OC SBDC Director, Leila Mozafarri and Tri-County
Leads SBDC Interim Director, Jon Richards

SBA’s Santa Ana District Office and its Resource Partners are taking the lead in helping small businesses that are struggling during tough economic times. SBA’s Resource Partners-SCORE 114, the OC Small Business Development Center and the Institute for Women Entrepreneurs will form small teams of business experts and visit businesses on-site and utilize a comprehensive financial diagnostic and strategic analysis tool that can help stabilize and/or improve a client’s business performance. The business experts and the software will work to deliver the following benefits:

• Minimize risk in decision-making and optimize desired business results

• Model and stress-test the financial impact of proposed decisions before committing time, money and human resources

• Enhance the predictability of the financial consequences of alternate business plans

• Illustrate “what will happen if...” specific decisions are made or outside market influences are encountered

• Escalate the likelihood to obtain financing with sound numbers in a format preferred by lenders and venture capitalists

When asked about the Tiger Team initiative, SBA District Director, J. Adalberto Quijada, said, “The main goal of this program is to help businesses survive during this economic downturn and protext existing jobs and accelerate job creation within the Santa Ana District.” He added, “We have counselors with tremendous skills and real-life experience who have gone through past economic downturns...there isn’t a business situation they have not encountered or resolved before.”
Sallie Salinas, director of the Institute for Women Entrepreneurs, added, “As a trusted resource partner of the SBA, the IWE felt the urgent need to respond and provide business owners relevant tools, information and resources to sustain their businesses through colloboration with agencies, associations and leading experts in their field.”
While the program was designed to assist any small business, there are ideal situations. Ideally, a business will have been in existence for two or more years and have five or more employees. The Tiger Team Program will be offered at no-cost throughout Orange County.

Optional no-cost long-term counseling will be offered to any business that needs it. Appointments can be made by contacting Jill Andrews, Tiger Team Program Coordinator, at jill.andrews@sba.gov or 714.560.7466.