Palo Alto Software Announces the Winner of the Inaugural SBDC Award 2012

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Arlene Soto of the Southwestern Oregon Community College’s Small Business Development Center is chosen for her dedication to her clients.
Eugene, Oregon September 14, 2012

EUGENE, Oregon – Palo Alto Software, makers of the best-selling business planning tools, including Business Plan Pro, Sales and Marketing Pro, and LivePlan, is proud to present its inaugural Small Business Development Center Entrepreneur Champion of the Year Award. The first award recipient is Arlene Soto, Director of Southwestern Oregon Community College’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

“When considering the many talented and dedicated SBDC personnel that we come in contact with, Arlene Soto quickly emerged as a front runner. We chose Arlene for her passion, enthusiasm, and willingness to embrace new tools and technologies to help her clients succeed,” said Sabrina Parsons, CEO of Palo Alto Software. She continued, “We collaborate very closely with SBDCs throughout Oregon and across the nation, and we know first-hand how hard Arlene and her colleagues work to support clients starting and building businesses to realize their dreams,”

Arlene has a lot to brag about with nearly two decades of experience supporting clients through SBDC networks in Oregon and Wyoming. Currently, she champions a remarkably large number of small business and prospective entrepreneur clients given the small population of Southern Oregon’s coastal communities. She meets with over 250 clients annually and at any given time, 40 or more are engaged in early business planning or in the startup phase of a new business.

Arlene has guided over 3500 small businesses in her career and can name dozens and dozens of clients who have started viable businesses and created jobs for hundreds of people. When it comes to tools of the trade, she fully embraces LivePlan by Palo Alto Software as the best solution on the market to help business owners take charge of their business planning and management. The software features hundreds of sample business plans, as well as, collaborative features that make it possible to work with clients at a distance. Palo Alto Software is committed to helping small businesses succeed, and Soto’s work truly embodies this philosophy.

“My mission is to strengthen and support an entrepreneurial culture,” Arlene commented. “I love what I do. Every day I get to meet new people, every day I get to answer new questions, and every day it makes a difference. Winning this award is just the icing on the cake.”

The Small Business Development Center Entrepreneur Champion of the Year is awarded to the SBDC counselor based on the following criteria:

  • Demonstrates a passion for entrepreneurship
  • Acts as a committed mentor to clients
  • Utilizes LivePlan to help clients start, run and grow their businesses
  • Embraces new technology to help solve client challenges
  • Supports their fellow SBDC counselors in their efforts

About Palo Alto Software:
Palo Alto Software, Inc. develops and markets tools, products, and content for small businesses and entrepreneurs. The company’s flagship product, LivePlan, provides cloud-based business planning and small business management. Other top-selling products include Business Plan Pro – which is the best-selling business-planning software in the U.S. retail market, according to NPD Intelect – Sales and Marketing Pro and Email Center Pro. Palo Alto Software offers a powerhouse line of products to small and medium businesses around the globe. The company’s combined product line, along with Bplans.com, the highest-trafficked business planning website, offer know-how solutions that have made Palo Alto Software the market leader in its category for over fifteen years. Palo Alto Software was founded in 1988 and is a privately-owned corporation based in Eugene, Oregon.

About The Oregon Small Business Development Center Network:
The Oregon Small Business Development Center Network (OSBDCN) is a well-established partnership among 17 community colleges, three state universities, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the Oregon Business Development Department (OBDD). Since its inception in 1983, the OSBDCN has provided one-on-one advising to more than 150,000 current and prospective businesses throughout Oregon. More than 560,000 individuals have attended OSBDCN-sponsored business education classes and events.

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Noah Parsons
Noah Parsons
Noah is currently the COO at Palo Alto Software, makers of the online business plan app LivePlan.
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