University of La Verne’s Small Business Development Center Holds Grand Opening

San Gabriel Valley entrepreneurs used to have to drive to Long Beach to find the nearest Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for help hiring employees, accessing capital and developing government contracts.

That commute became shorter on Aug. 6 with the opening of University of La Verne’s Small Business Development Center, in a building formerly occupied by the institution’s human resources department.

“It fits perfectly with the vision that the University has,” said Dr. Ibrahim “Abe” Helou, Dean of the College of Business and Public Management.

About 100 dignitaries, business officials and educators gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the site.

A confluence of ideas between legislators and the University led to the opening of the SBDC. Congresswoman Judy Chu learned of the absence of such a facility in the San Gabriel Valley during a Pasadena conference in 2011, she said. La Verne had already been discussing the idea while developing its 2020 Strategic Vision months earlier.

“We came up with five areas that the community is going to need based on market research, etc.,” said University President Devorah Lieberman. “Right at the top was small business.”

There used to be a center based at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, but it closed in 2009. When Chu discovered this, she reached out to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA agreed to help fund a center in the San Gabriel Valley, but it required matching funds from a university or college.

La Verne and Pasadena City College stepped up, bringing not one, but two centers to the San Gabriel Valley. The SBA and Long Beach Community College District partnered with La Verne to make the University’s project a reality.

“Small business is the backbone of the San Gabriel Valley. The San Gabriel Valley definitely deserved to have one (a center),” Chu said.

Congresswoman Grace Napolitano said the region is often looked upon as a stepchild of Los Angeles County, but having the site will change that.

“That will help to develop the jobs we need to increase our economic viability in this area,” Napolitano said. “And that’s something that I’m committed to, not only because it’s in an area that needs it but because it’s an area that is poised to take center stage.”

Small business owners and entrepreneurs will have access to free business consulting, as well as low-cost seminars and conferences. They can increase their sales, obtain loans and position themselves for long-term growth.

The site will be a part of the Los Angeles Regional SBDC Network, serving businesses in Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. La Verne’s center will serve business owners living or working in cities such as Pomona, West Covina, Diamond Bar, Claremont, San Dimas, La Verne, Industry and Hacienda Heights, but it is also open to small businesses and entrepreneurs in surrounding cities as well.

The center will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information on the University of La Verne, visit http://www.lavernesbdc.org, or call, (909) 448-1556.