This document discusses the Small Business Development Center initiative which addresses the needs of California businesses to grow through the delivery of one-on-one counseling, seminars, workshops, conferences, and other technical activities. The community colleges host 21 full centers. Some of the major objectives of the initiative are the following: (1) create and retain jobs; (2) create investment in companies to stimulate economic investment; and (3) increase business sales thereby increasing economic impacts on regions served. Some of the strengths of the initiatives are that it actively promotes to the small business community college programs and services, offering diverse services to colleges, and partnering with local organizations including colleges, chambers of commerce, cities, economic development organizations and private business. There are four systematic barriers to the success of the initiative: (1) communication and leadership barriers between the three main stakeholders; (2) different funding formulas have created problems so that funds have not been distributed to rural centers; (3) limited funding; and (4) demands for services exceed center resources and it does not seem that this situation will change in the near future. The document also addresses the emerging opportunities for this initiative, whether the initiative could be sustained without categorical funding, and how additional funds would be used if they were made available. (MZ)