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Western Dairyland Business Center December 2009 Newsletter |
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Join Us Online
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Greetings!
Congratulations to Madeline Black of Eau Claire, winner of Western Dairyland's Youth Business Plan Contest for her business, Vita Bona. Vita Bona specializes in hand-made jewelry and jewelry making classes for all ages. The Youth Business Plan contest was held in conjunction with Western Dairyland's youth entrepreneurship day camp and open to any youth residing in Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire, Buffalo, Trempealeau and Jackson counties.
The youth entrepreneurship day camp, which was held in June, was funded in part by the Eau Claire Foundation - Women's Giving Circle. The day camp provided training and one-on-one assistance to young entrepreneurs in the development of their business plans. Applicants submitted completed business plans, which were judged by a panel of area business leaders, including representatives from SCORE, the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corporation and the City of Eau Claire Economic Development.
Black received $500 to start her jewelry business, Vita Bona. She plans to spend the money on supplies and marketing. Black continues to work with Western Dairyland Business Development Specialists to develop business management skills including marketing and recordkeeping.
December Events (details below):
12.10.09 T.E.A.M Women's Business Networking Meeting, noon-1 pm, Eau Claire
12.10.09 Jackson County Inventors & Entrepreneurs Meeting, 6:30 pm, Black River Falls
12.15.09 7 Steps to Starting a Business, 6-9 pm, Eau Claire
For more information on any of these events or to register, continue reading below or feel free to contact me directly at kbriggs@westerndairyland.org
Sincerely,
Karman Briggs
Business Center Manager |
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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 will take place on Thursday, December 10 from noon to 1pm.
10 Tips for Boosting Website Traffic and Getting Qualified Leads
The Western Dairyland Business Center and Women's Business Center will host a Training, Education, And Mentoring (T.E.A.M.) meeting with Lauren Haugh, Search Marketing Manager for SitePro.com. The meeting will take place on Thursday, December 10th from noon to 1 p.m. at the Western Dairyland Community Action Agency, 418 Wisconsin Street, Eau Claire. The meeting is free and open to all women entrepreneurs and business professionals.
Haugh will be presenting "10 Tips for Boosting Website Traffic and Getting Qualified Leads." As an area expert in the field of search engine optimization and Internet marketing, Haugh will identify some simple and cost effective tips that small business owners can quickly implement on their web sites. The presentation is geared for the busy entrepreneur with limited technology or Internet savvy.
T.E.A.M. meetings are free and take place Noon-1 pm at Western Dairyland, 418 Wisconsin St., Eau Claire. Feel free to bring your lunch. And, remember to bring your business cards!
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Inventor and Entrepreneur Club Meetings
Black River Falls - 12/10/09
IDENTIFYING CUSTOMERS AND CLOSING THE SALE
Jake Bain, Branch Manager and Field Sales Manager for CUTCO Cutlery, will be the guest speaker at the December 10th meeting of the Jackson County Inventors & Entrepreneurs Club. The club meets on the second Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the Black River Area Chamber of Commerce, 120 N. Water St., Black River Falls. The meetings are free and open to the public.
Bain will present various tools and methods for identifying customers and closing the sale that he has gainned from his experience with direct selling for CUTCO Cutlery, the largest manufacturer and marketer of high-quality kitchen cutlery and accessories in the United States and Canada. More than 100 kitchen cutlery products are sold under the CUTCO name, as well as a variety of kitchen gadgets, utensils and flatware. The company also carries a line of cookware, sporting and pocket knives and garden tools. CUTCO has been purchased by more than 15 million customers.
There will be no meeting in Independence this month. |
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7 Steps to Starting a Business
Learn the Basic Steps in Building a Successful Business Plan
Tuesday, December 15, 6-9 p.m.
Western Dairyland, 418 Wisconsin St, Eau Claire
These training sessions teach participants how to start a business by assembling the pieces of a business plan. Topics covered include feasibility, proving your market, funding your business, writing a business plan, marketing, business legal structure and more.
After the class, attendees may apply for free, one-on-one assistance from Western Dairyland's Business Development Specialists to determine the feasibility of their business idea and identify sources to prove their 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, class materials are included. Scholarships are available for eligible individuals. There are three easy ways to register and pay for the class: online at www.SuccessfulBusiness.org/eventschedule/, by phone at 836-7511 ext 171, or in person at the Western Dairyland office in downtown Eau Claire. Registration and payment must be received by the Friday before class. Arrangements for persons with special needs will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. |
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Wisconsin Common Market, Western Dairyland's e-commerce site, welcomes
Grandpa's Workshop. Owner, Robert Moniasque apprenticed in an Amish cabinet shop, and after a 8 year hitch in the US Navy opened his own cabinet shop in San Diego County, CA. After several years he moved to southern Arizona, and continued in the cabinet business until he decided to switch to building furniture. After retiring in 2006 here in Wisconsin, Robert narrowed his scope and now builds Western Red Cedar Deck Furniture and other useful home, deck and yard items. When time allows, he also does a limited amount of custom built furniture.
To learn more more about Grandpa's Workshop, visit the website at: http://www.WisconsinCommonMarket.com/grandpasworkshop
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News and Events
December 2, Viterbo University, Lacrosse
James Hunter will present " The Power of Servant Leadership" at Viterbo University from 8:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2 in the Fine Arts Center Main Theatre. The event is free, but registration is requested. Visit www.viterbo.edu/secure.aspx?ekfrm=51299 to register.
December 9, Small Business and Entrepreneur Information Session
State Representatives Jeff Smith and Kristen Dexter will host an informational session for area small businesses and entrepreneurs with Wisconsin SBA Dirtrict Director Eric Ness and Pam Owen of Chippewa Valley Technical College at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 9 at the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, 101 N. Farwell St. The event will provide an overview of SBA programs, the Amrican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, how interested businesses can apply for SBA loans, and information about Workforce Advancement Training Grants. The event is open to the public. RSVP by contacting Smith's office at: Rep.Smith@legis.wisconsin.gov
January 20: Midwest Value Added Agriculture Conference
The Value Added Agriculture College will have seven half and full day in-depth session on various topics including: Post Harvest Handling for Vegetable Production Quality and Success; Food Safety on the Market Farm; Shaking the Federal Money Tree; Making Decisions about Local Food Sales Opportunities Using the Holistic Management™ Framework; Wisconsin Acidifi ed Canned Foods Training for Small Food Processors; Practical Agroforestry and Permaculture: Creating your Disasterproof, Perennial Farm; and QuickBooks 101 for Farmers. Register by December 1. For more information visit: http://www.rivercountryrcd.org/valad.html
January 21 & 22: 4th Annual Wisconsin Local Food Summit
The Conference and Summit will be filled with agricultural and business
information, education, and networking brought to you by Wisconsin Local Food Network, Hiawatha Valley Resource Conservation & Development and River Country Resource Conservation & Development. Register by December 1. For more information visit:
May 6 - 8: WFCCA Conference, Wisconsin Dells
June 24: I&E Rendevous, La Crosse
August 25 & 26, 2010: Government Contracting Conference, Camp Douglas
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Business Resources
Free Online Business Courses
The Small Business Training Network (SBTN) is a virtual campus
providing quality and targeted online training to meet the information
needs of prospective and existing small business owners. Available courses are identified by topic, such as Starting a Business, Surviving in a Down Economy and Business Management. In general, the courses are all self-paced and should take about 30
minutes to complete. Most of the courses require a brief online
registration.
http://www.sba.gov/services/training/onlinecourses/index.html
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Partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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