SBDC
Leading With Your Best Efforts
This article is a divergence from what an individual business might need or an area to develop, rather it focuses on us – who we are, where we may be going, and why we should consider going there. From an economic development perspective, countless people in all kinds of different…
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A Simple Solution
I am sitting in front of my keyboard today, contemplating how to frame the ideas in this article, and my mind is wandering to thinking about the differences between successful entrepreneurs and the non-successful. I have met many of each kind over the years – those who will found or…
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The Role of Uncertainty
Take a moment ……………………….. Take a few minutes and consider how well positioned your business is, what the likely growth trajectory is, and then assess your chances of remaining viable in the mid-term future. What do you see? Do you see a clear pathway…
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What’s it Worth?
Sooner or later, there comes the time when an entrepreneur asks the question: “I’ve built my business and it has supported my family, but now I am thinking…What’s Next?” Roughly half of small businesses in America are owned by entrepreneurs with ages over 55 years. In Oregon, the number is…
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Marketing as a Deliberative Process
By Marshall Doak, Director of the Southern Oregon University Small Business Development Center July 2024 Starting with this definition of marketing: “The creation of an image or description of a product or service that elicits a positive response in a target group”, the concept of marketing seems relatively straightforward. If…
Read MoreUncertain Pathways
“These are the times that try men’s souls” Thomas Paine December 23, 1776 What types of business information do you use to make decisions with? Do you exclusively rely on internal data and reports to draw inferences from for guiding future activities? Are you more inclined to listen to external…
Read MoreStart Out Right to Build Success
Starting a business has never been an easy task. If it was easy, and if continuing business operations wasa breeze, then the failure rate of young businesses wouldn’t be so high. But it is high and stubbornlyrefuses to lower, indicating that it is no easier today than it was in…
Read MoreBusiness Thoughts for 2024
By Marshall Doak, SOU SBDC Director It seemed appropriate to compile a few thoughts together regarding the business ecosystem as it pertains to the start of 2024. The reader might find this strange when the first two months of 2024 have already occurred. The calendar seemingly is moving forward faster…
Read MoreWhen Data Makes the Difference
Over the years, we have been inundated with an increasing amount of data used in a number of ways to influence or to make arguments for one cause or another. We have become so used to hearing and seeing data that we think it has always been a part of…
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Success Building in 2024
Some of the most fascinating aspects of business management revolve around the nature of change as a business progresses through the stages of the Business Lifecycle. The lifecycle analogy is similar to human development where there is a start, growth, maturity and decline phases as a stylized structure to understand…
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Building Resilience in Your Organization
As another year winds down, it is customary to take a look back at the year’s events and reflect on the meaning of them. In many instances, 2023 has been the first year that I have heard people say that it is actually ‘post-COVID’ in their lives and businesses. Comments…
Read MoreSeason’s Greetings!
One might think this is a reference to upcoming festivities, a view appropriate for this time of year. However, this article is using the reference a little differently. Tis the season to review 2023 business performance and prepare for the upcoming year with the changes that are in store for…
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