Counseling
Testimonials
As the Center for Economic Vitality
"The CEV has helped me restructure my energy into planning for the future instead of wasting that energy on putting out fires. Some of the areas of planning have included hiring employees, understanding my financials and planning on the vitality of the company for the future years.
I have to say that all of the support may have been given "free of charge" but its value has been immeasurable. I feel a sense of reassurance after leaving each appointment - knowing that this business will continue to grow with support from my community and the Center for Economic Vitality."
-Trudy Scherting
Moka Joe Coffee
Bellingham, Washington
"I have had the pleasure and good fortune of meeting with Tom Dorr many times since our first chat in 1999 as a "yet to be" business owner. I'll never forget our early conversations and how well he calmly guided me toward what would be necessary for success in my new business. He quickly earned my confience with his knowledge, the resources he could provide, and his supportive but realistic demeanor in his coaching.
The fact that this caliber of guidance was free and non-biased was incredible to me and I could not imagine anyone starting or developing a business without consulting Tom or his staff at the CEV.
If I needed a confidence boost, a new lesson, industry data, partnership advice, planning tools, or even a "stern" word of warning, Tom was there for me with an encouraging smile and sound advice that I sincerely trusted. It worked and I feel smart by having utilized his services for so many years.
Having been in business now for 11 profitable and enjoyable years, I can and often do say I owe much of that success to his help and the resources at the CEV."
-Steve Roguski
Fairhaven Runners&Walkers
Bellingham, Washington
"The mentoring I obtained from the CEV that truly set me up for success. Mentors at the CEV gave me not only the tools and information, but also the encouragement I needed, and the reinforcement of my faith that my business would be successful.”
-Terri L. McCalla, DVM, MS, DACVO
Animal Eye Care
Bellingham, Washington
As the SBDC
"We see Tom about every three to six months. He helps us fine-tune profit and loss and balance sheets to focus on certain areas that make huge differences."
-Shad Malone
MGM Solutions
Bellingham, Washington
"Transitioning my medical practice from primarily obstetrics to only gynecology was a significant financial risk. The SBDC was professional and warmly supportive. They offered effective marketing strategies and most of all helped my employees and me feel supported in own good business decision making ideas. What a wonderful resource our community has!”
- Diane M. Arvin, MD
Bellingham, Washington
"In order to truly grow a community, small businesses must flourish and be able to understand trends and respond accordingly. Small businesses are the back bone of the community. The dilemma for a small business is that they are ill- equipped to master at any depth all the financial, economic, and basic business issues facing them. Small means for the most part an owner is multi-tasking, working out front selling services or products as well as trying to manage the payroll, accounts payable/receivables, and marketing with little time to set goals and study the economic issues and trends that will impact them.
The Small Business Development Center’s role is two-fold. They exist to help stimulate the economy and to help advice, offer business tools, and support new businesses. Although I have 25 years of business experience in the corporate world, without their services I would not have been able to keep my doors open. Two years ago I researched the possibility of opening a smoothie franchise. On my own I read the UFOC, called prior franchises, contacted lawyers, made real estate decisions and ultimately landed two sites and what I believed to be sufficient funding to make my dream come true. I only contacted the SBDC later, when I was having cash flow problems and needed help in acquiring more funding.
The SBDC reviewed my financials, asked hard questions concerning the market, franchises in general and counseled ways to acquire more funding. They took an active role in providing templates of spreadsheets that were accepted by various financial institutes, looked at the concept, and when I hit the wall with rejection; they offered more avenues for me to pursue investor funding. When I was faced with the unforeseeable destruction of my parking lot due to building construction of the landlord, they helped me present a financial picture of projected losses which led to a win-win negotiation of rent abatement. I looked to the SBDC again when I found that my franchise wasn’t supporting me sufficiently in local marketing. Their knowledge of the franchise world gave me insight and information to again negotiate an equitable solution that ultimately saved me money.
I entered into entrepreneurship with a good foundation of business. I still needed the SBDC and feel lucky that they could offer me a wealth of experience to navigate tough issues. Many new business owners have dreams and passions but don’t’ have the skills or time to create a business plan and study all the factors. The SBDC should be their first stop. The SBDC can save time, energy, and inform clients of financial realities.
The role of the SBDC is to give business owners the tools to make their dreams come to fruition. They are fact finders, designers, and advisors. The SBDC offers these consulting services free of charge. I, like most struggling small businesses, can not afford to pay for these services. Ironically, it is these very services that will help me be profitable. My profitability is tied to the success of the community. The SBDC is the very foundation of success."
-Abbe Rolnick
Owner
Robeks Fruit Smoothies and Healthy Eats
Bellingham, Washington
"We are well aware of the benefits of using SBDC. With their help we have just completed an ownership transition which included the securing of SBA bank financing. We relied extensively on their expertise and research capabilities as well as their knowledge and contacts in the community. Simply put, we could not have done this without them.
Tom and the SBDC have helped me personally feel comfortable in stepping up to the leadership position in my company and in developing my own personal style of management. They have not only kept me sane, but have also supported me in a variety of roles including mediator, motivator, educator, and at times, counselor."
-Debbie Gann
Owner
Home Attendant Care
Bellingham, Washington
"I highly recommend the SBDC to other business owners, and appreciate the generosity of WWU for having this program available.”
-Chuck Elashkar
Rainshield Inc.
Ferndale, Washington
"We have worked with Tom Dorr and his staff at SBDC for over three years and credit our continued success to their ongoing support. The SBDC offers guidance during planning stages, business growth, and strategic planning to aid with the ups and downs of all our business experiences.”
-Cindy Heins
Controller
Parts Warehouse
Lynden, Washington
"I can’t say enough good things about the ongoing support K&K Industries has received from the Small Business Development Center! When Ben and I decided to start our business, the very first thing I did was to call the SBDC to schedule an appointment. That was the best decision I’ve made.
The SBDC has helped and supported us from conception (March 2004) through being named the 2006 Start-Up Business of the Year!”
-Sandy Keathley
Ben Kinnebrew
K & K Industries
Ferndale, Washington