With pivotal support from San Joaquin County, University of the Pacific is launching a small business center at the Eberhardt School of Business to support and grow small businesses in the region.

The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $1 million investment to create the center, which will be matched with an additional $1 million from Pacific.

The center was initiated and championed by Supervisor Tom Patti.

“Small businesses are a vital part of our local economy in San Joaquin County, and the board is allocating these funds to offer support to help existing and new businesses grow and thrive,” Patti said. “We are grateful to University of the Pacific for this opportunity to partner together to grow greatness here in San Joaquin County.”

Supervisor Paul Canepa, a long-time supporter of Pacific whose 2nd District includes the university campus in Stockton, said the center will help recruit and retain talent in the county.

 “This center will give students the skills and opportunities to learn and grow, which will benefit the community long-term, as it will enable students to see career paths in our local community,” Canepa said.

Pacific President Christopher Callahan said the small business initiative is a perfect example of the power of the partnership between the county and the university.

“We are incredibly grateful to Supervisor Patti, Supervisor Canepa and the rest of the Board of Supervisors for making this center a reality for the small business community,” he said. “The new center will help the university expand our essential role as an economic driver for our region.”

The president said the San Joaquin County Small Business Center, which will launch next year, is modeled after a core element of a Pacific education: real-life learning experiences that give students unparalleled learning opportunities while providing critical resources and services to local communities.

Pacific already has centers and clinics that serve thousands of Northern Californians, including mobile health screenings, speech clinics and a Medicare Part D program in Stockton, free law clinics in Sacramento and dental and audiology clinics in San Francisco.

Businesses will be able to receive help with market research, creating business plans, digital and social media strategies, navigating human resources and legal issues, hiring strategies, accounting and finance expertise and more.

A director will oversee students from the Eberhardt School of Business, who will staff the center.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for both our students and area businesses,” said Eberhardt School of Business Dean Lewis Gale. “Small businesses will receive free project and consulting services, research and advice. Most small businesses don’t have access to this invaluable portfolio of information.

“It will also provide an immersive learning opportunity for students who will gain real-world experience as they work with clients,” the dean said. “Experiential learning such as this initiative is a central part of a Pacific education.”

The Eberhardt School of Business has a four-decade history of supporting small business startups. Gale pointed to one example that became a huge success. 

“In the early 1980s, a small beverage startup was assisted by marketing students in a class, which became the well-known California Cooler,” Gale said. 

Services will be provided through one-on-one consultations, workshops and seminars. There also will be a resource library with business templates, industry reports and other material, training programs and opportunities to network with other local business owners and industry experts. Businesses can also connect with expertise across campus, such as engineering.

“The San Joaquin County Small Business Center at University of the Pacific will have a tremendous impact on our small businesses and entrepreneurs,” said Mary-Elizabeth Eberhardt ’76, chair of Pacific’s Board of Regents and vice president of the Bank of Stockton. “It will help them start, grow and sustain their ventures. This is the latest initiative to serve our community while providing experiential learning for our students.”

Pacific’s Stockton Campus is already a major contributor to the local economy, generating $300 million in total economic impact and a total employment of more than 2,400 jobs each year.