Upcoming Western Dairyland Events
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- Women's Business Networking Meeting, January 12
- Business Recordkeeping 101, January 12
- The 7 Steps to Starting a Business: January 19
- Entrepreneurial Technology Courses: January 23, 25, 30 & Feb 1.
- Women's Business Conference: April 26, 2012
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Green Business Tip
Go Paperless
Business are moving towards being completely paperless. With all the new technology, this is possible for any size business. Save money and the environment! |
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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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 "Tax Ready Record-Keeping"
| Lisa Geist with Nohre & Co. will be our guest speaker at the January's Network Meeting on "Tax Ready Record-Keeping" on January 12, 2012 from noon - 1 PM. at the Western Dairyland Community Action Agency, 418 Wisconsin Street, Eau Claire.
Geist, will present practical advice for setting up your small business so filing at the end of the year is problem free! Just in time for tax season, Geist will go over the Schedule C form and discuss how to separate expenses. She will also go over basic record-keeping skills to assist you throughout the year.
The meeting is free and open to the public and take place over the lunch hour on the second Thursday of each month. Participants are encourages 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 on the field and from each others shared experiences.
For more information call (715) 836-7511 ext 171 or visit www.SuccessfulBusiness.org
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| Business Recordkeeping 101 |
Small business owners, entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners are invited to attend Business Recordkeeping 101 on Thursday, January 12th. 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 and class materials are included. Scholarships are available for income-eligible individuals. The class is designed for business owners who want a hand-written or Excel based recordkeeping system. A limited number of laptops will also be available for individuals with Microsoft Excel experience who are interested in using an Excel based system. Participants are encouraged to bring their business checkbooks so actual business records can be used to enter data into a new recordkeeping system. Good recordkeeping is a critical tool for every business, and an organized system can save time and effort at tax time. During this hands-on class, participants will learn how to set up an effective small business office filing system, how to set up an effective cash-based recordkeeping 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. |
| The 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, January 19th. 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 January 4, 2012.
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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 Monday January 23rd. Courses will take place from 6-8pm, Tuesday January 24rd, Wednesday January 25th, Tuesday January 31st and Wednesday February 1st at the Western Dairyland Community Action Agency, 418 Wisconsin Street, Eau Claire. The tuition is $20 for each course or $80 for the series and includes materials. Because each course is hands-on, space is limited and pre-registration is required by Monday, January 16th.
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, January 24, 6-8pm) 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, January 25, 6-8pm) 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 (Tuesday, January 31, 6-8pm) 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 (Wednesday, February 1, 6-8pm) 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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| Wisconsin Governor's Business Plan Contest
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Finalists share in more than $100,000 in cash & prizes!Who's Eligible:
- Wisconsin residents 18 years old or older and who have a business plan that employs or leverages technology. Examples of technology include an eCommerce platform, a life sciences application or an advanced manufacturing process or system.
- Are a Wisconsin-based firm and/or plan to locate a business in Wisconsin
- Have received less than $25,000 in private equity funding for an idea in its current form.
Enter Now at: www.GovsBizPlanContest.com
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Sincerely,
Karman Briggs Western Dairyland Business Center
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