Small Business Counseling

Sometimes you just need to sit down with an expert and hash out your business concerns. Business Counseling events at Mercy Corps Northwest are designed to get you face time with business, legal and record keeping consultants to move your business forward. If you have questions specifically related to legal or record keeping, please register for those individual events.

Business counseling events are for Mercy Corps Northwest clients only—loan clients or Foundations students that have completed at least Week 4.  If you do not meet this criteria, please call (503) 896-5050.  All counseling sessions require advance registration, and cost $20 each.  Please see our refund policy at the bottom of page.

Please select a counseling option for more information:

General Small Business Counseling

Legal Counseling

Record Keeping Counseling

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General Small Business Counseling

Do you have questions about your business that you need a professional to answer?  Once a month business professionals from the community (bankers, lawyers, CPA’s, seasoned business owners) get together at MCNW to give our clients 1:1 assistance. A full 50 minutes dedicated to any question you may have! No problem too small or too big to solve! Use the time to ask about your marketing, business idea, next steps, financing, business plan, or any other issue that is burning a hole in your pocket. We will match you and your issues up with the professional that most meets your needs. 

Sign up for either 11:00am, or 12:00 noon, on the third Friday of every month. Each session is 50 minutes. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to prepare for your session.  If you have questions specifically related to legal or record keeping, please register for those individual events.

June General Small Business Counseling
July General Small Business Counseling

Legal Counseling

Every small business benefits from seeking legal advice. Whether you need help deciding to form an LLC or corporation or can’t tell the difference between an independent contractor and an employee, a one-on-one session with a lawyer can help you navigate the legal issues that your business faces. Our legal counselor can help you:

• Determine which type of legal entity is appropriate for your business
• Determine whether you need an operating agreement, partnership agreement, discuss any other contract you may need reviewed
• Discuss the protections that are available for your intellectual property
• Distinguish between independent contractors and employees and identify related employment law issues.

Each session is 50 minutes. Please arrive 10 minutes early to prepare for your session.


June Legal Counseling with Ryan Lowe

Record Keeping Counseling

This interactive 1-on-1 session will give you the opportunity to address the accounting issues you are facing directly. Be prepared to bring specific questions as well as your bookkeeping system and laptop to work on. Our record keeping counselor can help you determine where the holes in your finances may be, make better decisions about your budget, finances, inventory, etc., and understand the importance of organized bookkeeping and tracking. Each session is 50 minutes. Please arrive 10 minutes early to prepare for your session.

May Record Keeping Counseling with Kevin Minkoff
June Record Keeping Counseling with Nicole Thibodeau

Refund Policy: In order to receive a full refund, you must notify us if you are unable to attend your counseling session one week before your scheduled session.

Mercy Corps Northwest hosts the only Women’s Business Center in Oregon, providing funds and other resources to help entrepreneurs become self-sufficient.