CENTRAL COAST — The Small Business Development Center of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, which provides free one-on-one consulting to help strengthen the bottom lines of area companies, has added law attorney Virginia Fuentes as a new consultant to its roster of over 30 small business advisors. Fuentes brings a broad base of experience including general business, human resources and legal/compliance to her new role as business advisor, and will be available to assist clients in both Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. The SBDC is a program of the Economic Development Collaborative-Ventura County.
“Virginia will help strengthen our capacity to service two highly-requested areas of expertise: employment law and human resources,” said Ray Bowman, director of the SBDC of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. “She will be a great asset to businesses who need help navigating the ever-changing landscape associated with employment law.”
As an attorney, Fuentes’s mission has been to help business owners succeed and flourish by creating and maintaining a healthy culture through proper employee and business management. Prior to launching her private law practice, Fuentes served as director of operations, human resources, at Villa Alamar, a retirement home that specializes in dementia treatment, where she helped develop up-to-date guidelines for compliance of personnel policies and procedures. A graduate of Santa Barbara College of Law, Fuentes became a member of the California Bar in 2014. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in both psychology and sociology from UC Santa Barbara.
The SBDC is funded by the SBA and provides professional business assistance at no cost to businesses. Participating businesses are required to follow a well-defined scope of work and report their economic successes. These SBA milestones are defined as job creation, increase in sales, capital investment, jobs retained and businesses started.
EDC-VC is a private, nonprofit organization that serves as a business-to-government liaison to assist businesses in Ventura County by offering programs that enhance the economic vitality of the region. For more information about the Small Business Development Center, loan programs, manufacturing outreach and international trade program, or other services available to small businesses through EDC-VC, contact Bruce Stenslie at 805-384-1800 ext. 24 or bruce.stenslie@edc-vc.com. Or visit www.edc-vc.com.