Center for Business & Innovation Satellite Office Opens in Yelm – ThurstonTalk

The Thurston Economic Development Council (EDC) and the South Thurston Economic Development Council (STEDI) launched a Center for Business & Innovation (CB&I) satellite office in partnership with the City of Yelm. The satellite office is open 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. every Tuesday at Yelm City Hall.

“We are thrilled to be able to partner with the City of Yelm & the Yelm Chamber of Commerce to help support and grow their local businesses! We love to work alongside cities and chambers to help start and foster sustainable businesses that become key parts of the local community. We know business owners are loaded down with so much to do these days, we hope that by locating our services closer to them we will be able to support them better,” Kaylee Purcell Director CB&I said.

The CB&I exists to support people from the idea phase of starting a business to scaling a successful medium size business with up to 100 employees. We offer one-on-one coaching, workshops, and additional resources to help start, grow, and streamline business development. CB&I resources include Washington Center for Women in Business, Washington Procurement Technical Assistance Center, Senior Core of Retired Executives, Small Business Development Centers, and STEDI.

“We are looking forward to the strengthening our partnership with the Center for Business & Innovation by opening this satellite office in Yelm,” Michael Grayum, City Administrator said. “The technical and strategic support they provide will help current and future businesses continue to thrive in our growing community.”

In addition to the satellite office, the CB&I, City of Yelm, Yelm Area Chamber of Commerce and the Washington Center for Women in Business will hold two workshops: “Where’s My Money? A Cash Flow System to Help You Keep Your Profit and Sanity,” 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. September 18, and “How to Start a Business: A Step by Step Road Map to Start Your Successful Small Business,” 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. October 2. The workshops will take place in the Council Chambers at Yelm City Hall.

“The Yelm Chamber is so excited to cement our partnership with the Economic Development Council and CB&I, and the City of Yelm, to ensure that business owners have the resources they need to thrive, right here in the heart of Yelm. We hope that business owners will take advantage of these benefits, visit the satellite office, and attend workshops that will take place.” said Line Critchfield, Executive Director of the Yelm Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Satellite Office is open for walk-in visitors 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and scheduled appointments 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. To schedule an appointment contact Ryan Norskog, 360-464-6060 or email him at [email protected].

For more information about the Thurston EDC CB&I Yelm Satellite office visit https://thurstonedc.com/cbi/ or contact George Sharp, Rural Program Manager at 360-464-6043 or [email protected].

Workshop Details

Where’s My Money?  A Cash Flow System to Help You Keep Your Profit and Sanity

September 18, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., Yelm City Hall Council Chambers, 106 Second St. SE, Yelm, WA 98597

Inadequate cash flow closes more businesses than lack of profit. A small business can be making a profit each year and still not have enough cash flow to make ends meet (payroll and overhead) each month, and the first 5 years are your most vulnerable. In this 2-hour workshop we will work on an actual cash flow projection for the next year (so bring your pencil and paper/laptop),  and give you all of the tools to understand cash flow and how to protect your profit, manage for growth and slow periods, know when you should hire, fire, and/or hold your position. If you have been meaning to learn more about your finances, or if you are stressed every month over money, this workshop is for you! Both workshops are taught by Tawn Holstra Auston, Rural Business Coach for the Washington Center for Women in Business Rural Services Program.

How to Start a Business:   A Step by Step Road Map to Start Your Successful Small Business!

October 2, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Yelm City Hall Council Chambers, 106 Second St. SE, Yelm, WA 98597

If you have a small business and are in your first year, or if you want to start a business, you can come and have all your questions answered, address your concerns/problems/sticking points, and start to strategize for the next 12 months. You can be making money in your business within a few months and design a road map for your success! A year from now, you will wish you started today.

About the Thurston Economic Development Council and Center for Business & Innovation:

The Thurston Economic Development Council has been supporting a strong economy in Thurston County since 1982 with a mission to create a dynamic and sustainable economy that supports the values of the people who live and work in Thurston County. At the foundation of the work we do are three main principles: recruit, retain, and expand. We work to maintain the health of local businesses by offering technical assistance, and providing advocacy on their behalf. We present market opportunities to Thurston County employers, providing support for them to expand their operations. We actively attract investment and employment opportunities into our region through outreach, promotion and trade missions.