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Network Highlights | Summer 2013 |
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SBDC Network Says Goodbye to Long-Time SBDC Director
As the SBDC Director at Big Sky Economic Development Authority in Billings, Rebecca Hedegaard has been an integral part of the SBDC Network since 2004.
 Rebecca Hedegaard, SBDC Director at Big Sky Economic Development Authority, will no longer be with the SBDC Network come mid-July.
Rebecca has been a part of the SBDC Program for the past nine years. She began as an assistant in 2004 with the SBDC program, then became a Business Advisor and then SBDC Director in 2006. During that time, she has counseled over 1,600 Montana small businesses and entrepreneurs and helped 115 startups successfully open for business. She has also assisted her clients in accessing over $38 million in financing. She has been a consistently outstanding resource for small businesses and entrepreneurs in the Billings region by providing expertise and advice through her counseling and training services. She organized the 2nd Annual SBDC Invest in Success Conference in Billings and was the recipient of the Montana SBDC State Star Award in 2012.
Rebecca will be joining Elation, a Billings-based company specializing in science-based, results-oriented workforce enhancement for individuals and organizations, as a facilitator and coach.
Rebecca has earned the respect and admiration of her peers in the SBDC and the Montana small business community. We wish her all the best as she pursues this exciting new opportunity.
We'll miss you Rebecca! |
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SBDCs Prepared to Assist Small Businesses with Health Care Reform
SBDCs around the state are armed with resources to help small business owners in Montana navigate the upcoming health care changes resulting from the Affordable Care Act.
 Small business owners with questions related to how health care reform may affect their business can find information from many sources, including the Montana SBDC Network. Beginning October 1, 2013, small businesses can choose to use the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) to purchase health insurance for their employees. Small business owners in Montana can apply for coverage, compare plans and enroll using the SHOP program.*
The state of Montana will soon be designating "ACA Navigators," people who are specifically trained to help individuals navigate the health insurance exchanges.
Other resources available include an extensive section for small business owners on the healthcare.gov website. The Montana SBDC Network website addresses many of the frequently asked questions that business owners may have as well.
Don't hesitate to contact your local SBDC with questions or referrals about the Affordable Care Act. We're here to help!
*This provision of the Affordable Care Act is not affected by the delay of the employer mandate, which requires companies with more than 50 employees to provide health insurance to workers or pay federal penalties. |
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SBDC at Great Falls Development Authority Helps Businesses Reach New Heights
Rebecca Engum, SBDC Director in Great Falls, recently offered "Thought Patterns for High Performance" as part of the year-long "Growth Initiative" Program.
 Small businesses and entrepreneurs in the Great Falls region were offered the unique opportunity to participate in an innovative training program offered by Rebecca Engum, Director of the SBDC at Great Falls Development Authority. "Thought Patterns for High Performance" is an opportunity for business leaders to participate in a two-day, live-facilitated training where they receive the tools to help eliminate negative and unproductive behaviors, uncover habits that hold them back, and stop sabotaging their own success.
"Thought Patterns for High Performance" is part of the SBDC at Great Falls Development Authority's "Growth Initiative", a program developed by Rebecca that compiles industry leading peer-learning and cognitive psychology tools delivered in a year-long strategic curriculum.
Another "Though Patterns for High Performance" workshop is being offered September 18 - 19, 2013. For more information, contact Rebecca Engum. |
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SBDC Success Story: Triple Divide Spirits
Helena couple well on their way to realizing dream of opening own spirits distillery.
 Karen Powell and her husband, J.P. Crowley, had long dreamed of opening their own spirits distillery in Helena, Montana. After months of planning, they were finally ready to make their vision a reality. Karen registered Triple Divide Spirits, LLC in June 2012 and J.P., the distillery's Product Development Manager and Lead Distiller, attended distillery school in Seattle shortly thereafter.
Karen was referred to the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) as well as the Food and Agriculture Development Center (FADC) at Bear Paw Development Corporation in Havre for assistance in identifying possible funding sources to aid in the financing of their new endeavor.
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SBDC Success Story: Bhavana
Kim Richardson and Tom Peterson open a unique, one-of-a-kind store in downtown Missoula.
 Partners Tom Petersen and Kim Richardson wanted to start a different sort of business in the heart of downtown Missoula. Something that was unique to the area, offering one-of-a-kind items in a "feel-good" space. Kim and Tom wanted to showcase merchandise that has history, a story, beauty and a whole lot of color.
Kim and Tom wrote a business plan and mapped out some rough financial projections. They then reached out to Amita Patel-Greer, SBDC Director at Montana Community Development Corporation in Missoula, for feedback on the plan. Amita reviwed Kim and Tom's business plan and helped them navigate the request for financing from the bank.
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Montana Small Business Development Center Network
SBDC Lead Center | Department of Commerce
PO Box 200505 | 301 S. Park Ave. | Helena, MT 59620-0505
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Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. |
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Thanks for taking the time to catch up with the Montana SBDC - there are always
great things happening in the Network, and we love to share them with you.
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