MESO currently serves the Portland Metro area, Beaverton, Washington County, Clackamas County, Gresham, and Vancouver, Washington. Services available vary by location.

You can access many of MESO’s programs without becoming a MESO client. Many of our services are available to business owners, such as taking classes, credit building, applying for a loan, or custom market research. To become a long-term client or to access Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), you are required to have been in business for at least 6 months, have a cash flow, be income qualified, and be in a geographic location that MESO serves. To find out more: Get Started Here.

This program seeks to build stable and successful businesses in the community. We focus on strategic planning and collaboration with each business owner, creating a healthy relationship where support services can be offered in an integrated manner.

Many of MESO’s services are available regardless of what stage your business is in.  To learn more about the various ways MESO can support your business, attend one of our upcoming Informational Sessions.

MESO offers a wide range of services, including business classes, consulting, tailored growth planning, access to capital, credit building, and providing a connection to local resources.  Get started with us to learn more.

Building good credit can help you qualify for lower interest rates, which helps you save money. MESO’s Credit 101 project is dedicated to helping individuals build their credit knowledge, scores, and history.

MESO’s market research program provides entrepreneurs with custom industry insights, direct marketing labels, location analysis, and competition analyses. This service is also part of our A La Carte services and is open to businesses at any stage.

 MESO works exclusively with for-profit businesses in the state of Oregon and SW Washington. We are unable to serve nonprofits.

An Individual Development Account (IDA) is a type of savings account designed to help income qualified individuals build assets and encourage savings habits.  MESO only provides Business IDA’s; one per business. This 5:1 match program is open to entrepreneurs who are already in business, in MESO’s long-term program, qualify with their income and assets, and are located in Oregon and in the MESO’s service area.

MESO’s Credit101 project is dedicated to helping individuals build their credit knowledge, scores, and history. Those who are committed to improving their financial health will maintain an active relationship with MESO by making timely payments on their installment loan.

Sign up and attend the informational session to connect with a business advisor.

Our staff is multilingual, call us if you need support. Currently, the informational session is available in English and Spanish.

You can attend the informational session regardless of what stage your business is in.

You can reach us by phone at (503)841-3351 or by email at meso@mesopdx.org.

After you have attended the informational session and have returned your intake form, a MESO team member will reach out to you with the next steps.

To qualify, a business must have been operating for a minimum of 6 months, have a cash flow, and must be in a geographic location served by MESO.

The cost is a one-time fee of $500, for the length of the program.  This fee includes courses, consulting, market research, and the IDA application fee.

Yes.  The IDA program at MESO is 25 months long.  During this period, you will need a primary support person assigned to you to meet the IDA requirements.

Generally, there is a waitlist to join the long-term business assistance program.  We try our best to enroll applicants as soon as possible.  While on the waitlist, there are many services to partake in, such as: classes, workshops, business planning, credit building, and more.

Our graduates feel better prepared to dive into their industries and continue their growth.  If further assistance is required, MESO provides 1 hour of consulting per month to our graduates for free.  Anything beyond that hour is $50/hour.