Provided by Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
When running a small business, multiple factors can contribute to its lasting success or premature demise. Conducting effective marketing, hiring the right staff, securing a timely small business loan, and implementing e-commerce and social media strategies are just a few of the many responsibilities that are critical to a company’s long-term viability.
While focusing on daily operations, many small business owners find it a challenge to develop strategies for managing these and other important aspects of their companies. To help with plans to establish a web presence or increase sales, they would benefit from high-quality business consulting and training that doesn’t break the bank. That’s where the Long Beach Small Business Development Center (SBDC) comes in.
The SBDC is a nationwide program backed by the Small Business Administration. We work to foster the development of new businesses and help existing small businesses achieve success and sustainability. Hosted by Long Beach City College since 2006, the Long Beach SBDC has helped thousands of area business owners increase their sales, obtain loans, negotiate commercial leases, streamline operations, use new technologies, expand into new markets, and position themselves for long-term growth.
We’ve done this by providing consulting and training to business owners on a variety of topics. Moreover, all of our advisory services are free. And, our training options include low- and no-cost alternatives.
The SBDC’s seasoned business advisors have decades of experience across a variety of business disciplines, enabling us to offer advisory services that can help businesses address the issues critical to their success. Here are 7 key ways the SBDC can help position your business for long-term sustainability:
- Business planning. We help you build a road map for your business that includes everything from your vision, your mission, financial projections, marketing, e-commerce, sales, operations, distribution channels, and more.
- Loan readiness. We help business owners understand how to become loan-ready in case they need funding. This might include helping a client compile the necessary documents needed to submit to a potential lender, followed by an introduction to that lender.
- Understanding financials. Many small business owners need assistance understanding their financial statements and how those statements reflect the condition of their business. We work very closely with clients to make sure they understand their cash flow situation and whether or not they are profitable. If they aren’t, we help them identify a path to profitability.
- Marketing. We find that small business owners frequently ask for assistance in developing marketing strategies. This is completely understandable because without marketing it’s next-to-impossible to retain existing clients, attract new ones, and grow your business. Whether using traditional or digital marketing platforms, we work with our clients to help them build their story, better understand how to reach their target markets, and develop an overall strategy that will help them achieve their goals.
- Web & e-Commerce strategy. We assist our clients in the development of a web strategy. For those clients who conduct business online, we teach them how to build an e-commerce platform and how best to use that platform to maximize sales.
- Collaborative advising. Our business advisors meet with clients on a one-on-one basis. However, we also offer collaborative advising sessions in which a multi-disciplinary team of advisors meets with a particular client, using their combined voices of experience to devise solutions to a particularly tough problem.
- Workshops. In addition, we teach workshops covering core topics, including, but not limited to “How to Start a Small Business;” “How to Create an Effective Business Plan;” “How to Sell for the Non-Salesperson;” “Introduction to Marketing;” “Introduction to Digital Marketing;” and “Cash Reigns Supreme – A Financial Management Workshop for Small Businesses.”
These are just seven of the many ways the Long Beach SBDC can provide assistance. For more information about how we can help you and your business, please call us at (562) 938-5100 and visit us at www.longbeachsbdc.org.
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