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Western
Dairyland Business Center
June 2009
Newsletter
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Beginning
this month, the Western Dairyland Business Center is offers "Using
QuickBooks in Your Business." QuickBooks, the popular
Bookkeeping software, makes it easier and faster to
do tasks like invoicing, payroll, and cash-flow
projections.
You're never too young to start a business, and this month's big event
is the 2009 Youth Entrepreneurship Day Camp where
the entrepreneurs of the future learn from successful
local businesses and work on their business ideas with Western
Dairyland Business Development staff.
June Events
and Deadlines (details below)
06.09.09
Seven Steps to Starting a Business, 6-9pm, Eau Claire
06.11.09
T.E.A.M. Women's Business Network Meeting, Western Dairyland, Eau Claire
06.11.09
Jackson County Inventors & Entrepreneurs
Club, Black River Falls
06.15.09 through
06.19.09 Youth Entrepreneurship Day Camp, Eau Claire
06.15.09
Using QuickBooks in Your Business, session 1 of 3 classes in the series
06.25.09 Business
Basics 101, 6-9pm Alma
06.25.09 Seven
Rivers I&E Club Rendezvous
For more information on any of these
events and more, continue reading below or feel free to contact me
directly at kbriggs@westerndairyland.org.
Sincerely,
Karman Briggs
Business Center Manager
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 Youth Entrepreneurship Day Camp
The 2009 Youth
Entrepreneurship Day Camp, sponsored by the Western
Dairyland Business Center, will introduce teens to the world of
business and assist them as they turn their business ideas into
business plans. Teens between 13 and 17 are eligible.
This free, five-day camp includes visits with local business owners
from Volume One Magazine,
9 Degrees Ice Cream,
Pad Thai Restaurant, and Cadeaux.
Participants will receive customized one-on-one business counseling,
advice from local experts, free lunches and an end-of-the-week party at
Action City.
Participants also have the
opportunity to win $500 to purchase business supplies by entering their
completed business plans in the Western Dairyland Youth Business Plan
Contest at the end of the summer.
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7
Steps to Starting a Business
Learn the Basic Steps in
Building a Successful Business Plan
Want to
start your own business, but don't know how? The Western Dairyland
Business Center is hosting an event to teach participants how to start
a business by assembling the pieces of a business plan on Tuesday, June
9, from 6 to 9 pm at the
Western Dairyland Community Action Agency, 418 Wisconsin Street, Eau
Claire.
Topics covered include feasibility, proving your market, funding your
business, writing a business plan, marketing, business legal structure
and more.
If you attend this event you can apply for FREE, one-on-one assistance
from Western Dairyland's Business Development Specialists to determine
the feasibility of your business idea and identify sources to
prove your market. Business Development Specialists
may also help with the preparation of business plans and financial
forecasts which could be presented to lenders.
Tuition is $25 for individuals. Two or more people starting a
business together may register for $20 each. Class
materials are included. Scholarships are available for income
eligible individuals. Registration deadline is
June 5. For more information or to register,
go to http://www.successfulbusiness.org/eventschedule/or
call 715/836-7511, ext. 171. Arrangements for
persons with special needs will be made if requested in advance.
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Business
Basics 101
Businesses
do not plan to fail, they just fail to plan. In the Business Basics 101
class, you will learn the basic steps in building a successful
business. Topics covered are: feasibility, proving your market, funding
your business, writing a business plan, marketing, business legal
structure, and more. Don't miss this essential overview of what is
necessary to properly plan and start your business. This
month's Business Basics 101 class will be June
25 at the Buffalo County Courthouse in Alma, WI, 6-9pm.
If you attend this event you can apply for FREE, one-on-one assistance
from Western Dairyland's Business Development Specialists to determine
the feasibility of your business idea and identify sources to
prove your market. Business Development Specialists
may also help with the preparation of business plans and financial
forecasts which could be presented to lenders.
Tuition is $10 which includes a meal and all class materials. Registration
deadline is June 23. For more information or
to register, go to http://www.successfulbusiness.org/eventschedule/ or
call 715/836-7511, ext. 171. Arrangements for
persons with special needs will be made if requested two
weeks in advance.
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T.E.A.M.
- Women's Business Networking Meetings
The Teaching, Education And
Mentoring (T.E.A.M.) Women's Business Network
Meeting on June 11 will feature a special
presentation by Pam Baughman from ResourceAbility, LLC.
"
Pro Formas and Financial Projections"
Meetings take place
Noon-1pm at Western Dairyland, 418 Wisconsin St., Eau
Claire. Feel free to bring your lunch and business
cards to share!
ResourceAbility, LLC is a local
consulting firm whose mission is to advance their clients'
understanding of their customers, competitors, and internal processes
through the use of data collection, management, and analysis. Aside
from assisting start-up's with business plans, they are often asked to
create a plan for a new target market, a detailed sales forecast, or
the selection of the best vendor for a new business venture.
T.E.A.M meetings take place the 2nd Thursday of each month from noon to
1pm. For more information about the Women's Business
Network, get in touch with Karman at kbriggs@westerndairyland.org
or (715) 836-7511 x 174.
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The
next I&E Club meeting is Thursday, June 11 at
the Black River Falls Area Chamber of Commerce at 120 N. Water St.,
Black River Falls. Meetings
are held on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30pm. This
month's speaker is James Schneider, business trainer, motivational
speaker and owner of Blue Chip Training,
Gotham,WI. His presentation "Building and
Maintaining a Winning Business Attitude" will focus on
three main points: Heart, Hope & Help. "Heart" helps
us persevere over the long path to success; "Hope" sees the benefits of
change and knows how to use it for success. "Help" addresses
the importance of mentors and support groups, when we need business
assistance or just a pat on the back.
Meetings are
FREE to attend
and open to anyone in Western Wisconsin who would like to
learn from experienced professionals and discuss their ideas with other
local inventors and entrepreneurs.
Connect to
other Inventors and Entrepreneurs like you
at LinkedIn. Click HERE
For
more information on either I & E Club call: Karman
Briggs at 715-836-7511, ext. 174 You can also email IandE@WesternDairyland.org
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Using QuickBooks in Your Business
QuickBooks is the most widely used
accounting software among small business owners, and this
summer Western Dairyland will offer hands-on training
in this popular and useful program. By the end of
the training, attendees will have set up an individualized company file
for their company which they will be able to import to their own
business computer system.
Laptops will be provided,
but each attendee must either bring a flashdrive, or
borrow one ($20 deposit required) to transfer the file they have
created to their own computer system. In addition, each
attendee must bring to the first session at least three business cards
for vendors and three for customers to be used in setting up their
QuickBooks company file.
There will be three opportunities learn QuickBooks, the June series,
the July series, and a one-day intensive in September. Dates
are
Series
I--June 15,22, 29, 6-9 pm Monday
Series
II--July 13,20,27, 6-9 pm Monday
One
day intensive--September 12, 9 am - 4 pm Saturday
Tuition is
$149; scholarships are available for income-eligible
individuals. All trainings will be held at Western Dairyland, 418
Wisconsin St., Eau Claire. Classes are limited to
15.
There are three easy ways to register: on-line at http://www.successfulbusiness.org/eventschedule/
, by telephone at (715) 836-7511, or in person at the Western Dairyland
office in Eau Claire. Registration and payment for the
June series must be received by Friday, June 12th.
Arrangements for persons with special needs will be made if requested
at least two weeks in advance.
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Success Story
Big River Tile & Stone
Big River Tile
& Stone is located near Alma, WI, a small river town with a lot
of character and a long history. The owner, Michael Kauten,
works with that history and character every day. He does mostly
remodeling work, adapting his tile and stone work to the oddities of
old houses and the old limestone foundations which support
them. "I enjoy working with customers, finding solutions to
the kinds of problems you run into in old houses. Long
straight hallways that aren't really straight, for instance. And some
of the newer stuff--infloor radiant heat is the new thing, and it is
perfect for tile."
Start-up
and Planning
Kauten started Big River early in
2008, after a brief stint doing construction sales in Florida ("too
hot, too hectic"). He had been laying tile, one way or the
other, since he was in high school, working alongside his dad, but had
regarded it as a sideline for much of that time.
Kauten wanted to explore turning the tile work into a full time
business. He worked
with Business Development Specialist
from Western Dairyland's Business Center "who really helped me
focus and take the business to the next level."
Marketing
and Branding
Kauten recalls "At first, I didn't
even have a name-I'd just always used my own name for the
business-but she helped me come up with 'Big River' which
really fits-given our location" And then "She just kept asking
questions-'Who is your market? What else can you do?' and I realized
that I could do tile work, inside and out, and I could lay
stone--including the local limestone they cut out of the Winona
bluff--and I could do tuck pointing and restoration work on old stone
and brick buildings." They worked on a marketing plan, which included
truck magnets-big magnetized signs that attach to the doors of his
truck-business brochures, price lists, business cards and more.
"Dentistry
for stone"
Since then, the business has been
steadily growing "We are coming close to meeting the
projections Western Dairyland and I worked on when I
started." Kauten says. He has done "a bunch" of remodeling
jobs and has restored some old limestone foundations, "It is
detailed work-kinda like dentistry for stone." Lately he's
been thinking about doing some smaller mosaic pieces for a local art
gallery.
Good planning, plus Kauten's versatility, his willingness to try
something new, and his contacts and knowledge of the area (he and his
family have lived in Alma since 2000) have made Big River Tile
& Stone a success in a year when many would have hesitated
start a business. Kauten can be reached at (608) 685-4021 or bigrivertile@yahoo.com.
A website with photos of his work is coming
soon.
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News and Events
Wisconsin
Entrepreneurs' Conference--June 9, Milwaukee
The 7th annual Wisconsin
Entrepreneurs' Conference will be held June 9-10 at the Hyatt Regency
Milwaukee. The conference is one of the Midwest's
premier networking and hands-on events for
entrepreneurs.
Keynote speakers include Robert
Stephens, founder and chief inspector of "The Geek Squad"; John Roach,
an Emmy Award-winning film producer who works for Fortune 500
companies; and Greg Meier, a serial entrepreneur and Milwaukee start-up
catalyst.
Additional highlights include:
workshops on Refining the Dream, Building the Team and Making the
Green; presentations by finalists in the Governor's Business Plan
Contest; the Ken Hendricks Memorial "Seize the Day"
award;"Entrepreneurs' Edge" pitches to investors and peers; exclusive
forums for investors; hands-on panel discussions and dozens of
exhibits; and a wealth of networking opportunities.
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Inventors
and Entrepreneurs Rendezvous--June 25, LaCrosse
This years I & E rendezvous
program features keynote speaker Jason Weaver who will explain how to
use the latest technology to understand your target market and promote
your products and services. Jason, who was recently voted
Entrepreneur of the Year in Madison, is the founder and CEO of
Sway, Inc.
which specializes in market research and online marketing. For
more information see http://www.successfulbusiness.org/pdf/IERendezvousFlyer.pdf
Social hour starts at 5:30
pm, the program will be at 6:00 pm. The
program is free, but reservations must be made in advance.
Exhibit space is available for sponsors ($50/table). To make
reservations or become a sponsor, call Stephen Woessner at the LaCrosse
SBDC at (608) 785-8783.
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Western
Wisconsin Early Childhood Summer Academy
Western Dairyland Childcare Resource and Referral
Center is sponsoring this annual conference which offers childcare
professionals a chance to update their knowledge
and skills in working with young children.
The conference will be June 23-25, in Chippewa
Falls. Registration fees are $15 for full days, less
for partial days. After June 2, late fees ($20 for full days)
apply. For more information please contact Barb Wehman at barbw@cesa11.k12.wi.us or
telephone Western Dairyland at 1-800-782-1880 or 715-831-1700.
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Selling
to the Government and Other Prime Contractors--August 5 & 6,
Camp Douglas
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Business Resources
ARC--New SBA
Loan Program for Debt Relief will provide interest free loans of up to $35,000
to small businesses for the purpose of making principal and interest
payments on existing, qualifying small business loans for up to six
months. The loans will be provided by commercial
lenders, will not require collateral, and will be 100%
guaranteed by the SBA. Loan proceeds are provided
over a six-month period and repayment is deferred for 12
months after the last disbursement. ARC loans will be offered
for as long as funding is available or until September 30, 2010,
whichever comes first. For more details, see http://www.sba.gov/recovery/arcloanprogram/index.html
Funding is limited, and loans should
be available in mid-June.
To qualify, businesses must be able to show
cash flow projections to prove the viability of the
business and its ability to repay the loan. The Western
Dairyland Business Center can assist with cash-flow
projections. Contact us by email jbdassist@westerndairyland.org or
phone at (715) 836-7511 ext. 171.
SheFinds Promotes
Independent Women Designers
in
partnership with Count Me In,
a leading online provider of business loans and resources for women
entrepreneurs. During the month of September, 2009 SheFinds will
run a promotion with Count Me In to raise money for the organization
and help boutique designers get the word out about their designs.
SheFinds will feature original designs that feature the Count Me In
logo, motto, or colors. See the SheFinds website for more
details http://www.shefinds.com/blog/index.php/others/category/count_me_in
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Partially funded
by the U.S. Small Business Administration. This institution
is an equal opportunity provider.
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