PULLMAN, Wash.—Juan Garcia, a former small business owner and SBDC advisor with the Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship, continues his work with business owners on the Palouse but is now employed by Washington State University. The Pullman Center serves Whitman, Asotin and Garfield counties.
As an advisor with the Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship, Garcia specialized in working with emerging entrepreneurs and first-time business owners. With his move to the Washington SBDC, Garcia will continue to work with first-time business owners but will be available to assist them at all stages of a business lifecycle, from startup to succession planning.
The Washington SBDC is a network of more than 40 business advisors, including two international trade specialists, who provide no-cost, one-on-one, confidential business advising to entrepreneurs who want to start, grow or buy/sell a business. Washington State University is the statewide host of the Washington SBDC and shares oversight of the program with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
“Juan’s ties to the Pullman community and his commitment to helping others achieve entrepreneurial success made him an ideal candidate for the SBDC advisor position in Pullman,” said Washington SBDC State Director Sheryl McGrath. “Juan understands the challenges small business owners face and has also seen how the right advisor at the right time can make a critical difference.”
Garcia, a 2010 graduate of WSU’s hospitality and business management program, has a decade of experience in the restaurant industry and owned a catering business in Seattle for five years.
“It is such a privilege for me to contribute to the economic vitality of the Palouse by supporting entrepreneurs,” Garcia said.
SBDC advisors can assist business owners in just about any industry and on diverse challenges, from business plans, business registration, and setting up business systems to managing cash flow, loan applications and marketing. SBDC advising is always provided at no cost to the client and the advising relationship can last weeks, months or even years, as the business owner tackles new challenges and leverages new opportunities.
Aziz Makhani, the SBDC advisor in Pullman since 2015, has taken on a statewide role and is the network’s expert on tech commercialization.
Garcia lives in Pullman with his wife, Lauren, and their children, Leo and Mateo.
For more information about the Washington SBDC, go to http://www.wsbdc.org .
