All Things BendBend, OregonLocal guide
Downtown Bend at dusk looking east toward Pilot Butte

Trail map for Bend business owners · checked October 13, 2026

Business help in Bend

Start on the free trails, then hire a guide only where you need one. 8 free resources, 6 low-cost programs and 21 local consultants, matched to the problem you actually have.

  • FreeNo cost to you
  • Low costDues, tuition or small fees
  • Paid proHourly, project, retainer or success fee
Find my route Free help first

Photo: UpdateNerd, CC0 via Wikimedia Commons

  • $0SBDC advising, free and confidential
  • Tue 5:30SCORE drop-ins at the downtown library
  • $100yearly Bend registration, 5 or fewer staff
  • Oct 15-16Bend Venture Conference 2026

Trailhead

What's the problem?

Pick the one keeping you up at night. You get a route: free stops first, then the paid guide if you still need one.

Register first, then plan. Free advisers will check your numbers before you sign a lease or buy equipment.

  1. Stop 1 · FreeCentral Oregon Small Business Development CenterThe best first call for almost any problem. An adviser can tell you whether you need a paid consultant at all.
  2. Stop 2 · FreeSCORE Central OregonShow up on a Tuesday with one specific question. You leave with a second opinion from someone who has done it.
  3. Stop 3 · FreeDeschutes Public Library business helpUnderused. Market research that costs hundreds online is often free with a library card.
  4. Stop 4 · FreeBend business basics checklistRegister with the State and the City, set up payroll and insurance.

Green circles and blue squares

Free and low-cost help

Central Oregon has more free business help than most regions its size. Use it before you pay anyone.

Free · SBDC

Central Oregon Small Business Development Center

For: Anyone starting or running a small business in Central Oregon

  • One-on-one advising is free and confidential
  • Business plans, financial analysis, marketing, operations, growth and exit planning
  • Serves Bend, Redmond, Madras, Prineville, Sisters, Sunriver and La Pine
  • You can request advising in Spanish
  • Also runs workshops and an Early Child Care Business Accelerator

The best first call for almost any problem. An adviser can tell you whether you need a paid consultant at all.

COCC, 2600 NW College Way, Bend

Call 541-383-7290 Website
The Downtown Bend Library on Wall StreetPaul2520, CC0

Free · SCORE

SCORE Central Oregon

For: Owners who want a volunteer mentor with real business experience

  • Mentoring is always free; SCORE is an SBA resource partner
  • Drop-in counseling on Tuesday evenings, 5:30 to 7:30 pm, at the Downtown Bend Library (September to June)
  • Mentors cover Bend, Redmond, Sisters, La Pine and Prineville
  • Ask for a mentor who has run a business like yours

Show up on a Tuesday with one specific question. You leave with a second opinion from someone who has done it.

Walk-ins at the Downtown Bend Library

Website

Free · Library

Deschutes Public Library business help

For: Anyone researching a market, a competitor or a grant

  • Book-a-Librarian research help
  • Free six-week online courses for card holders, new sessions every month
  • Business databases, grant search and local news archives
  • Hosts the SCORE drop-in sessions

Underused. Market research that costs hundreds online is often free with a library card.

Downtown Bend Library, 601 NW Wall St

Website

Low cost · SBM

COCC Small Business Management Program

For: Established owners ready to work on the business for nine months

  • $1,499 for up to two people from the same company
  • Meets the second Wednesday of each month, October to June, 9 am to noon
  • Includes one hour of one-on-one advising each month
  • Cohorts of 12 to 15; ends with a pitch event for a $6,500 prize pool
  • The 2026-27 deadline was September 30, 2026, so watch for next summer's call

The closest thing to a local MBA for owners. You build a real project for your own business all year.

Sessions in Sisters; first and last at COCC Bend

Call 541-383-7290 Website
A small business team meeting around a table in a Bend officeOpportunity Knocks

Low cost · Peer teams

Opportunity Knocks

For: Owners and managers who make big decisions alone

  • Nonprofit that places you on a facilitated team of local leaders who act as your board of advisors
  • Teams meet monthly for 2 to 3 hours; everything is confidential
  • Dues run $250 to $750 a year based on company size, with monthly payment available
  • Not a networking group: members do not pitch or sell to each other

A rare local option. For a few hundred dollars a year you get a room of peers who have seen your problem before.

Central Oregon

Website
Bend Venture Conference attendees under the Tower Theatre marqueeEDCO

Free · EDCO

Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO)

For: Startups, growing companies and businesses moving to the region

  • Nonprofit founded in 1981, backed by private and public members
  • Mentorship, investor connections and help with expansion or relocation
  • Runs the Bend Venture Conference

The front door if you are raising money, hiring at scale or bringing a company to Central Oregon.

705 SW Bonnett Way #1000, Bend

Call 541-388-3236 Website
Bend Venture Conference winners holding oversized checks outside the Tower TheatreBend Venture Conference

Low cost · BVC

Bend Venture Conference

For: Founders raising early money, and anyone who wants to invest

  • 2026 conference: October 15 and 16 in downtown Bend
  • Over two decades of startup pitches at the Tower Theatre
  • BVC Funds typically invest $150,000 to $350,000 a year; other angels have invested over $4 million alongside in past years
  • Application fee counts toward a conference ticket

Even if you are not pitching, buy a ticket. It is the one week the whole Bend startup world is in the same room.

Tower Theatre, downtown Bend

Call 541-388-3236 Website
Bend Outdoor Worx founders working around a table during a cohort sessionBend Outdoor Worx

Low cost · BOW

Bend Outdoor Worx

For: Outdoor product startups and growth-stage brands

  • Calls itself the country's first outdoor industry accelerator
  • 14-week intensive, then ongoing founder support
  • Mentoring, e-commerce, branding, sales, accounting, legal and financial planning help
  • Alumni include Picky Bars, Heather's Choice and ToughCutie

If you make gear, food or apparel for people who play outside, this is built for you.

Bend

Website

Low cost · COIC

COIC Business Loans

For: Businesses a bank will not fully finance

  • Loans for real estate, equipment and working capital
  • Works alongside your bank and can fill the gap in a loan package
  • COIC's share is generally up to $250,000
  • Start with your banker; they can call COIC too

Not a consultant, but often the missing piece when the plan is good and the bank says "almost."

Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council

Call 541-280-9611 Website

Free · APEX

Oregon APEX Accelerator

For: Businesses that want government contracts

  • Most services are free, funded in part by the Department of Defense
  • Help with SAM.gov registration, bid matching and certifications
  • Warns that SAM registration is always free and that paid look-alike sites exist

Local construction, wildfire and outdoor-gear companies use this to win federal and state work.

Counselors in every region of Oregon

Call 541-736-1088 Website

Free · OMEP

Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership

For: Manufacturers, breweries and makers with a production floor

  • Starts with a no-cost business assessment
  • Operations, lean, leadership training, workforce, sales and fractional CMO help
  • Has worked with Oregon manufacturers for 30 years

Paid projects after the free assessment, but priced for small manufacturers.

Statewide

Website
Bend Chamber members at a groundbreaking eventBend Chamber

Low cost · Chamber

Bend Chamber of Commerce

For: Owners who want connections, advocacy and leadership programs

  • Membership with advocacy at City Hall and in Salem
  • Association health plan for member employers
  • BendNEXT foundation runs leadership and emerging-talent programs
  • 2026 Impact Conference is November 13

Not advising, but the fastest way to meet the people you will want advice from.

Bend

Website

Free · State

Business Oregon

For: Anyone looking for state grants, loans or incentives

  • More than 90 programs for grants, loans and incentives
  • Most businesses it funds have fewer than 100 employees
  • Runs the APEX Accelerator and supports the SBDC network

Big and bureaucratic, but the source of most state money. Ask the SBDC which program fits before you dig in.

State economic development agency

Call 503-986-0123 Website

Free · LCA

Latino Community Association

For: Spanish-speaking owners and workers

  • Bilingual programs for economic opportunity, workforce development and family support
  • A good bridge to SBDC advising in Spanish

Programas bilingües y apoyo en español.

Bend

Call 541-382-4366 Website

Black diamonds

Local consultants and advisers

21 paid pros based in or serving Bend, grouped by what they actually do. We list what each says on its own site; we do not take payment for placement.

21 shown

Jillian Taylor talking with a client at a table

Strategy and leadership

Jillian Taylor Consulting

Strategic planning and leadership teams that are stuck

  • Strategic business planning, executive advising, team development, culture and facilitation
  • Clients quoted on her site include the Bend Chamber and Compass Commercial

How you payProject

WhereCentral Oregon

Website
A leadership team workshop in a bright meeting room

Strategy and leadership

Voyager Strategy

Executive coaching and leadership development

  • Bend-based; founder Bjorn Bonholzer is a Professional Certified Coach
  • Takes about 10 executive coaching clients a year, mostly VPs and C-suite
  • Keynotes, embedded advisory and team performance work

How you payRetainer

WhereBend

Website
Scott McBride with a team after a staff development session

Strategy and leadership

McBride Coaching & Consulting

Owner coaching and staff development days

  • Scott McBride brings 30 years of leadership experience
  • One-on-one coaching, group training, seminars and retreats
  • Has a program built for financial advisors

How you payCoaching

Where775 SW Bonnett Way, Suite 220, Bend

Website Map
Ruth Williamson in conversation on stage at a community event

Strategy and leadership

Ruth Williamson Consulting

Team culture, values work and community visioning

  • Leadership coach certified in Dare to Lead; uses the Enneagram with teams
  • Served on the Bend Park and Recreation District board and the Bend 2030 board
  • Free 30-minute intro call

How you payCoaching

WhereBend

Call Website
Monique Lecomte meeting with two business owners

Strategy and leadership

Monique Lecomte

B2B founders who are still the whole sales team

  • Fractional chief revenue officer and executive coach
  • 28 years in enterprise sales, including Herman Miller and Knoll
  • Coaching has a six-month minimum

How you payFractional

WhereBend

Website

HR and people

BBSI Bend

Payroll, workers' comp and HR in one package

  • A PEO: payroll, workers' compensation, HR, risk and safety, plus business consulting
  • Local Bend office

How you payOngoing

Where497 SW Century Dr, Suite 101, Bend

Call Website Map
Juniper HR artwork of Smith Rock

HR and people

Juniper HR Consulting

Small businesses with no HR person

  • Founded by Becky Timberman, 20+ years in HR across healthcare, manufacturing and service
  • Hiring, performance, compliance, manager training and hard employee situations
  • Weekdays 9 to 4; weekends by appointment

How you payProject or ongoing

WhereBend

Call Website
Portrait of Joy Cox of Live Lead Thrive

HR and people

Live Lead Thrive

Growing companies building real HR systems

  • Joy Cox, SPHR, 20+ years in HR leadership
  • Talent systems, compensation structures, roles and leadership coaching
  • Free 45-minute consultation

How you payProject

WhereLocation not listed

Call Website

HR and people

Inde

Fractional HR plus a 401(k) in one place

  • Fractional HR and retirement plan administration with flat-fee tiers
  • Covers Paid Leave Oregon, OFLA and Oregon's no-tip-credit wage rule
  • Free HR consultation

How you payFlat monthly

WhereServes Bend

Website

Finance, CFO and CPA

NOW CFO (Bend)

Outgrown bookkeeping, not ready for a full-time CFO

  • Fractional CFO, controller and accounting staff
  • Bend team works in construction, tech, nonprofit, healthcare, agriculture and food and beverage
  • Hourly rates, no long-term contract, free consultation

How you payFractional

WhereBend team

Call Website

Finance, CFO and CPA

Compass CPA

Fractional CFO with tax planning built in

  • Fractional CFO, client accounting and tax services
  • Flat monthly fee bundles
  • Also R&D tax credits and cost segregation studies

How you payFlat monthly

Where1133 NW Wall St, Suite 104, Bend

Website Map
The Kernutt Stokes team on an outdoor deck

Finance, CFO and CPA

Kernutt Stokes

Established companies that want CPA plus consulting

  • Oregon CPA and advisory firm for more than 80 years, with a Bend office
  • Business consulting plus outsourced accounting from bookkeeper to CFO
  • Industries include beverage, construction and agribusiness

How you payOngoing

Where1777 SW Chandler Ave, Suite 280, Bend

Call Website Map

Finance, CFO and CPA

Jones & Roth

Family businesses, nonprofits and construction

  • CPAs and business advisors organized in 13 specialty teams
  • Teams for family business, construction, dental, healthcare and nonprofits
  • Bend office open weekdays

How you payOngoing

Where300 SW Columbia St, Suite 201, Bend

Call Website Map

Finance, CFO and CPA

Fowler & Co.

Owners who want tax and business advice together

  • Bend CPA advisory firm led by Greg Fowler, CPA, CFP, with 30+ years of experience
  • Business tax, advisory, payroll and financial planning
  • Free first consultation

How you payOngoing

Where550 SW Industrial Way, Suite 201, Bend

Call Website Map

Selling, buying and exit

Capital Nomics

Valuation and exit planning years before a sale

  • Business valuation, exit planning and sale of business
  • Serves Bend, Redmond, Sisters, La Pine, Madras, Prineville and beyond
  • Fees tailored to the engagement

How you payProject

WhereBend office

Call Website

Selling, buying and exit

CrossPointe Capital

M&A advice, sell-side and buy-side

  • Founder Michael Sipe lives in Bend and wrote "Finish Strong Exit Well"
  • Seller representation, acquisition searches, valuations and exit planning
  • Clients mostly in Oregon and California

How you paySuccess fee

Where1001 SW Disk Dr, Suite 101, Bend

Call Website Map
A conference room at the IBA Business Brokers Bend office

Selling, buying and exit

IBA Business Brokers (Bend)

Selling a main-street or family business

  • Fees are 100 percent performance based
  • Lead Bend broker Cameron Johnson; IBA has worked in the Northwest since 1975
  • Confidential valuations

How you paySuccess fee

Where2900 NW Clearwater Dr, Suite 200-96, Bend

Call Website Map
The Exemplar Wealth Advisors team in their Bend office

Selling, buying and exit

Exemplar Wealth Advisors

Owners asking "how much do I need to sell for?"

  • Exit planning tied to personal wealth and tax planning
  • Coordinates your broker, CPA and attorney
  • A wealth management firm, so ask how they are paid

How you payWealth advisor

Where550 NW Franklin Ave, Suite 368, Bend

Call Website Map

Nonprofit and facilitation

Community Based Consulting

Grant writing and capital campaigns

  • Launched in Bend in 2023; works with 30+ organizations
  • Grants, strategic planning, capital campaigns and project management
  • Free strategy session

How you payProject

WhereBend

Call Website

Nonprofit and facilitation

Community Solutions of Central Oregon

A neutral facilitator for hard meetings

  • A Bend 501(c)(3) offering mediation and facilitation
  • Facilitates meetings for companies, agencies and organizations
  • Has facilitated more than 1,000 meetings for a state program

How you payPer meeting

WhereBend

Website
Stainless steel brewery tanks

Industry specialists

Conducer Craft

Breweries, distilleries and restaurants

  • Business plans, pro formas, site selection and TTB licensing help
  • Interim head brewers, including some based in Oregon
  • Used brewery equipment sales and inspection

How you payProject

WhereOregon team

Website

Looking for an EOS (Traction) implementer? The EOS Worldwide directory lists certified implementers by location.

Elevation gain

What business help costs here

Real published prices from Bend organizations. Most private consultants quote by project, so get a written scope.

$0 SBDC advising, SCORE mentoring, library courses, APEX registration help, OMEP first assessment
$100 / yr City of Bend business registration with 5 or fewer employees
$250 to $750 / yr Opportunity Knocks peer advisory team dues
$1,499 COCC Small Business Management Program, nine months, up to two people
Hourly or monthly Fractional CFO and HR (NOW CFO bills hourly; Compass CPA and Inde use flat monthly fees)
Success fee Business brokers like IBA are paid when the business sells

Five ways consultants charge

Hourly

Good for: A defined question or a short review

Watch for: Open-ended hours with no end date

Project

Good for: A plan, a hiring system, a valuation

Watch for: Vague deliverables like "strategy support"

Retainer or fractional

Good for: Ongoing CFO, HR or sales leadership a few days a month

Watch for: Paying for months nobody uses

Coaching

Good for: Owner habits, delegation, leadership

Watch for: No measurable goal after 90 days

Success fee

Good for: Selling a business or raising money

Watch for: Large upfront fees on top of the success fee

Before you hike

Bend business basics

Six things every Bend business sorts out, in order. Tick them off as you go.

Pack your bag

Build a one-page consultant brief

Consultants quote better when you are specific. Fill this in, copy it, and send the same brief to two or three people so the quotes compare.

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Choosing a guide
Six questions to ask
 
  1. Who exactly will do the work, and have they solved this problem for a business my size?
  2. What will I have at the end that I do not have now?
  3. How is the fee set: hourly, project, monthly or success fee?
  4. Can I talk to two clients from the last year, ideally in Central Oregon?
  5. What do you need from me and my team each week?
  6. How do we end the engagement if it is not working?
 
 
 
Red flags
 
  • Promises results before understanding your numbers.
  • Sells the same program to every client regardless of the problem.
  • Will not put the scope, price and deliverables in writing.
  • Charges you to register on SAM.gov or for "free" government programs.
  • A wealth advisor or broker whose pay depends on the advice, without saying so.
 
When you probably do not need a consultant: the problem is a single tax, legal or bookkeeping question. Call your CPA, an attorney or a bookkeeper instead.
 
 
 
  
 
 
On the calendar
Where Bend business owners meet
 
 
 The Tower Theatre marquee on Wall Street in downtown Bend 
The Tower Theatre hosts the Bend Venture Conference. Photo: Everwest, CC BY 4.0
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
Local conditions
Bend business realities
What local advisers see over and over.
 
 
Seasons swing hard
Summer visitors and winter ski crowds, then quiet shoulder seasons. Plan cash for April, May, October and November before you need it.
Housing shapes hiring
High housing costs make it hard to hire and keep staff. The Chamber runs a workforce housing initiative and a childcare initiative for this reason.
Growth breaks systems
Bend companies often grow faster than their books, hiring and processes. Most consultants here are hired to catch up, not to start.
It is a small town at heart
Referrals beat ads. Ask your banker, CPA and other owners who they have used. Most good advisers here are found by word of mouth.
 
 
 Aerial view of the Old Mill District and the Deschutes River in Bend 
Old Mill District, Bend. Photo: Beastes35, CC BY-SA 4.0
 
 
 
  
 
 
Questions
Business consulting FAQ
 
Is there free business consulting in Bend?
Yes. The Central Oregon SBDC at COCC gives free, confidential one-on-one advising, and SCORE mentors are free, including drop-in hours on Tuesday evenings at the Downtown Bend Library from September to June.
How much does a business consultant cost in Bend?
It depends on the type. Free help covers a lot of ground. Peer advisory teams through Opportunity Knocks run $250 to $750 a year, the COCC Small Business Management Program is $1,499 for up to two people, and paid consultants charge hourly, by project, by monthly retainer or, for business sales, as a success fee. Get the scope and price in writing.
Do I need a business license in Bend?
Bend requires an annual City business registration for businesses operating in city limits. Starting July 1, 2026, the fee is $100 a year for 5 or fewer employees, plus $5 for each employee from the 6th to the 125th, up to $700. You also register your business with the Oregon Secretary of State.
What is a fractional CFO?
A senior finance leader who works for you part-time, often a few days a month, for budgets, cash flow forecasting, pricing and investor reporting. NOW CFO and Compass CPA both offer this in Bend.
How do I find investors in Bend?
Start with EDCO and the Bend Venture Conference, held each October at the Tower Theatre. The BVC Funds invest in companies that pitch there, and other angels have invested alongside them.
When should I start planning to sell my business?
Exit planners recommend starting years before a sale. A free SBDC session can get you started, and valuation and exit planning firms like Capital Nomics, CrossPointe Capital and IBA work in Bend.
Is there help in Spanish?
Yes. The Central Oregon SBDC lets you request advising in Spanish, and the Latino Community Association in Bend runs bilingual programs.
 
 
Related Bend guides
  
 
 
 
 
 
Sources
 
Every organization's details come from its own website, read in October 2026. The Bend registration fee comes from the City's notice published by Cascade Business News. Photos belong to the organizations shown unless credited to Wikimedia Commons.
  
 
 
    
 
 
 
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