“The U.S. Small Business Administration Tacoma Business Assistance Center, in partnership with Bates Technical College, moved its one-stop shop services to Bates Technical College.Opening day is today for their new offices which are located at 1101 S. Yakima Ave., Tacoma.Introduced to Tacoma in 1996, the popular SBA Tacoma Business Assis-tance Center will continue to offer free business counseling from the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in the new location. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will also provide onsite counseling to answer business tax questions.The partnership between SBA and Bates Technical College significantly benefits the small business community in the South Puget Sound are, said Bob Meredith, SBA Seattle district director.Having services available in one location offers business owners convenience and saves them valuable time and money, he said.Since opening its doors four years ago, the Tacoma Business Assistance Center has provided counseling and business training to more than 14,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners, said Sharon Barber, SBA’s assistant district director for Tacoma’s Business Assistance Center.The real winners in this partnership are the small business owners and students who need assistance staring or growing a business, she added.Also offered onsite is a reference library containing business publications, a video library, computer workstations, and video conferencing. Small business owners can take advantage of the Women’s Network for Entrepreneurial Training, a mentoring and support group for aspiring and existing women business owners, and government contracting training that helps small businesses sell their services or products.Available weekly will be lending officers from local banks who can answer questions about loan programs. Additional community partners will be added to the one-stop center in the coming months.The Tacoma Business Assistance Center is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.For additional information, call 253/680-7770, or visit their web site at: http://www.sba.gov/regions/states/wa/seattle/seoscs.html. “