Forest Grove pushes small business development with education ...

As small businesses continue to wrestle their way out of the recession and go head-to-head with a growing online industry, Forest Grove hopes to keep its local shops, restaurants and wineries alive through education.

The city is offering three grants to local small business owners for a program through the Portland Community College Small Business Development Center. ?

Forest Grove was the first Washington County city to jump on board with the new-to-the-area program last year, though Beaverton will follow suit this year. The development center previously offered classes in Portland, and those expanded to Washington County about a year and a half ago.

"We want to offer those resources to these local businesses, which have really been hit hard," said Jon-Michael Kowertz, a business adviser with the center. "In many ways, we think that retail is one of the forgotten segments in the business community. It's gone from brick and mortar to click and order."

Tammy Marquez-Oldham, the center's director, said retailers in particular suffered during the past few years, but "they are the backbone of many communities." She considers grants or scholarships to educate local business owners a citywide investment.

Forest Grove will give three separate $1,000 grants to pay most of the tuition for a retail-focused small business development course starting in April. Another more general business development course is slated to start in June.

The programs are once-monthly classes for 10 months at PCC's Willow Creek Center in Beaverton. Thirty total hours of class time will be complemented by 20 hours of individualized business advising.

"The feedback we've gotten is that it's very valuable," said Jeffrey King, Forest Grove's economic development manager. "We think it's a great value to strengthen our small businesses, which are really important to our community. We certainly want them to stay in business."

The grants are designated for businesses that have been in Forest Grove for at least one year. Recipients are expected to pay $200 of the $1,200 tuition.

Three local business owners participated in the program last year with help from city grants, including Juanita Lint of Plum Hill Vineyards.

"I loved it," Lint said. "Anywhere from thinking about a business to a year or two off the ground, I don't think you would find a better program."

She learned about managing finances, putting written processes in place for employees and the importance of branding and marketing.

"The fact that the instructors were people who worked in the field they were instructing meant you got real-life expertise," she said.

The center has 16 advisers with varying specialties, Kowertz said. Topics covered during the upcoming retail course will span operations, planning, marketing, finances and personal development. From bistros to bookstores, the retail program is geared toward helping local businesses amp up sales and hiring.

"What we expect from these entrepreneurs in the program is that they will create jobs and retain their current jobs," Marquez-Oldham said.

Grant applications will soon be available online at the city's website or at the Chamber of Commerce and are due by April 12.

--Kari Bray

Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/forest-grove/index.ssf/2013/03/forest_grove_pushes_small_busi.html

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