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Upcoming Western Dairyland Events
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- QuickBooks; Session 1: November 8th Session 2: November 15th
- Women's Business Networking Meeting, Hiring First Employee or Seasonal Help. November 10 - Noon to 1:00 PM
- Entrepreneurial Technology Courses: Nov 29 - Dec 2: 2-4PM
- 7 Steps to Starting a Business; November 17: 6PM to 9PM.
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Green Business Tip
Shop Local
With the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday approaching, there are a couple ways you can stay green in your business and in your home. Shop Local! Find local shops that have office supplies, this will reduce emissions from vehicles transporting products to the bigger chain supply stores. With your festivities at home find locally grown produce and meat.
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Sponsors
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Partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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Greetings!
Please join us in welcoming Michelle Wanstead to the Western Dairyland Business Center staff! Michelle has a strong background in event planning and database management. She will be your point of contact for questions about our upcoming events and services. She can be reached at 715-836-7511 x171 or jbdassist@westerndairyland.org. |
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Western Dairyland Women's Business Conference
Save the Date!!!
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The 9th annual Western Dairyland Women's Business Conference will be held April 26, 2012 at The Plaza Hotel & Suites in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
If you're thinking of starting, improving or expanding a business, this conference is for you!
Find more details at www.WomensBusinessConference.com or follow us on Facebook.
kbriggs@westerndairyland.org or 715.836.7511 x174 with any questions.
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Women's Business Network Meeting
Hiring Your First Employee
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The Western Dairyland Business Center and Women's Business Center will host a Women's Business Network meeting with guest speaker Nicki Boos, Operations Specialist, Manpower on Thursday, November 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.
From finding and screening applicants to establishing payroll procedures to training, hiring your first employee is a big step for many small business owners. Where can you find potential employees? How do you handle withholding? When is someone an employee versus a contractor? Boos will discuss these details and more for small business owners who are hiring their first employee or in need of temporary help.
Please join us for this open forum on this topic, participants are encouraged to bring their own bag lunch and plenty of business cards. For more information please visit www.successfulbusiness.org.
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| QuickBooks
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The Western Dairyland Business Center and Evlyn Carlile of Simple Office Solutions are presenting the hands-on training series Using QuickBooks in Your Business. Classes will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on November 8th and 15th at the Western Dairyland Community Action Agency, 418 Wisconsin St., Eau Claire.
Tuition is $99. Scholarships are available for income-eligible individuals. No experience with QuickBooks is necessary, but attendees should have basic computer skills.
In session one (November 8th) attendees will learn the basics, create a company file, and learn how to process and pay bills. Session two (November 15th) will cover transactions with vendors and customers, including invoices and receiving payments.
During the classes, attendees will set up a personalized company file which they will be able to import to their own business computer system. Classes will use Premier QuickBooks 2011, but files may be imported to any 2011 QuickBooks version, including the free download QuickBooks SimpleStart.
Laptops will be provided for use during the classes, therefore space is limited to 15 participants and registration is required by November 4th. 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.
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7 Steps to Starting a Business
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Entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners are invited to attend The 7 Steps to Starting a Business on Thursday, November 17th. The class will run from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Western Dairyland Community Action Agency, 418 Wisconsin Street, Eau Claire. Tuition is $25 for individuals and class materials are included. Scholarships are available for income-eligible individuals.
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 and pay for the class: online at www.SuccessfulBusiness.org, by phone at 715-836-7511 ext. 171, or in person at the Western Dairyland offices in Eau Claire and Independence. Because space is limited, pre-registration and payment is required by November 14.
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| Entrepreneurial Technology Courses
The Basics of Marketing, Operations, Communication & Finance
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The Western Dairyland Business Center and Women's Business Center will launch a new series of entrepreneurial technology courses based on the HP Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurs (LIFE) Program on Tuesday, November 29th. Courses will take place from 2-4pm, Tuesday November 29th-Friday December 2nd at the Western Dairyland Community Action Agency, 418 Wisconsin Street, Eau Claire. The tuition for each course is $20 and includes materials. Because each course is hands-on, space is limited and pre-registration is required by Wednesday, November 23. The LIFE Program is aimed at people starting up, running or working in the smallest of small enterprises - micro-enterprises. Micro-enterprises, companies that employ fewer than ten people, represent the largest source of new jobs around the world. At the same time, because of limited financial and human resources, they often struggle to be as efficient as they could be or to grow beyond their very small size. The LIFE Program shows micro-entrepreneurs how the use of technology can help their businesses thrive. http://www.becomelife.org/ - The Basics of Marketing (Tuesday, November 29, 2-4pm) introduces students to fundamental concepts within the sphere of marketing and gives them the opportunity to apply those concepts to a real business case. Students conduct a SWOT Analysis in LibreOffice Writer (www.libreoffice.org) thereby gaining knowledge in marketing and acquiring word processing skills.
- The Basics of Operations (Wednesday, November 30, 2-4pm) introduces students to fundamental concepts within the sphere of operations. Students apply these concepts by conducting a supply chain analysis in LibreOffice Draw (www.libreoffice.org) This allows them to learn about operations and acquire basic skills with vector graphics.
- The Basics of Communications (Thursday, December 1, 2-4pm) introduces students to basic concepts within the sphere of communication. Students apply these concepts by assessing the relevance of different communication channels using LibreOffice Impress (www.libreoffice.org). They learn about the theory of communication and gain presentation-making skills.
- The Basics of Finance (Friday, December 2, 2-4pm) introduces students to basic finance concepts. Students apply these concepts by conducting a break-even analysis in LibreOffice Calc (www.libreoffice.org) which allows them to learn about finance and to understand the fundamental features of electronic spreadsheets.
The Basics of Marketing, Operations, Communications and Finance are the compile the "Imagine" level of the LIFE curriculum. In this first level, students will be given an understanding of the basic business concepts necessary to translate a business idea into a viable business plan and, eventually, an actual business. Future levels include the Plan, Start, Grow and Innovate stages of entrepreneurship. The LIFE curriculum was developed by the Micro-Enterprise Acceleration Institute in partnership with Hewlett-Packard and will be delivered by certified LIFE Trainer, Karman Briggs. Equipment and curriculum were awarded to Western Dairyland EOC through an HP LIFE technology grant. For more information or to register call (715) 836-7511 ext. 171, email jbdassist@westerndairyland.org or visit www.SuccesssfulBusiness.org. |
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Sincerely,
Karman Briggs
Western Dairyland Business Center
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