I just thought I would update this. This center is a goldmine of information! It will give you all…read morethe tools and knowledge you need to start or increase a business successfully. The negative reviews I have seen seem to center around money. The SBDC is *not* a grant resource. BUT they have experts that can tell you what grants / loans are out there and how to apply for them. You / your business may not get the money - that's not on the SBDC, that's on you / your business plan and your financial situation. And I'll be honest, white males like me? Not a lot of grants and the SBA has very special financial rules about who gets their money that the experts at the SBDC will explain. But there are programs/grants out there to help lots of underrepresented folks in the entrepreneurial world. And the SBDC team know all about these, the requirements, and how to apply. They are great at describing the "terrain" involved in starting a business and helping you be prepared to maneuver in it (especially all the government requirements at Federal, State, County and City level! UGH!). I'm in the tech field and their web and social media experts leave me speechless in their knowledge - I have learned so much about an area where it is hard to keep up with all the changes and all the ins and outs. They will help your create a REAL business plan - that will give you a realistic view of what you need to survive and thrive, what you need to do: in sales, gross profit, net profit, and what those things are and how to calculate them. No plan survives the battlefield but your chance of surviving is greatly enhanced by planning and doing the work they ask of you. They do this only to help YOU succeed. They will help you create a REAL marketing plan - so you know who your target market is and define it so that it is not too big and not too small; who your "perfect customer" is to really understand how you can best serve them; and the best ways to reach your target market. They will help you understand the differences / pros & cons of different types of entities: sole-proprietorship, LLC, Sub-S, C-Corp (Inc) AND help you to make sure you fill out the paperwork correctly. They will help you set up your accounting system to give you the information you need to understand if your business is succeeding. And they will teach you exactly what that information is and what kind of values / "scores" you need to be a healthy and thriving company. They can help you decide / apply for Trademarks and Patents. They help you with importing and exporting. They can help you understand Angel and Venture Capital investment and what those groups are looking for in a business and how you can connect with them (at least Angel investors in the greater L.A. area). Really, if it is an aspect of business, they probably have an expert that can help. BUT you get what you put in. Commit yourself to learning what you need to learn and doing what you need to do, to start a business. Can they guarantee success? Of course not. But you will be lightyears better prepared to give your business a real chance of success by working with them. And remember ALL OF THIS IS FREE! Paid for by our tax dollars. Anyone would have to pay A LOT of money for the advise this center provides for free. I urge you to see for yourself, I think you will easily understand the benefit of this great organization with truly knowledgable people all wanting to help you / your business succeed.

I own a small business and have found the SBDC to be so very helpful in several areas of my…read morebusiness: Marketing Law Quickbooks SEO Lending Really the amount of help that they have given me would have cost thousands of dollars. Plus - they helped me get a grant and a loan during the pandemic too. The customer service and other staff are amazing. In particular: Deborah Doras Israel Serna Have really been a huge contribution to my company.

Truly excellent and friendly service from everyone at Fahmia. I am very thankful and lucky to have…read moreMichael and company handling our taxes and financial questions. They take the stress out of the whole process. So glad I found them.

Amazing Tax company. Very professional, online portal that is mobile friendly and easy to use for…read morepersonal and business. I save a lot on money on taxes due to their expertise and thoroughness. They truly care about you.

Working with ThinkBrain has proven to be one of the smartest decisions my business has made. Their…read morededication to staying on top of rapidly changing trends really shows. I'm constantly being advised of the latest and greatest trends in SEO, WEB MARKETING, and SITE OPTIMIZATIONS. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

I work in the marketing department of a pretty large fashion retailer here in LA and hired the…read moreThink Brain team to do our SEO and social media. They're amazing to work with and we noticed results immediately. The owner of my office loves that they are quick to respond and make changes and we are continuing to work with them through the new year. I recommend using them to handle your SEO and they have this new brainstorming program that we are going to try next year for a couple of big campaigns we are trying to push.