The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners received a detailed report last week on the work of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Oregon Coast Community College, with presenter Dave Price describing the past year as “one of the best in our history” for local small-business support. Price, filling in for SBDC Director Greg Price, walked commissioners through a year of record activity and impact in Lincoln County.

According to Price, the SBDC in the last year:

• Served 395 individual clients in Lincoln County

• Delivered nearly 1,500 hours of one-on-one advising and support

• Helped local businesses secure almost $500,000 in new capital, largely through assistance with loan applications and lender presentations

• Was credited by clients with helping create 24 new jobs and retain 11 existing jobs

• Supported the launch of 16 new businesses

• Held 29 training events on topics ranging from accounting and QuickBooks to AI for small business

  
  

Price emphasized that these “impact” numbers are conservative because they are only counted when business owners formally attest that they could not have achieved those outcomes without SBDC assistance.

Youth entrepreneurship in the spotlight

Price highlighted the Youth Entrepreneurship Program (YEP), which culminates in a live pitch night. This year’s event was scheduled for the Gladys Valley building at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. High school students from across Lincoln County spend months developing business ideas with SBDC staff, then pitch their concepts to a panel of judges in front of a public audience.

Price said $7,500 in awards would be distributed to student entrepreneurs this year, supported by partners including the Oregon Community Foundation, the Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County, the Lincoln County School District and the City of Lincoln City. He pointed to past successes like Oregon Coast Taxidermy, launched by a Waldport High School student who won the first YEP competition. That student later returned as a judge, sitting alongside established local business leaders.

Small Business Management program expanding

Price described major growth in the SBDC’s cornerstone Small Business Management (SBM) program. Once a single, general-track program, SBM has been split into multiple specialized tracks tailored to:

• Restaurants

• Retail businesses

• Nonprofits

• General small businesses

The program typically runs nine months and combines monthly workshops with one-on-one advising, helping owners “work on their business, not just in their business.” Participation has grown from about 12 businesses to 83 in roughly four years, which Price said “absolutely boggles my mind” given the time commitment required.

Training for today’s economy

Beyond SBM, the SBDC is offering short-term and recurring classes, including:

• CCB contractor licensing prep courses hosted around the county (Newport, Lincoln City, Toledo, Waldport)

• QuickBooks training

• AI and digital marketing workshops

• Accounting and finance basics for small business

Price said demand has surged for AI-related training and online marketing guidance, noting that small businesses are now wrestling with “tectonic shifts” in how customers find them online. He pointed out that even long-standing concepts like search engine optimization (SEO) are rapidly evolving with the rise of generative AI tools, changing how businesses must think about being “found” by customers.

Awards and recognition

The commissioners also heard that the Oregon Coast SBDC and its director have received top regional honors. Last year, Trade Winds Charters of Depoe Bay, an SBDC client, was named Small Business of the Year for the region. More recently, SBDC Director Greg Price received the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Center of Excellence and Innovation award for the entire multi-state region that includes Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska. It is the first time in about 30 years that the Oregon Coast center has received that distinction. Price described the award as a “victory lap” for the center’s staff and a reflection of strong local partnerships and support.

Funding and partnerships

Price credited a long list of partners for making the SBDC’s work possible.

Lincoln County provides $30,000 annually from video lottery economic development funds, a contribution that Price said has been in place nearly two decades. Oregon Coast Community College adds substantial matching support, typically in the $40,000–$80,000 range each year, and the SBDC also leverages federal Small Business Administration funding, grants such as a nearly $10,000 award from the Oregon Community Foundation, and modest class fee revenue.

He noted that many workshops are heavily discounted or effectively free to participants thanks to scholarships funded by these partners. Most importantly, he stressed, one-on-one advising is always free for both existing and prospective business owners.

Price also described close collaboration with Northwest Oregon Works, local economic development organizations, chambers of commerce, and other community partners, calling them “listening posts” that help the SBDC identify needs like looming retirements in key trades and service businesses.

Support for Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs

Price told commissioners the SBDC is expanding its capacity to support Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs. If a local advisor is not fluent, the center will bring in a Spanish-speaking advisor from another SBDC via video connection so clients can receive timely and complete assistance in their preferred language.

Commissioners praise “economic gardening”

Commissioner Casey Miller and Commissioner “Chuck” both praised the SBDC for its focus on growing local businesses from within the community rather than relying on outside employers to move in. Miller underscored the value of the college and SBDC as “such a great resource” for local businesses, noting the wide range of services and the blend of technical expertise and lived experience.

Commissioner Chuck highlighted the importance of both job creation and retention, particularly in specialized services like water system work and other trades, and applauded the SBDC’s role in encouraging young people to step into those opportunities.

He also pointed to training such as “elevator pitch” sessions as a vital skill in an era when entrepreneurs may seek capital not only from banks but also from private investors and partners.

The board thanked Price for the presentation and reaffirmed its support for the SBDC’s work in strengthening the small-business ecosystem and broader economy in Lincoln County. Commissioner Miller added that Lincoln County appreciates the collaborative work being done by OCCC, SBDC, EDALC, educators, business leaders, and community partners to help build a resilient and sustainable local economy for today and for future generations.