Long Beach SBDC director tells Cerritos commission about no‑cost advising and outreach

Brad Pollock, director of the Long Beach City College Small Business Development Center, told the Cerritos Economic Development Commission at its Feb. 10 meeting that the SBDC offers no‑cost business advising, workshops and help preparing loan documentation to firms in Cerritos and about 15 nearby "gateway" cities.

Pollock said the Long Beach SBDC is hosted by Long Beach City College and fields a team of paid advisers with expertise across business planning, financial analysis, marketing and access to capital. "We offer no cost business advising to businesses that are getting started and to businesses that are growing," he said, adding that workshops and advising sessions are free because the program is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration and state and local sources.

Pollock walked commissioners through the SBDC's approach: clients register, are assigned an adviser, and work through a scoped set of sessions (he said a typical business‑plan engagement can take about five to seven one‑hour sessions). He used a former client, Bill McCray of Onstage Music Academy, as an example of how clarifying a firm's vision and mission can open marketing opportunities. McCray, who Pollock said helped craft the example profile, described his school's focus: "Our principal focus is to teach our students how to love playing their instruments and how to perform live on stage in front of an audience."

Commissioners asked for Cerritos‑specific metrics. Commissioner Chang requested data on how many Cerritos businesses use SBDC services and the size of loans facilitated; Pollock said he did not have that summary in his slides but committed to provide city‑specific data to staff after the meeting. Commissioner Hughes offered the Los Cerritos Community News as a referral pipeline; Pollock welcomed the suggestion. Pollock also said the SBDC does not generally provide broad workforce training (for example, hotel housekeeping programs) but can connect businesses to workforce organizations and college programs for hands‑on training.

Pollock noted a few limitations on the SBDC's client work: he said the Long Beach SBDC does not work with marijuana dispensaries or adult‑entertainment businesses and can help most other industries. No formal action was taken; staff and the SBDC agreed to follow up with the requested Cerritos participation and loan figures.