Classes, Advising, and Participation in Community Forums Continue
Salem, Ore., May 5, 2020 —CHEMEKETA COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is continuing to serve the local business community in many ways during the Covid-19 crisis. During the past month the following classes were offered and well attended:
- Navigating Your Business through Crisis Virtual Forum Series (during COVID-19 Crisis) – 100 Attendees
- Spanish Webinars Programa Disponibles para Pequeñas Empresas – 68 Attendees
- Meet Your SBDC at no-cost class offered (English/Spanish) – 34 Attendees
- Ready, Set, Start Your Business at no-cost offered (English/Spanish) – 20+ Attendees
- QuickBooks – 2 attendees
The SBDC is receiving direct emails, phone calls, registrations for advising from BizCenter.org and referrals from SEDCOR and other partners. SBDC Business Advisers have responded to existing clients as well as new clients who have reached out with questions about SBA Disaster Funding, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, and a variety of other COVID-19 related questions. This advising and information sharing is via email, phone or Zoom. While the SBDC has reduced their adviser base, they have not reduced their availability to clients and served nearly 100 advising clients specifically related to the COVID-19 crisis from March 15 to April 30. For some perspective, the SBDC served a total of 276 clients during all of 2019.
In addition to advising clients, the SBDC has provided information/resources to an additional 20 Individuals via email or phone. They have also sent out information via Constant Contact, Instagram and Facebook. While most of their advising since March 23 has been COVID-19 related, the SBDC is still seeing clients who want to start or expand their businesses, obtain loans, improve their marketing, etc.
The SBDC lead Business Adviser attends the Oregon SBDC Network’s Capital Access Team (CAT) weekly meeting to stay on top of the latest information about COVID-19 related funding. Other SBDC Business Advisers have attended trainings provided by the Oregon SBDC Network to better understand SBA Disaster funding as well as HR Issues in a COVID-19 landscape. Chemeketa’s SBM Coordinator and other Business Advisers continue to provide advising to SBM clients to help with continuity as well as issues related to COVID-19.
The Chemeketa SBDC is also involved in the following Mid-Valley forums:
- The Mid-Valley Coordinating Recovery Efforts Team (CORE), led by the Mid-Valley Regional Solutions Coordinator, Jody Christensen, in partnership with SEDCOR, Willamette Workforce Partnership, the Mid-Valley Council of Governments and Business Oregon is providing coordination and communication to the Region’s ongoing economy during the COVID-19 crisis.
- Mid-Valley Regional Economic Recovery Team is the new Regional Solutions Advisory Board, representing local and county government, tasked specifically with the COVID-19 response and long-term economic recovery.
- Mid-Valley Regional Economic Alliance a group of economic development professionals in the Region
- Mid-Valley Multicultural Community Outreach Group which assists Jody Christensen, Mid Valley Regional Solutions Coordinator with the contact information of individuals of Ethnic-minority, immigrant, non-English speaking, social and economic diverse backgrounds, etc. in the Mid-Valley Region.
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For more than 50 years, Chemeketa Community College has committed itself to transforming lives and our community through exceptional learning experiences in the Mid-Willamette Valley. As the second multi-campus district in Oregon, Chemeketa serves 30,000 students annually at its Salem and Yamhill Valley campuses, as well as Brooks, Eola, Winema, Dallas, Woodburn and Chemeketa Center for Business and Industry (CCBI).
Chemeketa Community College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educational institution.