Evaluation of the Veteran Business Outreach Centers

(OMB Control Number: 3245-XXXX )

Appendix C-2 Client Outcome Survey Construct Justification

Construct	Justification
Business Characteristics of a Client	OVBD would like to have a representative view of clients’ business characteristics, including their business stage, industry, number of employees and co-owners, legal entity, sources of financing, and revenue. This information contributes to how OVBD allocates resources, depending on the needs of the client population. Some questions pertain to sensitive topics, such as information about loans from commercial banks or credit unions, loans from friends or family, and lines of credit. OVBD asks these questions because securing small business loans is one of SBA’s core directives and performance goals.
Business Goals and Challenges of a Client	By measuring the goals that clients want to achieve and the challenges that they faced before and after receiving VBOC services, OVBD can get some understanding of the impact of VBOC services as well as assess potential gaps in service.
Learning About VBOCs	By tracking the most common ways that clients hear about VBOCs, OVBD can make suggestions to centers regarding the reallocation of funds away from saturated markets and toward alternative avenues for reaching potential clients. This section also asks why clients attended this center over another business assistance program to assess what distinguishes a VBOC from other programs so that OVBD can encourage VBOCs to use particular outreach strategies.
VBOC Assessment and Services Offered	This section asks whether clients believed that the services they received matched their needs as well as the resources that were recommended to clients to start or grow their businesses. OVBD would like to know what resources and information are provided to clients so that OVBD can understand VBOCs’ networks as well as assess any gaps in services provided to clients and in VBOCs’ networks.
VBOC Services Received	OVBD would like to know the most common modes of service delivery to assess how many clients attend VBOCs in person, receive services over the phone, or obtain services via e-mail as well as to identify the mode of service delivery that clients prefer. Client preference will be part of OVBD’s considerations for offering more virtual services. In addition, OVBD asks whether the assistance that clients received met their expectations and needs so that OVBD can offer guidance to VBOCs on how to better meet client expectations.
Client Satisfaction with VBOC Assistance	OVBD would like to know whether clients are happy with the training and counseling services that they received, whether they would recommend VBOCs to others, whether they would return to the centers, and whether they encountered any barriers to accessing VBOC services. These are important factors to consider if VBOCs want to retain their clients over a long period of time. OVBD would like to share any findings with VBOCs so that they can make changes to service delivery to retain and attract clients.
General Client Demographics	Client demographics, such as proximity to VBOCs, employment status, and education, will help OVBD determine ease of access to VBOC services and feasibility of clients’ starting businesses. Other traits, such as age, race, and veteran status, are important factors to determine the demographics of current clients and whether outreach strategies need to be modified to reach particular groups.

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