Business Resources

There are many classes, workshops, grants, low-cost loans and other resources to help your business, and we’re here to help you find what you need. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, don’t hesitate to contact us. 

Local Business Workshops, Classes and Education

Gateway to Success Series 

These FREE and engaging business education sessions are designed to help you succeed and connect with your local business community. Presented by the City of Washougal with support from the Washougal Business Association and sponsors, this series delivers actionable insights and tactics you can start implementing today in your business.

Each in-person session offers a presentation with essential strategies and tactics for small businesses, plus organized networking with peers. Following each session, attendees gain exclusive access to a group Zoom call where the presenter dives deeper into the series topics, answers questions, and demonstrates essential business tools you receive for free.

WSU-Vancouver PACE Program offers online certificate courses

The PACE Program at WSU-Vancouver, with 2-4 week long courses in the Fall and Spring, offers up to 60% discounts for employees of small businesses and non-profits. Evening classes are held twice per week in live, instructor-led online format. Courses include:

  • Excel Beginner, Excel Intermediate and PowerPoint
  • Business Analytics with Power BI, Level Up with DAX in Power BI and Customer Service Essentials
  • Change Management, Conflict Resolution, Women in Leadership and Leadership Essentials
  • Communication in Project Management, Python for Data Analytics, Process Engineering Foundations
  • Break Free from Burnout

SCORE provides free/low-cost Business Education

SCORE can help you start, grow or successfully exit a business. Small business owners who receive three or more hours of mentoring report higher revenues and increased growth. 

  • Need help writing a Business Plan? SCORE partnered with MasterCard to offer you this free workbook and plan.
  • SCORE provides a variety of free or low-cost virtual business workshops and targeted training that matter to you and your small business. 

Portland Community College’s SBDC offers Training Programs

Portland Community College’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has been helping entrepreneurs build businesses for 40 years. Start, grow, or rebuild your business confidently with support from these specialized business training programs. 

  • Business Builders 12-week training program blends 8 weeks of foundational business educations with 4 weeks of specialized industry learning so you can start, grow and thrive.
  • Buying & Selling Outside the U.S. 6-week series. Learn to thrive in the global marketplace. Become familiar with import/export regulations, supply chain management, cultural awareness, and more.
  • Getting Your Recipe to Market 12-week training program that takes you step-by-step to produce, promote, and sell your product plus one-on-one help in building your food product business.

Livelihood NW: Free and Low-Cost Business Support to SW Washington

Livelihood NW provides free and low-cost professional business support services in SW Washington for businesses in all industries and at all stages, from pre-startup to scaling and growth. Services are centered around breaking down barriers and addressing the wealth gap for underserved populations. Services are available in English and Spanish and include one-on-one in-depth technical assistance, business advising, workshops, trainings, cohort learning, bookkeeping setup & training, resource navigation and referrals.

C-W Local Connections offers monthly networking

Local business and community leaders from Camas and Washougal meet monthly to network with each other and to support their local communities. Meetings are held every 4th Tuesday from 4-5 p.m., with a different local business hosting each event. Find C-W Local Connections on Facebook or contact us to find out where the next meeting will be held.

 

State Business Workshops, Classes and Education

Small Business Requirements and Resources (SBRR) offers free workshops 

The Small Business Requirements and Resources (SBRR) offers free workshops with essential information to help start and grow your business These events are sponsored by the Small Business Liaison Team and hosted by various partners. 

NW Access: Free workshops to support Small Business Owners with disabilities

NW Access Fund offers people with disabilities customized loans, financial coaching, and other resources. Their six-part webinar series helps people with disabilities start and run small businesses and pursue self-employment.

Scale-Up online training program: $1599 cost waived for WA Businesses

Start 2025 with a Growth Mindset. This online program normally costs $1,599 but will be provided at no cost to Washington State businesses through June 30, 2025, with funding from the Washington State Department of Commerce. The nine-week program consists of instructor-led virtual training sessions, online learning modules, and access to a social media networking platform that facilitates interactions between business owners and business experts. The program is most beneficial for established business owners with two or more years’ experience owning and operating a small business who are currently based in Washington state.

Oregon MBDA offers free/low-cost Business Education

The Oregon Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), managed and operated by Business Impact NW, is dedicated to serving underbanked entrepreneurs.  Their goal is to assist minority businesses who are seeking growth opportunities with consulting, business training, contracting and business development. Learn more about their current virtual offerings and how to sign up.

WA State Dept. of Revenue: Learn tax incentives, deductions, credits, and programs

Understanding tax obligations can be challenging for a small business or a new business owner.  DOR has several educational resources aimed at assisting businesses with tax reporting responsibilities and questions.

WA Department of Enterprise Services: Want to do business with the State?

State agencies are actively seeking to spend money with small, diverse, and veteran-owned Washington businesses. Learn more from WA State DES or subscribe to the monthly email bulletin for small, diverse and veteran-owned businesses. Resources to help you get started with state contracting:

WA State Department of Labor & Industries: Free workshops and webinars

WA State Department of L&I is a state agency dedicated to the safety, health, and security of Washington’s 3.3 million workers. Learn more about their free/low-cost virtual and in-person educational events.

 

National Business Workshops, Classes and Education

SBA offers free Wednesday Webinars, free SBA 101 Program, and More

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is celebrating 70 years of service. To honor this occasion, the SBA Seattle District Office invites Washington State business owners to join them for free Wednesday Webinars focused on exporting, government contracting, and finding funding for your small business.

You may also join SBA 101: Overview of SBA Programs to learn more about programs for small business, free counseling, access to business capital, contracting with the federal government and how to incorporate these free resources into your small business journey. This free webinar takes place virtually once a month, on the third Tuesday of each month from 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Multiple free and low-cost virtual and in-person educational events are offered nearly every day with topics ranging from marketing to finance to leveraging AI.

SBA Learning Center: Free online Business Courses

SBA’s online learning programs are designed to empower and educate small business owners every step of the way. Whether you’re looking to start a small business or expand your current one, SBA’s digital learning platform has everything you need to educate yourself on entrepreneurial best practices and available financing options.

Main Street America partners with Grow with Google to offer free workshops

Main Street America and Grow with Google have teamed up to help business owners gain new skills through local Digital Coaches. Through the Grow with Google Digital Coaches program, 10 coaches in small towns across America are offering free live trainings and hands-on coaching. No matter where you are on your entrepreneurial journey, your local Digital Coach can help you build skills to take the next step for your business.

 

Legal Resources and Assistance

  • Clark County Volunteers Lawyers Program: Provides civil legal aid to low-income individuals. They provide legal aid through specialized “clinics” in these areas: Family Law, Housing Justice (eviction), Bankruptcy, Elder Law, Homelessness, Immigration, Dependency, Domestic Violence, and more.
  • Communities Rise: Offers a Small Business Legal Clinic for low-income Washington state business owners seeking legal advice, and also offers direct representation for legal work that requires one-on-one work with an attorney in these areas: Business Entity Formation, Contracts, Real Estate, Taxes, Employment, Intellectual Property and Privacy, and more.
  • Find Legal Help: Provides Volunteer Lawyer Programs, Reduced Fee Legal Help, Reduced Cost Family Law Legal Representation, Free Legal Help, and more.

 

Helpful Guides

Small Business Guide: This Small Business Guide is broken into six sections, based on your stage of business.  Whether you are starting your business, managing a new business, or expanding your business, you will find valuable information and resources. The business guide is accessible online, and it’s also available in PDF to use as a printed reference manual.  The PDF is available English, Spanish, Russian, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Samoan, Somali, Tagalog and two volumes in Braille Ready Format. This guide includes sections that will help you plan, run, grow, or close a business in Washington State.

Evergreen BizLink offers Startup Guides and Growth Guides. Find a perfect guide for your business.

Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance (ORIA): offers an Information Center (IC) Team as a free customer service center available by phone, text, chat and email. It’s a great place for entrepreneurs and small businesses to ask questions regarding starting or operating a business. The IC Team of professionals are friendly, expert researchers, and eager to provide information and connect you with programs, training, and resources to help you achieve your business goals.  They offer an experienced team familiar with owning a small business, working for regulatory agencies, and ready to connect you with reliable information and valuable resources. Contact the IC Team at (800) 917-0043 or email help@business.wa.gov

  • Example of customer requests: helping an entrepreneur understand the requirements for owning and operating an auto body business, or putting a farmer in touch with the correct regulatory staff to determine if a piece of property has water rights, and connecting a small business owner wanting to start biodiesel production with regulators and safety officials.

Starting a Non-Profit in WA State: The Nonprofit Association of Washington (NAWA) partners with a powerful network of nonprofit organizations across Washington State to learn, advocate, and collaborate, so that nonprofits can achieve their missions. Sometimes a single learning session is just what you need to get started. Popular webinars include QuickBooks Made Easy, Boards and Governance Leadership Training and more. Find your non-profit session in their event calendar.

Craft3: Free Guide to Help You Become “Loan Ready.” Find everything you need to know to apply for a business loan, along with other resources to help you prepare for loan application. If you’ve considered applying for a business loan but aren’t sure of the process or what a lender will ask for, then the Definitive Guide to Getting Loan Ready is for you.

Business Impact NW: Their Loan Readiness Center offers free tailored advice and business loan training to help entrepreneurs from underserved communities learn how to access funding to help start and grow their business. And when you’re ready to talk with an advisor who can support you and help point you in the right direction, reach out for one-on-one business coaching.

 

Business Assistance Resources

Consider these local, state and federal agencies listed below. They are great resources for your business.

Local

State

Federal

Contact Us

  1. Joe Walsh

    Joe Walsh

    Director of Community Services and Strategy
    Email Joe Walsh