Running a business is hard work; there is no denying that fact, even more so when your business is what is considered a “small business.” Many owners struggle along thinking that they are alone in their desire for their business to be successful. In Cottage Grove you see a different scenario, where businesses are receiving extra support and resources through a coordinated effort by the Economic Development Partnership. They want businesses in our community to thrive and feel supported and they have put forth a great effort to fulfill that.

The partnership has provided an opportunity with Lane Community College Business Development Council (LCCBDC) to offer a small business management class to business owners in the Cottage Grove.  The class is a 9 month course titled Strategies of Success. In the February class, the steps of preparing a business plan were explored with an emphasis on the needs of the business owners in attendance. In addition, the class was enhanced by a guest speaker, Kiaping Zhang, a business and economics librarian from the University of Oregon.

Zhang gave the class a list of resources, which can be accessed at the UO library homepage by searching the library site tab for Cottage Grove. There you will find a wide variety of business and demographic databases as well as a list of business planning resources. An interesting point was also made about the databases that are available if you go directly to the library.

The next class will be focused on marketing and public relations. There was a marketing plan worksheet passed around for people to bring back next time that focused on topics such as setting goals, defining the target market, assessing the internal and external environment, determining your competitive advantage, creating and delivering a marketing message, planning the timing and budget for the marketing campaign, implementing the plan and, of course, review and revise. More on that next month! 

Many of the resources available to the S.O.S. class are also available by contacting the LCCBDC directly at 541-463-5255 or visit their website at www.LaneBDC.com  

Written by Rose R. Miller

Cottage Grove, Oregon has the charm of a small wild-west town but make no mistakes about it, this city is on the cutting edge with technology.  Downtown CG offers complimentary wireless Internet to all.  Anyone with a lap top can sit comfortably in any given business downtown and utilize the Cottage Grove wireless network.

The Cottage Grove library is another cutting edge attraction in the downtown area.  Recently the library was asked to  host the Visions of the Universe exhibit.  This world renown exhibit will be on display at 40 different libraries around the US with the Cottage Grove Library being the only Oregon library with such honors.

Here you could talk about the C.C. college….