Greetings!
We hope the following content will provide current and useful information to our clients and other members of our community. Thank you for your continued support of the SBDC. Please contact our office for further information or assistance.
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2012 AZSBDC Success Awards
AZSBDC Network
The 2012 Success Awards and Legislative Lunch was a big success! Nearly 300 legislators, partners and well-wishers were on hand at the Arizona State Capitol last month to applaud the achievements of 12 Arizona small businesses. Governor Jan Brewer stopped by to meet the winners. Senate President Steve Pierce and Secretary of State Ken Bennett spoke to the audience on the importance of small business to the Arizona economy. Speaker of the House Andy Tobin was also in attendance. Secretary Bennett also performed a special Centennial Song to commemorate our state's 100th birthday. Thank you to APS, the Arizona Association of District Governing Boards and the Arizona Capitol Times for helping to make this year's event our most picture-perfect ever!
You can view the full 2012 Success Awards Program and 2011 Network Annual Report here. The event was also featured in a special insert to the Arizona Capitol Times newspaper. You can view that publication here.
Our winners came from across Arizona. See the map of winners here. Profiles on each of the winners can be found on the AZSBDC website here.
Shown below are the 2012 Success Award Winners, with Governor Brewer:
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Shown, left to right, front row: Paul Moir, Laura Moir, Irene Schmoller, Marisol Canelas, Sabrina Hallman, Governor Brewer, Christine Schlesinger, Lynn Lewis, Emma McBride, Rachel Peck, Brenda Bartol, Don Bartol. Shown left to right, back row: Edward Koeneman, Jim Koeneman, Stacy Gutierrez, Howard Fleischmann, Sr., Eldon and Jan Osterhot (for David and Suzanne Mann), Jodi Dovidio, Dom Dovidio, Debra Judy, Rick Judy.
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| 2012 Success Award Winners from EAC Small Business Development Center
Sorellas Elite Fashion
Lynn Lewis, Rachel Peck, Emma McBride
Safford, AZ
Read the Sorellas Elite Fashion Profile HERE
Website http://sorellas2010.blogspot.com
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Marianne Rowley (EAC Governing Board Member), Lynn Lewis, Rachel Peck, Emma McBride, Kevin Peck (EAC SBDC Director)
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Cotton Clouds
Irene Schmoller
Safford, AZ
Read the Cotton Clouds Profile HERE
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Marianne Rowley (EAC Governing Board Member), Irene Schmoller, Kevin Peck (EAC SBDC Director)
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 The ASBDC Biz Blog launched in January 2012 with 12 contributing companies -- all with extensive backgrounds in small business. The blog is updated weekly with new articles covering topics on IT & Marketing for Small Business, Youth Entrepreneurship, Veterans in Small Business, Procurement, Financial issues and more!
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Is Your Business Offering Something Better?
Small Business News
April 17, 2012
We all want to offer something better in our small businesses. But what form should that "something better" take? How do we connect with our customers in a unique way? Here is a wrap up that will hopefully offer some inspiration.
Value
Beating the big guys. One way to stand out against bigger businesses like Amazon is simply to offer something different. Here one smaller Web company talks about outdoing Amazon.com by offering visitors a totally different experience. Bloomberg Businessweek
Adding value. This advice for content marketing, especially as part of a blog, is also applicable when considering any other business you may want to launch. Are you truly offering your customers (or readers?) something worthwhile? Small Business Trends
Trends
Being an outsider. Often innovation has trouble happening from within. That's why this former academic turned entrepreneur decided it was time to leave the hallowed halls of academia behind. What he offers may change things forever. WSJ
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The EAC Small Business Development Center, funded by Eastern Arizona College and the Small Business Administration, is designed to promote the success of small business in the Graham and Greenlee County area, as well as the San Carlos Apache Nation. This program puts a team of experienced business professionals at your disposal - at no cost to you. We offer one-on-one confidential counseling and training in various business-related areas such as record keeping, marketing, taxes, computer usage, business planning and more. Take advantage of us. We're here to help you!
Sincerely,
Kevin Peck, Director
EAC Small Business Development Center
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Greenlee County Seminar
Thurs., June 7, 2012
6:00 - 8:00pm
Cost: Free!
Location TBD
Click here to register
Starting Your Own Business
Thurs., June 21, 2012
6:00 - 8:00pm
Cost: FREE!
EAC AP Building, #109
Click here to register
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News from Greenlee County
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AZSBDC Network Centers Are Economic Development Engines In Their Areas....
AZSBDC Network, April 2012
The AZSBDC Network and its Centers are playing an increasingly visible role in local economic development efforts. Our Network's ability to help local businesses create and retain jobs, increase their sales and acquire new capital is helping facilitate economic recovery across Arizona.
AZSBDC Centers also play an important role in planning and supporting business incubators across our state. A great example of their contribution to the success of local projects can be seen in Greenlee County, where the Eastern Arizona College SBDC helped find funding for two local business development projects: a downtown facade improvement project and the creation of the Chase Creek Business Resource Center and Commercial Kitchen.
Local business owner Deborah Mendelsohn was so impressed by the efforts of EAC SBDC Center Director Kevin Peck and his team that she wrote a testimonial letter that appears online. You can read it, in full, HERE.
EAC SBDC Business Analyst Charmaine Childester
identified two grant programs that were used to fund the projects. "Getting to know local business owners, citizens who were interested in economic development and other organizations that support economic development in Greenlee County provided me with enough information to know who to go to when I saw two different grant programs available," she explained. "It was a perfect storm of people with energy, vision and resources that made it all possible."
"SBDC involvement in economic development is so crucial in Greenlee County, where new business start-ups and business success rates can be hard to come by," noted Childester. "It was like being told to go paint the inside of a new house and arriving to find the foundation wasn't even poured yet. We had to start from the ground up, find ways to support existing businesses (Business District Facade Grant) and create a place to nurture new ones (the Chase Creek Business Resource Center and Commercial Kitchen)." Childester also helped secure a separate $50,000 grant from Freeport MacMoran to finish construction and help with first-year operating costs at the incubator. Mendelsohn's letter of praise summed it all up this way: 'Our small businesses and start-ups have enjoyed a proactive, intelligent program of support that would reflect well on any SBDC anywhere in the country,' she wrote.
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We Appreciate Referrals!
We would greatly appreciate it if you share our services with your friends, family, and colleagues.
If you would like to write a review or testimonial about your experience with the SBDC, click here to find out how!
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EAC Small Business Development Center
615 N. Stadium Ave., (Student Services Building)
Thatcher, AZ 85552
Phone: (928) 428-8590
Fax: (928) 428-2578
Email: sbdc@eac.edu
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