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Window of Opportunity
 Interested in becoming a vendor for the Nation's Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex?
Register through Bechtel's Supplier and Contractor Portal:
https://supplier.bechtel.com
Look for latest procurements on the Y-12 website:
https://www.y12.doe.gov
Check DedBizOpps' website:
https://www.fbo.gov
Questions?
Email: upfprocurement@y12.doe.gov
Call: 865-574-0079
Or call us at @
(423) 392-8825
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HELP WANTED!
Salesperson Wanted!
A local service company is seeking a salesperson to find businesses who may be interested in their services. Required skills:
- Internet marketing
- Marketing & Sales
- Telemarketing
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Veterans, Women & Minorities Take Note
WOMEN
Check out the Professional Women's Network of the Tri-Cities, TN/VA!  Professional Women's Network Website About: The Professional Women's Network of Tri-Cities is a network of women in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia with common professional goals and interests related to interacting with corporate business.
, owner of Anytime Fitness in Kingsport, TN for winning the KOSBE Veteran-Owned Business Award in December, 2012! Proud of you, Willie!
MINORITIES
Take advantage of this opportunity:
The SBA has announced the launch of the Self-Employment Assistance Center. The SEAC is designed to help the unemployed create their own jobs by starting their own small businesses.
To find out more, visit
http://sea.workforce3one.org/
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The Cash Corner
The Tennessee Energy Efficiency Loan Program (TEELP)
was created to help Tennessee companies finance investments in energy efficient technology, energy retrofits and renewable energy systems. Administered by Pathway Lending, the program offers 3% fixed rate capital on terms up to 5 years and 100% financing for projects from $20,000 to $5,000,000.
Click here for more information. |
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The Office Depot Program
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Kingsport Chamber Members receive DEEPER DISCOUNTS THAN EVER BEFORE with the Office Depot National Chamber Program.
No strings attached.
Contact Kim Jones at
(423) 392.8805 for details!
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Get To Know Us!
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Aundrea Wilcox
Executive Director, KOSBE
Senior Business Counselor, TSBDC @ ETSU Kingsport Affiliate Office
David SchoolsSmall Business Services Marketing Manager, KOSBE Administrative Coordinator, TSBDC @ ETSU Kingsport Affiliate Office |
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Issue #0005 - End of Year 2012
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Greetings!
You are receiving this e-mail because of your relationship with either the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce, the Kingsport Office of Small Business Development & Entrepreneurship (KOSBE) or the Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) at ETSU Kingsport Affiliate Office.
Each issue will be distributed monthly and will shine a light on a successful small business located within our region.
Thank you for your interest in our local small businesses and small business-related events, issues and information.
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The 411...
The Annual 2012 KOSBE Awards Recap
On Thursday, December 6th, 2012, a packed-out Club at Ridgefields was abuzz with 235 individuals of the Kingsport business community.
Unlimited Band provided the entertainment while food by Divine Catering and drinks were served. At 7:00PM, the program began with Michael Quillen, Founder and past CEO of Alpha Natural Resources, being interviewed by Jim Bailey, News Anchor with WKPT. Their talk was centered on the topic of the Quillen's coal mining experience, entrepreneurship and
the coal mining industry in general.
Mayor Dennis Phillips, Kingsport Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Miles Burdine and KOSBE Chair Janet Callahan of Bristol Motor Speedway, presented Mr. Quillen with an appreciation gift in recognition of his leadership and forward-thinking in regard to the future of America's energy production.
After a brief intermission and showing of sponsor videos, MC Leslie Ridings of Hunter, Smith & Davis and Vanessa Bennett, Kingsport Chamber of Commerce Director of Operations, announced live the winners and runners up of each award category. The results are as follows:
- The Winner of the Business Excellence Under 10 Employees award was Signature Properties. No Runner Up.
- The Winner of the Business Excellence Over 10 Employees award was Comfort Keepers. Biggie's Clam Bar was the Runner Up.
- The Winner of the New Business award was The Bagel Exchange. CrossCountry Mortgage, Inc. was the Runner Up.
- The Winner of the Young Entrepreneur award was Kingsport Imaging, Inc.. Sweet CeCe's Frozen Yogurts and Treats was the Runner Up.
- The Winner of the Minority Enterprise award was Carew Cuts Barber Shop. No Runner Up.
- The Winner of the Woman-Owned Business award was Cindy Saadeh Fine Art Gallery. Charmed Southern Home, Gifts & Events was the Runner Up.
- The Winner of the Veteran-Owned Business award was Anytime Fitness. No Runner Up.
- The Winner of the Home-Based Business award was Bellafina Chocolates. No Runner Up.
- The Winner of the Multiple Store/Franchise award was Angry Penguin. Fish Window Cleaning was the Runner Up.
- The Winner of the Rural Enterprise Business award was The Rusty Nail Primitives. Toyables was the Runner Up.
- The Winner of the Marketing Excellence award was VIPSEEN Magazine. No Runner Up.
- There was no Winner or Runner Up for the Innovation award. Honorable mentions include Beyond Engagement, SRV Global Health, and NugZee, LLC.
- The Winner of the Small Manufacturer/Fabricator award was Mason Distributors (Triggers). No Runner Up.
- The Winner of the Rising Star award was Haun Chiropractic. Jenkins Insurance Group was the Runner Up.
- The Winner of the Exceptional Performer award was Picsee Studio. No Runner Up.
- The Winner of the Impact Award was Thom Crosby of Pal's Business Excellence Institute. Rikki Rhoten of Allstate Insurance was the Runner Up.
- The Winner of the Caped Crusader award was Mayor Dennis Phillips.
Each winner and runner-up received a KOSBE award on stage, will receive recognition during Kingsport Chamber and KOSBE events, digital award emblem to display on their company literature and website, spotlight on Kingsport Chamber and KOSBE websites, social media channels and recognition in the Kingsport Times-News. Past winners are often first in line for free marketing opportunities, special interviews and public relations exposure. You can view the entire program on our YouTube playlist here.
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THANK YOU TO OUR 2012 SPONSORS! 
 | | Silver Sponsor |
Interested...
in becoming a sponsor for the
2013 Annual KOSBE Awards?
Contact us at 423.392.8811 or e-mail at
awilcox@kosbe.org.
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Numbers - Where are Jobs Created?
Small Business Facts
About 60 percent of the private-sector net new jobs are from existing establishments and about 40 percent from the churn of startups minus closers in the last two decades (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics).
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10 Online Marketing Tips for Building Sales
 By: David Schools
KOSBE Marketing Manager
As we all know, outsourcing our online marketing to third-party advertising and marketing firms can be pricey and unaffordable. Hence why a lot of small business owners are building their own websites and managing their own company's social media accounts. In lieu of this, I think it would be helpful to point out some useful tips to being successful at DIY online marketing. 1) Make sure your online footprint is congealed. In other words, have your website, Facebook, Twitter, Google Location, eBay, e-mail campaigns linked up and easy to navigate to and fro. You'll want everything to point to your website because this is where you will make the most money. 2) Make sure you are building your Facebook Likes. Don't be ashamed! Ask people outright to like your page. Make it the call to action to many of your posts. Put it on a business card or in the signature of your e-mails. The more likes you have the more people will see your content in their news feed. 3) Pictures, Pictures, Pictures. Studies show that content with pictures generate more interaction than just plain text. If you can't take your own, do a Google search and find one that's not copyrighted. 4) Space out your posts. Instead of binge posting and then not posting anything at all for a week, use Facebook's auto-scheduler for your posts and spread them out over the week. Remember, early morning's 6:30-8am and evening's 5:30 - 8pm and weekends are prime time for posting. 5) Submit free online press releases. Use www.pr.com and www.prlog.com to send press releases out into the cyber world. Then, Google users will find you more easily. 6) Learn. Don't know how to do something with your website or Facebook. Google it or Youtube it. There is plenty of free tutorials to learn the technical skills of online marketing. 7) Try Facebook Ads for 1 month. Facebook ads allow you to target very specifically the target audience who will most likely purchase your product/service. Facebook ads are not too expensive and drive traffic to your website. 8) Sponsor non-profit events. Your name and logo will piggyback on all the robust marketing efforts the non-profit organization will do. When you don't have time to grow your online presence, sponsor a cause or organization and let them do it for you. 9) Join relevant associations and groups. This will not only give you more recognition and exposure but also help build your company's credibility. 10) Order business cards with your company's website and a promo code on it. This is a physical traffic driver that people can hold in their hands. The promo code will reward them for responding to the call to action. There you have it. 10 tips for increasing your e-commerce sales. Try them today and good luck!
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New Business Stand-Out
KOSBE/TSBDC Client Profile
Just opened! Stop by for some delicious deals and don't forget to Like their Facebook page! See the link below.
Location:
Kingsport Pavilion Square #2
2626 E. Stone Drive ,
Kingsport, TN 37660
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We hope you enjoyed this issue of The Business Beacon and found it informational. We are always looking for new ideas and welcome your feedback.
Feel free to forward this issue to your friends, family, employees and/or colleagues. Sincerely, Your KOSBE and TSBDC at ETSU Kingsport Affiliate Office Staff |
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