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Alaska SBDC outlines free advising, paid subscriptions and local client data to Kenai Peninsula Assembly
Summary
Cliff Cochran, Alaska SBDC Connector and Center Director, told the assembly the center provides no‑cost confidential advising, workshops and access to paid data subscriptions (IBISWorld, ProfitSense, AirDNA) to support entrepreneurs on the Kenai Peninsula; Cochran said the annual small‑business survey is sent only to SBDC clients.
Cliff Cochran, Connector and Center Director for the Alaska Small Business Development Center, briefed the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on Feb. 17 about SBDC services and local impact.
Cochran described the center’s core offerings—no‑cost, confidential business advising; workshops and webinars; and proprietary research tools that the SBDC provides to clients for free. He said the Kenai Peninsula center assisted 490 clients in calendar year 2025 and highlighted longer‑term impacts: more than 1,500 business owners helped and roughly 2,000 jobs supported over the last five years. "We provide no cost, confidential business advising," Cochran told the assembly.
Cochran reviewed the center’s paid subscriptions that are made available to clients at no charge, including IBISWorld (industry reports), ProfitSense (industry benchmarking and valuation tools) and AirDNA (short‑term rental analytics). He described how those tools support business planning, feasibility work and revenue projections for local entrepreneurs and said SBDC toolkits and templates are used statewide. Cochran noted the SBDC’s local staff network—advisors in Homer, Seward and the Central Peninsula—and encouraged referrals via aksbc.org.
During Q&A, Vice President Cooper asked whether the SBDC's "most robust small business survey" is distributed broadly. Cochran responded directly: "That's correct. It's only sent to SBDC clients." Cochran also explained that the fishing‑industry revenue reported via IBISWorld derives from tax records and NAICS classifications and therefore can attribute gross receipts to borough locations even when vessels operate beyond local waters.
Why it matters: The presentation highlighted free services and paid analytics the SBDC makes available to local entrepreneurs—resources that can affect business formation, access to capital and local economic development planning. Several assembly members praised the outreach and noted they may refer constituents to SBDC advisors.
Next steps: Cochran offered to present more detailed success stories at a future funding presentation in May; assembly members and staff may follow up for referrals and partnership coordination.
Source: Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly meeting, Feb. 17, 2026; presentation by Cliff Cochran, Alaska SBDC.
