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Western Dairyland Business Center January 2010 Newsletter |
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Join Us Online
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Greetings!
Happy new year! Starting to think about tax season? We have several tax and recordkeeping events this month to assist you!
January Events (details below):
1.14.09 Free Women's Business Networking Meeting, Recordkeeping Basics, noon-1 pm, Eau Claire
1.14.10 Jackson County Inventors & Entrepreneurs Meeting, 6:30 pm, Black River Falls
1.21.10 Free Tax Preparation and the Schedule C, noon-1 pm, Eau Claire
1.28.10 7 Steps to Starting a Business, 6-9 pm, Eau Claire
1.28.10 Free Tax Chat Panel, Ask the Experts, noon-1 pm, Eau Claire
1.28.10 Recordkeeping 101, 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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Women's Business Network Meeting
Women's Business Network Meeting will take place on Thursday, January 14 from noon to 1pm.
Recordkeeping Basics
The Western Dairyland Business Center and Women's Business Center will host a Women's Business Networking meeting with Evlyn Carlile, of Simple Office Solutions presenting "Recordkeeping Basics." The meeting will take place on Thursday, January 14 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. Individuals interested in participating remotely via phone can contact jbdassist@westerndairyland.org for instructions.
Just in time for tax season, Carlile will present practical advice and tips for setting up and maintaining a functional small business recordkeeping system. This meeting will be the first of three sessions on tax preparedness taking place this month. On January 21, Carlile will be presenting on filing a Schedule C for your small business. On January 28, bring all your questions on tax preparation and record keeping to a panel of area experts.
Carlile, owner of Simple Office Solutions, has over 20 years of education and work experience in bookkeeping and assists a variety of businesses in the Chippewa Valley with their bookkeeping needs. Feel free to bring your lunch. And, remember to bring your business cards! |
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Free Tax Chats
January 14, Recordkeeping Basics, noon - 1pm, (Women's Business Network Meeting).
Just in time for tax season, Evlyn Carlile of Simple Office Solutions, will present practical advice and tips for setting up and maintaining a functional small business recordkeeping system.
January 21, Tax Preparation and the Schedule C, noon - 1 pm
Evlyn Carlile of Simple Office Solutions will present "Tax Prep/Schedule C." Carlile has over 20 years of education and work experience in bookkeeping and assists a variety of businesses in the Chippewa Valley with their bookkeeping needs. During this session, Carlile will discuss tax preparation and the details of the expense categories in Form 1040 (Schedule C) including the mileage and the travel, meal and entertainment categories.
January 28, Tax Chat panel, noon - 1 pm
The "Tax Chat" panel discussion includes area experts Evlyn Carlile, owner of Simple Office Solutions; Lori Peabody, owner of Action Tax Service; and Lisa Geist, CPA at Nohre & Co., S.C. During this "Tax Chat," the Western Dairyland Business Development Specialists will moderate a panel discussion where attendees will be provided the opportunity to direct questions to the panel on topics related to small business taxes, such as issues inherent to operating a home-based business, depreciation, mileage expenses and the Schedule C. Individuals interested in submitting their questions in advance, may email jbdassist@westerndairyland.org.
The three "Tax Chat" sessions will take place at the Western Dairyland Community Action Agency, 418 Wisconsin St., Eau Claire. The meetings are free and open to all entrepreneurs.
There are three easy ways to register for the classes: online at www.SuccessfulBusiness.org, by phone at 836-7511 ext. 171, or in person at the Western Dairyland office in downtown Eau Claire. Arrangements for persons with special needs will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance.
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Inventor and Entrepreneur Club Meetings
Black River Falls - 1/14/10
LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR FEATURED
Bill Eklund, owner of Sharp Photo & Portrait in Eau Claire will be the guest speaker at the Juanuary 14 meeting of the Jackson County Inventorys & 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.
Eklund will discuss his experiences in going from manager of several film-processing shops to purchasing and expanding Sharp Photo & Portrait. Discover how foresight and planning enabled Bill to adjust his business model in order to adapt to technological advances in the photography industry many of which allow the consumer to print his own photos from home.
Independence - 1/21/10
IDENTIFYING CUSTOMERS AND CLOSING THE SALE
Jake Bain, Branch Manager and Field Sales Manager for CUTCO Cutlery, will be the guest speaker at the January 21st meeting of the Buffalo/Trempealeau Counties Inventors & Entrepreneurs Club. The club meets on the third Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the Western Dairyland office, 23122Whitehall Rd., Independence. 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. |
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7 Steps to Starting a Business
Learn the Basic Steps in Building a Successful Business Plan
Thursday, January 21, 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 three days before the class. Arrangements for persons with special needs will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. |
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Business Recordkeeping 101 classes offered
January 28, 6-9 pm, Eau Claire
or
February 4, 6-9 pm, Indpenedence
The class is designed for individuals who want a hand written recordkeeping system to maintain. Laptops will be available for individuals with Microsoft Excel experience and an interest in using an Excel based system, instead. Registrants are encouraged to bring their business checkbooks so actual business records can be used to enter data into the new recordkeeping system.
Good recordkeeping is a critical tool for every business. An organized system can save time and effort at tax time. More so, by maintaining an organized record keeping system, an entrepreneur can easily produce profit and loss statements, which can be used to monitor the status of a business throughout the year and head off potential pitfalls. Accurate record keeping puts a business in a better position to manage the business and to make critical business decisions. During this hands-on session, participants will learn tips on how to set up an effective small business office filing system, how to set up an effective cash based record keeping system, how to record business income and expenses, and how to create a profit and loss statement that will generate the information needed to complete a Schedule C.
Tuition is $25 for individuals. 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, by phone at 836-7511 ext. 171, or in person at the Western Dairyland office in downtown Eau Claire or the Western Dairyland Office at 23122 Whitehall Rd, Independence. Because space is limited, pre-registration and payment is required three days before the class. |
Women's Business Conference
The Western Dairyland Women's Business Center is glad to be continuing the 7th Annual Women's Buniness Conference on April 29, 2010 at the Plaza Hotel & Suites in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
The event targets women entrepreneurs who are starting, expanding, and/or working to improve their businesses.
For updates and details on this year's conference, visit the Women's Business Conference Website:
*BECOME A FAN ON THE WOMEN'S BUSINESS CONFERENCE ON FACEBOOK*
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Wisconsin Common Market
Wisconsin Common Market, Western Dairyland's e-commerce site, welcomes
Nancy's Country Crafts.
Nancy's Country Crafts offers an assortment of products. "Green ?" Yes indeed! Our signature products are silk purses and wallets. Our products are one of a kind. The silk pieces are the remnants and small scraps from the XMI tie factory located in Wisconsin. We also offer Christmas stockings and ornaments made with the silk piece.
To learn more more about Nancy's Country Crafts, visit the website at: http://www.wisconsincommonmarket.com/nancyscrafts
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News and Events
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:
January 27, Small Business TAX EXPO, Madison
The Small Business Tax Expo is your chance to learn about federal and state taxes including payroll, unemployment compensation and sales taxes. Created for you by Wisconsin Small Business Development Centers, WI Department of Revenue, Wisconsin Institute of CPAs and Internal Revenue Service. For more information visit: http://sbdc.wisc.edu/startup/sbtaxexpo/default.asp
April 29: Women's Business Conference, Eau Claire April 30: Selling to the Government - Half Day Workshop, Eau Claire
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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National Entrepreneurship Week 2010
Have Your Entrepreneurial Success Story Showcased on YouTube!
The fourth annual
recognition of National Entrepreneurship Week (NEW) occurs February 20 through
February 27, 2010. Sponsored by the National Consortium for Education
Excellence, National Entrepreneurship Week is a celebration of American
entrepreneurs and the educational programs currently preparing youth to develop
a passion toward entrepreneurship as a viable career option.
"Last year, organizations hosted
events that celebrated the power of entrepreneurship throughout Wisconsin," said
Department of Commerce (Commerce) Secretary Richard J. Leinenkugel. "Once
again, we'd like to encourage state and local government, schools, nonprofit
organizations, entrepreneurs and community leaders to observe the week by
hosting events."
The focus of this fourth year's
celebration includes the celebration of Wisconsin's
entrepreneurs and the lifelong learning educational opportunities that prepare
the NEW business leaders of the future. Organizations will find resources
to support their event and program planning on the National Consortium for
Education Excellence web site at http://www.nationaleweek.org/.
With the theme Entrepreneurship Empowers
Everyone,organizations are encouraged to begin planning now. Joining in
the recognition of National Entrepreneurship Week provides our leaders,
educators and entrepreneurs from every walk of life with an opportunity to once
again celebrate Wisconsin's
entrepreneurial spirit.
In collaboration with the Department
of Public Instruction (DPI) and the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Network, our state
will heighten the awareness of Wisconsin's
entrepreneurial spirit by utilizing the social networking media, DPI's
YouTube.
As social media has profoundly
changed the way entrepreneurs connect, by utilizing YouTube, Wisconsin
entrepreneurs have the opportunity to be a part of the state's celebration and
gain recognition of their entrepreneurial spirit.
To learn how to showcase your
entrepreneurial story on DPI YouTube or to promote E-Week events through the
National Entrepreneurship Week web site contact Carol Dunn, Department of
Commerce's Bureau of Entrepreneurship, at 608-267-0297 or carol.dunn@wisconsin.gov for
submission guidelines.
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Partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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