LA SBDC Director Pat Nye Champions Small Business Support at California Capitol During 2025 SBDC Day

From Startups to Longstanding Firms, SBDCs Provide Ongoing Business Support Across the Full Lifecycle of Entrepreneurship

SACRAMENTO, CA, UNITED STATES, April 7, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Pat Nye, Executive Regional Director of the Los Angeles Small Business Development Center Network (LA SBDC) recently celebrated the 9th annual National SBDC Day alongside directors and representatives from California’s 56 Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) as they convened in Sacramento on March 18-19, 2025. The two-day event emphasized the essential role SBDCs play in bolstering the visibility of California’s small business community, the economic impact of Main Street and included visits to 60 legislative offices and direct meetings with 45 members or staffers of the State Assembly and Senate.

Other activities held were strategy sessions, training workshops, and a special reception where State Treasurer Fiona Ma’s office formally recognized “SBDC Day” in California.

Nye and his fellow Directors came prepared with compelling, district-specific economic data to showcase the powerful results SBDCs deliver.

Just some of those impressive results over the past 3 years include: 313,515 California businesses assisted; $4.62 billion in access to capital secured for California businesses; 6,598 new California businesses started; and 333,608 California jobs supported.

Nye said the idea for this SBDC Day’s focus on legislative outreach stemmed from past negotiations over the program’s funding, “We learned that we need to be more proactive and on the radar of legislators, all the time – not just when there’s a threat to critical funding.”

During their Capitol meetings, SBDC leaders advocated for two key pieces of pending legislation or funding. The first, championed by Assemblymember José Luis Solache, Jr., calls for a $50 million increase over five years to the Technical Assistance Program (TAP) and Capital Infusion Program (CIP)—initiatives that provide a safety net of support to small businesses in accessing capital and growing sustainably—especially in support of building statewide disaster resiliency.

The second proposal, Assembly Bill 265 (Small Business Recovery Act), authored by Assemblymember Jessica Caloza, proposes a $100 million fund to help small businesses and nonprofits recover from natural disasters directly, including funding for disaster recovery-related business coaching and training—areas where SBDCs are widely recognized as leaders.

“Assemblymember Solache is dedicated to supercharging our state's small business technical assistance programs,” said Nye. He emphasized the long-term need for support, especially in the wake of increasingly frequent natural disasters. “This is a long-term proposition,” he noted, pointing to businesses in Maui that remain in crisis nearly 18 months after devastating wildfires. “Increased funding ensures support continues throughout the recovery process after other resources have moved on.”
Both Solache and Caloza voiced strong support for the California SBDC network and its continued impact.

“The California SBDC mission statement is, ‘Accelerating California’s small business success and driving economic growth,’” said Solache. “By increasing TAP and CIP, we put more gas behind that acceleration to speed up the recovery and resiliency of our small businesses.”

“I am proud that one of my first bills will support our small businesses and all the women, men, and families that have been affected by the devastating wildfires,” said Caloza. “Our bill is about helping rebuild lives and livelihoods. I greatly appreciate the California SBDC for championing AB 265.”

With legislative momentum and proven economic impact, California SBDCs continue to serve as critical partners in driving innovation, job creation, and resiliency for the state’s small business ecosystem.

Ultimately, Nye noted, his SBDC team focuses on their local small business communities: “It’s on us to be able to assist small businesses with any opportunities or challenges they might encounter. From starting a business plan, to – they've been around for 20 years and want to expand and buy a building… That’s what makes SBDC different – we’re here to support our business owners at every step over the life of their business.”

David Nelson
Capitol Regions
david@capitolregions.com
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