Whether you are trying to keep your business alive, or thinking of starting up a new venture, there are a number of local free and low-cost resources available for business owners. Help is here.

The Napa Valley College Small Business Development Center, at 1556 First St., across the hall from the Napa Chamber of Commerce, offers frequent and on-going workshops to start and expand a business.  

The SBDC, which has been serving Napa businesses more than 20 years, has provided training and business advising in rough economic times and during prosperous years. Services range from free one-on-one counseling to inexpensive two- to three-hour trainings on business planning, marketing, financing, customer service and accounting. A list of upcoming events can be found at www.napasbdc.org.

The popular 10-week training course, NxLevel for Entrepreneurs, is scheduled to begin in early February. More than 200 local business owners have graduated from the award-winning 36-hour program that guides experienced and new entrepreneurs in all facets of running a business. Participants completing the program have a completed business plan. A free orientation for the NxLevel Program will take place at the Napa Chamber of Commerce on Monday, 6-7:30 p.m.

For more information on business advising appointments or to sign up for a class call the SBDC at 253-3210.

Business advisors there have appointments available for business owners at no charge to them. Business owners who are seeking assistance with financing, reviewing their cash flow, revising their marketing plan or avenues to launch a new product can schedule and meet with a local business advisor. All of the Napa Valley College business advisors have recently been certified as business advisors through the Association of Small Business Development Centers. Local entrepreneurs can also seek the advice and experience of the local SCORE chapter representatives located at the Napa and the American Canyon chamber of commerces.

The business group also hosts the Hospitality Institute which provides an array of training programs specific to restaurants, hotels, day spas, caterers and other hospitality and wine-related businesses in the Napa Valley. The most popular events include customer service training, wine-tasting room training and the annual Hospitality Symposium set for March 24.

For more information, visit the Napa Valley College Hospitality Institute at www.nvchi.org.

The Small Business Administration offers a variety of online courses to assist small businesses in more effectively managing their firms in the current economy. The new course topics, available directly at www.sba.gov/services/training/onlinecourses, include revising business plans to reposition with current conditions, winning customers in a slowing economy, restructuring existing debt and diversifying your customer base with federal contracts. 

 The most recently added course is “Downshifting in a Slowing Economy: A Business Planning Guide.”  This course is designed to help business owners reorganize and streamline their business strategies.

In addition, SBA offers a variety of resources and referrals to small businesses uncertain about what to do in the current economy on its Web page on economic recovery at www.sba.gov/helpingmainstreet.