The Central California Small Business Development Center (CCSBDC) hosted at the Craig School of Business at California State University, Fresno has been recognized by the California Small Business Development Centers program as the third best performer among 35 centers throughout California.

The ranking was based on the number of clients the center served during 2006-07, the number of consulting hours those clients received and the overall budget used to deliver those services.

One of those clients, Jana Macklin, owner of Proper Planning, said she found the center’s assistance to be invaluable to her business. It provided her with the knowledge, guidance and motivation that she needed to make her business successful, she said.

“Without the CCSBDC’s help to develop a marketing plan, I don’t believe my business would be anywhere near its current growth level. The CCSBDC is an incredible resource of which all new business owners should take advantage.” said Macklin.

Dr. Douglas Hensler, dean of the Craig School of Business, called the center “a great asset to our community and the region” because it provides important services to entrepreneurs and small businesses.

“The impact CCSBDC has on the local economy is significant and can be felt throughout the region,” said Hensler.

MDC Innovations Inc. is an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) sales, repair and after market parts dealer shop in Visalia. Owner Martin Crum contacted the center a year before the shop opened to discuss the ramifications of opening such a store in Visalia.

“The CCSBDC took a real interest in what I wanted to accomplish and helped me to think outside of the box,” Crum said. “We have now been open seven months and thanks to the CCSBDC we have been growing our business with sound financial advice.”

The Small Business Development Program began in 1977 as a pilot program through nine universities. The program was instituted nationally in 1980 and the California SBDCs were incorporated into the national system in 1991.

In California, the SBDC program was set up as a collaborative partnership between the California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency, the United States Small Business Administration and the Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges. The SBDC program was initiated to provide a resource center for existing and prospective small business owners who were interested in one-on-one counseling, training programs, and information to assist them in running their small businesses.

Since 1993 the CCSBDC has been serving the Counties of Fresno, Kings, Madera and Tulare, with offices located in Fresno and Visalia. The CCSBDC is a partnership between the U.S. Small Business Administration, University of California, Merced, and California State University, Fresno’s Craig School of Business.

For more information, call 559.230.4056.

For more information contained in this release, please go to the following Web sites:

Central California Small Business Development Center