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The Southwestern Alliance
CONNECTIONS |
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Southwestern Michigan Economic Growth Alliance ~ Berrien County Manufacturers Council |
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November 4, 2009 - Volume 1, Issue 12 | |
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| Greetings! |
This Friday I will be attending my third economic development Summit in South Haven. The description of this year's summit grabbed my attention because we are also pursuing similar opportunities and exploring big new ideas for the Southwestern Alliance!
"...rural communities are pioneering a new future. Being rural is taking on an exciting new meaning; small communities are coming alive with big ideas. People are connecting to each other and to a world of opportunity!" (From the Summit invitation)
Randy Parry of Miner County, South Dakota will be presenting two topics I'm especially interested in; "From a Humble Beginning to a Remarkable Transformation" and "From Hopeless to Hopeful - a Case Study". Intriguing titles!
The Summit is sponsored by the
Greater South Haven Area Chamber of Commerce, BRACE (Business Resources
and Counseling for Entrepreneurs) and Lake Michigan College at South
Haven.
Many of my colleagues will also be attending this Summit and the following week we will be coming together again to participate in developing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties. Participating in this process gives the Southwestern Alliance the opportunity to express the particular needs and challenges of the communities in our area as well as to understand how our particular economic factors fit into the larger regional picture.
Being part of the regional big picture brings a lot of value to this organization - we can be inspired by ideas that worked and we can avoid ideas that didn't. As always, at the core of our commitment to you is the desire to look for every opportunity to bring fresh energy and economic vitality home.
Shelley Klug
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Art Show Open House
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If you're familiar with the Southwestern Alliance, you know one of our favorite things to do is brag about our members! In this case, we can actually give you an opportunity to see for yourself why we love this company.
CaraPace Studios  (part of Tempace) is hosting their first "Open House" Art Show this coming weekend. I've seen this exquisite glasswork and highly recommend you add this event to your weekend plans.
The photo at left is just one example of the artists' unique style - the link below will also give you a little taste of what these pieces are like but nothing compares with seeing them in all dimensions with the lights and colors coming alive.
For more information, or to RSVP, please call Sandra Hamann at 269-684-5060. The Open House is November 6 & 7 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and will be held in the studio located at 1840 Terminal Road.
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Tea Time with Tfactor - November 18, 2009
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What business-related topic do you want to know more about? Thriving in a down economy? Market diversification strategies? Succession planning? Financing sources? Or something else? Business owners/managers (commercial and manufacturing) are invited to attend an interesting, unique, and interactive "speed networking" presentation being developed in response to your interests as determined by your survey answers.
This fun and fast-paced event is designed to:
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Introduce complex topics and fresh ideas
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Define and summarize broad concepts
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Build a foundation for exploration and discussion
Come learn 100 tips, techniques, tactics, trends, and tools delivered in 100 minutes. You get to choose the topics! Glance through the survey's 25 topics and you'll see many relevant ideas. I did the survey in less than 1 minute so it really is quick! Just click on the link below:
Hosted by the Berrien County Manufacturers Council, there
is no fee for this meeting and it is open to BCMC and SMEGA members, guests,
and those interested in learning how to maximize their business.
TFactor presenters include Calli Berg, Fred Pieplow, and Steve Murray.
EVENT DETAILS:
November 18, 2009
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m
Berrien Springs Public Library
Please RSVP by November 15 by calling Shelley Klug at 269-683-1833.
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Small Business Resource Series
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Two of the Southwestern Alliance's partners, the Four Flags Area Chamber of Commerce and Lake Michigan College, (Bertrand Crossing Campus) recently began a series of six Small Business Resource seminars covering various business topics. The first three were held in October but there are still three great sessions remaining. This is a special opportunity to get information and training from business professionals for only $10 per class.
Session 4: Social Media - Market Your Business Using the
Latest Technology
A social media network
expert will cover the basics of Web 2.0 applications such as Twitter, MySpace,
Facebook and LinkedIn and help owners/managers determine how to market their
business using the latest online tools.
Date: Friday, November 6
Time: 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Session 5: Website Basics
This session will
offer practical suggestions and resources to assist business owners with
maintaining an updated electronic presence on the web.
Date: Friday, November 13
Time: 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Session 6: Cybersecurity: Protecting Your Business
This class will
provide a brief overview of network and computer security issues, including
numerous types of attacks computers are vulnerable to, the types of attacker
profiles, and the hardware and software defense solutions available.
Date: Friday, November 20
Time: 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
All classes will be held at the Bertrand
Crossing Campus, located at 1905 Foundation Drive, Niles. To register for any class, please call: 800-252-1562 ext. 2991.
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Financial Seminar Follow-Up and Contact Information
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(This article looks a little long so if you don't have time to read it all take a quick peak at the links and contact information!)
The Berrien County Manufacturers Council hosted an
informative and helpful financial seminar last Thursday (October 29). The seminar was a great opportunity for
lenders, business owners, consultants, and municipal leaders to learn and
discuss a variety of new programs designed to help provide financing for many
different types of businesses.
Mike Dreher, President of the Berrien County Manufacturers
Council called the meeting to order and introduced the speakers. Mike Flanagan of the Michigan Economic Development
Corporation talked about the Capital Access Program, an innovative small business loan enhancement program for
lenders. The program is designed to provide lending institutions a
non-bureaucratic, easy-to-use risk pooling account to write loans for small
businesses that might not otherwise fit lending criteria. Mr. Flanagan also spoke of the Michigan
Supplier Diversification Fund created primarily to assist auto industry
suppliers with transitioning to different markets. The MEDC recognized three key obstacles to achieving financing:
1) Narrow cash flow coverage, 2) Decreasing collateral value, and 3) Very
restricted lending environments. For more information either contact Mike Flanagan at 517-373-1465 or read about the program at Michigan Bankers Association.
Kelly Hutchings
of the Michigan Certified Development Corporation (MCDC) gave an overview of
the many changes that have recently occurred with the very popular SBA 504
program. Through the SBA 504, the MCDC
partners with commercial lenders to provide small businesses with long-term,
fixed-rate financing for the acquisition of major fixed assets such as land,
buildings, machinery, and equipment. Kelly can be reached at 517-886-6612. To learn more about the SBA 504 go to Michigan Certified Development Corporation.
Lisa Epple of the
United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development gave updates regarding the changes being made to the business and industry guaranteed loan programs
with the help of federal stimulus funds.
The USDA guaranteed loan programs work with lenders to provide loans for
business and industrial acquisitions when the loan will keep the
business from closing, provide job opportunities, diversify or expand, and can
help with the purchase and development of land, easements, rights-of-way,
buildings, or facilities; and purchase of equipment, leasehold improvements,
machinery, supplies, or inventory. Contact Lisa Epple at 269-463-8030 or to find out more about other Rural Development programs, go to USDA Rural Development.
Among the changes for many of the programs are either
reduced or eliminated fees and adjustments to eligibility requirements and
maximum loan amounts.
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November Website of the Month - Buy Michigan First!
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The Buy Michigan First program was
developed to encourage Michigan businesses to register with the State as
vendors and bid on more than 1,100 contract opportunities worth billions of
dollars. Check out their website to find a "Complete Contract List", a research tool to help prepare you for upcoming opportunities, and to find a calendar of upcoming presentations.
Buy Michigan FirstWe're promoting this website as a very preliminary warm-up to an exciting LOCAL event we hope to announce very soon!
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Manufacturing Diversification Summit - Your Place in the New Economy
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Last chance to attend a 2009 manufacturing diversification summit in Michigan. If you missed our August 19 Summit in Dowagiac, you might be interested in attending this one in Holland on November 18, 2009.
As manufacturers continue to experience challenges in the automotive industry, the state of Michigan is looking for ways to help companies diversify into four targeted areas: aerospace, government contracting, medical devices, and alternative energy. These diversification summits feature experts in each of these fields and networking with state-supported service providers ready to help companies get connected with potential funding opportunities for company diversification efforts.
For more information or to register, contact Jennifer Linart or Bruce Adair at 616-772-5226.
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Shelley Klug, Executive Director
Southwestern Alliance
Phone: 269-683-1833
Fax: 269-683-7515
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