Program areas at Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon
Anchors - the Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon (meso) anchors program includes in-depth, customized and extended Services for 3-5 years with ongoing business planning, recordkeeping and assistance with tax, legal and marketing Services. The anchors program assisted approximately 976 entrepreneurs to stabilize and grow their businesses during the last fiscal year.
Early childcare - meso partners with multnomah county preschool & early learning division as an intermediary organization to implement the pilot program for the county's preschool for all program and provides both financial and technical assistance to preschool providers in the county.
Loan fund - meso provides Micro loans of up to 50,000, loans for credit building, guaranteed credit lines in partnership with banks, emergency loans, and commercial real estate and equipment loans up to 400,000. Meso is a designated small business administration (sba) Micro lender and a community development financial institution (cdfi). Meso is also an administrator of loan funds to organizations that include: immigrant and refugee community organization, hispanic metropolitan chamber, hacienda cdc, neighborhood house, and portland state university business program.
Ida individual development accounts are a 3:1 matched savings program offered to income-qualified households to use for business-related assets and activities. Financial planning, training and business education are provided to program participants. Idas were provided to 83 recipients during the year. Youth programs themeso future leaders youth program partners with local schools and community partners to provide entrepreneurship and financial literacy programming for youth and young adults. We currently offer classes for youth from third grade through 24 years of age.