Starting a business is an enduring dream for many people, but the journey to success is full of pitfalls.
With about half of new businesses failing within five years, business experts advise would-be entrepreneurs to look before they leap emotionally and financially into that dream venture. On May 17, the Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council will offer a full day of free advice for anyone who wants to prepare for launching their own business.
The conference, called “So You Want to Start a Business. … Now What?” will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hilton Vancouver Washington. For Southwest Washington residents, the conference will be an opportunity to hear and meet people who have succeeded at creating their own businesses. The idea for the conference, which has support from a half-dozen government and nonprofit organizations, is to respond to the needs of many local residents who are trying to find a path forward in the current stagnant economy.
“We thought in the current economic situation that folks have to look at self-sufficiency a little differently,” said Nelson Kee of the work force council. Kee is helping coordinate the conference. “The idea of working for a corporation for 30 years and retiring no longer exists. Plenty of people think about starting a business but have no idea about what it entails.”
