Small Business Connections                                                      July 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. To stay up to date on events, happenings and general IL SBDC information, we invite you to click below.

Like us on Facebook 
 
Call us today at (630) 906-4143 to learn how we can help you start or grow your business.
 
Small Business Spotlight

Barcode-Te
st: A Business Making Waves   

 

This year, the SBDC at Waubonsee announced a new program for business owners wanting to ramp up their business. Business Making Waves (BMW) Mastermind groups are a 13 week program that equips you to take your business to the next level. Recently, SBDC client John Nachtrieb, founder of Aurora based Barcode-Test, completed a 13 week session. He had some hesitation at the beginning of the process, but once he started, he contacted me about how excited he was about the impact it was having on his business. Below he shares about his business and his experience with the BMW Mastermind group.

 

Tell me about your business.

 

We are barcode quality experts and we help companies who design, supply, print or use barcodes to make sure they work right. We do this through testing services, consulting and training, and selling/supporting the necessary equipment so companies can test their own barcodes.

 

How long have you been in business?

 

Barcode-Test has been in business two years. We have over 30 years of experience in the barcode industry.

 

What challenges were you facing before your joined the Mastermind group?

 

Seeing the company from an objective point of view has been my biggest challenge. Without this I cannot map strategy for structuring the company for growth.

 

What hesitations did you have about joining a group? Did you have any pre-conceived expectations that proved wrong?

 

I was concerned about the group having a specifically business-to-business orientation, and when it didn't, I was skeptical. This has proven to be an unfounded concern because planning for growth crosses all business categories.

 

Briefly describe how the group works.

 

Group members are asked to describe their aspirations for their companies and provide a

detailed organizational chart for it as the larger company they intend to become. This is much more challenging than it seems, and it reveals the owner/manager's fears and behaviors which may be obstructing the company's potential growth and success. This is a way of holding yourself and your team accountable for how you think and behave, for the good of the company.

 

What was it like participating in the group?

 

The group is friendly and rigorous. The leader keeps us on track and on schedule so we don't waste time, which maximizes the impact and effectiveness of our sessions. Members bring an objective point of view but with business experience and insight. This is very valuable and helpful...and in later meetings, we are expected to provide follow-up, so everyone is held accountable.

 

What results or changes have you seen since you joined the group?

 

The aspiration statement provides a metric by which I can determine if the company is achieving its goals with every customer every time. Without this we would be flying blind and left to our own excuses and justifications for anything less than our goals. The group has helped me identify where the company has the greatest opportunity for growth and profit. This is where our resources will be utilized to develop the company.

 

Do you have any other comments?

 

This is not a leads group. This is internally focused to help a business decision-maker better understand their own business to make better decisions and actions, which make for a more successful business. I cannot think of anywhere else one would go to get this kind of assistance

 

What advice do you have for anyone considering joining a mastermind group?

 

This is all about declaring what you are going to do and then being accountable for doing it. Be open to the possibility that you might not have all the answers, and that others with more objectivity might see things you cannot or do not see about your business.

 

See the flier for more information on the program, or contact the SBDC at (630) 906-4143 for details. We offer scholarships for business owners who need assistance with the fee.

 

Biz Buzz

 

Our SBDC Experts are Making Waves

 

We are particular about choosing outstanding resources to support and educate our SBDC clients because we want only the best for you and your business. The SBDC is proud to announce and support their recent accomplishments.

 

Joe Abraham, founder of bosiDNA.com, and author of Entrepreneurial DNA recently gave an amazing presentation at TED in Bend, Oregon.

 

Take a minute to discover your Entrepreneurial DNA. BOSI offers workshops to help you take advantage of your entrepreneurial strengths and weaknesses.

 

Jacqueline Camacho-Ruiz, co-founder and Make-It-Happen Director of JJR Marketing, recently published her second book, The Fig Factor. The book tells the amazing story of how Jackie found her way to becoming the PR genius that she is today. Jackie will be running our Second Annual Marketing Boot Camp on October 3. Save the date and stay tuned for more information.

 

Brian Basilico, owner of B2b Interactive Marketing, and social media guru extraordinaire, just announced his new book, It's Not About You, It's About BACON, a"Why-To" book on social networking. Brian is a nationally recognized speaker, author and trainer, and we are fortunate to have him teaching SBDC social media workshops and webinars.

 

Nicole Leinbach Reyhle, Founder and Editorial Director of Retail Minded, is co-founder of the Independent Retailer Conference. The 2nd annual Conference was recently held in New York to a sellout crowd. Watch for this event to be held locally in 2014. Nicole's print publication, Retail Minded Magazine is also in its second year. Subscribe to the print or digital version for great tips and resources for indie retailers.

 

 

Biz Bitz


Preventing Employee Embezzlement  

  

Got an employee that never wants to take vacation? Or one that likes to take work home at night? You might want to make sure they're not up to no good. Employees' fingers are stickier than ever, new research shows, and those are two of the signs that an employee might be stealing money from your company. To find out some preventive strategy tips you can read this article


Be Different or Be Gone Presentation

Presenter, Tom Gray, helps owners save and grow their companies. He is a management consultant focused on small business and telecom, Certified Turnaround Professional (CTP), Certified Business Development Advisor, Certified SCORE Mentor, and adjunct professor of business at Benedictine, North Central, Aurora, and Concordia universities. During this presentation you will:
  • Learn to Analyze Competitors and Express Your Competitive Edge
  • Learn a Proven Method for Making Decisions and Choosing Priorities

Date: Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2013

Time: 8 a.m.

Where: Waubonsee Community College, Aurora Campus Room 160 

For more information see the even flier.     

 

Register Now 

 

 
Go Ahead, Change That Ugly Logo      
A logo is a reflection of who you are. Stop freaking out about modifying your logo. If it's old and dated, then you look old and dated. If it's ugly and irrelevant, then you look ugly and irrelevant. Keep in mind that although the consumer probably doesn't care much about what your logo looks like, they do get a feel for your brand from it. And that feeling better be a good one. Otherwise, it doesn't matter how great your company or product is. If your mark is bad, then the first impression is that your product is bad. Read more on updating or branding your logo.

Get Smart: Small Business Workshops at Waubonsee

 

Starting Your Business in Illinois ($30)                     

Tue., July 16, 6-9 p.m. (Plano)
Thu., Aug. 1, 6-9 p.m. (Sugar Grove)
Wed., Oct 16, 6-9 p.m. (Aurora) 

 

Marketing for Small Business ($30)

Wed., Sep. 18, 6-9 p.m. (Sugar Grove)

Tue., Nov.  19, 6-9 p.m. (Aurora) 

 

Social Media Marketing for Small Business ($30)

Tue., July 30, 6-9 p.m. (Sugar Grove)
Register at Waubonsee Tickets 

 

Google for Business ($30)

Wed., Oct. 30, 6-9 p.m. (Sugar Grove)

 

Facebook for Business ($15)

Tue., Aug. 27, 12-1 p.m. (Online)  

Register at Waubonsee Tickets 

 

Tweet Like a Pro ($15)

Thu., Sep. 27, 7-8 p.m. (Online)

 

Pinterest for Business ($15)

Thu., Oct. 10, 7-8 p.m. (Online)

 

LinkedIn for Business ($15)

Wed., Dec. 11, 7-8 p.m. (Online)

 

Patent, Trademark, and Copyright Law ($30)

Tue., Nov 5, 6-8 p.m. (Aurora)

 

Secrets to Retail Succes ($30)
Tue., Oct 22, 6-9 p.m. (Aurora)

 

Business Plan Boot Camp - #1 Markets & Marketing ($30)
Wed., July 17, 1-4 p.m. (Aurora)
Register at Waubonsee Tickets

Business Plan Boot Camp - #2 Forecasting & Financing ($30)
Tue., July 23, 1-3 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.
WCC does not discriminate based on any characteristic protected by law in its programs & activities.
 
Join Our Mailing List