Small Business Development Center
Monthly Update
January 2013
The SOU Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides in-depth, confidential, one-on-one guidance to businesses and prospective entrepreneurs at no fee. We can help you gather information, evaluate, plan, and create systems for your business that lead to greater profit, job creation, and job retention.
Call 541.552.8300 or visit our website: www.sou.edu/sbdc for more information

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Smart Start Your Business 
 
January 10, 2013
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
OR
January 25, 2013
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
 

  

Get the important information you need to know before you start your business in southern Oregon. This 3-hour workshop provides the "nuts and bolts" and more to help you succeed.     

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Small Business Networking Opportunities

Ashland Chamber Greeters Meetings
Every Friday,
8:15-9:30 am


Medford Chamber Greeters Meetings
Every Thursday,
8:00-9:00 am

Phoenix Chamber
Greeters Meetings
First Tuesday,
8:30-9:30 am


Talent Chamber
Greeters Meetings

Third Wednesday,
8:30-9:30 am


Heart of Medford Association
First Wednesday,
8:00-9:00 am


Jefferson Grapevine
Bi-monthly,
5:00-7:30 pm

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Oregon has a new Business Portal! 

 

  This "one stop shopping" website has everything a person needs to get started doing business in Oregon!   

 

Learn about what resources are available, training and classes, tax responsibilities, and much, much more!

 

The portal is located at http://cms.oregon.egov.com/business/Pages/index.aspx, or by going to "Oregon.Gov" and looking under the label "Business" in the upper right corner of the page.  

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Additional Small Business Articles


'My Dashboard'
Have you accessed your dashboard on BizCenter?

If not, click here for a handout to learn how. 
 
Gain access to a variety of resources (including those from other centers), recommended documents from your advisor, and access LivePlan Business Plan Software at no cost
(Note: Advisor must sign you up first to receive the software at no cost).
 
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Oregon SBDC Programs:

 Capital Access Team  
The Capital Access Team is led by highly qualified SBDC advisors who engage clients in learning about access to capital.  
 In order to ready for a referral to the CAT, clients must pre-qualify by meeting
these basic requirements

GROW Oregon
Thinking about growth? Wondering what it will take to stay profitable now and in the years ahead?  GROW Oregon's highly experienced advisors have been there themselves, and have the wisdom to help your business thrive!  
 

Click here for more information on GROW Oregon.

Jack at desk
Happy New Year! 

Though it's only a day and a date, the new year signifies new beginnings, new promises, and hopes for bright futures. We enjoyed serving you the past year and look forward to helping you achieve your business objectives in 2013. Stay up-to-date with our website
SOU SBDC and Monthly Newsletter to see what we have to offer.

Be well,
Jack  
   
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Client Spotlight:   

 

Rick Leibowitz brought a wealth of hands-on experience to our Small Business Management class, with great examples of how to apply the ideas and principles taught in class.  The curriculum was loaded with practical tools and exercises, and he provided a tremendous amount of encouragement to me and the other students.  He challenged us to do better.

I really appreciate the advice and guidance Rick provided in our F2F meetings, which he used to tune the class work specifically to the needs of my business.

I look forward to working with Rick and the other staff members at the SOU SBDC in the future.  I am very grateful that the staff recruited me for the Small Business Management Course.  It's been a great investment of my time.  I am sure that there will be other classes offered which have the potential to give my business a boost. 

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2013 Implications of Obamacare

Rick Holcom and Barbara Meuse

Moss Adams LLP

   

2013 will bring changes in order to develop implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The law dictates that full implementation occurs by January 2014. Some of the areas that will need to addressed and/or analyzed are the following.

  • Health Insurance Mandate - Employers will be required to offer health insurance coverage or face penalties from $2,000-$3,000 per employee beginning in 2014. The penalties will not be deductible as a business expense. The Oregon Health Insurance Exchange will be available for small employers, those under 50 employees and coverage will begin January 1, 2014. The Cover Oregon website and FAQs contain some good information for small businesses and individual coverage. The website is: www.coveroregon.com 
  • W-2 reporting on group health plan coverage - A requirement to report the cost of employer-provided group health plan coverage on the 2012 W-2's that are generally required to be filed in January of 2013 is another new mandate. There are some exemptions for employers, one of which is those that filed fewer than 250 Form W-2s for 2011. Dental and Vision plans are excludable from reporting if it was not integrated into a group health plan.
  • New Health FSA Contribution limits - The new $2,500 limit applies only to salary reduction contributions, not to employer nonelective contributions. The limit is per employee, per employer. The limit will be adjusted annually for inflation
  • Additional Medicare Tax - An additional .9% Medicare tax withholding for employers required for wages paid in excess of $200,000 without regard to employee's filing status.
  • 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax - In general, net investment income includes interest, dividends, capital gains, rent & royalty income,       & other passive income will begin in 2013. The gain will not apply to gain excluded on the sale of a personal residence.       This tax does not have to be withheld from wages and is subject to the estimated tax provisions.
  • Please consult with advisors for further information.

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Oregon Tax Update
January 4, 2013 
12:00 PM to 2:00 PM  

Jackson County Chapter OATC presents William Minor from the OD.  Minor will be presenting the newest Oregon updates to tax law and ways we have reconnected with the federal laws.

Location:
RCC/SOU Higher Education Center Room 132
101 S. Bartlett Street
Medford, OR

Free!

Pre-registration required due to limited seating.

To register: Email Wayne Underhill at
agtax.wayne@charter.net or fax this document to 541-826-2795 

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Rogue Nexus January Uplink
January 8, 2013 
6:00 PM to 7:30 PM

 

Do you operate an e-commerce or internet-based business?

You won't want to miss these monthly opportunities to network and share ideas with others in your industry.

Each Rogue Nexus UpLink will feature an educational presentation, a time to share about your business, time to network with others and an HTML "Roast" where we can all have a beer and give one of your colleagues a light-hearted website critique. 

 
Meeting locations will rotate through Medford, Grants Pass and Ashland.
 
The January UpLink will feature Matt Dalbey, presenting "Social Media Will Fail When...."
 
Location:
Alex's
35 North Main Street
Ashland, OR
 
Cost: $10
 

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WESO: Lisa McClease-Kelly
Because the Little Things Do Matter  January 10, 2013 
5:30 PM to 8:00 PM

 

We are all at times challenged by our busy lives and can forget how important it is to take time not only to appreciate but do "the little things that count."  

 

"BECAUSE the Little Things Do Matter" is an important presentation that helps to remind us of our own personal power and influence to make a difference in the lives of others and in our communities.

 

In the spirit of "paying it forward," BECAUSE helps remind us that whether we are networking, running our business, working everyday or just living our personal life - our attitude and our actions will make the difference - because the little things DO matter.

 

Lisa McClease-Kelly is co-owner of Kelly's Automotive Service in Grants Pass and Medford.  She is the Area Director of Business Network International (BNI) for Southern Oregon, Speaker and Coach. Lisa has coached hundreds of business professionals in business, networking, marketing and customer service. Her greatest passion in life is to make a difference in the world even if it is just one person or one circumstance at a time.

 

Location:
Rogue Regency Inn (lower level)
2300 Biddle Road
Medford, OR 

Cost:
Member/$18 for online registration & payment or $20 for phone reservations & payment at the door
Non-Member/$23 for online registration & payment or $25 for phone reservations & payment at the door.
Program Only/$15 for online registration or payment at the door 
 

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Jefferson Grapevine   
January 16, 2013 
5:00 PM to 7:30 PM

 
Practice Your Pitch in front of a live audience and receive expert critique just in time for the Southern Oregon Angel Investment Application Deadline, January 31, 2013.

Just for participating, your company may qualify to win free business organizational resources from Palo Alto Software, the leader in small business support.

** Note: As a SBDC client, you can receive 6 months free access to Palo Alto's LivePlan Software to help create your business plan. ** 

As always, wine and food will be available during the
networking time and the TAG Team will be in attendance to volunteer their support and business expertise.

Location:
Bigham Knoll Event Center
Jacksonville

Cost: $20

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IRS Logo
Oregon Small Business Forum 
"Marketing on a Shoestring Budget" 
January 22, 2013 
8:30 AM to 11:30 AM 

 

Following the Focus Area Topic, everyone present will have an opportunity to share the programs and services your agency offers to enhance the success of small business in Oregon. Because this is a three hour webinar, there will be an hourly break. Please join us for our first ever Virtual Small Business Forum.
 

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Calculating Energy Costs
January 23, 2013 (Available Online) 8:00 to 9:00 AM
or12:00 to 1:00 PM

How do you know if you are saving on energy costs? At this webinar you will learn how much energy your equipment is utilizing and how you can calculate energy costs. You will also learn what you should be purchasing and how you can maximize operating improvements and dollar savings from energy efficiency projects.  Visit PGE's Energy Education Center for additional classes.

 
Register for 8:00 AM Webinar
Register for 12:00 PM Webinar 

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10th Annual Southern Oregon Business Conference  
January 24, 2013 
2:00 PM to 6:00 PM

 

SOBC 2013: VIEWS OF THE REGION will reveal insights from economist , Tim Duy, and perspectives from outside our region. A National Site Selection Professional will tell us how Southern Oregon is viewed when he looks all over the nation for his clients who are planning to expand or relocate their businesses.
 
A panel representing the four sectors with the greatest potential and capacity to move our economy in the next 3 - 5 years will be assembled. Sectors will include:
  • Specialty Foods
  • E-Commerce
  • Specialized and High-Tech Manufacturing
  • Wood Products 

You will have the opportunity to ask questions and you won't want to miss their predictions. 

 
Craig Johnson, Harry & David CEO, is a confirmed panelist.

Location:
Medford Red Lion

200 North Riverside Avenue
Medford, OR

Schedule
Registration: 1:30 pm 
Program: 2:00 - 5:00 pm 
Reception: 5:00 - 6:00 pm

Cost: $45 Members/ $60 Non-members

Click here to register 

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SBA Logo
Small Business Administration Sponsored Webinars in January 
 Visit the SBA website for a full list of upcoming events
January 4
10 AM to 11 AM

Developing a Voice for your Company - Beyond Branding

Cost: $10; Pre-registration Required
This hour-long webinar covers the basics of branding and beyond, hosted by the Coachella Valley Women's Business Center. More information 

January 15
9 AM to 10 AM
SBA Loan Clinic 
Do you need to borrow money for your business and aren't sure how to take the next step? Attend this free virtual loan clinic and learn about SBA's lending role and how an SBA loan can benefit your business including lender requirements for loan approval. Participate from your home or office via a conference call and internet site. More Information

January 28, January 30, and February 1 (3-Part Series)
1 PM to 2:30 PM 
Guide to Restaurant Success
Cost: $70 

The Wyoming Entrepreneur SBDC has teamed up with Chris Tripoli of A'La Carte Foodservice Consulting Group to present a series of three webinars designed to help both existing and pre-venture restaurants improve operations and their bottom line.

 

The first webinar will cover The Menu. We will discuss menu development, item pricing, using product descriptions as a marketing tool, and menu layout and design. On Jan. 30, we will cover Management, including staff selection, training and retention, product inventory, and budgeting. At the final class on Feb. 1, we will discuss marketing: building sales through customer service and community involvement, media support, website and digital marketing techniques. More Information

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SBA LogoThe Small Business Development Center is partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The support given by the Small Business Administration through such funding does not constitute or express an implied endorsement of any of the cosponsors; or participants' opinions, products, or services. Special arrangement for disabled individuals will be made if requested in advance.