Molly Izo, at right, attends Leadership Lab with Deschutes Brewery colleagues.

Lashing a modified rafting drybag to the back of an off-road motorcycle was how Giant Loop, a Bend-based saddlebag-style gear maker, got its start. Soon, though, product designer Harold Olaf Cecil realized there was far more to the adventure of running a small business than the sketch of a great design.



“When I started the company, I had almost zero actual business knowledge. I didn’t even know what a ‘P&L’ was when a banker asked me to send one,” Cecil recalled of his first encounter with a profit and loss statement. He found help — and a clear roadmap — through the Small Business Development Center, or SBDC, at Central Oregon Community College, enrolling in its longstanding Small Business Management Program.



“My participation in the Small Business Management Program, as well as the counseling I received, helped equip me with the financial and business knowledge needed to successfully, profitably operate and grow Giant Loop,” he added. That growth led to the sale of the business last year, 15 years after it launched, to a Swedish backpack manufacturer. “I always encourage other small business owners to take full advantage of COCC’s valuable resources,” Cecil said of the SBDC. “It’s some of the best use of taxpayer dollars I’ve ever seen.”



Central Oregon small businesses seeking guidance, whether for growth or day-to-day functions, will find all the right tools and advice — for the right price — in the 2023-24 Small Business Management Program, which begins Oct. 11 on the college’s Bend campus. Apply at cocc.edu/sbdc.



“Our program provides strategic help with setting goals, and achieving them,” said coordinator Keith Sherrill, MBA. “Each class spans traditional business fundamentals and processes.” The former U.S. Army Ranger, who founded and operated an Alabama-based, award-winning craft brewery, brings firsthand business savvy to the sessions. 



Limited to 20 participants, the Small Business Management Program meets once a month on Wednesday afternoons for three hours of class time, over nine months, and includes ongoing one-on-one advising. Cost is $999, and scholarships are available to eligible businesses. Program prerequisites: Businesses need to be in operation for at least a year, have one full-time employee besides the owner and produce monthly financial statements.



Pull Quote

Central Oregon small businesses seeking guidance, whether for growth or day-to-day functions, will find all the right tools and advice — for the right price.

The services and instruction from the SBDC stem from COCC’s broader Center for Business, Industry, & Professional Development, a workforce training hub that brings advice, licensing support, team-building, customized training and a host of seminars to businesses large and small.



“The Leadership Lab at COCC was amazing,” said Molly Izo, project management office manager at Deschutes Brewery, who took the training with a team. “We were able to cover topics fromcoaching to team development to emotional intelligence. I found this course extremely useful and highly applicable to my work at the brewery.”



A six-session interactive training, Leadership Lab is offered twice a year and provides instruction in areas such as feedback techniques, delegation, working with difficult people and performance management. Individual sessions can be built into a customizable format for a more targeted approach.



For entrepreneurs on the cusp of a launch, “Starting Your Business in Central Oregon” is a two-hour, interactive Zoom-based class, offered once a month, that covers essentials such as funding and legal considerations. Upcoming classes are slated for Aug. 2 and Sept. 6; cost is $29.



Technical skills offered through COCC’s Center for Business, Industry, & Professional Development include real estate broker license exam prep, CPR training and forklift operation, among other niches. For many in search of new business skills and tips, the advice available from the center’s seasoned team of advisers — with free consultations offered — is the ultimate resource.



“The advising is absolutely amazing…incredibly insightful, helpful and inspiring for me as I’ve grown my business,” said Scott Blaylock of Purely Maxwell, whose organic wellness and skincare products made the jump from an Etsy-based shop to the local market this year. Guidance on packaging, distribution and sales encouraged Blaylock to confidently grow his market — and his business dream.



Visit cocc.edu/cbipd to view the full menu of business courses and services.