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San Joaquin Valley Rural Development Center Provides Resources at McFarland Workshop

 

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OCED student assistant, Rodimiro Hernandez, and SJVRDC Director, Eduardo Gonzalez, with Ana Medina from Access Plus Capital, at the Small Business Resources Workshop on July 17 in McFarland, CA.
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Ana Medina, Senior Manager, Business Development from Access Plus Capital, describing her program, which has assisted hundreds of entrepreneurs launch businesses since 2009.
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Participants at the workshop had the opportunity to network with one another, as well as for one-on-one consultations with representatives following the event.

 

OCED’s San Joaquin Valley Rural Development Center traveled to McFarland, CA, to participate in a Small Business Resources Workshop on July 17. Approximately 20 individuals with businesses ranging from air conditioning maintenance to real estate services, attended the workshop at the McFarland Community Center.

The workshop, which was co-hosted by the City of McFarland Community Development Department, was offered to local residents to provide information on resources for new and expanding businesses in the community, and featured presentations from a number of organizations, who described their resources relating to business plan development, legal aid, accessing capital and other services.

Among the presentations, was a description of BlueTechValley resources by OCED’s Student Assistant, Rodimiro Hernandez. BlueTechValley is a business incubator for entrepreneurs launching or expanding agricultural, energy and water technology businesses. The incubator takes ideas from concept to commercialization, and offers technology evaluation, proof-of-concept validation, advisory support and other incubator services.

OCED’s SJVRDC Director, Eduardo Gonzalez, also shared resources available through the Small Business University program. Launched in May, the program assists new businesses in becoming more competitive in a complex marketplace, and offers assistance related to business planning, financial management and marketing needs.

Presentations were also made by Maria Lara, City of McFarland Community Development Director, and Ana Medina, Senior Manager, Business Development at Access Plus Capital. Lara emphasized the importance of visiting City Hall for guidance related to city laws and regulations as a first step in starting a business. Medina shared information on applying for loans through Access Plus Capital. The organization provides lending in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $500,000 to small businesses.

Following the presentations, individuals had the opportunity for one-on-one consultations with representatives to answer specific questions and gain further counsel. For more information on upcoming Small Business Resource Workshops, contact Eduardo Gonzalez, SJVRDC Director, at 559-278-0542, or follow SJVRDC on Facebook .