respond by email or phone. FAU says an appointment is required at every location.
Who qualifies for SBDC consulting? FAU serves pre-venture to established small and medium-sized businesses in Broward and Palm Beach. FIU says it works with Miami-Dade and Monroe owners with at least three employees and a select number of scalable startups. FIU also asks clients to self-certify citizenship or lawful residency status. Neither center provides loans or grants.
Who funds the SBDC, and what does the disclosure say? Each center’s page says the network is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, a federal defense department, the State of Florida and other private and public partners, with the University of West Florida as headquarters. The network’s funding disclosure lists a $21,448,684 program total, 39 percent federal and 61 percent non-federal, without naming the year.
Sources: These pages were opened on Oct. 4, 2026.
- Florida SBDC at FAU, home page
- Florida SBDC at FAU, consulting
- Florida SBDC at FAU, contact
- Florida SBDC at FAU, specialized services
- Florida SBDC at FAU, international trade
- Florida SBDC at FAU, government contracting
- Florida SBDC at FIU, home page
- Florida SBDC at FIU, frequently asked questions
- Florida SBDC at FIU, contact
- Florida SBDC at FIU, access to capital
- Florida SBDC Network, Find Your SBDC
- Florida SBDC Network, consulting
- Florida SBDC Network, Request for Consulting
- Florida SBDC Network, What to Expect from Your Appointment (PDF)
- Florida SBDC Network, funding disclosures
Brian D’Antoni writes The Sundaze Gazette from Palm Beach County. He reports on business, film and technology for South Florida owners.
