TECHNOLOGY IMPACT PROGRAM (TIP)


The Technology Impact Program (TIP) is focused on making quality online business training available and affordable to all small businesses in the state of Oregon. Through this Online Learning platform, businesses can increase their business knowledge, their digital literacy, and effectively implement computer technology to improve their operations.

TIP currently offers online learning with courses on social media and how to start a business, and many other courses are coming.

In addition to TIP’s online business training, you have access to no-cost business advising in the areas of social media, websites and website audits by referral of an advisor at one of our 19 Centers around Oregon.

A valuable component of business advising is that you can use LivePlan, the world’s most popular software for creating business plans. LivePlan is an easy-to-use online software for creating your own customized business plan, and LivePlan is free for business owners that register with a local SBDC advisor. For more information about LivePlan, see the tab above.

 

PaloAltoLogoThe Technology Impact Program is an innovative partnership between the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network (OSBDCN) and Palo Alto Software.

circle recovery logowebThis project is part of the State Broadband Data and Development Program and has been funded through an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant administered though the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Bizcenter online learning

Expand your business skills from your home or office with our new and expanding online courses that are available wherever you are and at any time.


Here’s what BizCenter Online Learning can do for you:

  • Increase your website’s traffic through our courses on Social Media, Google, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • Learn how to how to use blogs, create an online store, and tune-up your website
  • Impact sales by using our Customer Relations Management course to know who your customers are
  • Expand your markets through our course on Preparing to Win Federal Government Contracts
  • If you are starting a business, then the Better, Smarter, Richer course is for you

Check out the courses and register today.

Bizcenter Online Learning

Better, Smarter, Richer

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If you work as a solopreneur — an author, web designer, financial planner, or massage therapist—YOU ARE the business.

That’s why traditional business advice, which focuses on managing employees, just won’t work for you. This online workshop has audio guidance, valuable content, tips, and activities to help solos of all stripes, including creative and encore entrepreneurs, “be the business”…and achieve success. You don’t have to be a starving artist! Or a starving retiree! If you have been struggling with how much to charge, who to sell to, or how to find enough time in your day, we’ll help you get straight. We’ll even help you fire clients who just aren't worth your precious time!

We structured this new business advice around stories from people who did what you want to do, just to show that whether you take photographs or provide financial advice, your passion can make you Better, Smarter and Richer. The price includes a downloadable workbook, and the course includes seven modules, each of which is about one hour in length.

Speaker: Jackie B. Peterson

Fee: 199.00

Register for this event online

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Phone: 541-463-5250

Google Basics

Bizcenter tilt

Topic: Marketing and Sales 

Available until December 31

This course covers the basics of the many Google products including Documents, Google Chrome, Calendar, Gmail, and how to search Google images and shopping products. These products can be helpful to small businesses as there is never a need for software updates because Google Products are free. When working with Google Documents, your information is available from any computer with Internet access and on your mobile phone. These products can be helpful in moving your business to a mobile platform. Such things as invoicing clients in the field, providing clients with estimates on site, making appointments, sharing your schedule with key people, and having access to important documents anywhere and anytime are among the advantages of using Google products. This course is just short of 2 hours of viewing time.

Speaker(s): Misty Lambrecht

Full course: $ 99.00 

Register and pay for this event online

Already Registered? Sign in for more information.

Phone: 541-463-5250

Social Media Basics

Bizcenter tilt

Topic: Marketing and Sales 

Available until December 31

This introductory course walks you through the steps to create a Facebook page and a Twitter account. This course consists of two sections, Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook section contains the following topics; Create a Facebook fan page, Editing pages, Cover photos & profile pics, Types of posts, Pinning & highlighting posts, Building a fan base, and Promoting your page.

The Twitter section contains the following topics; Intro to Twitter, Setting-up your profile, How to communicate, Following & creating lists, Trending topics and Conclusion.

You will have access to the instructor and each lesson has handouts you can download. The instructor will also review your completed Facebook fan page and Twitter account. These modules are short from 5 to 20 minutes each. The total video time is just over two hours.

Speaker(s): Misty Lambrecht

Full course: $ 99.00 Register and pay for this event online

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Phone: 541-463-5250

No Cost Bizcenter Online Learning

Start, Run, and Grow - Entrepreneurship 

Bizcenter tiltIn this course, Tim Berry, business-planning expert and course creator, talks about his own history as a small-business owner, and provides examples and feedback on common questions for new business startups. This course consists of 4 modules, approximately 3 hours to complete.

Speaker: Tim Berry

Fee: Free

Register for this event online

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Phone: 541-463-5250

Start, Run, and Grow - How to Budget and Forecast Your Business 

Bizcenter tiltIn this course you will learn the difference between "startup" and "ongoing" expenses, how expenses vs. assets are treated for tax purposes, how to create a sales forecast for your business, how to create an expense budget for your business and the important difference between profits and cash. This course consists of 5 modules and should take approximately 3 hours to complete.

Speaker: Tim Berry

Fee: Free

Register for this event online

Already Registered? Sign in for more information.

Phone: 541-463-5250

Start, Run, and Grow - How to Market your Business 

Bizcenter tiltIn this course you will learn, what a “target market” is and what it means for your business what is it that makes your customers buy from you how is marketing different from sales how do you create a “brand” for your product or service. It also covers what to think about when developing a website for your business. This course consists of 4 modules, approximately 3 hours to complete.

Speaker: Tim Berry

Fee: Free

Register for this event online

Already Registered? Sign in for more information.

Phone: 541-463-5250

Start, Run, and Grow - How to Raise Money for Your Business 

Bizcenter tiltIn this course you will learn about different methods to finance a new business, how to build your management team and how to hire employees, the differences between a business "pitch" and a business "plan", and how to create and use Plan vs. Actual forecasts for your business. This course consists of 4 modules and take approximately 3 hours to complete.

Speaker: Tim Berry

Fee: Free

Register for this event online

Already Registered? Sign in for more information.

Phone: 541-463-5250

circle recovery logoweb

This project is part of the State Broadband Data and Development Program and has been funded through an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grand administered through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

LivePlan

LivePlan is the world’s leading software for creating business plans, and it’s now available to OSBDC clients thanks to the partnership between the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network and Palo Alto Software.

Many of these valuable resources are available at no cost for businesses that register with an advisor at their local Business Development Center. And LivePlan’s features enhance the advising relationship by giving the client the option of allowing the advisor into their online LivePlan account to post comments and assist in developing a strong business plan.

Here are some of the other great features of LivePlan.

Easy, error-free financials guaranteed

Write your whole plan without ever having to look at a spreadsheet—in less time than you thought possible. LivePlan simply asks you questions about your business, and you plug in the answers. Built-in formulas make the financials simple to create, and LivePlan does the math for you.

Illustrate your financials with automatic charts

Visuals make your plan easier to digest and more credible. So LivePlan can automatically create charts for you based on the financial information you've already input.

Full financials for a complete business plan

LivePlan includes all the financial tables a lender or investor expects to see, and they all link together. You input your data, and it's pulled into the right table automatically.

Include just the information you need

You have complete control over your plan. Maybe you only need to forecast sales and expenses and don't want to worry about cash flow right now. No problem. With a few simple settings, you can easily choose the level of detail to include in your plan. And you can always change it to adjust your plan for any audience.

Create a long-term plan

A typical business plan looks three years into the future, but if you need a longer-range plan, it's simple to create one. LivePlan lets you include five full years of monthly projections, which you can include in your appendix, so you can show investors or lenders exactly how your business will grow.

The online program works with your computer

LivePlan is an online program that works with both Windows and Mac computer operating systems.

 

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