Small-Business Centers Help With Everything From Startup Costs To Expansion
The Register-Guard:
3 years ago, Steve Reinmuth was an artist struggling to make a business out of his operation. Today, he is a businessman whose trade just happens to be art.
‘As an artist, I love what I do and I did it well,’ says Reinmuth, who owns Reinmuth Bronze Studio in northwest Eugene with his wife, ZoAnn. ‘But I did not have any understanding of the workings or nuances of business. At the point we entered into the small-business program, we were nearing bankruptcy.’
The Reinmuths are nearing completion of a three-year management course offered by the Oregon Small Business Development Center at Lane Community College. The program – headquartered at LCC, with 19 centers around the state – offers guidance and training to small-business owners looking to get themselves on track.
Challenging economic conditions haven’t dampened demand for the small-business centers’ services, or limited their effectiveness.
The centers, operated with state and federal funding, helped an estimated 14,000 small businesses around Oregon in 2007, and clients were able to access almost $23 million in capital for business startups, expansions and other projects, according to information provided by the program.
During the last 6 months of 2007 – the most recent period for which figures are available – the businesses that sought help from the centers added a total of 872 new full-time jobs. Continue reading.
Photo: Brian Davies / The Register-Guard.
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