Areas of Service

The established area of service encompassed by the Small Business Development Center network is the land area of islands identified as the United States Territory of American Samoa and its 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The service area is to include inhabited Swains Island (approximately 240 miles north of Tutuila Island). The SBDC operates a lead center at the American Samoa Community College main campus at Mapusaga on the main island of Tutuila. Site selection was based on several factors that make the campus conducive as a central point for the delivery of SBDC services.

Mapusaga Campus	Leone High School	Executive Office Bldg.	ASPA Satala	Fagaitua High School

The campus site offers immediate access to training facilities, educational resources and training personnel. In addition, the ASCC Mapusaga campus lies adjacent to the main federal highway corridor route (route 001) in the territory. The campus is located within the Tualauta County, the fastest growing county in the territory in terms of business development, population, and residential construction. Several government services are located in the county including the industrial park, international airport, public works maintenance facilities, and the main sporting complex. The county has the largest concentration of private businesses in the territory that includes 2 shopping malls and the only warehouse-shopping outlet. The lead center is also central to the largest area of arable land (with slopes of less than 15%) in the territory known as the Tafuna Leone Plain. Over 65% of all arable land in the territory lies within this plain.

The service area is divided into 7 service districts to enhance public access and to extend out-reach of SBDC services within the designated service area. The American Samoa SBDC will continue to provide basic services to businesses in each district at satellite centers. Satellite centers are primarily conference/classroom facilities and communication equipment shared/provided by SBDC partners for delivery of modular business training curricula and business workshops within an SBDC district. Satellite centers will also serve as business-counseling venues for scheduled one-to-one counseling sessions. Clients may have access to e-mail and Internet services through satellite centers during periods predetermined and announced by the SBDC host partner agency. SBDC activities in shared facilities will be scheduled and advertised in advance to avoid conflict with partner agency activities. SBDC facilities in the Manu’a Islands were phased in during years 2 and 3 of the project. The SBDC facilities in the Manu’a Islands are identified as extension centers and provide the same basic services as SBDC satellite centers; however, they are supported by part-time ASCC Land Grant staff trained in distance learning with access to videoconference equipment under the supervision of the SBDC program director. Facilities and support for satellite and extension centers will be arranged through partnership agreements with the appropriate service provider, local business, and government agency operating within the SBDC district.