We can’t say enough good things about the Small Business Management Program at Clatsop Community College.  Keith and Keleigh went through the 3-year program and have been in the alumni class for as long.  Not only is it a wonderful program for folks new to running their own business, it really fills in the gaps for those who fell into entrepreurship by passion for their product or service rather than business training.

At Clatsop, the instructor is an amazing human being by the name of Jim Entler.  The best part of the program, in our opinion, is the one-on-one time with Jim, right here in our office.  We got to visit with him monthly while we were in the 3-year program and now get him once a term.  While the coursework follows a pre-planned curriculum, the on-site visits allow instructors to meet business owners where they are and deal with real-world issues of the moment.  We’ve watched our friends and clients use the expertise of the program to build a business, sell one, retire completely, buy new, open new locations – you name it.  We’ve grown from a 1-1/2 person mom and pop shop to the outstanding staff and service offerings we have now, with help from the program every step of the way.

Jim invited us to speak at the North West Association of Small Business Management Instructors (NWASBMI) Fall Conference this past week and we were delighted to accommodate the request.  What a great group of people.  If you are in business, and we’re guessing you are if you’ve made it this far into reading this, please, give yourself the gift of checking out the program closest to you.  We don’t know a single business owner who has regretted the decision to enroll.

You can read the handout of our talk, Mom & Pops…& the internet. Can small business compete?: http://beachdog.com/downloads/NWASBMI-0908.pdf

Here is the Seaside Small Biz Development Center, where SBM classes are held once a month:

Thanks Karl, you are wonderful and fast!!!

Sharon – World Kite Museum

One last note, I can’t say enough good things about Sabrina. She’s been incredibly patient with this newsletter process, never makes me feel stupid (I do enough of that myself), is very very quick to respond to my email requests for help and always so cheerful and positive. In short, she is doing a great job of modeling herself after [the beachdog way]!

Ann Kischner, Bridgewater Bistro

The website is my #1 priority for the next couple of weeks and I told Sabrina that it would really help me with writing text if I had kind of a feel for how she was proceeding with the ‘tone’ of the design end.

She was amazing!  She told me that if it would help my process at all, she’d be happy to give me something interactive from the site to get the juices flowing, and to just give her a couple of days to shoot something off to me.  Now, for all I know, she was thinking, “My God, these people have no idea what goes into web design—doesn’t this crazy person know how hard it is to design a site without the tex?!”  If she was thinking any of that (or anything negative at all) I certainly didn’t know it.  She was sweet as pie, totally helpful, and in every little thing she said to me, all I heard was “Yes, of course” or “I’d love to help make that happen for you.”  Now THAT is great customer service.

Actually, all I ever get from you people is great customer service.  …it’s almost like people love their jobs and the ones they work with over there…don’t you know this is America?  We’re all supposed to vote <insert your party name here> and be miserable!  Get with it!

On a serious note—the last time you and I communicated, you wrote me some very good words …and look, it worked; here I am at summer’s end, still happy and prosperous with a staff and a good base of customers who seem equally pleased with things.  Who knew?

Lynette Dowty, Anchorage Cottages

Didn’t Dr. Roof do a nice job on our exterior paint?  The crew was great, too.  Incredibly polite, and they did a great job keeping things tidy.  It isn’t often that we get to sing the praises of contractors, but working with their painting crew was a really top-notch experience.

We’re making some changes here at beachdog.com, with a goal of stellar customer service.

As most of you know, we’re now available for appointments Monday through Thursday, 9am – 5pm and, by special arrangement.  When needing to discuss a new or ongoing project, please do make an appointment rather than dropping in so we can give you our complete attention.  Of course, you’re always welcome to stop by to drop off, pick up, make an appointment, ask a quick question, get a dog fix…

Please note the following email addresses, especially if you’re using webmaster@beachdog.com to reach Keleigh!  That address is now accessed by everyone in the office so please use webmaster@beachdog.com for the fastest turnaround.  You’re also invited to use our “Send A File” form, which lets you send BIG files our way.

To reach us individually (remember to take out the spaces around the @ symbol):

FRONT OFFICE:

sue @ beachdog.com – Sue Skinner (billing questions, appointments & information, M-T-W)
wendy @ beachdog.com – Wendy Murry (appointments and information, T-W-Th)

WEB:

sabrina @ beachdog.com – Sabrina Kent (website projects manager, 9 am-7:30 pm, M-T-W-Th)
karl @ beachdog.com – Karl Johnson (website projects, database projects, 8 am-6:30 pm, M-T-W-Th)
kathy @ beachdog.com – Kathy Kidd (website projects, search engine marketing, 9 am-7 pm, W)

PRINT & DESIGN:

woof @ beachdog.com – Keleigh Schwartz (email is usually a faster way to find Keleigh than is the phone)

PROJECT BASED AD SALES:

keith @ beachdog.com – Keith Schwartz (don’t expect a quick response except during a project.)

Thank you for appropriately routing your email so we can provide you the best possible service!