Business fair called success

Approximately 55 business persons and entrepreneurs attended the first Wahkiakum and Naselle Business Fair sponsored by the Lower Columbia Economic Development Council on April 11.

Kim Hoover of Paint Pallet Interiors in Cathlamet won the grand prize of a new laptop computer in a drawing for attendees.

In “Charting a Course to Master the Wave,” keynote speaker Sandra Suran, CPA, gave a modestly optimistic economic outlook. She relayed positive trends and actions that will be taken as well as negative but improving short term statistics she learned at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco meeting she attended last week.

As a small business advocate and advisor for over 30 years, she cited past history that shows how small businesses have used difficult economic times to build their business strength and emerge with increased visibility and market share.

Wahkiakum businesses have many attributes that can enable them to utilize this economic challenge to their advantage, she said. She strongly encouraged businesses to focus on building alliances with the greater Wahkiakum community to utilize community resources and those of trusted outside service providers, to build their business strength, and to gain an advantage as the economy recovers over the next nine months.

She also underscored the importance of business planning to maximize efforts and resources, to innovate, and to assure a strong position for their companies as the recovery progresses.

Jerry Fletcher, certified professional consultant from Wilsonville, Ore., and Richard Erickson of the Villa at Cape Horn in Cathlamet, teamed up to make a presentation on marketing, on and offline. They covered the marketing basics that never change, regardless of economic circumstances.

Susan Hoosier presented a class, “9-1-1 For Your Business – Avoid the Need to Call,” while Steve Rosvold, CPA, talked about “Using the Numbers to Communicate, Analyze and Run Your Business.”

In the last hour of the fair, participants formed small groups to brainstorm on issues facing the Wahkiakum and Naselle business community. Solutions were then shared.

A website has been developed by Be Cause Business to continue the work begun at the Fair with other businesses in the area who could not attend, and with business leaders in neighboring counties facing similar issues. The site features discussion forums for posing questions and receiving answers from peers and professionals. The site also features “wiki” web pages which can be edited by registered site participants. To participate in this online resource, go to http://www.LowerColumbiaEDC.org and select “Business Conversations.”

David Goodroe, director of the Lower Columbia Economic Development Council, said that he hopes to make the fair an annual event.

The event was made possible by a grant from the Washington Microenterprise Association. The fair was produced by John E. Anderson and Kate Packard of Be Cause Business Resources, Inc. of Longview and Coos Bay, Oregon.