|
Upcoming Western Dairyland Events
| |
Women's Business Networking Meeting - March 10
LinkedIn Meeting - March 15
ABCs of Business Ownership Series - March 17, 24, and 31
Seven Steps to Starting a Business - March 30
Women's Business Conference Early Bird Registration - March 31
Women's Business Conference - April 21
|
|
Community Events
|
Growth Strategies - April 21
Wisconsin Family Childcare Association - April 28-30
|
|
Sponsors
| 
| |
Partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
|
|
|
|
8th Annual Women's Business Conference - April 21, 2011 in Eau Claire
|  The 2011 Women's Business Conference will connect you with the resources you need to be a success. At this full-day conference, you'll learn from established members of the business community in Western Wisconsin, talk to business assistance providers, and network with hundreds of emerging entrepreneurs.
Register before March 31st to save $10 on the entrance fee. Visit http://www.womensbusinessconference.com to register online, print off a mail-in registration form, or find out more information about the Women's Business Conference.
|
| | ABCs of Business Ownership Series in Eau Claire on March 17, 24, & 31
| Entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners are invited to attend The ABCs of Business Ownership, a three-part workshop scheduled from 1 to 4 pm on March 17, 24, and 31. All sessions will be held at the Western Dairyland Community Action Agency, 418 Wisconsin St., Eau Claire.
Each session will teach prospective business owners how to assemble the pieces of a business plan. Participants are encouraged to work on their specific business ideas during the sessions.
Session One: Are You Ready? - March 17 - Topics include legal structure, permits, licensing, zoning, business plan outline, and business idea feasibility.
Session Two: Business Marketing - March 24 - Topics include identifying customers, market research, and how to market to your customers.
Session Three: Creating Financing - March 31 - Topics include managing cash, preparing profit/loss and cash flow projections, and options for financing.Tuition is $45 for individuals or $40 per person for groups of two or more who are working on a business plan together. Class materials for each session are included. Scholarships are available for income eligible individuals.
There are three easy ways to register and pay: online at www.SuccessfulBusiness.org, by phone at 836-7511 ext. 171, or in person at the Western Dairyland office at 418 Wisconsin Street, Eau Claire. Because space is limited, registration and payment must be received by Monday, March 14th.
After attending the workshops, attendees may request 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.
|
| Women's Business Networking Meeting March 10th in Eau Claire
| The Western Dairyland Business Center and Women's Business Center will host a Women's Business Network meeting with guest speaker Pam Engebretson, Director of Education for Fantastic Sams Wisconsin Region, on Thursday, March 10th. The meeting will take place from 12 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 may contact jbdassist@westerndairyland.org or call 836-7511 ext. 171 for instructions.
Pam Engebretson will be on hand to provide an introduction to franchising and the benefits of being part of a franchise system. She will discuss what a franchise is, how to select a franchise opportunity, investment requirements, and her experiences as owners of Fantastic Sams franchise hair salons. With over 30 years of experience in the beauty industry, Pam can provide expert advice on what it takes to succeed in the $59 billion hair care industry.
Women's Business Network meetings are open to the public and take place over the lunch hour on the second Thursday of each month. Participants are encouraged to bring their own bag lunch and plenty of business cards. The goal of the meetings is to facilitate networking relationships among women business owners, allowing them to expand their small business knowledge. The structure of the meetings will allow participants to learn from an expert in the field and from each other's shared experiences.
For more information call (715) 836-7511 ext. 171 or visit www.SuccesssfulBusiness.org. |
|
"Networking Successfully with LinkedIn" by Heather Rothbauer-Wanish, March 15
| The Western Dairyland Business Center and Women's Business Center will host "Networking Successfully with LinkedIn" presented by Heather Rothbauer-Wanish of Feather Communications on Tuesday, March 15 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Western Dairyland Community Action Agency, 418 Wisconsin Street, Eau Claire. Tuition is $25, including class materials.
Social media is vitally important for marketing yourself and your business. This presentation, "Networking Successfully with LinkedIn" will provide an overview of the LinkedIn site. The session will cover why LinkedIn is important and the value that networking provides businesses. Attendees will see an example profile and learn how to build their own profile. Topics covered will include updating your status, joining groups, and connecting with people. Those who attend this presentation will also receive a handout they will complete during class. The handout will assist attendees with planning their LinkedIn profile.
Heather Rothbauer-Wanish is a freelance writer, owner of Feather Communications and the Business/Accounting Program Chair at Globe University - Eau Claire. Rothbauer-Wanish has a BBA in management from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an MBA from Lakeland College. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Organization and Management, with an emphasis in leadership.
There are three easy ways to register for the webinar: online at www.SuccessfulBusiness.org, by phone at 836-7511 ext. 171, or in person at the Western Dairyland office in downtown Eau Claire. Upon registration, participants will receive detailed instructions on how to access the webinar.
|
| Free Business Class to be Held in Galesville on March 30th
|
Entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners are invited to attend The 7 Steps to Starting a Business on Wednesday, March 30th. The class will run from 6 to 9 p.m. in the community room of the Galesville Public Library, 16787 South Main Street, Galesville. The class is offered free of charge, but registration is required.
This training session teaches 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 request 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.
There are three easy ways to register for the class: online at www.SuccessfulBusiness.org, by phone at 836-7511 ext. 171, or in person at the Western Dairyland offices in Eau Claire and Independence. Because space is limited, pre-registration is required by March 24th.
|
| Featured Success Story
|  Located in Eau Claire, MüD Modular Marketing Systems creates eye-catching marketing displays. Owner and Lead Designer, Amy Lokken, says, "We help businesses to achieve what they want to achieve, which is standing out from their competition." MüD displays are designed for use in tradeshows and expos, but built with enough flexibility that they can be used in lobbies, as point of purchase displays, or to distribute samples. MüD displays truly are limited only by one's ingenuity. Lokken says she likes using the displays for more than one purpose. Not only is it less wasteful, but it also gives the customer the "biggest bang for their buck." In addition to being usable in a variety of settings, MüD Modular Marketing Systems can be easily disassembled and used as a partial display, such as a tabletop display. Another benefit of using MüD Modular Marketing Systems is its friendliness to the environment and the local economy. According to Lokken, 80% of the materials used to construct the displays, including the plastics, are recyclable. And around 75-85% of the materials, depending on the specifics of each project, are made locally. Most of the remaining materials are still from the mid-west, and only a couple of parts are ordered from outside the region. Lokken started MüD on her own and without a clear business plan. But MüD was quite successful, and Lokken realized that the business could expand beyond her original hopes. "As I saw the potential for MüD growing, I needed a more traditional business plan." But Lokken had never created a traditional business plan, and wasn't sure where to start. Through Western Dairyland, Lokken took courses that taught her to build a business plan and successfully expand her business. Western Dairyland also helped Lokken promote MüD Modular Marketing Systems. Recently, Lokken designed a display for Woodbury Dental Care. She describes this project as one of the most interesting because WDC needed to be able to showcase that they are the premier dentist for the Minnesota Wild, Saints, and Swarm. Lokken positioned and sized the sports logos in such a way that they are prominent without overshadowing WDC. Lokken also constructed a miniature display for WDC to use at charity events. Currently, MüD Modular Marketing Systems is still growing and reaching to achieve the plateau of being known and recognized. "The more we get out there, the more we achieve that 'ah-ha!' moment." Lokken plans to drive MüD to keep growing and dreams of marketing on a national and international scale someday. To view pictures of MüD designs, visit http://www.modularmarketingsystems.com or look up MüD Modular Marketing Systems on Facebook. |
|
|
Sincerely,
Karman Briggs
Western Dairyland Business Center
|
|
|
