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For three and a half years you have been reading this column to learn more about the issues business owners face and how to address them. Our goal, through these articles, and more significantly through the services offered by our Small Business Development Center (SBDC), has been to contribute to the economic development of our region by helping businesses become stronger. Evidence shows that strong businesses employ workers, which, of course, puts money back into our community.
As you may know, our SBDC is managed by Olympic College and thrives because of its partners. Since we never charge for our counseling services, we depend on the financial and in-kind support of Kitsap County, Port of Bremerton, City of Bremerton, City of Poulsbo, Olympic College, WSU Extension, Washington SBDC Lead Office and of course the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal (KPBJ). Their support allows us to continue to be a vital source of resources and counsel for start-ups as well as existing businesses. We are thankful for their continued confidence and belief in this important economic development program.
On the workforce side of building strong businesses, Olympic College is making organizational changes that will allow us to better meet the needs of our changing community and workplaces. In our effort to support lifelong learning, we are committed to enhancing the continuing education (CE) program at our Bremerton campus through non-credit evening and weekend classes.
Starting this summer, I will assume responsibilities for the CE program at Bremerton. I am excited about this additional duty because I believe there are numerous opportunities to support lifelong learning in our community. Our goal is to expand the few “small business essentials” classes currently offered on the Bremerton campus to include a variety of lectures, professional development, and personal enrichment, classes. For example, this fall Capt. Will Lent (Ret) will present a series of lectures on WWII Pacific sea battles. We would love to hear from you if you have ideas or specific requests.
Because of these additional responsibilities, I will be stepping away from this monthly article so that I can put energy into the development of our CE program. It has been a privilege to write a monthly article for the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal (KPBJ). The County is fortunate to have a business journal so widely respected and recognized as a leader in reporting events important to the business and professional community of Kitsap County.
One last note: the SBDC will continue to operate as it always has, so remember to contact Rand Riedrich at the SBDC for all your business counseling and support needs.
(Editor’s Note: For Small Business Development Center (SBDC) counseling services and workshops contact Rand Riedrich at 360-307-4220, rriedrich@olympic.edu. For partnership opportunities or other information, contact Wendy Miles, at Olympic College at 360-475-7786.)
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