As a business owner, you are always in need of more cash. One way to save cash is to improve your energy efficiency and thereby spend less each month. Savings build up over time. The Corvallis Environmental Center can help you save money for your business.

Since 2001, the Corvallis Environmental Center has supported the highly valued Get SMART! Resource Efficiency Program (Saving Money and Resources Today) which provides free resource conservation assessments and recommendation reports to participants. From July of 2001 to June of 2005, REP staff worked with 42 businesses, agencies and organizations.

At the NASA Business Opportunities conference, there were hundreds of companies gathered to learn how to do business with NASA. One of the presentations was from the Federal Technology Center. (www.theFTC.org) They are a non-profit which provides small businesses help in working with federal procurement in California. They are an organization called a PTAC - Procurement Technical Assistance Center. These are federally funded non-profits focused on supporting local businesses.

In Oregon, the PTAC is GCAP - http://www.gcap.org/

 Contact the GCAP office closest to you:
 Willamette GCAP

It is my belief that a company, no matter how big or small has three main elements. These are:
• Product
• Marketing
• Financial Management
If a company is able to achieve balance and perform in these three areas, they will be more readily able to reach their goals. I will probably spend some additional time writing on this subject in the future. As simple as it seems, with the barrage of information, tools and consultants available addressing every issue that arises for businesses of any size, this foundation seems to get lost.

A Book Everyone Should Read:
Now, Discover Your Strengths

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Execution: The Act of Getting Things Done by Ram Charan and Larry Bossidy
Purple Cow by Seth Godin
Do What You Love and the Money Will Follow by Marsha Sinetar
Your Money of Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin

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The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack
Ripples on the Zambezi by Ernesto Sirolli
The E Myth by Micahel Gerber
Synchronicity The Inner Path of Leadership by Joseph Jaworski

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Adventure Capitalist by Jim Rogers
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey
What Should I Do With My Life? by Po Bronson

Advising Services (free)

• Service Corps of Retired Executives http://www.score.org
• Oregon Small Business Development Centers http://www.bizcenter.org/counseling.html

Business Resources

• Business 2.0 Web Guide http://www.business2.com/b2/webguide
• CCH Business Owners’ Toolkit http://www.toolkit.cch.com

Start-up Guides

• UMSL SBDC: Evaluate Your Business Idea http://www.umsl.edu/~smallbus/evaluate.htm
• SBA Start-up Basics http://www.sba.gov/starting_business/index.html
• SBA Oregon Start-up Guide http://www.sba.gov/or/orstartup.html
• Starting an Online Business http://www.businesstown.com/internet/