BCC small-business advisor Corey Hansen wins state-wide award for excellence

BELLEVUE, WASH. – Corey Hansen, director of the Bellevue Community College Small Business Development Center, has been named one of three inaugural winners of the Ron Battles Excellence Award by the Washington Small Business Development Center Network.

The award recognizes Hansen’s dedication to the success of his Center’s clients and his service to community and stakeholders.

Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) help owners and operators of small businesses accelerate growth, acquire financing, increase profitability, enhance competitive advantages and develop long-term stability.

Clients of BCC’s Center have achieved remarkable gains, increasing revenues by a total of $61 million and adding 600 new jobs to the local economy over the past three years.

One client grew enough in five years to make the Inc Magazine 2006 “Inc 500” list of the nation’s fastest-growing private businesses. Another, whose revenues increased from zero to $50 million over six years, was a finalist for 2006 regional Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Hansen, who lives in Kirkland, also authors the “Eastside Hot 100” column in the Eastside Business Monthly and co-authored the recently released book, Best Practices of High Performance Entrepreneurs.

Washington’s 16 Small Business Development Centers are sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Washington State University and local organizations such as Bellevue Community College.

The BCC Small Business Development Center may be reached at 425-564-2888 or wsbdc@bcc.ctc.edu and found on-line at www.conted.bcc.ctc.edu/sbdc/index.asp.

The other winners of the 2007 Ron Battles Awards were David Young of Washington State University and Tom Dorr of Western Washington University.

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