Published June 2002

Grow your business with help from these groups

Starting a new business is a major personal and financial decision. It can be exciting, exhilarating and yet downright scary.

With an uncertain economy and a soft employment market, many people are either thinking about or in serious planning to become their own boss.

We applaud you. Small business accounts for 95 percent of revenues generated in Washington state, 60 percent of the state’s private-sector jobs and 75 percent of the state’s employment growth and is a critical component of our economy.

Most large, successful businesses started small. Critical to their success, say many experienced entrepreneurs, was combining their motivation, desire and talent with being well-prepared to manage complex issues such as financing, creating business plans, staffing, bookkeeping and government regulations.

Fortunately, several programs exist from which owners can get this critical business information and advice. And, the best part, most of these services are provided at no cost.

Most of these programs operate under the auspices of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the federal government agency that enables financial and information support to small-business enterprises.

Though there are many organizations that offer this type of business development support, here is a brief description of the SBA plus descriptions of a few other programs available to our local businesses:

• SBA — The Seattle SBA District Office serves Snohomish County and 14 other Western Washington counties that account for more than 70 percent of the business revenue in Washington state. The Seattle office features a “Business Enterprise Center,” a state-of-the-art lecture hall, a targeted resource library and is staffed by business counselors to create a one-stop small-business planning and research center. A centerpiece to the SBA business center is the SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) counseling program, which offers free personalized counseling to those starting or currently operating a small business. Contact the SBA Seattle district office by calling 206-553-7310 or visit www.sba.gov/wa/seattle. SCORE may be reached directly at 877-732-7267 or www.seattlescore.org.
• Small Business Development Center — The SBDC provides training and technical assistance to existing businesses that want to expand their current operations. Ron Battles operates the Snohomish County SBDC office and provides one-on-one counseling on financial, marketing, production, organizational, engineering and technical issues, as well as assisting owners in conducting feasibility studies. Located in Quadrant I-5 Corporate Park, the local SBDC office can be reached by calling 425-640-1486 or by sending e-mail to rbattles@edcc.edu.
• Northwest Women’s Business Center — Women business owners often view their enterprise with different concerns and interests than their male counterparts. A woman-owned business may be started primarily to accommodate a personal or lifestyle need rather than the desire to grow a large, profit-driven organization. In this spirit, the center offers business guidance on a variety of issues, including pre-start-up plans, entrepreneurship, strategic planning, staffing, environmental concerns and many others — all from “a feminine perspective,” says Director Jamie Curtismith, who is assisted by business specialist Rosa Cruz. The office can guide owners to low-cost start-up financing options through the Community Capital Development Program and SBA resources. Male business owners are also served, Curtismith says, “with the understanding that here, we speak a different kind of business language.” Contact the center by calling 425-787-9856 or by sending e-mail to Jamie.nwwbc@snoedc.org.

Other, more specialized agencies offer free or low-cost advice to both prospective or current business owners. One, the Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) operates under the auspices of the Snohomish County Economic Development Council, and serves as a business “matchmaker,” connecting local businesses whose products or services match the procurement needs of government agencies. Start-up and existing businesses interested in establishing business relationships with government agencies may contact PTAC by calling 425-743-4567 or by sending e-mail to Jtamble@snoedc.org.

Deborah Knutson is President of the Snohomish County Economic Development Council. She can be reached by calling 425-743-4567 or by sending e-mail to dknutson@snoedc.org.

Back to the top/June 2002 Main Menu