Taryn Hornby, a former executive in the banking industry, has joined the Washington Small Business Development Center at Green River College to provide one-to-one, confidential, no-cost advising to entrepreneurs who want to start, grow or transition a business.

Hornby will work with Jeremy Mauck, who joined the SBDC earlier this year. Hornby and Mauck have master’s degrees in business administration – Hornby from Northern Illinois University and Mauck from Western Washington University – and they bring complementary expertise to their work with small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Hornby has worked with a variety of banks and lending institutions in positions ranging from auditor to new business development officer. In her last position, she was specializing in loans ranging from $5 million to $100 million.

“Whether someone needs a commercial loan for $50,000 or $50 million, the basics are the same,” Hornby said. “I understand the language bankers speak, and I can help business owners understand the process and how to best position themselves to get the financing they need.”

Leslie Moore, dean for branch campuses and continuing studies at Green River College, said she is excited to have Hornby and Mauck working with business owners and entrepreneurs in South King County. “Since its opening in 2000, the Green River College Business Center has helped hundreds of small businesses develop profitable businesses,” she said. “Taryn and Jeremy have the perfect mix of complementary skills to continue the long SBDC tradition of working together to provide solutions to today’s entrepreneurs.”

Washington SBDC State Director Duane Fladland agreed that Hornby and Mauk bring added depth and breadth to the Washington SBDC Network. “One of the many strengths of the Washington SBDC is that our advisors work collaboratively on behalf of their clients,” Fladland said, which means that SBDC clients have access to the experience and expertise of advisors across the network.

Hornby said she was drawn to the SBDC because of its ethos of client-centered advising. While SBDC advisors often assist clients with loan applications, their experience and education equips them to assist with a full range of business issues, including financial statements, business systems, business plans, improving profitability, cash flow management, market research and marketing plans.

Hornby said she took a break from banking while her children were young and ended up turning an original idea into what she thought would be a “hobby” business. Instead, she said, the online retail business took off and was making $250,000 in sales within two years. She eventually sold that business and returned to banking, but her entrepreneurial enthusiasm remains.

Now, working with small business owners who are passionate about their business makes her “insanely happy,” Hornby said. She appreciates that as an SBDC advisor, she has no other agenda than to help them succeed.

Mauck joined the SBDC after working as a marketing and communications manager for a product division of Weyerhaeuser, where he led efforts in brand identity, developing and implementing marketing strategies, and social media campaigning. He also has extensive experience in product development, budgeting, pricing evaluation, inventory control, performance evaluation and staff management. Mauck, a graduate of Washington State University, is also an instructor at Green River College where he teaches courses on consumer behavior.

The Washington SBDC is a network of more than two dozen advisors and two international trade specialists working in communities across the state to help business owners and entrepreneurs start, grow, or transition a business. The SBDC Center at Green River College is funded by a cooperative agreement between the College, the Small Business Administration and Washington State University, which is the statewide host for the Washington SBDC Network. The SBDC at Green River College also receives support from the cities of Auburn, Covington, Kent and Enumclaw.

For more information on the services of the SBDC at Green River College, go to greenriver.edu/businesscenter or call 253-520-6260.

For more about the Washington SBDC, go to wsbdc.org.