The Small Business Development Center (SBDC)at Central Oregon Community College (COCC) offers many training programs with one-on-one advising, but one of the most high impact programs the SBDC offers is the Small Business Management (SBM) program. Hundreds of businesses have learned how to become better managers of their business, working on escaping the trap of doing it all themselves and learning how to develop the business to support the help needed to be self-sustaining.
“Business owners who are trying to do it all or are doing so much that they can’t sustain their effort are more susceptible to failure than those who learn that developing the business should really be their goal,” says Jim Wilcox, SBM instructor for the COCC program.
The SBM program is a one-on-one business advising/coaching program combined with a monthly workshop to help business owners and managers take their business to the next level. It’s a year long commitment geared toward business owners who see the importance of working on the business not just in it. Many businesses that participate in year one will go on to the second year program.
The program helps business owners identify the key issues that will help move them towards achieving their vision. Most small business owners don’t have a lot of formal training in business but yet they have to manage all areas of running their business from planning, marketing and sales, product and service delivery, finance and accounting, and human resource management. Through the SBM program business owners expand their knowledge in these areas, learn to assess their strengths and weaknesses, and to develop a sound business action plan that helps to take them to the next level thereby building a well-functioning business.
Mr. Wilcox states, “Business owners that have been in business for at least one year, have the equivalent of one full-time employee beyond the owner and can commit to working on improving the business are eligible for the SBM Program.” Participants also need to be able to produce monthly financial statements from their bookkeeping or accounting software. The SBM program has been offered in Central Oregon for over 25 years working with roughly 300 businesses over that period of time.
Mr. Wilcox, who has been managing the program for over ten years, talks about his passion for the program, “I’m committed to helping small business owners achieve their goals both in business and indirectly in their personal lives. I think that the difference between a great business and a good or not so good business is in all the details that work together; a lot of little steps working together make a big difference. When owners look back over what they’ve accomplished and implemented through the program it can be a big step. It’s rewarding to be able to see that change.”
There have been many success stories over the years. Recent highly recognizable graduates of the SBM program include O’Keeffe’s Company Working Hands Cream (SBA Oregon Small Business Owner of the Year winner), Vocal Booth (EDCO’s Product of the Year winner), Silver Moon Brewing (North American Beer Awards Winner), Michi Designs, Giant Loop Moto, Pine Mountain Sports, and Angeline’s Bakery to name a few Central Oregon businesses.
The Small Business Development Centerat Central Oregon Community College helps local business owners builda business that works for them. They offer no cost one-on-one business advising, practical workshops, market research and assistance in obtaining financing for their business. The goal of the SBDC is to have a positive impact on the growth and sustainability of Central Oregon businesses.
For more information on SBDC services or to apply for the SBM program that will be starting February 5th, contact the SBDC at 541-383-7290 or www.cocc.edu/sbdc.
