LANCASTER —The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) hosted by College of the Canyons has entered into a new partnership with the University of Antelope Valley (UAV) to establish a second full time SBDC location on UAV’s Sierra campus.
The new Antelope Valley Small Business and Entrepreneurship Center will officially open Jan. 5, 2012, at the University of Antelope Valley’s Sierra Campus at 44055 N. Sierra Highway in the Lancaster.
This partnership will immediately provide a permanent location on the UAV campus for SBDC business advisors to meet with clients and begin conducting classroom and computer based training sessions and free business consulting services.
In addition to classroom based training sessions, SBDC business advisors will utilize UAV computer labs to offer different types of hands-on computer based training sessions. The new partnership will also allow the SBDC to begin hosting more large-scale, regional training events and seminars on the UAV campus.
“The opening of this center represents yet another significant step in our efforts to bring an expanded lineup of SBDC services to the Antelope Valley,” said SBDC director Steve Tannehill. “We are very appreciative of the support we have received from our partners in the Antelope Valley, including the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, Wells Fargo Bank and now the University of Antelope Valley. With their support and partnership we have been able to substantially increase our presence in the Antelope Valley, resulting in an almost 60 percent increase in our services over the past year.”
In 2011, those increased services helped Antelope Valley small business owners raise more than $1.1 million in capital, while creating 157 new jobs and starting three new businesses.
“We are so excited about having the SBDC here at the University of Antelope Valley,” said Sandra Johnson, co-founder and CEO of UAV. “The SBDC provides excellent services in which Antelope Valley residents and our students alike can utilize in fulfilling their dreams of business ownership. This partnership aligns our goals as educators with the entrepreneurial spirit the Antelope Valley is known for, and we cannot wait to see the new businesses and jobs created from this opportunity.”
To help launch this new partnership, the SBDC will host a series of free training sessions at its UAV location at the following dates and times:
- How to Successfully Start Your New Business
10 a.m. to noon
Friday, Jan. 13, 2012
* - Essential Steps for Writing a Business Plan
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 27, 2012
* - Finding Funding
10 a.m. to noon
Friday, Feb. 10, 2012
Those interested in registering to attend these classes can find registration links on the SBDC calendar at www.cocsbdc.org
The Antelope Valley Small Business & Entrepreneurship Center is located on the University of Antelope Valley’s Sierra Campus at 44055 N. Sierra Highway in Lancaster. Consulting appointments are available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, but are by appointment only.
For more information about the SBDC or the lineup of available services in Antelope Valley, contact 661-362-5900 or visit www.cocsbdc.org.
(Information via press release from the University of Antelope Valley.)