Mike Darrow to Support Small Business Growth in Yakima County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jonathan Smith, executive director, Yakima County Development Association
[email protected] 509-575-1140

Darrow joins SBDC to support small business growth with 1-to-1 business advising

YAKIMA, Wash.—The Yakima County Development Association (YCDA)and the Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC) are pleased to announce that Mike Darrow, a former small business owner himself, has been certified as an SBDC business advisor.

As an SBDC advisor, Darrow is available to provide no-cost, confidential, one-on-one technical assistance to small business owners who want to start, grow or buy/sell a business.

“Mike Darrow brings invaluable experience to our local businesses,” said Jonathan Smith, Executive Director of YCDA. “His expertise and passion for helping entrepreneurs will be key in supporting Yakima’s small business community as they navigate growth and success.”

Darrow is one of about 40 Washington SBDC business advisors working in communities across the state to provide technical assistance to entrepreneurs and business owners in just about any industry and at any stage of business development.

“Mike has been with our network just a few months and he is already making a difference for his clients and his colleagues,” said Sheryl McGrath, state director of the Washington SBDC. “With his wealth of experience, he has shown himself adept at meeting clients where they are and helping them move forward, no matter where they are in their business journey.”

Darrow said he has a passion for helping business owners succeed.

“The joy of being an SBDC advisor is sitting down with my clients, learning their stories and their dreams and then helping them find the tools, resources and information that will help them move forward with confidence,” he said.

Prior to joining the SBDC, Darrow’s career included more than 35 years in sales, marketing and operations in diverse industries and diverse business structures. He has owned and operated two small businesses and also managed an $80M portfolio for a Fortune 200 company.

“Whether your business employs 1,000 people, or one person, many of the principles are the same,” Darrow said. “You need to know how to manage resources effectively, communicate clearly, and maintain a strong vision for the future.”

Darrow says his strength and his passion is helping business owners look forward so they can “anticipate challenges, pivot quickly and seize opportunities.”

“Operating a small business is not only hard work, but it can also be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling,” he said. “The challenges you face daily can lead to not only professional growth, but also personal growth as you learn how to be adaptable and diplomatic at the same time”.

A hard-learned lesson from his first small business was don’t neglect customer relationships, he said. At the time, one customer, who was located just 20 minutes from his office, represented about 25 percent of his revenue.

“We had excellent sell-thru, no returned product and delivered every order on time,” he said. “Everything was going great until one day I received a call from the buyer who said he was discontinuing our product and bringing in a competitor.  When I reiterated how well our program was working, he asked me, ‘When was the last time you came to see us?’”

In fact, Darrow had been so busy attracting new customers—flying around the country, and even internationally—that he had failed to check in with his existing customers.

“He reminded me that you should never forget about those who helped you build your business, and most of all, to not take their business for granted,” Darrow said; it took him three years to regain that business.

Darrow’s areas of expertise include business planning and implementation, process innovation and improvement, financial accountability, strategic operations management, market research, root cause analysis, and marketing.

He has an MBA in information technology management from Western Governors’ University, an undergraduate degree in business and sales management and a yellow belt in Six Sigma Certification.

The Washington SBDC is part of the nation’s oldest and largest publicly supported business advising service. It is hosted by Washington State University and receives funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration, WSU and other institutions of higher education, economic development agencies, business groups and civic organizations. Darrow’s position in Yakima is supported by the Yakima County Development Association.

To schedule an appointment with Darrow, send an email to him at [email protected]. To learn more about the Washington SBDC, go to www.wsbdc.org.