Western's Small Business Development Center Advisors Recognized for Economic Impact Results for 2017

Western Washington University’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) team of advisors were recently recognized for the economic impacts they helped their clients achieve in 2017.

CJ Seitz, Sherri Daymon and Eric Grimstead each achieved the SBDC’s $1 Million Dollar Club. This award is given to Certified Business Advisors who help their clients achieve over $1 million dollars of capital formation and investment into the business communities they serve. The WWU SBDC team helped clients generate over $6.9 million dollars of capital impacts in 2017.

CJ Seitz, director of the SBDC, said that 2017 showed the value of the SBDC program.

“I am happy to report that 2017 was another successful year for the SBDC and the clients we serve. As a team, we delivered service, training programs and referrals to over 700 individuals in 2017. It is exciting to see the work we do with our clients result in new businesses getting started, jobs being created or saved, and our business owner clients feeling more empowered to make better business decisions.,” said Seitz.

“We are looking forward to an even better set of results for 2018. We have recently expanded our business advising staff and now have four full-time advisors.  With the addition of Asche Rider to our team, we will be able to take our services directly out to businesses throughout Whatcom County with our new Rural Outreach Program.”

Among the highlights from last year’s efforts by SBDC staff:

• The SBDC provided services to 719 contacts. This number includes training program attendees, referrals and direct counseling engagements.

• The SBDC’s three certified business advisors counseled 290 client companies. The SBDC staff provided 2,620 hours of in-depth counseling and research services.

• The SBDC assisted local businesses in saving or creating 92 jobs.

• The SBDC helped 10 businesses start smart.

• The SBDC helped clients in obtaining over $6.9 million in loans and new investments.

• SBDC clients represent more than $183 million in annual sales, up 16% from 2016.

• The SBDC provided 13 training programs that reached 230 attendees.

The SBDC is part of the most comprehensive small-business alliance in the U.S., with more than 1,000 active SBDC programs across the country. Western’s SBDC receives support from the U.S. Small Business Administration, Whatcom County, the Port of Bellingham, the City of Bellingham and the City of Blaine.

Since 1983, Western’s Small Business Development Center has given back to the business community and helped to shape the economic future of Whatcom County by providing free, confidential advising, technical assistance, and research to business owners and managers in an effort to help businesses thrive.

For more information, contact CJ Seitz, SBDC director, at (360) 778-1762 or CJ.Seitz@wwu.edu; or visit the website at: www.sbdc.wwu.edu