Expanding Small Company Reach
SBA development centers helping to expand the reach of the Small Business Administration
March 1, 2007
By Pam McLaren
More small businesses throughout the area are getting the help they need to grow and succeed, thanks to the United States Small Business Administration regional business development centers in Orange County and the Inland Empire.
A recent report on the centers’ activities from Oct. 1, 2005, to Sept. 30, 2006, show nearly 3,000 clients have received counseling and more than 7,500 have received training.
The centers are overseen by Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics through a contract with the U.S. Small Business Administration since 2003.
Michael Ames, professor of management and director of the college’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Institute, leads the university effort with Cal State Fullerton alumna and attorney Vi Pham.
“The total economic impact of our efforts totals nearly $50 million,” Pham said. “In this economic area, we believe that we can easily accomplish a goal of $1 billion.”
Award-winning teams through the Small Business Institute have been providing regional businesses with consulting services that help them focus on areas to strengthen or enhance. And, the College of Business and Economics’ entrepreneur program serves to educate future business owners.
“Our goal continues to be to have all these areas work together to help each other and in the process move forward and grow successfully,” Ames said. “We don’t just want to maintain the services that we provide in training and consulting but to expand to more of a community partner and to support networks developed by like businesses.” In fact, Pham said, “we’ve been very encouraged that companies that got involved with the SBC development centers are now partnering to form other groups, such as a women’s business center at Rancho Santiago College. There’s lots of opportunity here.”
Produced by the Office of Public Affairs at California State University, Fullerton.