Business Advisory Services

Business advisory services are available locally at no cost through a partnership of the Sonoma Valley Economic Development program with the Redwood Empire Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

Untitled2.pngThe professional and experienced business advisors of the SBDC can problem-solve with you on business planning, customer service, hiring & retaining staff, control of cash flow, inventory, marketing and much more.  The local business counselor can also refer you to specialized services available through the SBDC, such as a no-cost analysis of your business website.  Click here for a local "success story".

To participate, your business must be located in Sonoma Valley and have been in operation for at least six months.  For more information, or to make a confidential appointment with Greg Johns, contact Kathy Perry at the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce at (707) 996-1033.  Counseling sessions take place at the Chamber's conference room, 651-A Broadway.  Chamber membership is not required to utilize the business advisory program.

Additionally, business advisors with various specialties (e.g. wine, specialty foods, information technology, patents), are available for meetings at the SBDC offices in Santa Rosa and in Napa.  Some counselors are bilingual. To schedule an appointment with any of  these individuals, go to the website and look for the "Request Services" tab.  

For start-up businesses, free one-on-one advisory services are available through the North Coast chapter of SCORE.  For additonal information about resources for new and potential businesses, visit the start-up page and/or contact Economic Development Manager Laurie Decker at (707) 327-7338.

For technology assistance:  For low or no-cost assistance in using technology in a strategic way to enhance the success of your business, contact the regional SBDC Technology Adoption Program (TAP).

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Local SBDC business advisor Greg Johns has business experience in both the corporate arena and as a small business owner.  His background includes work in corporate finance and budgeting, financial analysis and valuation, business strategy analysis, small business strategy and business development, and general business marketing.  He holds a BA in business administration from Howard University and an MBA from the University of Michigan. 

" My sincere thanks to all of you for helping to make Small Business Development Center services available in our community... I have found each and every encounter invaluable, especially the sound, step by step advice of my mentor, Greg Johns... I know personally of two other local business women who have materialized their dreams with the unfailing guidance of SBDC. It is stunning to see what they have created."

-Sonoma Valley SBDC client 

Sonoma Valley Economic Development Partnership • 651-A Broadway • Sonoma, CA  95476 • (707) 327-7338
A partnership of the chamber of commerce and local government supporting the Sonoma Valley economy
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