No-Cost AI Business Help from Your Local SBDC

Webinar Wednesday, Episode 384

AI is everywhere right now, but for small business owners, the real question isn’t how to use it — it’s how to make sense of the numbers already sitting in their business. In this special Thursday edition of Webinar Wednesday, part of SBDC AI Day 2026, CSUB SBDC Director Kelly Bearden is joined by Small Business Specialist Ranjeet Singh Loa for a look inside how the CSUB Small Business Development Center uses AI, at no cost to clients, to turn raw business data into clear, actionable plans.

What the data tells us about AI adoption

Before diving into solutions, Kelly polled the audience to understand where small business owners really stand on AI. The results were telling:

Biggest barrier to using AI

Time and understanding of AI programs topped the list at 38%, followed by cost of subscriptions and security concerns, tied at 23% each. If time and confidence are what’s holding you back, that’s exactly what an SBDC advisor can help close.

Where AI could save the most money

Marketing led the way at 36%, with financial analysis close behind at 21%. Administration, product development, and “not sure” tied for third at 14% each — proof that most owners see real, practical upside, even if they’re not sure where to start.

The SBDC’s Approach

5 steps that turn your data into a decision

Collect

Every business already has data — sales records, POS reports, spreadsheets, booking logs. The first step is simply gathering what’s already there, no matter how disorganized it looks at first.

Clean and structure

Raw data is rarely usable on its own. This step organizes it into a consistent, reliable format — the unglamorous work that makes every step after it possible.

Analyze

This is where AI does the heavy lifting — spotting trends, patterns, and outliers across the data that would take hours to find by hand.

Translate

Numbers alone don’t drive decisions — understanding does. This step turns the analysis into plain language that makes sense to a business owner, not just a data analyst.

Act

With a clear plan in hand, the final step is putting it into motion — alongside an SBDC advisor who reviews every recommendation before it reaches a client.

Real Results

Three client stories: AI at work

From generic chatbot to customized dashboard

A client started with a generic AI chatbot for marketing questions and quickly hit its limits. Working with the SBDC, that same effort became a customized marketing dashboard built around their actual customer and campaign data — not generic advice.

Sales data becomes a cash flow forecast

Another client had years of sales data sitting unused in spreadsheets. The SBDC helped turn that history into a working cash flow forecast — giving the owner a forward-looking view instead of a rearview mirror.

Staff scheduling, automated

A service business that had always built its staff schedule by hand now uses an AI-assisted process to do it faster and with fewer conflicts — freeing up hours the owner used to spend on a spreadsheet every week.

Also Worth Knowing

More from this episode

Kelly and Ranjeet also covered these areas during the episode:

Capital Corridor: SBA lenders and AI

SBA lenders aren’t making “AI loans” — but they do want to see the efficiency, profitability, and scalability that AI-assisted planning can demonstrate, and AI can even help simplify the loan application process itself.

Economic Corner: The productivity focus

With labor and insurance costs rising, AI may become one of the biggest productivity tools since the internet — helping businesses get more from the team they already have.

Spotting revenue leakage

From payroll overruns to missed upsells, AI-assisted dashboards can surface exactly where revenue is quietly slipping away — and where gross margin by category tells a different story than the top line.

Marketing backed by data, not guesswork

Knowing where your traffic actually comes from — and where your marketing funnel is losing people — turns marketing spend from a guess into a decision.

From The Audience

Live Q&A highlights

How do I build AI into my long-term strategy?

Start small, with one process, and build from there alongside your advisor.

Who’s responsible if AI gives incorrect advice?

Every recommendation is reviewed by a real SBDC advisor before it ever reaches a client.

Is there an approved list of AI platforms?

SBDC advisors walk clients through platform options during a free consultation.

Where can I learn more about using AI myself?

The SBDC offers classes and resources in addition to one-on-one advising.

Ready to see what AI could do for your business?

The CSUB SBDC offers free one-on-one advising to small business owners throughout Kern, Inyo, and Mono Counties. Our advisors can help you turn your own data into a clear, actionable plan — no tech background required.

Watch the full webinar

This blog post covers the highlights, but the full episode includes live dashboard walkthroughs, a deeper look at the SBDC’s AI toolbox and AIU-certified advisors, and a full live Q&A with attendees.

▶ Watch “How Our SBDC Uses AI to Help Small Businesses at No Cost” on demand →

AI for Small Business Data Analysis Cash Flow Forecasting Marketing Capital Corridor SBA Lending Kern County Inyo County Mono County Webinar Wednesday

Kelly Bearden — CSUB SBDC Director

Kelly Bearden leads the CSU Bakersfield Small Business Development Center, serving small business owners throughout Kern, Inyo, and Mono Counties. The SBDC provides free one-on-one advising and helped local businesses access nearly $9.9 million in capital investment in 2024.