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Small Business Development Center reports 2024 assistance in Skamania County; advisers cite jobs supported and early 2025 gains
Summary
SBDC certified business advisor Tessa Vodish and regional manager Ron Nielsen told commissioners the center counseled 12 clients in 2024, supported 48 jobs and reported $261,000 in client revenue; early 2025 figures show continued activity.
Tessa Vodish, certified business advisor with the Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC), updated the Skamania County Board of Commissioners on the SBDC—s activity and local impact for 2024 and early 2025 during the Jan. 22, 2025 meeting.
Vodish said the SBDC provided no-cost, confidential advising and technical assistance to local businesses on strategic planning, cash-flow management, marketing and loan packaging, and referred clients to outside professionals (for example CPA or legal services) when issues were outside the SBDC—s scope.
2024 and early-2025 metrics: For 2024 the SBDC recorded six new clients (two arriving in Q4) and 12 total clients counseled during the year, using six different advisers statewide. Vodish reported the SBDC supported or sustained 48 jobs in 2024 (five in Q4), recorded eight new jobs created during the year (four in Q4), and documented one new business start in the last quarter. Total assistance hours for 2024 were 86 (22 in Q4) and reported client revenue for the county—s clients was $261,000 based on SBDC surveys.
Year-to-date 2025 activity: Vodish said that as of mid-January 2025 the SBDC had two clients under advisement, supported six jobs so far in 2025, logged 10 adviser hours and brought in $55,000 in support tied to a local client project noted in the presentation. The primary assistance categories were financing/capital, general business management and accounting/business plans.
Outreach and partnerships: Vodish said outreach included engagement with the local chamber (attendance at luncheons generated leads), planned public trainings, and use of WSU-affiliated market-research resources. Regional manager Ron Nielsen thanked county officials for the time and offered to coordinate additional outreach to the county—s east and west ends if requested.
Vodish invited commissioners to refer businesses to the SBDC and said she plans additional local outreach this year.
