Wells Fargo, USPAACC Announce Small Business Development Program

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new Business Express: Ready Set Grow small business development program was announced today in conjunction with the 2011 CelebrAsian Business Opportunity Conference.

“Since 2003, Wells Fargo and USPAACC have worked together to develop programs that help Asian American business owners grow and succeed”

The program is a joint effort of the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC) Education Foundation and program founding partner Wells Fargo.

Through the educational program, Asian American business owners will gain firsthand insight into the tools, best practices and concepts they need to help their businesses reach new heights.

“USPAACC is pleased to partner with Wells Fargo in offering this unique program to help Asian American businesses fill the information gap, leverage resources, and place them on an accelerated track to more business opportunities,” said Susan Au Allen, USPAACC National President and CEO.

Course participants will attend two specially designed workshops that explore topics including:

• Maximizing profitability through financial planning
• Developing business plans
• Marketing and brand building
• Enhancing talent management and retention skills
• Improving operational functions to lower costs

“Since 2003, Wells Fargo and USPAACC have worked together to develop programs that help Asian American business owners grow and succeed,” said Patrick Yalung, Wells Fargo Regional President in the state of Washington. “The Business Express: Ready Set Grow program allows us to emphasize how financial education aids business owners in developing a road map for profitable company growth.”

As the founding partner of Business Express: Ready Set Grow, Wells Fargo continues its support of the Asian American business community with a program that links to the company’s vision to satisfy all its customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. In 2009, Wells Fargo achieved its goal to lend $3 billion to Asian-owned businesses by 2012 and extended that goal to $5 billion by the end of 2013.

The first Business Express: Ready Set Grow program is scheduled for July 2011 in Los Angeles. For more information, please visit www.uspaacc.com.

About Wells Fargo & Company

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.2 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 9,000 stores, 12,000 ATMs, the Internet (wellsfargo.com and wachovia.com), and other distribution channels across North America and internationally. With approximately 280,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in America. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 23 on Fortune’s 2011 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy all our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially.

Wells Fargo’s relationship with the Asian American community dates to its earliest history as one of the first California companies to serve Chinese customers and business owners in their native languages. Today, Wells Fargo is also America’s #1 small business lender (2009 Community Reinvestment Act government data) and a leading lender to women- and diverse-owned businesses. With the nation’s largest network of retail banking stores, and an award-winning online Business Insight Series including videos, webcasts and articles, Wells Fargo provides business owners with timely advice and information to help them succeed financially. Wells Fargo also continues to be an active supporter of the Asian American community, donating more than $4 million to Asian American nonprofits in 2010.

About USPAACC

Founded in 1984 as a non-profit and non-partisan organization, US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation (USPAACC) is the single unified voice for equal opportunity for Asian American businesses. We promote and propel economic growth by opening doors to business, educational and professional opportunities for Asian Americans and their business partners in corporate America, government at the federal, state and local levels, and the small and minority business community. For 25 years, USPAACC has served and will continue to serve as the gateway to large corporate and government contracts, top-caliber Asian American and small and minority suppliers, key information about Asian Americans and business opportunities in the dynamic Asia-Pacific market.