[caption id="attachment_659" align="alignright" width="300"]
Small Business Development Center Director Bill Auxter[/caption]
Almost 60 businesses start up in Seneca County each year, or more than one every week. People ask me for advice on what to do, so I wanted to get my thoughts down. I wrote a series of articles five years ago on this very subject, and I think a lot of that advice is still fundamentally sound. I wanted, though, to provide and updated and improved guide specific to Tiffin and Seneca County.
The federal government (Small Business Administration or SBA) recommends ten steps, beginning with a business plan. My steps start before the business plan, as some future business owners don't know what a business plan is or how to do one and/or they don't know yet if they should invest the time in creating one.
Step 1. Take advantage of free consulting
In addition to getting all the input entrepreneurs will get from friends, family, and their own network, my recommended first step is to also get feedback from publicly funded business counseling. Believe it or not, there is a lot of very good free (yes, I know that sounds like an oxymoron) business counseling (aka consulting) paid for by state and federal taxpayer dollars. After I get some positive feedback about the counselors locally (which I have,) I recommend people start there. The most appropriate type of counseling depends on whether or not the business is primarily technology-based. That is - are you seeking primarily to commercialize (bring to market) a product based on an innovative new technology?
1a. Talk to the Small Business Development Center
If you are primarily not technology-based, you should talk to the Small Business Development Center (SBDC.) The SBDC program is a federal program started in 1975 and supporting 1,000 technical assistance "centers" across the country. A center is typically made up of (federally) certified small business counselors with real world experience who can help businesses and provide free, confidential one-on-one business advising, management training, educational programs and technical assistance. In Ohio, the program was established in 1985 and consists of a state network of 38 SBDCs statewide managed by the Ohio Development Services Agency (ODSA). The center serving Tiffin and Seneca County is located at Terra State Community College in Fremont and is run by Bill Auxter.
Beginner - attend a Small Business Basics seminar
If you starting a business is new to you or if you want to brush up on your basics, attend one of these sessions hosted by the Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce and taught by Bill Auxter. These two-hour sessions are free and take place every second Wednesday of the month (except July and December), from 9:30 to 11:30 am.
Intermediate - make an appointment with Bill Auxter
If you have experience starting businesses, I would recommend setting an appointment with Bill directly by calling him at 419.559.2210 or e-mailing him at bauxter@terra.edu.
1b. Talk to Rocket Ventures
[caption id="672" align="alignright" width="300"] Bob Savage talking about the impact of Rocket Ventures at a recent NORED meeting.[/caption]
If you are trying to commercialize a new technology and believe you are "technology-based," I would advise skipping the Small Business Development Center and reaching out directly to Rocket Ventures.
Founded in 2007 and based in Toledo, the Rocket Ventures organization fundamentally is a resource for capital and commercialization assistance to Northwest Ohio technology-based companies, including those in Tiffin and Seneca County. Signed client companies are eligible for funding consideration and automatically access our professional team, who provide unparalleled knowledge, assistance, and track records of success in launching early-stage tech companies.
Rocket Ventures is run by Bob Savage, a co-founder and managing partner of Savage Consulting and the angel group CoreNetwork, who previously worked in mergers and acquisitions at Libbey-Owens-Ford and Seagate Venture Management. Prior to that, he was with Monoky Associates, where he was a consultant and trainer.
The number for Rocket Ventures is (419) 464-0353 or you can fill out their online contact form. They will work to determine whether you are a good fit for their services.
Starting a Business Series Links:
Small Business Development Center Director Bill Auxter[/caption]
Almost 60 businesses start up in Seneca County each year, or more than one every week. People ask me for advice on what to do, so I wanted to get my thoughts down. I wrote a series of articles five years ago on this very subject, and I think a lot of that advice is still fundamentally sound. I wanted, though, to provide and updated and improved guide specific to Tiffin and Seneca County.
The federal government (Small Business Administration or SBA) recommends ten steps, beginning with a business plan. My steps start before the business plan, as some future business owners don't know what a business plan is or how to do one and/or they don't know yet if they should invest the time in creating one.
Step 1. Take advantage of free consulting
In addition to getting all the input entrepreneurs will get from friends, family, and their own network, my recommended first step is to also get feedback from publicly funded business counseling. Believe it or not, there is a lot of very good free (yes, I know that sounds like an oxymoron) business counseling (aka consulting) paid for by state and federal taxpayer dollars. After I get some positive feedback about the counselors locally (which I have,) I recommend people start there. The most appropriate type of counseling depends on whether or not the business is primarily technology-based. That is - are you seeking primarily to commercialize (bring to market) a product based on an innovative new technology?
1a. Talk to the Small Business Development Center
If you are primarily not technology-based, you should talk to the Small Business Development Center (SBDC.) The SBDC program is a federal program started in 1975 and supporting 1,000 technical assistance "centers" across the country. A center is typically made up of (federally) certified small business counselors with real world experience who can help businesses and provide free, confidential one-on-one business advising, management training, educational programs and technical assistance. In Ohio, the program was established in 1985 and consists of a state network of 38 SBDCs statewide managed by the Ohio Development Services Agency (ODSA). The center serving Tiffin and Seneca County is located at Terra State Community College in Fremont and is run by Bill Auxter.
Beginner - attend a Small Business Basics seminar
If you starting a business is new to you or if you want to brush up on your basics, attend one of these sessions hosted by the Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce and taught by Bill Auxter. These two-hour sessions are free and take place every second Wednesday of the month (except July and December), from 9:30 to 11:30 am.
Intermediate - make an appointment with Bill Auxter
If you have experience starting businesses, I would recommend setting an appointment with Bill directly by calling him at 419.559.2210 or e-mailing him at bauxter@terra.edu.
1b. Talk to Rocket Ventures
[caption id="672" align="alignright" width="300"]
Bob Savage talking about the impact of Rocket Ventures at a recent NORED meeting.[/caption]
If you are trying to commercialize a new technology and believe you are "technology-based," I would advise skipping the Small Business Development Center and reaching out directly to Rocket Ventures.
Founded in 2007 and based in Toledo, the Rocket Ventures organization fundamentally is a resource for capital and commercialization assistance to Northwest Ohio technology-based companies, including those in Tiffin and Seneca County. Signed client companies are eligible for funding consideration and automatically access our professional team, who provide unparalleled knowledge, assistance, and track records of success in launching early-stage tech companies.
Rocket Ventures is run by Bob Savage, a co-founder and managing partner of Savage Consulting and the angel group CoreNetwork, who previously worked in mergers and acquisitions at Libbey-Owens-Ford and Seagate Venture Management. Prior to that, he was with Monoky Associates, where he was a consultant and trainer.
The number for Rocket Ventures is (419) 464-0353 or you can fill out their online contact form. They will work to determine whether you are a good fit for their services.
Starting a Business Series Links:
