Marin Small Business Development Center

What Marin Small Business Development Center does

Marin Small Business Development Center is a nonprofit, government-funded business advisory organization based in San Rafael, California, operating as a sub-center within the Northern California Small Business Development Center Network. It provides free one-on-one consulting, training, and capital-access guidance to small businesses located in Marin County, with a particular focus on helping clients secure SBA-backed financing (deal sizes ranging from approximately $156K to $4.2M). The center's service portfolio spans business planning, financial management, marketing, operations, and human resources advisory, delivered by a bench of part-time and contracted advisors with backgrounds in banking, accounting, marketing, and operations.

The operating model is grant-funded rather than fee-based, with revenue sourced from U.S. Small Business Administration appropriations (50% federal share), California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) matching grants, and supplemental network-level program funding including the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI, ~$760K network-wide), the Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program (~$400K), and the SBA PRIME program (~$450K). Total Northern California SBDC Network program funding aggregates to approximately $9.7M, of which Marin SBDC's direct allocation is a small fraction.

The center's value proposition is structurally aligned with public policy objectives: lowering the cost of advisory services for small and underserved entrepreneurs. As a non-commercial entity, it competes with private consultants and advisory firms only indirectly, primarily through referral relationships and ecosystem partnerships rather than commercial market share.

Name

Marin Small Business Development Center

Legal name

Northern California Small Business Development Center Network

Website

https://marinsbdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2026

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Marin Small Business Development Center is a nonprofit, government-funded advisory organization in San Rafael, California, that provides free consulting, training, and capital-access guidance to small businesses throughout Marin County as part of the Northern California SBDC Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Development Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Small business advising
• Business development services
• SBA resource partner
• Startup mentorship
• Financing advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Cooperative Agreements: Funded through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Small Business Administration (50% federal share) and grants from the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). Additional non-federal matching funds support operations.
2. SSBCI Technical Assistance Program: 100% federally funded program providing technical assistance to small businesses.
3. FAST Partnership Program: Federal and State Technology partnership providing 50% federal and 50% non-federal matching funds for small business innovation support.
4. SBA PRIME Program: 100% federal funded program for specialized small business assistance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Marin SBDC provides free, confidential 1:1 business advisory services, group training workshops, and webinars to small businesses in Marin County. The center helps entrepreneurs with business planning, access to capital and loan packaging, marketing, financial management, regulatory compliance, and growth strategy through specialized tracks for startups, growing businesses, and transitioning/selling businesses. All services are provided at no cost to clients, funded by federal and state government partnerships.

Product overview

Marin Small Business Development Center (Marin SBDC) is part of the Northern California SBDC Network and provides free advisory and training services to small businesses. The organization offers a unified service model combining 1:1 confidential advising, a Finance Center for funding access, webinars and trainings, and specialized programs for restaurants, technology businesses, and international trade. Services are structured around business stages (Startup, Growing, Transition) and include Spanish-language programming. As an SBA Resource Partner, the SBDC connects entrepreneurs with expert guidance across business planning, marketing, finance, human resources, and compliance—no cost to clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 1:1 Advising Free confidential advisory services where expert advisors help entrepreneurs navigate business challenges at every stage from startup through expansion to sale.
• Get Funded / Finance Center Advisory services focused on helping clients access capital through various financing options including loans, grants, and SBA programs.
• Webinars and Trainings Online and in-person training sessions covering topics such as business planning, marketing, finance, digital marketing, restaurant management, and technology for small business development.
• Stage-of-Business Advising Programs Specialized advisory tracks for Startup, Growing, and Transition/Selling businesses, each tailored to the specific challenges of that stage.
• Import/Export Services International trade advisory services helping small businesses navigate global commerce, export regulations, and import/export procedures.
• Restaurant Program Industry-specific advisory services and training for restaurant owners covering operations, food safety, marketing, and business development.
• Technology Program (Tech Futures Group) Technology-focused advisory services for tech startups and small businesses implementing technology solutions, including R&D funding support.
• Servicios en español Bilingual Spanish-language consulting and training services for Spanish-speaking small business owners, including classes covering topics such as obtaining loans, customer acquisition, and business regulations.
• Marin City Entrepreneur Collective Pilot program in partnership with Marin Community Foundation and Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center providing intensive mentoring and business plan development for Black-owned entrepreneurs in Marin City.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple clients have received SBA loans ranging from $156,000 to over $4 million through SBDC guidance
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Humboldt State University Sponsored Programs Foundation (HSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerServes as the headquarters of the Northern California SBDC Network. Provides administrative infrastructure and organizational oversight for the statewide program.
• Dominican University of CaliforniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the Marin SBDC office at their campus location. Partnership provides physical space and community connection for SBDC operations.
• Renaissance Entrepreneurship CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Marin Community Foundation's Marin City Entrepreneur Collective program. Provides intensive mentoring and business plan development for program graduates.
• Marin Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated the Marin City Entrepreneur Collective pilot program to seed Black-owned entrepreneurs in Marin City, addressing historical economic displacement from 1960s urban renewal.
• Marin Builders AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for AI for Small Business workshop programming, demonstrating local business community collaboration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SCORE: SCORE is a fellow SBA Resource Partner providing free business mentoring and education to small businesses through a network of volunteer experts. Directly comparable as a parallel federally-funded, free small business advisory service.
• Pacific Community Ventures: Pacific Community Ventures is a Bay Area CDFI and small business advisory nonprofit providing capital access and mentoring to small businesses. Marin SBDC advisors cross-mentor with PCV; comparable nonprofit advising plus capital facilitation model.
• Working Solutions CDFI: Working Solutions is a Bay Area CDFI providing microloans and small business advising to entrepreneurs who lack access to traditional capital. Referenced in Marin SBDC client funding outcomes; directly comparable as a Bay Area small business capital and advising provider.
• Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC): VBOCs are SBA Resource Partners providing business development services to veteran entrepreneurs. Operates within the same SBA Resource Partner ecosystem with the same federal cooperative agreement funding structure.
• Women's Initiative for Self-Employment: Women's Initiative provides training, advising, and lending to women entrepreneurs in the Bay Area, with bilingual services. Multiple Marin SBDC advisors have prior affiliations; highly comparable nonprofit small business development model serving similar demographic segments.
• Women's Business Centers (WBC) Program: WBCs are SBA Resource Partners that provide training, mentoring, and resources to women entrepreneurs, especially those who are socially and economically disadvantaged. Same federal funding model and free advisory delivery as Marin SBDC.
• NorCal SBDC (other regional centers): Other regional centers within the Northern California SBDC Network (e.g., Humboldt, San Mateo, San Francisco) operate with the same model, federal funding, and accreditation. The most direct peers — same network, same services, adjacent geographies.
• Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center: Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center is a Bay Area nonprofit providing business training, advising, and incubation to underserved entrepreneurs. Listed as a Marin SBDC partner on the Marin City Entrepreneur Collective; directly comparable mission and service model.

Emerging players

• Kiva US: Kiva US is a nonprofit crowdfunded microloan platform serving small businesses, with a strong Bay Area presence. Comparable nonprofit small business capital facilitation model, though Kiva is digital/crowdfunding-led rather than advisor-led.
• Mission Asset Fund: Mission Asset Fund is a Bay Area nonprofit providing zero-interest loans, financial coaching, and small business support to immigrant and low-income entrepreneurs. Comparable in mission and Bay Area footprint, with a stronger focus on financial product innovation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/marinsbdc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marin Small Business Development Center