Small Business Connections                               January 2013

Welcome to Small Business Connections! 

 

The Illinois Small Business Development Center at Waubonsee Community College is here to serve your small business needs. We offer free business counseling to entrepreneurs and business owners, as well as a variety of small business workshops.

 

Call us today at (630) 906-4143 to learn how we can help you start or grow your business.
Small Business Spotlight
Sweet Natalie's - A Confection Collective    

 

After ten years in the custom cookie catering business as One Smart Cookie Chicago, owner Ilene Keivel took the plunge into retail with Sweet Natalie's, which opened in December on Third Street in Geneva.

 

Sweet Natalie's is not your ordinary bakery. Ilene describes the business as "a farmers market for the sweet tooth", a Confection Collective that is combination bakery and kitchen incubator. Sweet Natalie's features Ilene's cookie creations as well as treats by other local bakers, including:

  • Auntie Debbie's Delites & More -- Bakers of "waist-friendly" delights
  • Red Wall Kitchen -- A wheat, egg & dairy free bakery
  • A Bite of Heaven -- Makers of cheesecakes, pies & brownies
  • Piece of Cake -- Custom Cakes by Mark (featured on the Food Network)
  • The Sweet Escape - Miniature desserts
  • The Sweet Rhino -- Cupcakes and cinnamon rolls

"I enjoyed baking as a child, and had a very creative edge," says Ilene. "I was a self taught cookie artist and worked at a local bakery in high school and throughout college. I knew one day that I would always like to own my own bakery. I had worked in healthcare for 14 years and was ready to make a change in my career. I wanted to pursue my passion."

 

When Ilene started planning for her new venture, she sought help from the IL Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Waubonsee Community College. After getting help with her business plan, Ilene procured a loan to expand her business, and bartered cookies for some of the services she needed to open the doors.

 

Ilene comments, "I took the small business development class to learn how to create my business plan. That was the building block to getting this whole process started. You need to have a strong business plan. Harriet and Marcelo were very helpful during this process. They met with me on several occasions and provided me with the guidance I needed to create my plan."

 

Sweet Natalie's has commercial kitchen space for rent, and encourages area home based bakers to contact her for rental rates. She offers bakers the opportunity to use the kitchen only, or to bake and sell product in her store, if the product fits the store's concept. "We wanted to share our space with other people so they can have the chance to develop their passion for baking," says Ilene.

 

Sweet Natalie's is located in the lower level of the Charles B. Wells House in Geneva, 228 S. 3rd St. You can also visit them on Facebook.     

Biz Buzz

A Small Business Owner's New Year's Resolution     

 

Happy New Year! As small business owners, the beginning of a new year offers fresh promise and new challenges. Perhaps you have made resolutions - personal or professional - to take into the New Year. I'd like to offer a resolution to help you make 2013 the best year it can be:

 

This year, I pledge to: 

  • Set value pricing for my products and services
  • Get to know my customers better
  • Focus on my target market - customers who understand the value of my products and services
  • Avoid the urge to discount or give away my valuable time and talents
  • Understand my numbers, and keep my books current so that I will have the information I need to grow my business

We all know that resolutions are hard things to keep. So here's a nicely formatted version that you can cut out, tape it to your bathroom mirror, save as your screen saver, or post in your office to help keep you focused throughout the coming year.

Best wishes from the Small Business Development Center for a prosperous 2013! Please call or email us for any assistance you may need in keeping your New Year's resolutions and growing your business.

 

Biz Bitz

2013 - The Year of the ?????

 

Think back five or ten years. How things have changed in so many ways. Staying on top of trends can be challenging. So can figuring out which trends matter to your business. Here are a collection of 2013 trends from some major business and marketing media outlets. They'll provide interesting food for thought as you start off the New Year.

 

The best indication of trends comes from your own customers and competitors, so make sure you pay attention to the subtle and not-so-subtle shifts around you.

Illinois Small Business Job Creation Tax Credit

Are you hiring?  Apply for the $2,500 Illinois Small Business Job Creation Tax Credit
& Expanded Jobs Creation Program for eligible business as of July 1, 2012.

Small Business
  • Eligible if, as of July 1, 2012, you employed 50 or fewer full-time employees (counting all locations).
  • Not-for-profit and Professional Employer Organizations are eligible to receive credit.
Eligible Jobs
  • Newly created, full-time position (part-time / contractual positions are not eligible).
  • Created between 7/1/12-6/30/16.
  • Position pays no less than $10/hour or the equivalent annualized salary of $18,200.
  • Position sustained for at least one year (not necessarily held by the same individual for the year).
  • Withholding tax goes to Illinois.
Tax Credits
  • Tax Credit certificate will be issued one year from the hire date.
For more information please visit their website or view full information here .
Get Smart: Small Business Workshops at Waubonsee

Starting Your Business in Illinois ($30)                     

Wed., Jan. 9, 6-9 p.m. (Aurora)
Thur., Feb. 7, 6-9 p.m. (Plano)
Tue., March 12, 6-9 p.m. (Aurora)
Thur., April 11, 6-9 p.m. (Sugar Grove)
Wed., Mary 8, 6-9 p.m. (Aurora) 

 

Marketing for Small Business ($30)

Tue., Feb. 12, 6-9 p.m. (Aurora) 

Thur., Apr. 18, 6-9 p.m. (Sugar Grove)

 

Is Franchising Right for You? ($30)

Wed., March 20, 6:30-8:30 p.m. (Aurora)

 

Social Media Marketing for Small Business ($30)

Wed., Jan. 23, 6-9 p.m. (Aurora) 

Thur., April 4, 6-9 p.m. (Sugar Grove)

 

Google for Business ($30)

Wed., April 24, 6-9 p.m. (Aurora)

 

Facebook for Business ($15)

Thur., March 7, 12-1 p.m. (Online)

Wed., May 7, 7-8 p.m. (Online) 

Register at Waubonsee Tickets 

 

Step Into Retail ($30)

Tue., Feb. 19, 6-9 p.m. (Aurora)

 

Power Networking ($30)

Tue., Feb. 26, 6-8 p.m. (Aurora)  

 

Business Challenge Workshop ($15)

Tue., Jan. 29, 8-10 a.m. (Plano)

Thur., April 25, 8-10 a.m. (Plano)

Register at Waubonsee Tickets 

 

Patent, Trademark, and Copyright Law ($30)

Wed., Jan. 30, 6-8 p.m. (Aurora)
Tue., May 7, 6-8 p.m. (Aurora)

Register at Waubonsee Tickets 

 

Check seminar details for the full list, class descriptions, locations, ticket numbers, and pricing. To sign up, complete and submit the registration form. For additional  information call the Illinois SBDC office at (630) 906-4143.   

QuickBooks and Excel

A variety of QuickBooks and Excel classes are available to meet your small business accounting needs. Click here for complete class descriptions, locations, dates, times and costs. 

Illinois SBDC at Waubonsee Community College

Funded  in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.  All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA or DCEO.

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