Preparing Your Small Business for Shifts in the Global Economy
Topics: Small Business, Global Trade, Growing a Business, business builders, Certified Global Trade Professional
Honoring Women’s History Month: Meet Our Director
Original version first published by the Oregon SBDC Network here.
The Oregon Small Business Development Center Network is proud to honor Women’s History Month by inviting you to meet some of our inspiring and innovative Center directors serving Oregon’s small businesses. Today, let's meet PCC Small Business Development Center and Global Trade Center Director, Tammy Marquez-Oldham.
Tammy Marquez-Oldham, Director of the Portland Community College SBDC and OSBDCN Global Trade Center
With a background in the education, healthcare, software, and food industries, Tammy Marquez-Oldham pairs her extensive business acumen with a vision of providing the highest level of business education and advising possible for the Network’s clients as the director of the SBDC at Portland Community College. Through the years, Tammy has spearheaded several initiatives for the Oregon SBDC alongside various collaborators and partners including:
Pictured from left to right: Martin Golden, District Director, SBA; Tammy Marquez-Oldham, Director PCC SBDC and OSBDCN Global Trade Center; Mark Madrid, Associate Administrator for the Office of Entrepreneurial Development (OED); Michael Fong, Regional Administrator, SBA
CAPITAL ACCESS TEAM
Tammy co-founded the Oregon SBDC Network’s Capital Access Team (CAT) with Noah Brockman, who now leads the CAT as a regional and statewide service. The CAT helps small businesses identify the right source and use of capital through planning and loan package development. The CAT’s experienced advisers understand and leverage multiple forms and sources of capital, sometimes beyond traditional lending, in order to support the many small businesses they serve. The CAT celebrated its 10th year in 2022, and has helped more than 2,500 small businesses in Oregon successfully access more than $255 million in capital since its founding.
GLOBAL TRADE CENTER
The Oregon SBDC Network’s Global Trade Center is the only one of its kind in the state of Oregon and was co-founded by Tammy and Global Trade Center liaison and senior adviser David Kohl. An initiative that took 11 years to develop, the Center celebrated its fifth year in 2022. This NASBITE-accredited Center offers trade assistance and advising for new-to-export-level small businesses through two training programs: the Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) and Buying and Selling Outside the U.S. for small businesses.
GETTING YOUR RECIPE TO MARKET
The Getting Your Recipe to Market program was founded in the fall of 2006 to help small-business food entrepreneurs learn how to take their food recipe or product from idea to commercial-ready prototype. Tammy co-founded this program with the then–executive director of the Food Innovation Center, Jill Beaman; OSU staff; and members of the Portland Community College SBDC team. In partnership with the Food Innovation Center and New Seasons Market, the program has supported the development of more than 450 food entrepreneurs over 15 years. Beaman leads the program today.
Tammy (center) pictured with Getting Your Recipe to Market alum Lisa Tran, SBA Associate Administrator Mark L. Madrid, SBA Pacific Northwest Regional Administrator Michael Fong, SBA District Director Martin Golden, Beaverton Area Chamber Of Commerce's Impact Director Robert L. Routhieaux, and Senior Outreach Coordinator Oscar Gustavo.
RESTAURANT BUSINESS BUILDERS
The Restaurant Business Builders program was designed to support the needs of restaurateurs in the early stage of development by providing participants with instruction from top chefs in Portland. The program was developed in tandem with Leslie Hildula and is currently led by Dr. Sean Harry with support from lead adviser and organizer Terry Long.
BUSINESS DESIGN SERIES & BUSINESS BUILDERS
The Business Design Series tailors a curriculum for businesses within their first year of operation, led by Jackie Babicky-Peterson. For businesses in their first through third years of operation, Business Builders provides specialized training and advising from Kim Allchurch-Flick. Together, they ensure that small businesses have the essential training, resources, and knowledge required for growing a healthy business.
ADVANCED SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
For business owners who are growing and expanding their businesses, the Advanced Small Business Management Program provides them with experienced subject matter expert trainers and advisers. This program, led by Dr. Sean Harry, has been sponsored by the Portland Business Alliance, funded by Bank of America for the past 10 years.
COLUMBIA COUNTY SBDC
One of the latest developments for the Oregon SBDC Network is the addition of its newest Center in Columbia County, which is the network’s 20th regional SBDC offering core business advising services and the 21st location in the state of Oregon.
The Columbia Economic Team, a private/public economic development organization serving Columbia County, initially launched the initiative to form the Business Resource Center and SBDC after filling grant-making and other small-business assistance gaps during the pandemic and economic downturn.
When Tammy was approached by Columbia Economic Team (CET) Executive Director Paul Vogel to support the initiative, she helped to provide the framework of the language and culture to the concept and resulting plan. With her guidance and the help of many state and local partners and investors, the Center was able to engage full local support in just nine months.
In addition to her leadership at the Portland Community College SBDC, the Centers and programs for which Tammy has helped to design and secure funding have impacted thousands of small-business clients throughout her 15 years of service at the Oregon SBDC Network.
Tammy attributes the success of the Center and its programs to the extraordinary team of program specialist Yevette Johnson, client service coordinator Sharon Quillen, business advisers, training facilitators, community partners, Portland Community College, and the Oregon SBDC Network.
“Together with Team is how we serve small businesses.” Tammy says. “Together we are stronger!”
Looking for business assistance?
The PCC Small Business Development Center is here to support you with no-cost business advising and comprehensive business training programs. Get started by requesting your first no-cost business advising session here.
Topics: Small Business, Global Trade, Growing a Business, business builders, Certified Global Trade Professional
Tips for Expanding Your Small Business Internationally
Topics: Small Business, Global Trade, Growing a Business, business builders, Certified Global Trade Professional
Catalyst Trade Coffee: A Small Business Success Story
Catalyst Trade believes that "coffee is a sacrament," inviting us to grab a cup and join them as they revolutionize the way coffee is traded. Co-owner Emily McIntyre was looking for help growing her international business when she found the Oregon SBDC Network Global Trade Center and participated in the Global Trade Management program in the spring of 2020. Faced with the challenges of building a business across multiple continents and cultures, compounded by a global pandemic, Emily was inspired by the class sessions on cultural competency taught by David Kohl. After years of preparation, Catalyst Trade is excited to finally launch their vertical integration in Ethiopia, along with introducing Kenya and Peru as new coffee origins. As Catalyst Trade continues to lean on the PCC SBDC to help them grow, Emily and her team work hard to transform the future of coffee.
Learn more about Emily's story below!
Topics: Small Business, Business Profiles, Global Trade, International trade, coronavirus, Covid-19, Resilience
Advocate for Small Business Exports: Jeff Stell
This month we interviewed Jeff Stell with Business Oregon who, after 26 years working at the Oregon Department of Human Services, decided to try something new. He enrolled at Portland State University in the Master of Public Administration program and simultaneously took a new position at Business Oregon as the Business Projects Incentives Coordinator where his job was to implement incentive programs that would strengthen the development of businesses, communities, and economies in Oregon. With that shift Jeff says he “encountered three career changing opportunities" that helped him discover that a great amount of import/export activity happening across the state, and exporting wasn’t getting the attention it needed at the state and local levels.
Topics: Small Business, Global Trade, Exporting, Business Oregon, CGBP, Certified Global Trade Professional
How will the disruption to global trade affect my business?
by Warren Banks
U.S. ports are slammed.
Why? Because of COVID-19, and stimulus payments, which have led to (among other things) a big spike in online orders. 8% of consumer disposable income used to go for air travel, hotels, movie theaters, plus other theater and entertainment in general. Much of this money is now going to buy goods from overseas and causing a shortage of supply, in addition to congestion.
Topics: Small Business, CLIMB Center, Global Trade, International trade
The Top 3 Reasons International Trade Matters to Small Business Owners Today!
With disruptions to the local and global economies, many business owners may be asking if this is a good time for a small business to get involved with international trade? The answer from our experts is a resounding yes! Below we share the Top 3 Reasons International Trade Matters to Small Business Owners Today! |
Topics: Global Trade
Which Global Trade Management Sessions Are Right for You?
The recent coronavirus pandemic has created uncertainty for businesses seeking to expand their products or services to customers outside the US - and for understandable reasons. The professionals working at the PCC SBDC and Global Trade Center continue to monitor all developments as it relates to small business and will contribute that expertise to the Global Trade Management Series for the foreseeable future.
Topics: Small Business, Global Trade, Growing a Business
Upcoming Classes and Programs from PCC's Small Business Development Center
Now is the time to start planning for our upcoming courses! We've summarized all upcoming programs and start dates below. Get in touch if you'd like to learn more about a program or need help with enrollment.
Topics: Small Business, Business, Global Trade, Encore Entrepreneurship, Starting a Business, Growing a Business
Selling Internationally as a Global Business Professional
Renowned Instructor and Trade Expert Jim Foley partners with PCC SBDC to lead a course preparing students to become certified global business professionals thorough NASBITE - the National Association of Small Business International Trade Educators. PCC's Small Business Development Center hosts the two-and-a-half-day program at its Global Trade Center in downtown Portland.
Topics: Small Business, CLIMB Center, Global Trade, Importing, Imports, Exporting, Exports