Economy heightens interest in starting businesses

MOSES LAKE — This month, Grant County residents laid off from work and ex-business owners have shown increased interest in starting their own service or retail companies.

The interest was measured in the heightened number of inquiries received at Big Bend Community College’s Center for Business and Industry Services (CBIS), said Allan Peterson, the center’s certified business advisor.

For the first two weeks of February, 12 people called the center asking for help. Last February, there were about 12 inquiries for the entire month.

“They want to take control again,” Peterson said.

The CBIS offers free help to people wanting to start their own small business.

People are mostly talking about starting service and retail type businesses, he said.

Last year, people were interested in starting fabrication and manufacturing companies.

Those individuals were going through the planning process to start their businesses. They placed work on hold to see how the economy performs and if there’s a demand for the product.

The planning process to start a business usually takes between six to nine months.

Some of Peterson’s clients haven’t slowed down the planning process at all.

“Now is a good time to plan,” he says. In the meantime, people can find out how the government’s stimulus package evolves.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is also trying to step up efforts to coordinate business loans.

The CBIS at Big Bend has access to research from Western Washington University and can help people complete industry and demographic research to help determine the market size of business ideas.

Peterson said it never ceases to amaze him that business ideas which appear tough to make happen have a lot of potential.

He also connects people with similar businesses who should know each other because they could both benefit from the relationship.

It’s because one business ends up having a service the other needs, he explains.

For a fee, CBIS offers training for business planning and marketing.

He recommends the following Web sites to people interested in starting their own businesses:

• www.springwise.com — A site that introduces and collects new business ideas and offers a weekly newsletter.
• www.toolkit.com — The business owners tool kit, which offers forms and downloads.
• www.wsbdc.org — It offers resources and advisors.
• www.sba.gov — U.S. Small Business Administration.

For more information, Peterson can be reached at 509-793-2373.