The Kitsap Business Assistance Center (KBAC) has announced its community partners and sponsors for 2005. Community sponsors and partners provide financial support, as well as in kind products and services to assist the KBAC in serving entrepreneurs and businesses in Kitsap County.

The KBAC offers business assistance to start-up and existing small businesses in the Kitsap County area. The office provides free business consulting, fee and non-fee based continuing education opportunities, business references and referrals, and electronic and print resource material to Kitsap County entrepreneurs. Its mission is to help existing and prospective entrepreneurs by providing information and assistance through training and one-on-one counseling and to promote the spirit of entrepreneurship within the community — thereby perpetuating economic development and wealth in Kitsap County.

Sponsors and partners include: the City of Bremerton, Kitsap Bank, Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal, Board of Kitsap County Commissioners, Kitsap Regional Economic Development Council (KREDC), Olympic College, Port of Bremerton, Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), and the Washington State Small Business Development Centers (WSBDC).

Additional support is received from other community organizations with similar missions to the KBAC. They include the chambers of commerce for Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, Kingston, Port Orchard, Poulsbo and Silverdale, as well as the Electronic Commerce Technical Assistance Group (ECTAG), the Kitsap Regional Library and Washington State University Extension Program.

“To have a successful business assistance center such as the KBAC, it is imperative to have a broad base of support within the community. The businesses and organizations that are stepping forward to make meaningful contributions to our efforts are an indication of the energy and commitment behind support for business growth and entrepreneurialism in Kitsap County,” said Dr. David Mitchell, President of Olympic College. Olympic College is the managing partner of the KBAC.

Randy Lawrence, Vice President of Instruction at Olympic College whose staff oversee the program, said, “Financial and in-kind support for the center make it possible for us to provide no fee counseling hours, more resource materials and more training opportunities to businesses in Kitsap County. These contributions are an investment in the economic future of our community.”

Business Development Specialist Sharon Zerr assists clients with information on how to start a business, write a business plan, apply for a loan or seek out other financial resources, market products and services, and plan for the overall success of a business. Reach the KBAC at (360) 307-4220.