Small business center offers help

Small companies from North San Diego County to Temecula are eligible for free help from the Small Business Development Center North San Diego County.

The center is at 1823 Mission Ave. in Oceanside. Contact it at 760-795-8740 or at www.sandiegosmallbiz.com.

The center offers consulting services such as: business plans, financing; getting certified as a small business, disadvantaged business, women owned, minority or veteran owned; Caltrans contracting; and help with marketing, financial and accounting systems.

The center was established 10 years ago and is funded by the Small Business Administration, the community college district and hosted by MiraCosta College.

SAIC's Lawrence Prior to speak at chamber

SCRIPPS RANCH -- Lawrence Prior III, the chief operating officer of Science Applications International Corp., will speak about the marketplace in a breakfast presentation May 28 sponsored by San Diego North Chamber of Commerce.

The presentation will be held at 8 a.m. at Alliant University, 10455 Pomerado Road. Check-in and continental breakfast start at 7:30 a.m.

Prior will speak on the challenges and opportunities SAIC sees in the marketplace today. He was chief administrative officer for the County of San Diego from 1996 to 1999.

Now in its 40th year, San Diego-based SAIC has grown from a few individuals working in a small La Jolla business to a company with 45,000 employees working out of 150 cities. The engineering and technology company is a major defense contractor, with stock valued at $7.2 billion on the New York Stock Exchange.

The cost is $15 for chamber members; $25 for nonmembers. Reserve by May 25 at www. sdncc.com or call 858-487-1767, ext. 109.