The Economic Development Collaborative has been awarded $475,000 in new funding from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and the California Small Business Development Center Network for the enhancement and expansion of its services and programs promoting business growth and sustainability. The funding doubles EDC’s Small Business Development Center’s capacity to serve the business communities of Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties.
EDC will be rolling out new programs to help businesses navigate opportunities in global trade and assist early-stage firms seeking second-stage financing and equity investors. In addition, EDC will expand its role in helping businesses recover from disasters. EDC will deliver a training program to strengthen its SBDC advisors’ disaster response capacity and it will support disaster outreach and communication for a network of business recovery services across multiple jurisdictions. In addition, EDC will expand its capacity for assisting businesses that need debt financing. As part of its outreach, EDC will focus efforts on women, minority and veteran owned businesses, with a concentration in the disaster-declared regions.
“We are excited about this opportunity to double our outreach and service capacity,” said Bruce Stenslie, EDC president and CEO. “EDC’s Small Business Development Center is positioned to serve as one of the key resources in the region for economic vitality in Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties, giving businesses, community partners and civic leaders the support and services they need to succeed.”
For more information about EDC programs and services, visit edcollaborative.com or call 805-384-1800.
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as California’s single point of contact for economic development and job creation efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. For more information visit: www.business.ca.gov
The SBDC is funded by the Small Business Association and provides professional business assistance at no cost to businesses. Participating businesses are required to follow a well-defined scope of work and report their economic successes. These SBA milestones are defined as job creation, increase in sales, capital investment, job retention and business started.
EDC is a private, nonprofit organization that serves as a business-to-government liaison to assist businesses in Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties by offering programs that enhance the economic vitality of the region. For more information about the Small Business Development Center, loan programs, manufacturing outreach and international trade programs, or other services available to small businesses through EDC, contact Bruce Stenslie at 805-384-1800 ext. 24 or [email protected]. Or visit www.edcollaborative.com.
