October 15, 2010 - CSUB is taking an active leadership role in local economic development, becoming the host institution of the Small Business Development Center that serves Kern, Inyo and Mono counties.

The announcement was made during a news conference and grand opening event held today at the center located in University Square, 2000 K St., in downtown Bakersfield. The center is one of five full-service centers and two satellites within the UC Merced SBDC Regional Network in Central California.

"This will help us meet our mission of community engagement," said Mark Evans, Associate Dean of the School of Business and Public Administration at CSUB. "In the past, we have not had sufficient resources to institutionalize our commitment to regional economic development. We could sit on boards and committees but we couldn't bring resources to the table. We are excited about our increased capacity to assist small businesses, which are the engines of economic opportunity."

A generous gift of $50,000 from Wells Fargo enabled CSUB to move forward with opening the center.

The CSUB SBDC is one of 35 Small Business Development Centers throughout the state of California, and part of a larger national network established by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). It provides free consulting and workshops to new and existing small businesses looking to start up and expand their operations.

Specifically, the CSUB SBDC will offer a multitude of opportunities for local small businesses, including:

• Assistance with business plans, financial plans, and market research
• Help with human resource issues and employee manuals
• Assistance with marketing and advertising, including websites and social media
• Help with small business loan applications

The partnership will also have several positive benefits for CSUB:

• Help CSUB meet its vision to have greater community engagement
• Deepen academic programs in the School of Business and Public Administration by offering authentic experiences to faculty and students to assist real-life businesses
• Enhance networking, internship and work experience for CSUB students, strengthening their competiveness in the job market

Background:

UC Merced provides regional guidance to the SBDCs within the 15-county area of Central California. CSUB joins two other CSUs, Fresno State and Monterey Bay, in hosting a full-service SBDC within the UC Merced Regional Network. SBDCs must fund 50 percent of their annual operating budget through community support and in-kind services while the SBA will fund the other 50 percent.

UC Merced is offering office space in University Square free of charge for two years, after which CSUB may consider moving the center to its campus at 9001 Stockdale Highway. SBDC staff will report to CSUB's School of Business and Public Administration. John Pryor is getting the Center off the ground as interim director. The school hopes to hire a permanent director by the end of 2010.