Helping Small Businesses Serve Our Community

Are you interested in starting a small business? The Small Business and Development Center (SBDC) hosted by the University of La Verne can help. This center is hosted in partnership with the College of Business and Public Management and can help you succeed in your entrepreneurial endeavors, whether you have experience or are looking to start.

For nine years, the SBDC has supported individuals with small, local businesses from La Verne to the Eastern San Gabriel Valley. The center is located in the College of Business and Public Management’ Cogley Building within the university’s La Verne central campus and provides a wide range of services and resources to students and local community members at no cost.

The SBDC offers expert guidance to business owners in the community and conducts workshops and events for aspiring entrepreneurs. University of La Verne students can also create and sell their products here. The center supports startups, new businesses, and growing businesses and provides services such as business planning, cash flow management, branding support, and more to anyone interested in the business-owning process.

They offer expert advisors, such as Sean Snider, director of the University of La Verne SBDC, who are trained to support clients with their entrepreneurial endeavors. To date, the center has aided in the establishment of 44 new businesses and hopes to add a few more to its list by next month.

Snider is passionate about the center’s growing impact on the community, stating, “I love the diverse needs of our clients and the people I get to work with every day as they navigate their entrepreneurial journeys.”

The SBDC has also been actively involved in organizing live-streamed workshops, educational seminars, and networking events to further strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem in La Verne. Snider and his team work hard to make sure their clients are heard and thoroughly supported through the business-owning process, as he know how much it means to them.

“The dream of owning a business is like the dream of owning a home or living the “American Dream,” he said. “Regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or religion, everyone loves business, and it’s exciting for me to help people get to where they want to be,” Snider said.

As the SBDC at the University of La Verne continues to play a pivotal role in fostering the growth of small businesses, its impact on the local economy is expected to expand with new community trainings, workshops, and live events that aim to begin in September. With its commitment to empowering entrepreneurs, nurturing local innovation, and educating university students and community members alike, the center remains a vital community outreach program in partnership with the College of Business and Public Management.

The University of La Verne Small Business Development Center (SBDC) stimulates economic growth in the Eastern San Gabriel Valley by providing small businesses and entrepreneurs with no cost consulting, low-cost training and access to resources. The University of La Verne SBDC is part of the Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network and is funded in part by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Advising appointments are required. Click here to make your appointment today.