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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Great news for small businesses!
It's easier to find local businesses on Facebook with the NEW "Like Pages" link on the left side of your news feed!
 Why is this such great news? Now local consumers on Facebook can easily find your business page!
What does this mean for local businesses? This is an opportunity for greater exposure online through one of the largest social media sites on the internet.
What does this mean for local consumers? Stay better connected with local events, sales, promotions, etc through local business pages, without having to leave Facebook. If you don't have a Facebook business page, create one today for free!If you need help setting up your Facebook business page, refreshing your current page, or would like more information, please contact the EAC SBDC at (928) 428-8590 or email: sbdc@eac.edu
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Small Business Saturday on November 24, 2012 The Day Dedicated to Supporting Small Business Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses nationwide. Last year, over one hundred million people* came together to Shop Small in their communities on Small Business Saturday. *Based on 2011 Small Business Saturday Consumer Survey by Echo Research, and commissioned by American Express Come November 24th, consumers will be out shopping at small businesses in force. And as a small business owner, you can take advantage of the day with the free tools provided by American Express.
Whether you're a small business owner or a customer, you will want to encourage your friends to Shop Small or help rally an entire town; everyone can help spread the word about Small Business Saturday. The more people and the more businesses that get involved, the bigger and more beneficial the day will be.
Promote Your Small BusinessFrom personalized in-store signage to driving traffic with social media, get what you need to promote your business on Small Business Saturday by using these free tools. Rally Your CommunityFrom posting a logo on your blog and signage around town, to hosting and collaborating on events with your neighbors, here are some free valuable tools and ideas you can use to help get everyone involved in Small Business Saturday.  Check out " Small Business Saturday" Facebook page
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Seven Things Your Small Business Can Learn from Mythbusters
by Michael Raia, Business2Community.com October 2, 2012In case you've never heard of "Mythbusters", the long-running hit show on Discovery Channel, here's the premise. In each episode, five engineers (two lead engineers and three "junior" engineers) take on a common myth or urban legend and seek to either bust it or confirm it. Their myth fodder might include anything from proving if an arrow can split another arrow, as shown in many movies-or if you can get hardened concrete out of a cement mixer using TNT. The episodes are slickly edited in story format, taking each myth and its requisite experiments from beginning to end, culminating in one of three answers: Myth Confirmed, Myth Plausible or, of course, Myth Busted. There are extreme explosions, gobs of gook, mistakes, and plenty of laughs along the way. What could your business possibly learn from a show about exploding cars, strange robots and electrical shocks? A lot actually. Test, Test, Test Despite their often explosive subject matter, lead engineers Jamie and Adam are huge safety advocates and test everything religiously before trying any experiment. As tempted as we may be as business owners to jump into new ideas with both feet, we can always benefit from a little testing first. Want to add a new product or service? Test the idea with a few existing customers first. Want to try a new marketing tactic like search advertising? Start small, see what happens. You may find that you can't meet demand or, worse, there is no demand. Testing first can ensure you don't fall flat on your face. Learn from Your Mistakes Some of the best moments on Mythbusters are the mistakes or miscalculations. A rope breaks, a platform collapses, a trombone slide impales a crash test dummy (long story). It makes for high comedy. But more importantly, the intrepid engineers learn from their mistakes and make adjustments for another attempt. How well do you or your company handle mistakes?.... Click here to read complete article
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Are Older Workers Better For Your Small Business?
by Rieva Lesonsky, Small Business Trends October 3, 2012 Is it true that workers over 50 have a harder time getting hired than younger employees? Not according to the results of a new survey from Adecco Staffing US. In the poll, hiring managers in a wide range of industries nationwide say they are three times more likely to hire a worker age 50 and up (60 percent) than a Millennial employee (20 percent). Why the huge gap? It seems older workers have what companies are looking for. Almost all (91 percent) of respondents say they consider older workers reliable, and 88 percent say they are professional. But that doesn't mean they're perfect. What are some stumbling blocks preventing companies from hiring older workers? Slightly more than one-third (39 percent) say the biggest challenge is older workers' difficulty in adapting to new technologies. In addition, 51 percent say older workers often ask for too much in terms of salary and compensation, and 48 percent think they seem "overconfident" about their abilities and experience during job interviews. Finally, 33 percent are concerned older workers won't want to take direction from younger managers.... Click here to read complete article
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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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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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What does the SBDC Do?
As we visit with local business owners and community members, we ask if they have heard of the EAC Small Business Development Center. Many have heard about us, but aren't exactly clear what we do......
In a nutshell, The EAC Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is part of a national and statewide network of diverse and talented business counselors that are available to help business owners and new entrepreneurs with every aspect of their business....at NO COST!
All SBDC's are funded by their local community college and through a grant provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). This means the SBDC's can provide FREE counseling to assist entrepreneurs with finding answers to the numerous questions that arise when starting or operating a business.
How Can the SBDC Help?
The SBDC can be your resource in any of the following areas:
- Business Start-ups
- Business Plan Development
- QuickBooks Training & Advising
- Sources of Financing
- Accounting & Record-keeping
- Marketing Strategies
- Technology Solutions
- Cash Flow Analysis
- Human Resources
- Government Procurement Opportunities
- Business Expansion & Growth Assistance
- Customer Service
- And much more
Click here for more information on the EAC Small Business Development Center
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Chamber Members Lunch & Learn Event #3
Thurs, October 25, 2012
12:00 - 1:00pm
Cost: $10
(for Graham County Chamber Members)
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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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