# Pace University SBDC > The Pace University Small Business Development Center (Pace SBDC) provides free, confidential, one-on-one business advisement, training, and research to help small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs launch, sustain, and grow their businesses. The Pace SBDC serves entrepreneurs in Brooklyn and Downtown Manhattan from its office at Pace University in Lower Manhattan. Since 1986, the Pace SBDC has worked directly with more than 20,100 small businesses, helping them invest over $255 million in the area's economy and create or save over 10,600 jobs. The Pace SBDC is part of the New York Small Business Development Center (NY SBDC) network — a Partnership Program with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), administered by the State University of New York (SUNY), and funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the SBA. All services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. ## Key Facts - **Services are no-cost and confidential**: one-on-one business advisement, training, and market research. - **Who we serve**: small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs in Brooklyn and Downtown Manhattan. - **Certified advisors**: counseling is provided by New York State–certified, full-time business advisors. - **Part of a larger network**: the Pace SBDC is one of 22 regional SBDC centers across New York State, and one of nearly 1,000 SBDCs nationwide. - **Languages**: counseling is available in English and Spanish. - **In person or remote**: meet at the Lower Manhattan office, at community locations across Brooklyn, or virtually by phone or video call. - **Operating since 1986**; in 2024 the center expanded its footprint to serve Brooklyn-based small businesses. - **How to get started**: learn about counseling at https://www.pacesbdc.org/counseling-form, or sign up directly through NYSBDC eCenter Direct at https://nysbdc.ecenterdirect.com/signup?centerid=31 - **Location**: Pace University SBDC, 1 Pace Plaza, Room W501, New York, NY 10038 - **Phone**: (212) 618-6655 - **Email**: sbdc@pace.edu - **Subway**: A, C, J, Z, 2, 3, 4, 5 to Fulton St; E to World Trade Center; 6 to Brooklyn Bridge - **Spanish-language assistance**: https://www.pacesbdc.org/espanol ## How We Can Help A Pace SBDC business advisor can help you: - Find financing options - Implement marketing & sales strategies - Obtain valuable market research - Build/improve your business website - Develop a business plan - Identify procurement opportunities, and much more ## Who Is Eligible & How It Works - **Who can meet with an advisor**: small business owners at any stage, as well as aspiring entrepreneurs. You do not have to be in business yet, but you should have a specific business venture in mind and/or relevant entrepreneurial experience. - **No cost**: all advisement is free and confidential. - **One SBDC per client**: to maintain continuity of service, each individual works with only one Small Business Development Center. If you have worked with another SBDC, please continue with them. - **Appointments**: complete the intake form to request an appointment, after which the center will contact you to schedule. Sessions can be in person, by phone, or by video call, and can be held in English or Spanish. - **What to prepare**: come with specific questions or topics, and be ready to discuss your existing or proposed products and services (bringing a sample can help). ## Where We Meet (Office & Community Locations) The main office is at One Pace Plaza in Lower Manhattan. Advisors also meet entrepreneurs virtually or at community locations across Brooklyn and Manhattan, including: - Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn — Brooklyn Public Library's Business & Career Center - Midtown Manhattan — New York Public Library's Thomas Yoseloff Business Center - Flatbush, Brooklyn — Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn's Office - Industry City, Sunset Park, Brooklyn — Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce office - Red Hook, Brooklyn — Red Hook Business Alliance office - Park Slope, Brooklyn — The Yard, 157 13th Street (with the Park Slope 5th Avenue BID) - Williamsburg, Brooklyn — Grand Street Business Improvement District office - East Williamsburg, Brooklyn — Moore Street Market / Graham Avenue BID - Crown Heights, Brooklyn — Assemblymember Brian Cunningham's Office - Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn — BKLYN Commons, 495 Flatbush Avenue - Canarsie, Brooklyn — NHS, 1734 Rockaway Parkway (with the Canarsie Merchants Association) ## Training & Specialty Programs In addition to one-on-one advisement, the Pace SBDC offers in-person workshops and webinars, along with specialty clinics and programs. Examples include: - Small Business Financing Panels - Build a Small Business Website (website development using Wix) - CPA Accounting Clinics - MWBE & SBA Certification Support - Government Procurement (selling to City, State, and Federal agencies; SBA 7(a) and 504 loan program guidance) - International Trade & Export Certification Support - Operating & Licensing guidance ## Key Pages - [Request Business Counseling (Make an Appointment)](https://www.pacesbdc.org/counseling-form): Start here to become a client and meet with a business advisor at no cost. - [Sign Up via NYSBDC eCenter Direct](https://nysbdc.ecenterdirect.com/signup?centerid=31): Create your account to request no-cost business counseling directly. - [About the Pace SBDC](https://www.pacesbdc.org/about): Mission, history, and impact. - [Our Team](https://www.pacesbdc.org/team): Meet the business advisors. - [Services](https://www.pacesbdc.org/services): Overview of advisement, training, and research services. - [Partners](https://www.pacesbdc.org/partners): Organizations the Pace SBDC partners with across NYC. - [Events](https://www.pacesbdc.org/events): Upcoming workshops, trainings, and community events. - [Client Spotlight](https://www.pacesbdc.org/clientfeatures): Featured clients, success stories, and testimonials. - [Success Stories](https://www.pacesbdc.org/success-stories): Small businesses that launched and grew with Pace SBDC support. - [Testimonials](https://www.pacesbdc.org/testimonials): What clients say about working with the SBDC. - [FAQs](https://www.pacesbdc.org/faqs): Common questions about eligibility, services, and getting started. - [Resources](https://www.pacesbdc.org/resources): Tools and guides for small business owners. - [Contact](https://www.pacesbdc.org/contact): Office location, hours, and contact details. ([En español](https://www.pacesbdc.org/contacto)) ## Services & Resource Areas - [Business Planning](https://www.pacesbdc.org/business-planning): Write the roadmap for your venture with personalized assistance, templates, and business plan examples. - [Financing](https://www.pacesbdc.org/financing): Explore potential financing sources, including loans and grants, for equipment, property, or working capital. - [Marketing & Sales](https://www.pacesbdc.org/marketing-sales): Develop marketing and sales strategies, including social media and website development. - [Market Research](https://www.pacesbdc.org/marketresearch): Free demographic, economic, and industry research through the SBDC Research Network. - [Email Marketing](https://www.pacesbdc.org/email-marketing): Work with an advisor to build and run email marketing campaigns. - [Search Engine Optimization](https://www.pacesbdc.org/seo): Work with an advisor to improve your site's visibility in search. - [eCommerce](https://www.pacesbdc.org/ecommerce): Work with an advisor to sell online and build an online store. - [NYSBDC Research Central](https://www.pacesbdc.org/researchcentral): Access to the NYSBDC research network's tools and reports. - [Tax & Financial Planning](https://www.pacesbdc.org/tax-planning): Guidance on federal, state, and local business taxes and financial projections. - [Government Procurement](https://www.pacesbdc.org/procurement): Guidance on selling to government agencies and contracting opportunities. - [International Trade](https://www.pacesbdc.org/internationaltrade): Support for importing, exporting, and global market entry. - [Training](https://www.pacesbdc.org/training): Workshops and training programs for entrepreneurs. - [Hiring](https://www.pacesbdc.org/hiring): Resources for recruiting and managing employees. - [Real Estate](https://www.pacesbdc.org/realestate): Referral resources for commercial leases and finding a business location. - [Bonding](https://www.pacesbdc.org/bonding): Referral resources to help contractors find surety bonding assistance. - [Lead Generation](https://www.pacesbdc.org/leadgeneration): Strategies and tools for finding new customers. ## AI Agent Access This site is powered by Wix and supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for agentic AI access. AI agents can connect directly to retrieve live, up-to-date site content - no scraping required. - **Site MCP Endpoint:** https://www.pacesbdc.org/_api/mcp - **Wix MCP Docs:** https://dev.wix.com/docs/develop-websites/articles/get-started/about-the-wix-site-mcp ## Available MCP Tools ### GetBusinessDetails Retrieves business and site details such as timezone, email, phone, and address. - No parameters required. ### SearchInSite Searches the site for information. - `searchTerm` - The term to search for in the site. ### SearchSiteApiDocs Retrieves the API documentation for the Wix business solutions installed on this site, and informs the AI client how to use the APIs. Use this tool for querying products and services (instead of SearchInSite). - `searchTerm` - The term to search for in the site API documentation. ### GenerateVisitorToken Creates a new visitor session and obtains a visitor access token for the site. Must be called before making any CallWixSiteAPI request if no visitor token is already available in context. - No parameters required. ### CallWixSiteAPI Calls API methods on the site to perform actions on a visitor's behalf, such as querying site data, booking an appointment, or starting a purchase. - `visitorToken` - Visitor access token. Use GenerateVisitorToken first if not available. - `url` - Absolute URL of the API method to call (e.g. https://www.wixapis.com/...). Retrieve using SearchSiteApiDocs. - `method` - HTTP method to use for the API call. - `body` - Request body as a valid JSON string. ### ReadFullDocsArticle Fetches a complete article from the Wix developer documentation portal. - `articleUrl` - URL of an article in the Wix developer documentation portal. ### ReadFullDocsMethodSchema Fetches the full schema for a Wix API method. Should be called before calling the actual method via CallWixSiteAPI. - `articleUrl` - URL of the reference article for the Wix API method. ## What Visitors Can Do via AI + MCP - Get business details (contact info, location, hours) - Learn about no-cost advisement services and resource areas - Find upcoming events, workshops, and trainings - Request business counseling and make an appointment - Read client success stories and testimonials - Ask questions and get relevant answers without having to browse the site ## Notes - No authentication required to connect to the MCP endpoint - Only public information accessible on the site is available - Content is always live and up to date - To receive tool updates, implement a tools/list call upon receipt of a tool update notification ## Funding Disclosure The Pace University SBDC is a Partnership Program with the SBA, administered by the State University of New York. Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Full funding disclosures available at https://nysbdc.org/funding-disclosures. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. All SBA funded programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. ## Optional - [Blog](https://www.pacesbdc.org/blog): Articles and updates for small business owners. - [Newsletter](https://www.pacesbdc.org/newsletter): Sign up for Pace SBDC news and updates. - [Press](https://www.pacesbdc.org/press): Pace SBDC in the news. - [Photos](https://www.pacesbdc.org/photos): Photo gallery of events and the center. - [Video](https://www.pacesbdc.org/video): Video content and recordings. - [Social](https://www.pacesbdc.org/social): Connect with the Pace SBDC on social media. - [Year in Review](https://www.pacesbdc.org/year-in-review): Annual impact and highlights. - [SBDC Day](https://www.pacesbdc.org/sbdc-day): Information about national SBDC Day. - [Pace Connection](https://www.pacesbdc.org/pace): The center's connection to Pace University. - [Welcome Brooklyn](https://www.pacesbdc.org/welcome-brooklyn): Resources for Brooklyn-based entrepreneurs. - [Privacy Policy](https://www.pacesbdc.org/privacy-policy): How the site handles visitor data.