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SMC Small Business Center Wins Three Awards

The Santa Monica College Small Business Development Center has won three of five awards for 2008, including the highest honor, given to such centers in the Los Angeles Regional SBDC network.

Aside from Best Overall Performance in the network—which encompasses Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties – the SMC SBDC received the Highest Capital Infusion and Highest Number of Long-Term (Extended) Clients.

“Not only are these awards significant as they compare to the network performance of the other seven regional SBDC centers, but they indicate that the Santa Monica SBDC is superior in its performance of meeting the over-arching goal of making a noteworthy economic impact in the community,” said Michelle King, acting director of SMC’s SBDC.

King said the 2008 Best Overall Center Performance Award was given to the SMC SBDC because it counseled 751 distinct clients in the areas of business start-up requirements, business strategic planning, marketing and sales, financing assistance, web designing, legal assistance, international trade and import/export, business accounting, financial management, and customer and employee relations.

The 2008 Highest Capital Infusion Award was given because, as of Nov. 30, 2008, the SMC center had assisted local businesses with obtaining more than $3.1 million in capital. The capital infusions include loans from the Small Business Administration, non-SBA loans and equity investment.

The 2008 Highest Number of Long-Term (Extended) Clients Award was based on counseling hours – in this case, SMC’s center provided five or more counseling hours over multiple years to 176 clients.

“We are so proud of our accomplishment and the free business services we are able to provide the greater community,” King said. “All of these services are made possible with the support of our funding partners, including SMC, the SBA, the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, and the City of Santa Monica.”

Opened in January 2006 at the Santa Monica Airport, the SMC SBDC provides free, one-on-one, confidential business counseling services to people who have a business idea and to entrepreneurs who want to grow their business or make them more environmentally friendly.

It also offers low-cost basic business and legal workshops. For more information, call (310) 434-3566 or go to www.smc.edu/sbdc.