LANCASTER – Calling all local small businesses and entrepreneurs… A local small business development center is here to help you – and that help is free!
The new Antelope Valley Small Business and Entrepreneurship Center officially opened for business Thursday at the University of Antelope Valley’s Sierra Campus at 44055 N. Sierra Highway in Lancaster.
The Center was created through a new partnership between the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) hosted by the College of the Canyons and the University of Antelope Valley (UAV). The partnership enables the SBDC to offer its entire suite of services at the UAV campus.
“We are here to help businesses succeed,” SBDC director Steve Tannehill said at a press conference to launch the opening of the Center. “Our services are free to small businesses because of our funding and our partnerships, and we help people who want to start a business and people who have an existing business who want to see it grow and flourish.”
Services, training and workshops offered through the new Antelope Valley Small Business and Entrepreneurship Center cover:
- Business plan development
- Start-up assistance
- Managing a business
- Finance/loan packaging assistance
- Human resources
- Marketing/sales
- Legal issues
- Government contracting and procurement
- International trade
- Technology/ eCommerce/ Social media/ Internet
“We are really seeking to create a hub for entrepreneurs and small business owners in the sense of resources, activities, trainings, and education,” said Raimone Roberts, SBDC Business Advisor for the Antelope Valley Region. “People in the Antelope Valley can come here and find help and find encouragement and, most of all, find ways to grow their ideas and their business.”
To access services at the new center, residents can visit www.cocsbdc.org or call 661-362-5900 to speak with a business advisor, said Roberts. The business advisor may set up a small business orientation or a one-on-one meeting, depending on the status of the business and the entrepreneur’s skill level, said Roberts.
Antelope Valley entrepreneurs and business owners are also welcomed to attend any of the upcoming free training sessions at the UAV location. They include:
- 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
“This is what UAV is about, it’s about producing productive citizens in our community,” said UAV cofounder Sandra Johnson. “I am honored that we are still doing what we say the City of Lancaster does, which is pro entrepreneur. We’re here to encourage people to go with their dreams and what their passion is and share it with us here in the City of Lancaster.”