Small Business Development Center Opens in Kitsap County

A Small Business Development Center (SBDC) hosted by Western Washington University and located at the Kitsap Regional Library at 700 NE Lincoln Road in Poulsbo, is now open and accepting clients.

The Kitsap County SBDC will be part of the most comprehensive small-business alliance in the U.S., with more than 1,000 active SBDC programs across the country.

SBDC programs provide a strong boost to local economies by offering a range of services to help small businesses grow and prosper. SBDCs offer one-on-one confidential business counseling and low- or no-cost training programs on topics including business planning, accessing capital, marketing, technology development, international trade and much more. SBDCs help entrepreneurs realize the dream of business ownership and give existing business owners a competitive edge in a complex and ever-changing global marketplace.

“We’re very excited about this opportunity to apply Western’s strengths to meet the needs of small businesses on the Kitsap Peninsula and beyond. We recognize that the Peninsulas remain one of the most underserved areas in our state for four-year higher education, not only in terms of access to degree programs, but also the community- and business-enhancing benefits that come with having a university presence and access to faculty expertise. We look forward to launching the SBDC in Poulsbo and the increased service that we can provide to the community through it,” said Western President Sabah Randhawa.

Western, which offers academic programs in Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas, now operates the state’s largest SBDC program – in Whatcom County. SBDCs are hosted by leading universities, colleges and state economic development agencies and are funded in part by Congress through a partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Business advising at Kitsap County SBDC will provided free of charge to Kitsap County small business owners due to the generous funding from support partners, which include the SBA, the City of Poulsbo, Kitsap Credit Union, Kitsap Bank, First Federal, Kitsap Regional Library and host institution Western Washington University.

Kevin Hoult, who started his SBDC career with WWU in 2006, will help get the Kitsap County SBDC up and running. Hoult, who previously worked at SBDC centers in Renton, Mount Vernon and Port Angeles, will serve a temporary six-month appointment as Kitsap County SBA director, with a search for a permanent director scheduled to begin this summer.

“It's both an honor and a privilege to come back to Western Washington University to help the SBDC launch this new center in Poulsbo. I'm looking forward to working together with local business and community leaders to make the Kitsap County SBDC a great success,” Hoult said.

To learn more about the services available at the Kitsap County SBDC, call the center at at: 360-447-8788 or email at: kitsapSBDC@wwu.edu