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Win Jeanfreau poses outside Utah Valley University's Business Resource Center in Orem on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014. Jeanfreau is the director of the Business Resource Center.

Spenser Heaps, Daily Herald

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Win Jeanfreau poses outside Utah Valley University's Business Resource Center in Orem on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014. Jeanfreau is the director of the Business Resource Center and the school's director of economic development. SPENSER HEAPS, Daily Herald

Spenser Heaps, Daily Herald

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Whether starting a business or growing a franchise, the UVU Business Resource Center offers training and tools for all.

A one-stop shop for entrepreneurs, the center provides resources including business plan help, startup strategies, funding assistance, market research, financial forecasting, free classes, networking opportunities and more.

Led by a man who has spent the last 30 years starting and selling his own businesses, Winthrop Jeanfreau, director of economic development, said what makes the center a valuable resource is its knowledgeable staff.

The center is populated by people who have private business experience and who are able to provide real world solutions to real world problems, he said.

“If you come through the door with a problem, we’ll solve [it],” Jeanfreau said.

Before transitioning into the BRC director role five months ago, Jeanfreau was the director of the Small Business Development Center, an agency at the center. Under his direction, the SBDC saw significant leaps in growth. This year, as of Aug. 1, the SBDC has worked with 88 long-term clients, helped create 84 new jobs, facilitated the start of 26 new businesses and has made a $9.7 million impact on the local economy.

No other small business development center in Utah has done that in the last 35 years, he said.

He is currently managing both roles but plans to have the SBDC director role filled by someone else by Dec. 1.

While the center as a whole welcomes businesses in any stage, Jeanfreau said it generally advises people who fall into the five following categories:

• Green entrepreneurs: people, usually 14-30 years old, who have an idea or product that’s in the startup stage
• Silver entrepreneurs: baby boomers who have recently retired and are looking for a way to invest their 401k money into a business without much risk
• Single-parent entrepreneurs: generally women who want to turn their family recipes or other skills into a business in order to provide for their family
• Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs: anyone who speaks Spanish and fits in the above three categories
• Existing business owners: people who own a business and want to accelerate its growth

The center’s goal is twofold in that advisers want to help businesses succeed while also helping grow the economy. Because existing businesses have already proven successful to some degree, Jeanfreau said he thinks the center can have a bigger impact in creating jobs, gaining access to capital and growing revenue when working with them.

In general, 40 percent of the businesses the center works with are in the startup stage, while the other 60 percent are existing businesses looking to grow.

“Utah Valley has an extraordinary resource that nobody knows about,” Jeanfreau said. “We’re doing extraordinary things.”

In addition to resources, the center offers subsidized space for startups and also houses several student-run businesses for free. For more information, visit uvu.edu/brc or call (801) 863-2720.

Located at the Business Resource Center: 815 W 1250 South in Orem

October

Oct. 21 Business Essentials Training 6-8 p.m.

Oct. 23 Legal & Accounting Clinic 6-7 p.m.

Oct. 28 Sales Focused Marketing 6-8 p.m.

November

Nov. 4 Start Smart 7-8:30 p.m.

Nov. 4 Utah County Summit 10-11:30 a.m.

Nov. 4 Wasatch County Summit 2:30-4 p.m.

Nov. 11-12 4 Disciplines of Execution 2-Day Seminar* 8 a.m to 5 p.m.

Nov. 18 Business Essentials Training 6-8 p.m.

Nov. 20 Legal & Accounting Clinic 6-7 p.m.

December

Dec. 2 Start Smart 7-8:30 p.m.

Dec. 10 Business Essentials Training 6-8 p.m.

All classes are free except for one*. For more information or to register, visit uvu.edu/sbdc.