Entrepreneurship
Helping Your Recognize Opportunity in Lincoln County
A welcoming & supportive place to start your new business.
Entrepreneurs will find Lincoln County a welcoming place to start a new business or expanding an existing business. The EDALC lives and breathes an entrepreneurial mindset. Our Executive Director is a proven entrepreneur who has created successful software, web development and retail enterprises. Lincoln County will thrive in the twenty-first century because of the entrepreneurs who will create the businesses and jobs here on Oregon’s Central Coast.
Upcoming Opportunities for Entrepreneurs:
Rural Opportunity Initiative
EDALC and Lincoln County are proud to be one of 22 rural communities chosen for Business Oregon’s Rural Opportunity Initiative (ROI).
The ROI was created by Business Oregon as their strategic effort to empower rural communities to strengthen entrepreneurial enterprise and encourage small business prosperity. The goals of this initiative are to establish and enhance the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Lincoln County to improve business expansion and retention, allow for a more diverse pool of entrepreneurs, and improve the social and economic well-being of the county.
Gray is the New Green
When you think of entrepreneurs, you probably think of twenty-something wunderkinds, dropping out of college to pursue their dreams fueled by caffeine. The truth is, the “batting average” for creating successful a successful company rises dramatically with age. Older adults have a variety of passions, and these passions can feed into new ideas and innovations. What’s more, these innovations are often with the interests of the community at heart rather than purely personal or commercial gain. Are you ready to be part of the new “gray wave?”
OSU Advantage Accelerator
The Oregon State University Advantage Accelerator exists to support the regional Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) ecosystem. Their unique three-program approach is designed to assist startups in all stages of their growth. Our goal is to launch each venture with a robust and successful growth strategy.
The recognize that innovation can come from anyone at anytime, so whether you feel you’ve nailed it or you just have an idea you want to test, you’ll find them open and willing to help you determine your path forward.
Farmers Markets
A great place to begin selling your products is at local farmers markets.
As stated by the Farmers Market Coalition, farmers markets provide one of the only low-barrier entry points for new farmers, ranchers, food, and art entrepreneurs, allowing them to start small and test new products. According to the 2017 National Young Farmers Coalition survey, farmers markets represented the marketing channel with the highest proportion of new and beginning farmers’ sales. Many successful national brands got their start at farmers markets, including Hodo Foods, Dave’s Killer Bread, Blue Bottle Coffee, and Hydro Flask.
To learn more about farmers market locations in Lincoln County, please click here and check out what each community has to offer.
Small Business Development Center
The Small Business Development Center at Oregon Coast Community College provides a number of services to the entrepreneurs of Lincoln County, from confidential consulting to training and classes. Their mission: To create joy and wealth in Lincoln County by helping start, grow, and retain profitable businesses. Programs and services are provided to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. Contact the SBDC at 541-994-4166 or visit them online at https://oregoncoast.edu/sbdc/
Oregon RAIN
Oregon RAIN’s mission is to partner with communities to catalyze entrepreneurial ecosystems, connect entrepreneurs to resources (including overlooked entrepreneurs), and contribute to the creation of prosperous economies.
RAIN offers education programs, events and consultation across the entire spectrum of entrepreneurial needs, from networking to finding space, equipment and capital. The even provide a vibrant Slack channel for online. entrepreneurial networking
Foundry Collective
The Foundry Collective’s nonprofit mission is to help small and rural communities develop strong, vibrant, and creative startup communities that contribute to improved prosperity and enjoyment of life. They believe that everyone should have access to the resources they need to take their idea to the next level, create a business, and achieve their dreams.
In rural areas, small businesses drive the economy and are responsible for almost all job growth. The Foundry Collective works to promote inclusive and equitable entrepreneurship by providing places where ideas take root and flourish.
Reinventing Rural
The Reinventing Rural virtual community was launched in 2020 to help rural businesses in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest adapt to evolving economic conditions. Running a business is hard, especially in a rural community. Reinventing Rural (RR) offers a solution to your isolation. Here you can access presentations, workshops, peer connections, and mentors inside your community and beyond. RR membership is free and levels the playing field, giving all rural entrepreneurs and small business owners access to tools that help support innovation, strengthen their businesses, and ultimately help rebuild their rural economy.
ONABEN
ONABEN is a national nonprofit organization created in 1991 by Northwest Indian tribes to encourage the development of the private sector on their reservations. Their goal is to increase the success of businesses owned by Native Americans. ONABEN offers curriculum, training, and organizational capacity building focused on developing and supporting Native and Indigenous entrepreneurs. They serve entrepreneurs and business development organizations across the U.S. with its unique Indianpreneurship® curriculum that is designed for Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian entrepreneurs at various stages of business development and growth.