The Small Business Development Program began in 1977 as a pilot program through nine universities.  The program was instituted nationally in 1980 and the California SBDCs were incorporated into the national system in 1991.  Currently, California hosts some 49  SBDCs which are dispersed throughout the entire state.  In California, the SBDC program was set up as a collaborative partnership between the California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency, the United States Small Business Administration and the Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges.  The SBDC program was initiated to provide a resource center for existing and prospective small business owners who were interested in one-on-one counseling, training programs, and information to assist them in running their small businesses.

The Imperial Valley Small Business Development Center was started in 1995 with the cooperation of Southwest College in Chula Vista, California, and various local and county organizations throughout the County of Imperial. The SBDC has served more than 1,500 clients in businesses ranging from manufacturers to small retail or service providers. SBDC consultants have provided more than 6,000 hours of consultation to both existing and prospective business owners throughout the Imperial County since its inception. 

The SBDC chose to locate its offices in El Centro because El Centro has historically served as the county seat for all the activities within the county and is centrally located so that both the northern sections as well as the southern sections of the county can be easily accessed.