Pasadena City College Starts Free Small Business Development Program
Most of the time we see big businesses or the government reaching out to help small businesses or developing different softwares for small businesses to use, however, that is not the case for one college out of Pasadena, California, a college that has developed a new resource specifically designed for small businesses.
Pasadena City College’s (PCC) Community Education Center (CEC) is about to launch a new free resource program for owners of small businesses. The Business and Entrepreneurial Services and Training Academy is specifically designed to provide access to consulting, online education and other services for small business owners as well as start-up business ventures and even aspiring entrepreneurs.
According to CEC Dean Rick Hodge, “Pasadena City College has a proud history serving the San Gabriel Valley and contributing to the economic vitality of the region. We believe this is an excellent way for the community to access our campus resources and for PCC to prepare clients with the knowledge to create thriving businesses, improve existing businesses’ operations and create jobs.”
PCC serves Pasadena, Altadena, Arcadia, Temple City and parts of Western San Gabriel Valley and school officials said that the BEST Academy will provide business consulting as well as education resources to diverse businesses, entrepreneurs, and college and high school students with potential business ideas.
“BEST will serve as a platform for small businesses to access a variety of financial, operational, marketing and management resources throughout the region and online,” according to project director Brandon Shamim. Shamim is president of Beacon Management Group out of Pasadena and has over 19 years of experience with economic development, small businesses advocacy as well as workforce development issues.
Shamim has worked for the United States Department of Commerce and also serves as chairman of the Small Business Council for the Greater Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Shamim will be joined by two veteran business advisors; Karen Carr, President of The Small Business Builders and SBDC advisor, and Tom Selinske, a business owner and CEC instructor.
In addition to these three, other professionals and experts will lend a hand in workshops, entrepreneurial events and informative meetings throughout the entire year. Business owners, entrepreneurs, students and anybody else interested in participating are urged to contact the BEST Academy at 626-585-3005 in order to register or email pccbestacademy@gmail.com for any information or questions.
Source: Pasadena Star-News – PCC launches free small business development program