News, Announcements, & Events

ODOT Small Business Management Program

The Oregon Department of Transportation is sponsoring the fourth annual Small Business Management (SBM) Program for Contractors at Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) in Oregon. Lane Community College SBDC is offering the program this year.

• Want to learn more about how to do business with ODOT?
• Want to learn more about the ORPIN system and how to find contracts?
• Interested in learning how to prepare accurate and effective bids?
• Need to understand financial statements, cash flow projections, and other financial details of your business?
• Like to understand hiring and employment regulations? Insurance and bonding?
• Have an interest in developing top quality marketing materials and forming a marketing plan?

Now’s Your Chance!

See the attached schedule for the program which starts 6-9 pm, Monday, February 27 and continues through Tuesday, May 28, 2012 (a total of 9 class sessions). Each 3-hour class will be devoted to small business management topics, understanding ODOT-specific issues, and peer group discussion. In addition, businesses will be eligible to receive one-on-one confidential business advising from an experienced advisor at the SBDC at no additional cost.

More information on ODOT SBM

Want to learn more about how technology can help you run your business more efficiently? Want to build a good foundation to get your new business off the ground? Lane’s SBDC has a new program designed to do just that! Start, Run and Grow Your Business is a new option that will connect business owners with instruction and resources to move their businesses to the next level. The curriculum is based on the popular; long running course taught by business planning expert Tim Berry, President of Palo Alto Software and is offered through Lane’s SBDC.

The course is designed with online instruction that provides an overview of entrepreneurship, business basics, technology improvement and much more along with one-on-one business advising with the instructor. Although there are 12 distinct lessons in the curriculum, many of the online lessons are divided into 15 -20 minute chunks, which will allow you to fit it into your busy schedule easily. One-on-one business advising with the instructor can happen at your place of business, online, over the phone, using Skype or other video conferencing tools. Many business owners credit the combination of instruction and advising with the successful application of business principles and implementation of processes into their businesses.

James Burke, the instructor for the program has been involved with the SBDC for 15 years, beginning as a student in the early business programs. And, returning later as an instructor for a variety of business development classes. James has taught in the classroom as well as online, and does individual advising. James brings an eclectic business and personal background to the program, having worked in the private sector, public sector, military, as a self-employed entrepreneur and as a board member of various 501(c)3 organizations. Currently James is intimately involved with development, curriculum, marketing, and instruction of programs designed for small business success.

To learn more or to apply for the Start, Run, Grow Your Business Program, contact James at burkej@lanecc.edu or contact the SBDC at 541.463.5255. Click for more information Start, Run, Grow

 

Plan ahead, sign up now by contacting Gary Smith, instructor at 541.463.4614.

 

Great companies work in great spaces. What would a great space do for you? If your company has less than 99 employees and you’re ready for a makeover – design and furniture – let us know!

1. Make your best pitch on video and tell us why you’re ready for a great space like Zaarly’s.
2. Tell your mom to check you out. Submissions will be posted online about a day after processing.
3. A gallery of the top 25 best videos will be picked by a panel of judges. Don’t worry. We’ll let you know by May 1 if you made the cut.
4. Open (public) voting will decide the five winners from the top 25 videos. Get your network on board - the five videos with the most votes win!

You'd be crazy not to enter. What are you waiting for! View Contest Rules

Enter: $25k office makeover details from Turnstone

 

OAME Trade Show & Luncheon Thursday May 10, 2012 at the Oregon Convention Center.   Reserve your booth for next year, numbers are limited! email modena@oame.org Click HERE to view event photos!  

Oregon Small Business Forum Tuesday, August 21, 2012, 8:00-12:00 Noon, Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs, 4134 N. Vancouver, Portland, Oregon.  Focus Area Topic:  “Protecting your business, your employees and your clients from Identity Theft.”  Networking Break and Roundtable Sharing by the agencies that serve small business will follow focus area topic.  Mark your calendar now for this FREE event. 

Oregon Small Business Fair, Saturday, September 22, 2012, 8:00-4:30 at The Ambridge Center, 1333 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland, Oregon.  Mark your calendar now for this FREE event for new and startup businesses.  Find out what it is like in terms of exhibitors and four seminars each hour at:  http://www.oregonbizfair.org.

The Oregon Insurance Division is kicking off a new outreach page on their web site where small businesses can request more information from the division and benefit from a better understanding of the choices they have for proving insurance for their employees, especially following the Affordable Care Act mandates taking effect in 2014. The link is:  http://www.insurance.oregon.gov/consumer/outreach/outreach.html.

 

NYSE Euronext is making a total of $1.5 million in loans available to start-up companies through its just-announced Big StartUp competition. The program is being conducted in association with Accion, Entrepreneurs’ Organization and the Startup America Partnership. 

YouTube video message

NEXT Competition: May 10, 2012 in Eugene!

Willamette Angel Conference

Exporting may sound like territory only reserved for large companies with equally large budgets (or, for you Seinfeld fans, one of Art Vandelay’s occupations). The truth is that armed the right knowledge and business strategy, your business can export successfully—and with less competition than you might imagine.  Read on: Three Keys to Consider Before Exporting  

BusinessUSA is a new online platform to help small businesses and exporters of all sizes find information about available federal programs without having to waste time and resources navigating the federal bureaucracy.

BusinessUSA, currently in “beta”, combines information and services from 10 different government agencies through one consolidated website and coordinate telephone support through a single 800#. The site already presents hundreds of business resources, in one place.

Whatever services a business owner is looking for, he or she can find it on BusinessUSA – whether it be support to grow a small business, export financing, counseling and training to help sell goods and services overseas, or various loan programs like SBA small business loans, USDA farm loans, and NOAA fishery loans.

SHRM Essentials of Human Resource Management and Test Prep courses are generally held Fall and/or Spring Terms. Call 541.463.5255 for details and register early to avoid late fees. Contact Dennis Carr for program information at 541.463.5585. More details.