|
|
|
Western
Dairyland Business Center
February 2010 Newsletter |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The BIG news this month is that
online registration is now open for the 7th Annual Women's Business
Conference scheduled for April 29th in Eau Claire! This year,
we anticipate more than 300 participants from across
the state representating a wide range of industries and resources for
women interested in starting, growing or improving a
business. If you attend one entrepreneurial education and
networking event this year -- let this be it! Our fabulous
sponsors allow us to keep the registration fees at the low rate of $39,
if you register before April 5th. Go to www.WomensBusinessConference.com
for more information or to register. In the mean time, check
out the following great events planned for February:
February Events
(details below):
2.9.10 ABC's
of Business, 6-9 pm (3-part series begins Feb. 9,
continues Feb. 16 and 23), Eau Claire
2.11.10 Free
Women's Business Networking, noon-1 pm, Eau
Claire, Planning For & Working a Trade Show
2.11.10 Jackson
County Inventors & Entrepreneurs Meeting, 6:30
pm, Black River Falls, Trends in Product Packaging
2.18.10 Buffalo/Trempealeau
Inventors & Entrepreneurs Meeting, 6:30 pm,
Independence, Identifying Customers and Closing the Sale
2.25.10
Internet Marketing, 6-8 pm, Black River Falls
For more information on any of these
events or to register, continue reading below or feel free to contact
me directly at kbriggs@westerndairyland.org
Sincerely,
Karman Briggs
Business Center Manager
|
|
Women's
Business Conference
The Western Dairyland Women's
Business Center is pleased to be continuing the 7th Annual
Women's Buniness Conference on April 29, 2010
at the Plaza Hotel & Suites in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
The event
targets women entrepreneurs who are starting, expanding, and/or working
to improve their businesses.
Register
to attend the conferece and view updates &
details on this year's conference, by visiting:
*BECOME A FAN ON THE WOMEN'S
BUSINESS CONFERENCE ON FACEBOOK*
|
|
ABC's
of Business Ownership
The
ABC's of Business Ownership 3-Day Workshop begins February 9th
This 3-day
workshop will be held Tuesday evenings in February on the 9th,
16th, and 23rd from 6:00
to 9:00pm, at the Western Dairyland Community Action Agency, 418
Wisconsin St., Eau Claire. This
workshop teaches participants how to start a business by assembling the
pieces of a business plan.
This workshop
allows participants to work on their specific business ideas. The first session, Are
you Ready?,includes legal
structure, permits/licensing/zoning, business plan outline, and
business idea feasibility. The
second session, Business Marketing, includes
identifying customers, market research, and how to market to your
customer. The third
session, Creating
Financials, includes managing cash,
preparing profit/loss statements and cash flow projections, and
identifying financing options.
After
attending The ABC's of Business Ownership,
attendees may apply for free, continued, one-on-one assistance from
Western Dairyland's Business Development Specialists. Staff can assist
clients in determining the feasibility of their business idea, identify
sources to prove a market, and may also assist in the actual
preparation of business plans and financial forecasts for presentation
to a lender.
Tuition
is $45 per individual. Class
materials are included. Scholarships are available for eligible
individuals. Because
space is limited, pre-registration and payment must be received by
February 8. There
are three easy ways to register and pay for the class: online at www.SuccessfulBusiness.org, by phone at 836-7511 ext. 171, or in person at
the Western Dairyland office in downtown Eau Claire.
|
|
Internet
Marketing for Small Business
February 25, from 6 p.m. to 8
p.m.
Black River Area
Chamber of Commerce
120 N Water St.,
Black River Falls.
At
the Western Dairyland Business Center's Internet Marketing class,
attendees will learn how to register a domain name, find a web host,
locate free and inexpensive tools for building & maintaining
the site, and finally optimize the site for better search engine
placement. Individuals interested in marketing a product, service or
business online are encouraged to attend.
Information will be presented for
individuals who may or may not already have a business web site.
Tuition
is $20 for individuals and class materials are included. Scholarships are available
for eligible individuals. There
are three easy ways to register and pay for the class: online at www.SuccessfulBusiness.org, by phone at 836-7511 ext. 171, or in person at
the Western Dairyland office in downtown Eau Claire or at the Black
River Area Chamber of Commerce. Because space is limited,
pre-registration and payment is required by February 22.
|
|
Women's
Business Network Meeting
Planning For & Working at a Trade
Show
February's guest speaker is Kay Vande Loo, owner of Impact
Advertising.The meeting will take place on Thursday,
February 11 from noon to 1 pm
at the Western Dairyland Community Action Agency, 418 Wisconsin Street,
Eau Claire.
The
meeting is free and open to all women entrepreneurs and business
professionals. Individuals
interested in participating remotely via phone may contact jbdassist@westerndairyland.org or call 836-7511 ext. 171 for instructions.
In preparation
for the 2010 Women's Business Conference, Kay will be sharing her
experience from the promotional product industry and as a serial
entrepreneur. Discussion
will entail how to prepare for and work at a trade show or expo; how to
design an effective display that will draw prospective clients to you;
and how to effectively use imprinted promotional materials that are
representative of your brand, business or product.
Business
owners interested in exhibiting at the 7th
Annual Women's Business Conference on April 29, 2010 are especially
encouraged to attend and will be given a $20 discount off exhibitor
registration fees to be redeemed the same day.
Feel free to bring your
lunch. And, remember to bring your business cards!
|
|
Inventor
and Entrepreneur Club Meetings
Black River
Falls - 2/11/10
TRENDS
IN PRODUCT PACKAGING
Dave
and Mindy Pedersen, owners of Pac Basic, LLC in Eau Claire will be the
guest speakers at the February 11 Inventors & Entrepreneurs
Club meeting. The club meets on the second Thursday of every month at
6:30 p.m. at the Black River Area Chamber of Commerce, 120 N. Water
St., Black River Falls. The meetings are free and open to the public.
With
20 years of experience, the Pedersens will be discussing current trends
in the product packaging and display industry. Design
considerations, such as the visual appeal and utilitarian purpose, in
developing custom solutions to meet small-run packaging needs for the
independent inventor or entrepreneur will be highlighted. Individuals interested in
bringing a product to market are encouraged to attend.
Independence - 2/18/10
IDENTIFYING CUSTOMERS AND
CLOSING THE SALE
Jake
Bain, Branch Manager and Field Sales Manager for CUTCO
Cutlery, will be the guest speaker at the February 18th meeting of the
Inventors & Entrepreneurs Club. The club meets on
the third Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the Western
Dairyland office, 23122Whitehall Rd., Independence. The meetings are
free and open to the public.
Bain will present various tools and methods for identifying customers
and closing the sale that he has gainned from his experience with
direct selling for CUTCO Cutlery, the largest manufacturer and marketer
of high-quality kitchen cutlery and accessories in the United States
and Canada.
|
|
Wisconsin Common Market
Wisconsin Common
Market, Western Dairyland's e-commerce site, welcomes Earrings
and Things.
Eunice Head
is president of Earrings and Things. In 2002 her jewelry hobby grew
into a business that she operates out of her home. There are no two
pieces the same. She makes special designs for weddings and proms. Most
pieces use swarovski crystal beads in the design.
|
|
News and Events
April
30: Free Contracts and Certification - Half Day Workshop, Eau Claire
May
6 - 8: WFCCA Conference, Wisconsin Dells
June 24:
I&E Rendevous, La Crosse
August
25 & 26, 2010: Government Contracting Conference, Camp Douglas
|
|
  
Partially funded
by the U.S. Small Business Administration. This institution
is an equal opportunity provider.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
