EDC/VC

Small Business Development Center

Economic Development Collaborative-Ventura County’s Small Business Development Center provides free consultations and low-cost training sessions to existing small businesses in Camarillo and throughout Ventura and Santa Barbara counties and to entrepreneurs looking to start a business.

Since launching a year ago, the SBDC has assembled a roster of nearly 30 consultants who are experts in their field to provide business assistance in these key areas:

• Start-up assistance
• Marketing/Sales
• International trade
• Managing a business
• Technology
• e-commerce
• Business plans
• Capital sourcing
• Government contracting and procurement
• Financing/Loan packaging assistance
• Human resources
• Legal issues
• Social media

Our consultants also have subspecialties to further help businesses with specific issues and areas. A sampling of subspecialties includes Six Sigma, lean manufacturing, retail, leisure/hospitality and global trade. (To see consultant bios and areas of specialization, go to www.edc-vc.com/consultants.htm.)

As a regional public/private economic development organization, EDC-VC also supports local businesses with these programs:

• Loans
• Manufacturing Outreach Program
• Turnaround assistance for businesses in crisis
• G.E.T. Trade, the how-to on international trade

Export Initiative

In February, Congresswoman Lois Capps introduced the SBDC Export Initiative for Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties at the World Trade Center at the Port of Hueneme. The regional initiative is designed to help local businesses expand through export opportunities and provides free one-on-one consulting, training seminars for businesses interested in accessing export opportunities or expanding existing international exports,

The Export Initiative is a partnership between the SBDC, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Postal Service, Santa Barbara City College and the U.S. District Export Council.

About the SBDC Network

EDC-VC’s SBDC center enhances the already established Los Angeles Regional SBDC Network, which is hosted by Long Beach Community College District.

Any small business can take advantage of the free services that are offered by the SBDC centers in their area. The SBDC program is the SBA’s most extensive economic development program which helps small businesses create jobs and strengthen local economies.

The SBDC program is designed to match dollar-for-dollar every federal dollar that it receives with state, community or private funds. The Los Angeles Regional SBDC Network received $3.4 million in federal funds in 2009.

For more information about EDC-VC’s SBDC services, contact us at 805-384-1800 or visit www.edcsbdc.org. For more information about other EDC-VC services, visit www.edc-vc.com.