The California State University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is offering FREE services in San Benito County to help businesses succeed, and through their success, to stimulate the local and regional economy.
The California State University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is offering FREE services in San Benito County to help businesses succeed, and through their success, to stimulate the local and regional economy. Businesses that consult with SBDC experience 6 times the sales growth, and create 13 times the jobs of average businesses. Future local entrepreneurs or businesses may get information and request assistance online now at csumb.edu/sbdc or by calling (831) 422-6232.
Private, confidential, bi-lingual consultations are available via appointment for assistance with: marketing/advertising, access to capital loans, business start-up, growth plans, market research, technology development, human resources and more.
This program is funded in part by the Community Foundation for San Benito County as well as a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration Community Impact Grant.
The California State University, Monterey Bay Small Business Development Center (SBDC) was established to meet the specialized needs of the small business community of business owners throughout Monterey and San Benito counties. The SBDC’s mission is to promote the development and growth of effective and ethical small businesses that can excel in today’s diverse, global economy. They are a team of trusted professionals with a wide variety of expertise in business development, part of a national network of over 1,000 SBDCs, and are collaborative partners with community organizations, local, state and federal agencies.
In general, the SBDC offers small businesses: workshops, training, private confidential consulting, in-depth business & financial assessment, research library access, loan packaging, technology development, and extensive networking. Consultation services are provided free of charge, with no obligation and offer better business assessment and understanding, increased awareness of opportunities, increased confidence with a viable business plan, improved finance and access to capital, increased sales and profit and virtually all the support needed to help drive any company out of the current economic downturn.
Get & stay connected by liking the SBDC Facebook page.
Kristina Chavez Wyatt
With more than a decade of community engagement, business advocacy, public relations and government affairs experience, Kristina Chavez Wyatt specializes in building and favorably positioning projects, programs, products and organizations via building coalitions of support through grassroots community engagement. She currently focuses on developing and executing strategic communications programs, building relationships, economic development strategy, business advocacy and navigating processes of government.
Kristina formed Farmhouse Communications in 2011 following serving as a senior account executive for prominent national public affairs firm Meridian Pacific, Inc. and a central coast public relations firm Armanasco Public Relations, Inc. where she specialized in community relations, government affairs and media relations with a primary focus on PR, public affairs, land use and environmental policy, hospitality & tourism development, business advocacy, agriculture and grassroots community engagement.
Kristina serves as Executive Director of the San Benito County Business Council, as a community engagement consultant in business development, energy, land use, agriculture and public policy sectors. She also serves as a Client Advisor for California Manufacturing Technology Consulting (CMTC). She is active throughout the Central Coast region in Farm Day agricultural education programs, area Chambers of Commerce, Farm Bureaus of San Benito, Monterey and Santa Clara Counties, Rotary Club of Hollister and California Women for Agriculture. She was appointed by Governor Brown in July 2014 to serve as a Trustee of the 33rd Agricultural District/San Benito County Fair.
Kristina has been recognized as the 2009 Salinas Jaycees Outstanding Young Citizen, the 2010 Central Coast Young Farmers and Ranchers Member of the Year and 2010 Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year. Under her leadership, Farmhouse Communications was honored by the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau as 2015 Service Business of the Year. Kristina’s work in community engagement as a member of the project team on the City of Salinas Economic Development Element was lauded in May and July 2015 by the American Planning Association Northern California and California State Chapters with awards of excellence for economic development planning and in April 2016 with an Outstanding Award in planning by the Association of Environmental Professionals.
Kristina is a 5th generation Californian, raised in Gilroy. She is a graduate of Gavilan College and the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo College of Agriculture and lives in Hollister with her husband Craig Wyatt who works as an agricultural crop production supervisor, their twin daughters Hailey and Molly and dog Rabbit.
