Oregon Microenterprise Network

With generous support from the US Small Business Administration, OMEN is offering a range of services to help organizations build their capacity and increase service to entrepreneurs statewide. Participating organizations are offered the following menu of services from which to build their unique service delivery platform. In exchange for services, participating organizations will report on benchmarks to OMEN on a quarterly basis.  

View the Boot Camp and Green Microenterprise webinars here.

Microenterprise Development Organization “Boot Camp”

2-Part Webinar Series

What does a successful microenterprise development program look like? This two-part webinar is designed for both start-up and mature organizations. Explore successful practices in program design and delivery – from training to management assistance to lending. Look at the organizational development implications – from fund development and communications to strategic planning and board development. Case studies of fellow practitioners will be featured and peer exchange will be encouraged. Webinar provided in partnership with Friedman & Associates. January 27, 2010 and February 3, 2010- 10am PST. Free of charge for PRIME program participants.

Introduction to Building Green Entrepreneurs in Your Community

The growing demand for ‘green’ products has created major new markets. This 90-minute webinar will offer the “truth” about green businesses, the opportunities for microentrepreneurs and how specialists can help their clients develop green business strategies. Learn how to help businesses find new opportunities, add value to their current business operations, discover how to access new markets and more! Practitioners will learn firsthand how other specialists are helping their clients develop green products and services. March 3, 2010- 10am PST. Free of charge for PRIME program participants.

Data Collection Training with Aspen Institute

View the webinar here:

Getting It Right: Fundamentals of Data Collection and Performance Monitoring
Tamra Thetford
Aspen Insitute

In order to strengthen the capacity of Oregon microenterprise development organizations with regards to data collection, OMEN is partnered with Aspen Institute to deliver best practices training on data collection. Participating organizations will assess their organization’s capacity and find ways for improvement and increased service delivery to entrepreneurs. Post-workshop, a number of participants will receive one-on-one assistance from Aspen Institute staff. Tuesday, April 20th, 10am PST.  Free of charge for PRIME program participants.

2010 OMEN Summit on Entrepreneurship

To provide training and networking for entrepreneurship development staff, OMEN will host its 12th annual regional conference in October 2010. This two day event will include multiple training opportunities with microenterprise development experts plus networking, panel discussions, keynotes and more. (Registration fee applies. Program participants will receive discounted rates.)

MarketLink – Access to Markets Assistance

Modeled after the Economic Gardening program in Littleton, Colorado, OMEN’s Access to Markets program provides no-cost, sophisticated market research to low income entrepreneurs statewide. Services include market research, sales lead generation, industry trend analysis and social media marketing strategies. Additional fee may apply for non-low income clients.

CapitalLink – Access to Capital Assistance

For rural communities that are not currently served by a local capital for small business, OMEN’s CapitalLink provides access to loans under $35,000. 

Oregon Asset Building Corps VISTA Program

To help organizations establish new services for entrepreneurs and take existing programs to the next level, OMEN provides human resources in the form of full-time paid volunteers through the Americorps*VISTA program to qualifying partner organizations. VISTA projects emphasize organizational capacity building and program sustainability. Past projects include developing individual donor campaigns, IDA programs, community food resources and financial literacy training. Interested organizations will apply in mid-March 2010 for the 2010-2011 VISTA year. Additional program fees apply.

Market Research and Fund Development Research for My Organization

Organizations can engage the MarketLink service to aid the development of new projects. Examples include marketing lists for new client mailings, list of businesses for a Think Local program or providing market research for a new project. Free of charge for PRIME program participants.

Microenterprise Resource Guide & Directory

OMEN will publish its comprehensive Resource Guide to microenterprise development programs in 2010 in both print and online versions. The Resource Guide is a source of program referrals for microenterprise development programs and is widely distributed in print and online.

Referrals to My Local Program

OMEN will direct interested entrepreneurs to resources in their area for referral.

Technical Assistance and Peer-to-Peer Matching for My Organization

One-on-one training and technical assistance is available for all program participants. Topics may include developing new microenterprise services, IDA program development, helping your clients access new markets, or other topics based on individual practitioners’ need. Free of charge for PRIME program participants.