WORKSHOPS ADDRESS PRODUCT MARKETING

Two business development organizations in Northeast Oregon will co-sponsor presentations on "Taking Your Product to Market."

The program is designed for both current and potential entrepreneurs. It will be presented Tuesday in the Education Service District conference room in Enterprise and May 3 at the Blue Mountain Community College conference room in Baker City.

The mini-workshops start at 3 p.m. at each location and should last about 1 1/2 hours, organizers said.

The presentations are co-sponsored by the Wallowa County Business Facilitation and the Baker County Enterprise Growth Initiative. They are designed to help people interested in starting or in furthering an existing business.

The presenter will be Malcolm Dell of Lewis Clark Gifts & Souvenirs, a wholesale representative firm from Orofino, Idaho. Dell and his wife, Sandy, represent 42 lines of gifts, souvenirs, jewelry, specialty foods, cosmetics, candles, chocolates, woodcrafts and related products to 250 independent gift retailers and museums in five states.

A news release from Dell said those in attendance would leave the seminar with "a big-picture understanding of wholesale market ‘channels,' including where to find sales representatives, wholesale distributors, ‘wholesale only' gift shows, trade publications and recommended resources.''

The presentations will emphasize opportunities for small-scale, rural gift manufacturers, but anyone who makes products for distribution through retailers might benefit from the information, Dell said.

Dell said very few people in rural areas understand wholesale marketing infrastructure.

"Wholesaling is a hidden industry to most small-scale, small-town producers," he said. "The opportunity to develop a substantial business is a lot bigger than just going to local craft shows, selling to a few friends or consigning products to local retail stores."

The presentations are free and open to the public, but reservations are required by contacting Ruth Townsend at 541-523-5556 for the meeting in Baker City or Myron Kirkpatrick at 541-432-0176 for the meeting in Enterprise.