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Southern Oregon University
Small Business Development Center
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The SOU Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides in-depth, confidential, one-on-one guidance to businesses & prospective entrepreneurs at no fee. We can help you gather information, evaluate, plan, & create systems for your business that lead to greater profit, job creation, & job retention.
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A Word from Jack...
Hello, everyone! Just a short and sweet message this month...
We have a lot going on at the SBDC and I encourage you to take advantage of the many services we offer. Simply put, we are here to help you start or grow your business. Take a look at our Client Spotlight and perhaps we can put you in the spotlight in future months!
Be well,
Jack
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October 2013 SBDC Workshops:
October 3, 2013
5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
October 18, 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.
Business Plan Workshop
October 24, 2013
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
This 3-hour workshop will address the question, "Why write a Business Plan?" Topics covered include the executive summary, management, business description, services/products offered, market strategy and more. For additional information, contact the SOU Small Business Development Center at 541-552-8300. Space is limited, advance registration is strongly advised.
Veterans Small Business Management
September 5, 2013 - December 12, 2013
Veterans Small Business Management (VSBM) program combines classroom sessions and individual business advising sessions in the weeks between classes. It is designed to help business owners to realize their business and personal goals through improved management, marketing, financial understanding, and organization. Each session will address a specific topic which will be discussed and explored by the group..
More information.
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Client Spotlight
Prospect House
Prospect House is the Adult Foster Care Home in Ashland Oregon where elders feel at home and their families feel at peace. Yvonne Fried, owner and founder, first heard of the SOU Small Business Development Center from a poster located on the Ashland campus. Yvonne and her husband were able to receive valuable guidance and support from the SOU SBDC for their business start up. They attended many of the workshops offered including Smart Start, Business Plan Workshop, Profit Mastery, and Veterans Small Business Management. They also took advantage of the no-fee, one-on-one business counseling in order to gain a better understanding of employee relations. Yvonne and her six employees care for their residents as they would their own family with respect to each unique situation. Their large interdisciplinary team consists of a resident physician, home health and hospice nurses, physical and occupational therapists, social workers and volunteers. Prospect House is designed with the resident and visiting family in mind. Twenty-eight skylights bathe the interior space with natural light and the exterior is surrounded by redwood decks. There are beautiful garden views from every room and opportunity for residents to care for their own garden space. Prospect House is located on .6 acres of land in the hills over looking Ashland Oregon, just two blocks from Southern Oregon University.
Prospect House
1320 Prospect Street
Ashland, OR 97520
(541) 488-9966
Web Page
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Eleventh Annual
Rogue Valley Business Resource Fair:
The eleventh annual Rogue Valley Business Resource Fair is a free information event for small business owners and those thinking about becoming entrepreneurs. This is a special opportunity to get free consultations and attend seminars on topics critical to small businesses. Information booths will be staffed by representatives from banking, insurance and government as well as local trade organizations.
Register Online or by calling 541-552-8300
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Rogue Nexus E- Business Consortium Launch Event:
October 23, 2013
3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Bigham Knoll Event Center, Jacksonville
Cost:$25
Guests are invited to discover this vital economic engine in Southern Oregon and learn about local resources available to e-businesses. Find out about participating in Rogue Nexus and signing up for this event by visiting their website www.roguenexus.org
Rogue Nexus is a new E-Business Consortium, facilitated by SOREDI, created to identify our region as a hub for e-business, attract talent and companies to Southern Oregon, provide peer-to-peer networking and best-practices for
e-business leaders, quantify the value of this industry to our region's economy and host an annual educational conference and other events.
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Guts to Great...Women Believers to Women Achievers
October 10, 2013
5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Rogue Regency Inn
Cost:$15
Guts to Great is highly-interactive, fast-paced with a video and a quick activity that can immediately change your business. The evening will be filled with inspiring stories of successful business women (and men) who "felt the fear and did it anyway."
Seeker Stephanie Hoffman, M.S. is a business advisor and trainer for the SOU Small Business Development Center as well as a successful entrepreneur in the business management field. She has worked with over 400 clients in northern CA and southern OR wanting to start or grow an existing business. Stephanie's specialty is creative marketing strategies that are no or little cost to implement.
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Small Business
Networking Opportunities
Ashland Chamber Greeters
Every Friday,
8:15-9:30 am
Medford Chamber Greeters
Every Thursday,
8:00-9:00 am
Phoenix Chamber Greeters
Talent Chamber Greeters
Third Wednesday,
8:30-9:30 am
Heart of Medford Association
Bi-Annually in May & October
Jefferson Grapevine
Bi-monthly,
5:00-7:30 pm
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SBDC Online Training
Click on workshop title for registration information.
Available until December 31
This course covers the basics of the many Google products including Documents, Google Chrome, Calendar, Gmail, and how to search Google images and shopping products. Such things as invoicing clients in the field, providing clients with estimates on site, making appointments, sharing your schedule with key people, and having access to important documents anywhere and anytime are among the advantages of using Google products.
Available until December 31
This introductory course walks you through the steps to create a Facebook page and a Twitter account. This course consists of two sections, Facebook and Twitter.
Better, Smarter, Richer
If you work as a solopreneur - an author, web designer, financial planner, or massage therapist - YOU ARE the business.
That's why traditional business advice, which focuses on managing employees, just won't work for you. This online workshop has audio guidance, valuable content, tips, and activities to help solos of all stripes, including creative and encore entrepreneurs, "be the business"...and achieve success. You don't have to be a starving artist! Or a starving retiree! If you have been struggling with how much to charge, who to sell to, or how to find enough time in your day, we'll help you get straight. We'll even help you fire clients who just aren't worth your precious time!
We structured this new business advice around stories from people who did what you want to do, just to show that whether you take photographs or provide financial advice, your passion can make you Better, Smarter and Richer. The price includes a downloadable workbook, and the course includes seven modules, each of which is about one hour in length.
Tim Berry, business-planning expert and course creator, will talk about his own history as a small-business owner, and provide examples and feedback on common questions for new business start-ups.
Learn the difference between "start-up" and "ongoing" expenses, how expenses vs. assets are treated for tax purposes, how to create a sales forecast for your business, how to create an expense budget for your business and the important difference between profits and cash.
Learn what a target market is and what it means for your business, what is it that makes your customers buy from you, how is marketing different from sales, and how do you create a brand for your product or service? Course will also cover what to think about when developing a website for your business. Learn about the different methods to finance a new business, how to build your management team and how to hire new employees, the difference between a business "pitch" and a business "plan," and how to create and use Plan vs. Actual forecasts for your business.
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Small Business Taxes: Virtual Workshop
 This virtual workshop is designed to help a new business owner understand and meet federal tax obligations.
The first 3 lessons are for everyone, no matter what kind of business you have or whether you have employees. The next 2 lessons will discuss information that may be relevant now-- or that may become relevant once your business has become established. The final 4 lessons are for those employers who already have, or who are thinking about hiring, employees.
Because this is a virtual workshop, you can choose the lessons that apply to you. |
Free SBA Webinars
http://www.sba.gov/events/
The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers various online trainings for small businesses. Most of which are free or low cost.
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Alternative Financing: Dream$avers
 Dream$avers is an individual development account (IDA) program that encourages participants to build assets. This program encompasses 3 important branches of development: education, savings and the purchase of an asset.
Dream$avers is administered by ACCESS in Jackson and Josephine Counties in partnership with Neighborworks Umpqua.
If you can answer YES to any of the following questions, you may qualify for this exciting opportunity!
- Do you live in Jackson or Josephine counties?
- Is your GROSS household income at or below the income limits for the program? Income limits are listed by household size at the bottom of this flyer
- Does your total household net worth equal less than $20,000 (not counting your home if you own one and one vehicle)?
- Are you eighteen years of age or older and an Oregon resident?
- Can you afford to save money and commit to making a deposit monthly for one to three years?
- Would you like to save for first time homeownership, starting or expanding a small business, getting your post secondary education?
To learn more or to request an application contact ACCESS at 541-779-6691 ext 355
Dream$avers allows eligible participants to save up to $2000 over the course of 1 to 3 years, and will match it 3:1. That's like receiving 300% interest! Participants receive financial education and additional training and support specific to their savings goal so that when they reach their savings goal and are eligible to make a purchase, they are prepared!
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Moss Adams Monthly Article
Court Rules In Favor Of Retailers, Calls For Lower Debit Card Swipe Fees
The US District Court for the District of Columbia has ruled that the current $0.21 cap on debit card swipe fees must be lowered, arguing the Federal Reserve ignored the intent of Congress when it established the mandatory cap on the fees banks can charge retailers per customer transaction.
The 2010 Dodd-Frank Act called for limits on debit card transaction fees; after the Fed set the limit at $0.21, the National Retail Federation and other groups argued the cap was higher than what the law intended.
This ruling affects not only banks but also credit card companies that collect transaction fees on behalf of banks. Payment card companies also collect fees directly from merchants for the use of their payment networks-these fees may also be scrutinized in the future because of this ruling.
The $0.21 cap is likely to remain in place until the Fed either appeals the decision or lowers the cap.
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The 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.
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