“We initially thought about a pizza parlor in Maupin but neither of us had backgrounds in food service, didn't really know where to begin,” said Randy.
Receiving the Mayor's monthly newsletter one day, they realized there was a program called “enterprise facilitation,” a process that seemed to be exactly what they needed. They contacted Greg Hohensee; the business coach for Central Oregon Microenterpise and sat down to discuss their ideas about a pizza parlor.
“We sat with Greg and told him about our dreams, ran the proverbial „numbers on a napkin‟ and real-ized that a pizza parlor would be very tough to „pencil-out‟ in Maupin. So we began to consider, with Greg's help, a food market that could be built just north of downtown,” said Randy.
Why a food market? Hohensee‟s resource board members; volunteers who want to help start new businesses, knew that the Graves Market, a staple in downtown Maupin since the 1920's, might be closing, leaving no local market for residents to pur-chase groceries. The nearest market would be 39 miles away in The Dalles. A market opportunity! Graves Market subsequently did close in October 2008.
The only problem was the Graves Market building, an ideal location downtown. The owners didn't appear to want to sell the building. So, while working on plans to build a market north of downtown, the Bechtol's got a call late in 2008 that the Graves family would, in fact, be willing to sell.
The Bechtol‟s, with guidance from Hohensee, the local resource board, and Mary Merrill from the Small Business Development Center, began planning their business in January 2009. Closing on the property this past spring 2010, remodeling is presently underway with the goal of a grand opening early this July.
Randy Bechtol realizes the advantages of the enterprise facilitation process. “Allison and I have extensive backgrounds in operations, finance, and marketing, but we had never run our own business. Greg made us think about all aspects of the business from talking with accountants, to hook us up with a local organic farm (Seed to Table) for produce, to the design of the deli counter,” said Randy.
One of the most intimidating steps for potential business owners is writing a business plan, particularly when you're seeking financing and you have no background in the proposed industry.
“I really liked their help in developing a business plan that made sense, that I was able to submit to the bank, and it went through the first time. I didn't have to go back and revise things. And because of Greg and Mary's participation the bank felt there was an extra measure of credibility present as well,” added Randy.
When asked if they would recommend the enterprise facilitation process to other people with a dream, Randy said, “Anybody that wants to grow their business or do a start-up should really consider enterprise facilitation. I think it's very helpful, gives you an extra sense of security, helps to alleviate your fears and concerns like “Are we crazy? Can we really do this? When you work through the proc-ess with a facilitator who is very validating, it starts to make sense, and you know if you‟re on the right path.”