Small Business Development Center

2025 Lloyd Center Mall, Portland, OR 97232, ph: 503-978-5080, fax: 503-288-1366, yjohnson@pcc.edu

This program has made available to us the resources to improve our business and the courage to move forward into new opportunities.-- William and Karen Becker, W.J. Becker, Inc

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is one of 19 SBDCs in the state of Oregon. It is a part of the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network and is funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department and is hosted by Portland Community College.

Services

The center helps small businesses throughout the PCC district by providing a variety of services. Click on any item below to read more about the service:

Business Development Pathway

Once you register on the BizCenter.org website, you are on your way! The first step on your path will be to have a lead advisor assigned to you as a guide. Your advisor will contact you, assess your level of readiness and provide you with access to programs and resources. The path includes: the Going into Business Series, the Entrepreneur Development Series, the Business Development Series and Opportunity Knocks. Each level of learning sets you to a higher level of business and personal development. Step out and enjoy the path to success on the SBDC Business Development Pathway.

Business Advising

Our advisors can help you in business start-up, marketing, planning, financing, and more. Business advising is at no charge and available by appointment only. To schedule an advising appointment, please register online at www.bizcenter.org. When you log on to the site be sure to explore the vast amount of information available about starting and growing a business in Oregon.

Going into Business Series

This education series is designed for the entrepreneur who is thinking about going into business or those who need reinforcement in a specific area. The series offerings are focused on core elements of business: Starting Your Business, Marketing Your Business, Working On Your Business, and Global Business.

Entrepreneur Development Series

The Entrepreneur Development Series is the foundation of the Small Business Development Center's business development pathway. During this 5 month program, the Entrepreneur will develop essential skill sets for personal and professional development. These skills include: time management, goal setting, assessing and managing risk, personal relationship with money, decision making, communication skills and styles and conducting crucial conversations. Additionally, basic business elements of sales, marketing, pricing, business planning and developing a business model will round out the entrepreneur's requirement for business readiness.

Business Development Series

Our innovative programs are designed to help you achieve your business goals through improved management, organization and operation skills. With class work, one-on-one long-term advising and peer mentorship, you will learn how to develop, maintain and use effective marketing and management tools; how to implement a plan for sound growth and expansion, and how to understand and use your financial data. Contact us at 503-978-5080 for more information.

Small Business Management Program Year I

You will not find a better value anywhere! 50 hours of expert business instruction and one-on-one consulting for less than $25/hour. An opportunity unbeatable in todays business education market. For businesses 2 years old and older.

This 10 month program is designed specifically for business owners who: 1. Want to take their business to the next level, 2. Want to know more about marketing, planning, finances and profitability, and 3. Want satisfied, repeat customers and a better return on investment for their time and money.

Attendees participate in a monthly 3 hour workshop that covers critical business topics that will enhance their entrepreneurial skills. And each entrepreneur receives 2 hours of consultation, specific to their business' needs and issues, every month! Space is limited.

Opportunity Knocks (OK) - Peer-to-peer problem solving

OK believes that every business has common elements and finite problems. Peer-to-peer business teams allow for access to years of experience. There's no need to recreate the wheel or learn through trial and error. OK is a program for businesses that are in the growth phase of their business with at least two years in business. When owners are stymied by day-to-day endless tasks that keep them working "at" their business instead of "on" their business, OK team members help focus and prompt accountability in order to make headway with their plans. Experience is the best teacher and business owners learn more from each other than going it alone. Teams meet once a month and the 3-hour meetings are managed by trained facilitators to keep on agenda. New teams are starting this month. Call Bridget Bayer at 503-978-5091 to get on a team and for more information.

Getting Your Recipe to Market

A 12-week extensive program designed to provide the food entrepreneur with a solid foundation in business development, organizational development, product development and food safety, as well as packaging, production and distribution.

Developed by the SBDC and the Food Innovation Center, this program combines the talents of our instructors, business advisors and food professionals to provide a rich learning environment; one that creates a foundation for the entrepreneur.

The workshop sessions engage the entrepreneurs in considering the complexity and inter-relationship between business planning, product development, and launching of your product so that you produce , promote and profit from your recipe/food concept as a food entrepreneur. For more information, please contact Tammy Marquez-Oldham at 503-978-5094.

Specialized Training

We offer training programs for specialized needs, such as:

International Trade

We offer course work on Taking your Business Around the world through Importing and Exporting. In addition, Business advising in International Trade is available by appointment. Please register online at www.bizcenter.org to schedule an International Trade advising appointment.

CCB Contractor Licensing Education

The Contractors Licensing Education is designed to help the construction contractor meet educational requirements of ORS701.280 for licensing or renewal.

We offer the CCB required program in two convenient formats:

We offer either a self-paced, "study at home" format using your home computer or an intense, 2 1/2-day live classroomprogram.

Please contact our office for more information about this required 16 hour program.

Customized Workshops

If you are part of a business or trade organization and would like us to design a program specifically for your group, contact our office. We will be happy to work with you to develop the right program for your organization. Just call and share your needs with us.

Success Stories

Here are just a few of the many success stories the SBDC has played a part in:

To the Rescue: PCC's Small Business Development Center guides entrepreneurs through tricky decisions.
Veenker casts herself into a big career: PCC's Small Business Development Center propelled Lana Veenker and her small casting business from start-up to success.
Local small biz quenches community's thirst: Bill and Kathy Kendrix's Nia Water is a local northeast Portland business that used PCC's Small Business Development Center to come up with a business plan that won't leave them high and dry.