Head Back to the Classroom to Build Business Resiliency

Have you taken the time to think through the following questions?

What makes a business good, and not just a mediocre economic performer? How are you going to address all of the changes you face as a business owner or manager and still remain profitable, especially when your staffing levels are light? Where do you look for answers and insights into business development, market expansion, and for setting your business up to successfully be sold in the future? Where do you find the knowledge needed when you may be purchasing a business? How do you improve the profitability in your current business?

Are you aware that the SOU SBDC offers the premier business development program in the region, available to you as owner or key manager, to work on the core skills and knowledge needed to keep your business competitive? They are accepting applications and payments now for interested entrepreneurs to come together to form the next cohort starting September 21, 2023. Applications and payments are due August 31st, so it is important that you assess your readiness to learn and act to sign-up quickly.

Here are a few reasons to attend:

Organizations that value learning, planning, and execution are arguably the best performers;

Investing into skill development in your key management personnel magnifies the value of the return to your business;

Networking with other motivated business owners has numerous intangible side benefits;

Expanding your horizons with other like-minded business owners magnifies the return on investment;

Learning from the instructor, course materials and guest speakers is invaluable for seating the instructional materials;

The combination of in-class and on-site advising for implementing the instruction is proven to be the best learning experience available, and;

Through interactions with the instructor, to be able to have content modified to be more specifically directed at your operation is invaluable.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Ellen Holub leads and instructs the Small Business Management Program as a successful teacher and small business owner of many years. She and her husband have owned Buttercloud Bakery in Medford as veteran business owners for more than a decade. Ellen is a graduate of a previous Small Business Management Cohort at the SOU SBDC Center and has returned to share her practical experience mixed with the class book and specific content presentation. Her professional classroom manner and engaging presentation style will be an inviting way to learn and interact with the others in the cohort.

This nine-month long business development program combines classroom instruction, professional advising and networking with the goal of helping business owners and operators develop strategic business skills on topics such as finance, marketing and operations. Additional attention is given to you, the owner and entrepreneur, for receiving the leadership and Executive Management training so much in demand.

Your investment in this Course will repay you many times over in the next few years. There is no need to travel across the Country to spend many times the course fees for training that can be had at home.  Make the good decision to call for an application and materials regarding the course.

To contact Ellen and the SOU SBDC Small Business Management Program, please call 541.552.8300 or mailto:sbdc@sou.edu.

Should you be thinking about selling or transferring your business in the next 5 – 10 years, now is the time to work on your succession plan. Part of that plan is to identify, hire or retain, and educate talent within your organization to step-up to take leadership positions. This development piece is critical to building a successful transition. Even if you are not thinking about enrolling in the SOU SBDC Small Business Management Course, it is important that you find some other way to prepare your team for a future transition in ownership. However, the fast, easy and inexpensive way to do this is to stay local with your training needs. Sign yourself and a key staff person up to the program and set the stage for continued success.

By Marshall Doak, SOU SBDC Director

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Marshall Doak is the Director of the Southern Oregon University Small Business Development Center and a huge supporter of innovation and the community that forms around innovation in the economy. In private practice as owner of Managed Successions, LLC, he develops and manages projects for public and private organizations for specific goal achievement success. He can be reached through: mdoak06@gmail.com or 541-646-4126.

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash