Washington Small Business Development Center

Helping Washington Businesses Grow and Succeed

The Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is a network of more than 30 expert business advisors working in communities across the state to help entrepreneurs or small business owners start, grow or buy/sell a business.

SBDC advisors provide one-on-one, confidential, no-cost advising on all phases of small business development and are often co-located with economic development specialists in community colleges, economic development agencies or government agencies. Other services of the Washington SBDC include no-cost or low-cost workshops on a variety of business topics and customized market research services.

The Washington SBDC, a member of the national America’s SBDC program, is governed by a cooperative agreement between Washington State University, which is the statewide host of the program, and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Mission: Helping Washington businesses grow and succeed through advising, education and research.

Vision: To be Washington’s world-class business advising service.

Values:

• Innovation: We educate and empower businesses to develop creative solutions, data driven decisions and best practices.
• Integrity: We embrace responsible stewardship of public resources and serve the best interest of Washington businesses.
• Collaboration: We cultivate partnerships to ensure entrepreneurs have the resources and tools to thrive.
• Inclusion: We are committed to fostering and sustaining a culture of inclusion through equitable outreach and service to Washington’s diverse business community.

The SBDC Market Research Team plays an integral part in the mission to help Washington businesses grow and succeed. Interns take on research projects ranging from market research, market placement, locating international business opportunities to distribution methods, or trade partner identification.

The professional reports written by team members are often referred to by SBDC clients, Washington small businesses, as a valuable resource when making business decisions, applying for loans, or expanding markets.