Get Found. Get Growing.

Our consultants help you build a marketing strategy that reaches the right customers and turns interest into revenue.

Build a Strategy,
Not Just a Campaign

A great product or service isn’t enough if the right customers never hear about it. The OCIE SBDC team is here to help you plan and build your actual business goals: who you’re trying to reach, what makes you different, and how you’ll turn attention into sales.

Our consultants work with you to assess your current marketing efforts, identify gaps and opportunities, and build a practical, budget-conscious plan you can act on right away. Whether you’re launching your first campaign or trying to figure out why your current one isn’t working, we’ll help you make smarter decisions with the resources you already have.

Main Strategic Areas

BRAND & POSITIONING

Your brand is more than a logo, it’s the promise customers associate with your business. We help you clarify your value proposition, define your target audience, and build a consistent brand identity across every touchpoint, so customers recognize and trust you.

MARKET RESEARCH & CUSTOMER INSIGHTS

Before you spend a dollar on marketing, you need to know who you’re talking to. Our consultants help you research your competitors, understand your ideal customer, and identify the channels where your audience already spends their time, all powered by data from SBDC Business Intel.

DIGITAL MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

From choosing the right platforms to building a content calendar you can actually keep up with, we help you develop a digital presence that reflects your brand and reaches customers where they are without wasting time on channels that don’t fit your business. We can also provide support with online platforms such as Amazon and Etsy storefronts, Google Business Profiles, and more.

WEBSITE & ONLINE PRESENCE

Your website is often a customer’s first impression. We help you evaluate your site for clarity, usability, and search visibility (SEO), and connect you with tools and resources to improve it. Your consultant will connect you with the SBDC Business Intel team, who will run reports to get you real insights on your website. Your consultant can also run conversion audits that dig into why your existing traffic isn’t turning into leads or sales.

MARKETING PLANS & BUDGETING

A marketing plan is only useful if you can afford to execute it. We help you set realistic goals, prioritize the tactics with the best return, and build a marketing budget that fits your stage of growth.

ADVERTISING & PROMOTIONS

Whether it’s paid social, local advertising, email marketing, or promotional events, we help you evaluate which advertising channels make sense for your business and how to measure whether they’re actually working.

Why Work with Us

Expert Guidance at No Cost
Our services are funded through state and federal programs, so there’s no cost to you. You’ll work with experienced consultants focused on your goals, not a sales pitch.

Strategy Built Around Your Business
No templates, no one-size-fits-all playbooks. We start with your goals, your customers, and your budget.

Data-Backed Decisions
Paired with our SBDC Business Intel team, we help you make marketing decisions based on real market data, not guesswork.

Support From Idea to Execution
Whether you need a full marketing plan or help sharpening one piece of your strategy, we’re with you at every stage.

Frequently Asked Questions

The OCIE SBDC partners with legislative offices to connect constituents to no-cost assistance and provide district-level insights. We can:

HOW MUCH SHOULD I ALLOCATE TO MARKETING?
Many of our clients are working with limited marketing budgets. Our job is to help you get the most out of the resources you have and prioritize the tactics that will make the biggest impact. Your consultant will be able to evaluate your financials with you, and use that information to determine how much you might benefit by spending on marketing needs.
Having a presence isn’t the same as having a strategy. We can help you evaluate what’s working, identify what isn’t, and make sure your marketing is actually driving toward your business goals.
It depends on your business and goals, but most clients work with a consultant over several sessions to research, plan, and refine a strategy, then check in as they put it into action.
Yes. Whether you need a full marketing plan or help with one specific project, product launch, or seasonal promotion, our consultants can help.
It’s actually the best time to start. Building your brand positioning and understanding your target customer before you launch helps you avoid costly missteps and gives you a clear plan to follow from day one, instead of marketing reactively once you’re already open.

Yes. If your current branding no longer reflects who you are or who you’re trying to reach, we can help you think through repositioning, new messaging, visual identity, or target audience, and plan a transition that doesn’t confuse your existing customers.

We help you identify the right metrics for your goals. Whether that’s website traffic, leads, foot traffic, or sales, we can help you set up simple ways to track them so you’re making decisions based on results instead of guesswork.

Let's Get Started

Ready to build a marketing strategy that works as hard as you do? Schedule your no-cost one-on-one consultation today.

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Marketing

Mike Daniel is the network director of the Orange County Inland Empire SBDC Network, which assists aspiring entrepreneurs and current business owners throughout Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Mike was formerly the director of the SBDC office at Long Beach City College. As business owner and entrepreneur himself, he started his career as the owner of a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory location in Manhattan Beach and went on to open a second location in Long Beach in 2001. In 2007, Mike sold the Manhattan Beach store for an above-market offer then invested in several additional locations as a minority shareholder. Mike further expanded his candy empire with venture located in Shoreline Village in Long Beach called Sugar Daddies Sweet Shoppe, based on fill-it yourself candy options.

Mike has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton.