Yuba City is proud to partner with the Small Business Development Center to help see local business dreams come true on the city streets. Photo courtesy of Yuba City

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - The Sacramento Valley Small Business Development Center (SBDC) June appointment book for City Hall appointments here is full.

“Next month is already filling up, as well,” Development Liaison Ashley Potocnik said of the space that the Sacramento Valley Small Business Development Center rents at 1201 Civic Center Blvd., which opened in May.

Potocnik said that Yuba City partnered with the Sacramento Valley Small Business Development Center to provide the community with face-to-face access to business advisors who assist with starting or expanding businesses.

“While SBDC provides these services to Yuba City residents virtually, offering a location for in-person office hours is a priority to remove as many barriers as possible for small business owners and entrepreneurs,” Potocnik said.

The You Can with Yuba City initiative, launched in 2023, supports business owners and developers by simplifying local government regulations and permitting.

Sacramento Valley Small Business Development Center Director SiewYee Lee-Alix said that Yuba City is the ideal place for inquiry and permit access among entrepreneurs.

“It is also a one-stop shop for business owners to learn about other business resources available to help them start and grow their business,” Lee-Alix said of the one-on-one, no-cost entrepreneur training service in Sacramento, Yolo, Yuba and Sutter counties. “It is important that SBDC is accessible to the small business community in all these four counties.”

Before becoming a popular countywide resource, “the exact genesis of the Small Business Development Center Program concept is difficult to pinpoint,” according to the Sacramento Valley Small Business Development Center website. The theory is that as early as the early 1940s, Congress saw its first piece of university-based business extension legislation.

Fast-forward to 1953, when Congress created the Small Business Administration (SBA). According to the website, in 1985, the Small Business Administration reported that many Small Business Development Centers went on to create separate International Trade Centers within state-wide operations. Fast-forward again, and in 2020, Small Business Development Center celebrated 40 years with a 1,000-center network throughout this country.

The Sacramento Valley Small Business Administration continues to celebrate its success, according to Lee-Alix, who said, “Along with other SBDC centers throughout the state, it is able to provide no-cost services to entrepreneurs because of funding from the SBA and GoBiz.”  

Those services include assistance with business planning, funding, digital marketing, bookkeeping, human resources and tech startup.

“Some of our advisors are also bilingual in Spanish, Hmong, Hindi and Dari,” Lee-Alix said.

Potocnik said Yuba City partners with various local and regional organizations to support business growth and streamline development, especially in the age of big-box businesses, which cannot provide diversity, character, and innovation to the local economy like small businesses.

Yuba Development Liason Ashley Potocnik and Small Business Development Center Program Coordinator Joseph Cordova give a thumbs up to the success of the local service that helps see entrepreneurs succeed locally. Photo courtesy of Yuba City

“They create local jobs, contribute to the community’s economic stability, and keep more money circulating within the community,” Potocnik said. “Supporting small businesses fosters a sense of community pride and resilience, ensuring a balanced and vibrant local economy.”

One of the best parts of mom-and-pop shops is the efficiency.

“Small businesses often adapt more quickly to community needs, providing a dynamic response to market changes,” Potocnik said.

The partnership design is ideal. Potocnik said, “Businesses create jobs and generate revenue, while the government provides infrastructure and public services,” one of which is Yuba City’s online Permit Planner, which provides detailed checklists and free project estimates.

“Collaboration between businesses and the government is essential for fostering economic growth and community well-being,” Potocnik said. “Together, they can address community needs more effectively and ensure sustainable development.”

Becoming an entrepreneur begins with signing up at Sacramentovalleysbdc.org/join. After creating a customer profile, business hopefuls schedule a 15-minute intake interview. The interview entails explaining the prospective business type and answering questions about the project budget, including available capital, industry experience and needed assistance.

“After the intake interview, the information will be funneled to the local center,” Lee-Alix said. Based on the needs assessed, the client will be paired with a business advisor, who will contact them to schedule their first one-on-one within a few days.”

In-person Small Business Development Center office hours are free to all Sutter and Yuba County residents and rotate between Sutter and Yuba County every other week, with Yuba on the fourth Wednesday of the month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The gratis hours at the city center are key to Small Business Development Center’s success, as noted by the director.

“We are very appreciative of the City of Yuba City’s small business-friendly mindset, recognizing the value and importance of services provided by SBDC to its small business community,” Lee-Alix said.