What People Say - Testimonials

Counseling

About a year ago we were expanding our Business Service offerings to small and medium size businesses in Whatcom County and frankly were floundering in our approach. With the resources, knowledge, assistance and guidance available to us from the SBDC’s Kevin Hoult, we have significantly improved our planning and focus and are realizing consistent success in achieving our goals. I only wish we would have found Kevin and the SBDC sooner.

John L. Sullivan, President
Sullivan & Cole dba: H & R Block
Bellingham

I wanted to take a moment to thank and acknowledge Andrew Natale and the SBDC. Andrew has been a pleasure to work with and has had a wealth of information to offer us. He has shown appreciation for our business ethics and operation, yet brought his expertise to the table and helped us to see where we needed improvement. He has also assisted us in learning how to better brain-storm for ourselves. He has also given us other useful tools, by recommending other resources (websites, articles, etc.).

We have had a challenge this year that may have got the best of us, had Andrew not been so willing to assist us with it. He took the time to understand the full scope of the matter and has kept up with it with us, offering guidance and support along the way.

Thank you again to the SBDC and to Andrew. I highly recommend the SBDC to other business owners, and appreciate the generosity of WWU for having this program available.

Chuck Elashkar, President
Rainshield, Inc.
Ferndale

I am new to the SBDC and just wanted to let you know that so far it has been a terrific experience. I have been working with Andrew Natale and I find it tremendously helpful.

As a new, small business, I have a lot to learn and Andrew has been asking me questions and helping me to focus better on my business plan and to set priorities for time management – very helpful. While I have good professional training in my field, I have essentially no training in business and so it is a challenge for me and I am learning how to think about my business in a more objective and analytical and very helpful way.

I just wanted to commend you and thank you for your program and to let you know that I think Andrew is terrific.

Lauren Heine, Ph.D, Principal
Lauren Heine Group. LLC
Bellingham

Community Partners

Small businesses are key to the Northwest Washington economy. We need to invest in tools that help small and medium-sized businesses thrive and create family-wage jobs. Our Small Business Development Center in Bellingham serves as an important resource for local entrepreneurs by helping them overcome hurdles to get started ─ and down the road, helping them expand their businesses and hire more workers. That’s good news not only for local businesses, but for Whatcom County overall.

Rick Larsen, Congressman
Representing Washington´s 2nd District

Small businesses make up 99% of our state’s economy. Our investment in the Research Center at WWU and their Economic Gardening Program provides the information and technical assistance to meet the needs of our small businesses in every community across the state.

Kelli Linville, State Representative
State of Washington

There are many challenges facing businesses in Whatcom County and if left to their own devices, many of these businesses will fail due to poor planning, management and/or lack of resources. The Small Business Development Center provides counseling and resources for these businesses. They have been a welcome resource in our community for many years. We appreciate their participation in our Chamber meetings as well as their commitment to our business community.

Gail Kruk, President
Blaine Community Chamber of Commerce
Blaine

Research Center

Thanks to Aaron and his crew. I had a client with me in my office this morning and received voice phone support and ring studies WHILE THE CLIENT WAS HERE from Tami Eastwood. He was significantly impressed (as was I.) This client is a successful serial entrepreneur who is well thought of in the community. I know he will be talking about what the SBDC can do.

Linda L. Johnson, Certified Business Advisor
Washington Small Business Development Center
Yakima

On behalf of my clients who have received market research data from the WWU Research Center, I would like to express how helpful the information provided has been to these business owners. In each case, the ability to deliver to clients’ information about the business sector has aided in confirming and giving creditability to the marketing section of their business plans. Having more reliable third party market research has also helped to support assumptions for financial projections and, therefore, acceptance of those projections by loan officers. I look forward to working with your team on many more client cases.

James Fletcher, MBA, CBA, Certified Business Advisor
Small Business Development Center
Wenatchee Office

The Washington SBDC Research Center has become an important and often used resource for me. The ease of submitting requests to the Research Center, the quality of the research they produce and the speed of the turn-around has enabled me to amaze our clients to a degree not ever achieved by our previous source of business research.

In one example, the Research Center provided a client contemplating where to locate a second office of his medical practice with information that correlated the locations of similar practices with population data. The Center’s research team identified and described an area that appeared to be underserved. The client was most appreciative and it now appears that the new office will indeed be located within the identified area. The excellent research service that we were able to provide this client means that he is more likely to hold our SBDC center in high regard, which will, in turn, enable us to help him continue to grow his practice in other ways in the future.

I’m an SBDC Certified Business Advisor serving business owners throughout Southwest King County. Since the opening of the Research Center, I have submitted 10 requests for research and every one of them was completed within two working days.

Zev Siegl, Lead Business Advisor
The Small Business Development Center
For Southwest King County @ Highline Community College