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Western Dairyland Business Center Newsletter |
August 2008 | |
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Greetings!
The summer is coming to an end and school will be starting soon. This is a great time to promote your business with back-to-school sales or specials.
Everyone in the Eau Claire area is welcome to attend our August Women's Business Networking meeting on August 12th with Jackie Lee from Market Ability, LLC who will talk about branding your business. We are also awarding Toni Hudzina of Applied Interfaces, LLC with the Western Dairyland's Community Service Award. See below for more details.
The Contracting with the Government and Prime Contractors Seminar is quickly approaching. We are setting up some carpooling from Eau Claire if anyone is interested. More details are listed below as well.
Wisconsin Common Market Vendors will have a conference call on August 11th at 7pm to discuss the possibility of putting together collaborative holiday gift baskets to boost holiday sales and traffic to the Wisconsin Common Market website. See below for more details.
Please enjoy our newsletter and don't forget to reply to this email with your suggestions, comments, and/or concerns.
Sincerely,
Sara Bates,
Western Dairyland Business Center |
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"Contracting with the Government and Prime Contractors"
Second Annual Statewide Conference
Thursday August 7th, 2008 from 8:00am-4:30pm
Building 475, Volk Field in Camp Douglas, WI
Registration is $30 and includes morning refreshments and lunch
Have you ever considered selling your products or services to the government? Learn how you can sell your products or services from industry experts and the buying agencies themselves. The day will also include hands-on computer training and one-on-one meetings with buyers.
- Morning program focus on contracting essentials and scope of opportunity
- Afternoon opportunities to network directly with government representatives
- Afternoon small group miniworkshops available to help you prepare for contracting & subcontracting
- On-line assistance with registrations and certifications (CCR, HUBZone and other US SBA programs)
WHO SHOULD ATTEND? You should attend if your business would like to grow by selling to federal or state government agencies or selling to prime contractors. Businesses categorized as small, minority, Native American, woman, service disabled veteran and veteran-owned are highly encouraged to attend.
If you would like to carpool, please email Karman or call 715-836-7511 x174
*Click here for a registration form and more information.
Or contact Juneau County Economic Development at 608-427-2070 jcedc@mwt.net
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Western Dairyland, EOC 2008 Community Service Award Goes To..
"For your efforts and dedication in assisting the Western Dairyland Business Centers expand opportunities for entrepreneurs and for your continued support of the Women's Business Conference."
Please join us in celebrating and presenting Toni Hudzina of Applied Interfaces, LLC with her award on Tuesday, August 12th at our next Women's Business Networking meeting here at Western Dairyland (418 Wisconsin Street, Eau Claire) at 11:00am.
The following is a portion of a recommendation submitted by one of our staff members to the Western Dairyland Board of Directors for consideration of this award.
In 2006, Toni Hudzina attended our Women's Business Resource Fair. She was new to the area and anxious to get involved. Before the day was over, she graciously offered to rebuild and redesign the Fair's website into an accessible and robust site with far more features--at no cost.
In the past two years, Toni has served on the planning committee for the Women's Business Resource Fair, now known as the Women's Business Conference. Throughout this time, she has provided thousands of dollars of in-kind donations to the Western Dairyland Business Centers through the time she has spent building, maintaining and updating the site, www.WomensBusinessConference.com . In particular, we and our clients are very fortunate to have benefited from Toni's expertise in the area of web accessibility and ADA compliance.
Beyond the work Toni has done for the Women's Business Conference, she has provided mentorship and training directly to clients of the Western Dairyland Business Center through a series of technology classes we have taught together. Not only has she been a professional resource, but she has been a pleasure to work with.
Ultimately, the combination of Toni's expertise, graciousness and thoughtfulness has been an invaluable resource to the Western Dairyland Business Center and our clients.
Congratulations Toni, and thank you for all that you do!
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Women's Business Networking FREE Monthly Meetings!
On Tuesday August 12th "Branding Your Business: How to Make a Lasting Impression" with Jackie Lee, owner of Market Ability, LLC
Jackie will be using some national campaign examples as well as firsthand experience with local businesses, explaining how they did or did not stand out. Attendees will get solid information on how to start branding their business or enhance their current campaign. Join us on Tuesday August 12th between 11am and 1pm.
Jackie Lee's experience includes acting as a creative director for a local marketing firm, as well as promotions coordinator for hotels, college recruitment programs and radio stations. Her work in radio and the entertainment field took Lee from markets in South Dakota and Nebraska to Ohio and Wisconsin and rounded out her career with live announcer work, top-rated radio programs, television, instructional and industrial voice-overs, radio production management, news reporter/anchor, commentator and emcee opportunities.
These meetings are FREE for women entrepreneurs! Attendees are encouraged to bring their business cards, and a lunch to eat during the meeting. All our Women's Business Networking meetings will be held at 418 Wisconsin Street in Eau Claire on the SECOND TUESDAY OF THE MONTH from 11-1pm. You are welcome to attend the whole 2 hours, or just a portion. Whatever your schedule allows, just let us know in advance. The typical structure of our meetings are as follows:
- Introductions of everyone in attendance (11-11:15)
- Guest speaker presents on topic (11:15-12ish)
- Open for questions and networking (12-1)
The next Women's Business Networking meeting on SEPTEMBER 9th watch your email for some minor changes to our Networking Meetings.
**Our next planning meeting: Wednesday August 6th at 10am** | |
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WCM MEMBERS CONFERENCE CALL on August 11th at 7pm
Topic: WCM Collaborative Holiday Gift Baskets
Although we may be enjoying the summer sun, now - the 2008 holiday season is right around the corner! Because holiday online sales typically peak and end sooner than brick-and-mortar sales, now is the time to start planning your strategy for anticipating and meeting the demands of your customers. Generally speaking, online retailers try to have all their ducks in a row by October 1.
With that, combined with the 5th anniversary of WisconsinCommonMarket.com, we would like to bring everyone together for a conference call to discuss collaboration for a WCM Holiday Gift Basket. The goal is to bring together an array of products that is representative of the creativity within WCM as well as uniquely Wisconsin.
Vendors of non-perishable items interested in increasing their holiday revenue through participation in a collaborative gift basket that will be marketed throughout the state are asked to email Karman for dialing-in instructions for the conference call scheduled for Monday, August 11th at 7pm.
For information on becoming a member of the Wisconsin Common Market
and taking your business online, visit our website www.WisconsinCommonMarket.com
Karman Briggs, e-Commerce Site Manager |
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Jackson County I&E Club's next meeting is Thursday, August 14th at Jackson Electric, N6868 County Road F, Black River Falls. These meetings are held on the second Thursday of the month. Our guest speaker for August is Pam Owen, Manager of the NanoRite Innovation Center in Eau Claire. The NanoRite Innovation Center is a 37,000 square-foot facility located adjacent to the Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire. Through access to college faculty and graduates in Nanoscience as well as expertise in Micromachining, the center can connect entrepreneurs with top-notch talent. In addition, through their partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Materials Science Center and the University of Wisconsin-Stout Chemistry and Applied Science departments, your business can have ready access to additional technical expertise.
Buffalo/Trempealeau County I & E Club's next meeting is August 21st.The meetings will be held at 6:30 on the Third Thursday of the month at at the Riverland Energy Cooperative (N28988 State Rd 93 in Arcadia). Guest speaker for August will be Pete Marsnik, manager of the Chippewa Valley Angel Investors Network, LLC and president of ClearWater Systems, LLC.
Pete has a degree in chemical engineering, with a Masters in business administration. He currently provides business development consulting services, particularly in scientific and high-tech industries, such as agriculture and food products biotechnology, construction, manufacturing, printing and more.
These two clubs are FREE of charge 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. Each meeting will feature a guest speaker who will share tips and techniques on topics ranging from market research and business planning to patents and trademarks. The goal of the club is to create a positive learning environment that will enable participants to successfully move forward with their plans. No registration is required to attend the monthly meetings and there are no fees to join.
For more information on either I & E Club call:
Karman Briggs at 800-782-1063 or 715-836-7511, ext. 174
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BUSINESS CENTER TRAININGS for AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER:
"TECH TALK" 2 hr session for $20 - laptops provided & space is limited to 20.
- August 5th "Internet Marketing WITH a Website" in Eau Claire from 7-9pm
- August 14th "Using Excel in Your Business in Black River Falls from 2-4pm
- September 2nd "Domain Names and Web Hosts" in Eau Claire from 7-9pm
"WOMEN'S BUSINESS NETWORKING MEETINGS" - FREE from 11-1pm in Eau Claire 2nd Tuesday of the month.
- August 12th - "Branding Your Business: How to Make a Lasting Impression" with Jackie Lee, owner of Market Ability LLC.
- September 9th TBA (watch your email for a slight change in times starting in September)
"7 STEPS TO STARTING A BUSINESS" - one 3 hour session for $25 (scholarships available)
- August 28th, Thursday, in Eau Claire from 6-9pm
- September 23rd, Tuesday, in Black River Falls from 6:30-9:30pm
- September 25th, Thursday, in Galesville from 6:30-9:30pm
"INVENTORS & ENTREPRENEURS CLUB MEETINGS" - FREE and open to the public!
Jackson County- 2nd Thurs. of the month at Jackson Electric in Black River Falls starting at 6:30pm.
Buffalo/Tremp. County - 3rd Thurs. of the month at Riverland Energy Center in Arcadia at 6:30pm.
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| NEED TO KNOW, News and Events around Western Wisconsin:
BUSINESS SEMINARS:
Contracting with Governments and Prime Contractors Thursday August 7th 2008 from 8am to 4:30pm at Camp Douglas. Registrations and Questions call 608-427-2070 or email jcedc@mwt.asp. See information above for more details.
EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES:
Age of Opportunity Job and Volunteer Fair.
Tuesday September 23rd from 8-11am at the Oakwood Mall in Eau Claire. This is a job/volunteer fair to connect mature workers with opportunities and help businesses obtain qualified help and fill employment needs. You can purchase exhibitor space ($60 for chamber members in Eau Claire, Chippewa, or Menomonie and $85 for non-members), and you can sponosor the event to get more publicity. Click here for more details or call Brett (715-858-0616) at the Chamber.
ONLINE RESOURCES:
Small Business Administration's Small Business Training Network (SBTN)
SBTN is virtual campus providing quality and targeted online training to meet the information needs of prospective and existing small business owners. The free online courses include topics like: Business Management, Financing and Accounting, Government Contracting, Marketing and Advertising, and more. Click here for a list of the available classes.
WEN (Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Network) Resource Connection:
Need to find business assistance in your area? Check out WEN's Resource Connection. Search by zip code, key word, or category. If you still don't find what you need, contact the Women's Business AnswerLine at 1-800-940-7232 or email info@wenportal.org.
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