The North Idaho Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides expert no-cost business and leadership coaching and workshops to help businesses at every stage accelerate their success.
New Business
The SBDC Can Get You Started:
- Deciding – In person and online “First Step” courses help explore if opening a new business or buying an existing business or franchise is right for you.
- Moving Forward – SBDC coaches provide guidance on all aspects of your business launch, including your business plan, feasibility and financial analyses.
- Acquiring Capital – Receive referrals to investors and banks, review financial management practices, and discuss loan package preparation.
- Gaining Market Research – Utilize SBDC research tools to obtain market reports, financial models and industry meters to help launch your business.
- Targeting Your Market – Refine your industry analysis, identify your customer base and research your competitors.
- Certifying Your Business – Learn what opportunities are available to women, minority, or veteran-owned businesses along with certification requirements.
Growth
Growing a profitable business involves leveraging scare resources to achieve clearly defined goals. The North Idaho SBDC can assist you in refining your business model to deliver “wow” to customers at the right cost to maximize profit. This involved identifying and targeting the best customers, developing systems and processes to deliver sustainable wins at the right cost, hiring and retaining winners, and developing performance metrics to focus on the right things at the right time.
- Refining business model
- Operational improvement for scalable growth
- Building an online presence including eCommerce to diversify sales streams
- Developing mobile-ready strategies to prepare for employees working off-site when needed
- Expanding strategically through new markets online, abroad or with the government
- Strategic funding to support growth
Continuity & Survival
Starting a business is difficult work. But keeping it healthy and making sure it is sustainable in the long-term requires new ways of thinking. The North Idaho SBDC continuity & survival services available to small businesses include confidential advising on topics such as:
- Improving your gross margin
- Cashflow strategies
- Creating, updating, and refining business continuity plans
- Acquiring capital, before and after the event
- Using cloud-based alternatives for critical business operations, tools and infrastructure
- Finding ways to maintain connectivity during a business disruption
- Reviewing ways to optimize online performance through SEO and other website enhancements
- Discussing all available resources to your business including local, state and federal partners who provide disaster loans, disaster training and much more
Our business coaching service is one-on-one and confidential. All of our coaches are seasoned retired executives with decades of experience in growing and running businesses.
Contact North Idaho SBDC