Small Business Development Center Opens at C.W. Post

Small businesses are the economic engine of this country yet 86% fail in the first year. To help Long Island’s entrepreneurs and new business owners achieve success, the New York State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has opened a satellite office at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, Northern Boulevard (Route 25A) in Brookville. The office is one of two in Nassau County and the only one on Long Island's North Shore.

The SBDC plays a key role in economic development by providing high-quality technical and management assistance to start-up and existing small businesses free of charge. Hosted by C.W. Post and funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the State of New York, the SBDC combines the resources of the college, the private sector, and government to benefit Long Island’s economic development.

The center, which is located in Lorber Hall in the College of Management, offers services such as advice on business plan development, cost analysis, loan information assistance, marketing strategies, financial planning, legal issues and the IRS. "We are an advocate, a coach," says John Steinhoff, Business Advisor for the SBDC at C.W. Post. "The client makes the decisions and does the work."

C.W. Post, with its AACSB International-accredited College of Management and prime North Shore location, was a natural fit for the center. "We thought this would be an ideal place," says Lucille Wesnofske, director of the SBDC Regional Office at Farmingdale State. The SBDC and their clients will be able to take full advantage of everything the college has to offer. "We are only beginning to scratch the surface of the benefits of the relationship between the SBDC and C.W. Post," said Mr. Steinhoff. Already Mr. Steinhoff has sent a client over to C.W. Post’s Professional Experience and Career Planning office for student interns and has received two referrals from a professor for new clients.

The SBDC has two events planned for the fall. The first is an open house for the public on Wednesday, September 17 from 3 to 5 p.m. in Lorber Hall on the C.W. Post Campus. On Saturday, October 4, the Continuing Education and Professional Studies Program at C.W. Post and the U.S. Small Business Administration will sponsor a "Start Your Own Business" workshop/conference. Steinhoff will give a presentation on developing a business plan. Other topics include setting long and short-term goals, setting a legal structure, franchising and using computers to gain a competitive edge.

For more information call John Steinhoff at 516-299-2095 or visit www.nyssbdc.org.