Buy Michigan First with Rep. Pam Byrnes and the Michigan Department of Management and Budget

To help local business owners win state contracts, Rep. Pam Byrnes and the Michigan Department of Management and Budget are hosting a "Buy Michigan First" seminar. The seminar will be held January 11, 2010 from 9am to noon at the Washtenaw Intermediate School District in Ann Arbor.

Rebecca Nevai, Buy Michigan First vendor outreach coordinator will speak on topics such as about bidding opportunities, how to register as a State vendor, free resources for research and bid preparation, and navigating the State contracting process. Many speakers with multiple resources for Michigan entrepreneurs include the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, Washtenaw Community College, and SCORE among others.

While the event is free pre-registration is required due to space limitations. For further information please visit: http://wiseconnections.org/calendar.php

Free Seminar Women in Business- Mom-preneurship at the Chelsea Library

Visit the Chelsea District Library for a look at the ways female entrepreneurs have struck the balance of running a business and running their families. Learn about creative solutions for dividing your time and managing your resources to allow you to start your business on your own terms and time constraints.

The evening begins with a short presentation about being a woman entrepreneur and will break into a roundtable discussion on the issues moms face in the business world. The purpose of the presentation is to introduce the idea that many women, specifically moms, have their own unique journey when starting and running a business.

Speakers: Victoria Bennett, Associate Dean of Business, WCC
Breanne Stuart, Homewatch Caregivers
Donna Lewis, DLA Group LLC & Natural Kids
Francisca Fernandez, New Chelsea Market

Fee: Free

Date: January 11th, 6:30pm-8:00pm

Please preregister with the Chelsea Library as space for this free event is limited, 734.475.8732

SBA Recovery Act Funding Extended

Defense Appropriations Bill contains funding to extend programs thru February 2010.

WASHINGTON – With Recovery Act funding running out and with almost 1,000 small businesses on a waiting list for about $500 million in SBA-backed loans, the Senate today voted to extend funding for vital SBA Recovery Act provisions through February 2010. United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, who along with 12 of her colleagues, requested this extension and praised the inclusion of funds to continue vital Small Business Administration (SBA) lending programs.

“Small businesses have been left in limbo since the funding ran out in late November. Today’s action by the Senate will immediately clear the waiting list established by the SBA and will provide a lifeline to small businesses in need of credit,” Senator Landrieu said. “With these additional funds, SBA will be able to offer lenders a higher guarantee for 7(a) loans and a fee waiver on 504 loans, and reduce the cost of capital for small businesses by waiving the fees on both 7(a) and 504 loans. These changes proved very effective at jumpstarting small business lending, and the need to continue them is clear. Since funds from the Recovery Act ran out in late November, we’ve seen the volume for 7(a) and 504 loans drastically decrease. Reinstating these funds is a important to small businesses and our overall economic recovery and job-creation efforts.”

Senator Landrieu, along with 12 other Senators, sent a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee asking for the funds to continue these provisions from the Recovery Act. Of the $479 million dollars requested from the Senators, $125 million is included in the DoD appropriations bill, with the remaining $354 million included in the jobs-creation package introduced in the House. The House jobs-creation package, which is expected to be considered by the Senate early next year, also includes the authorization to extend the authorization for the 90-guarantee on SBA loans through FY2010

ACE Business Idea Tweet Competition

ACE is all about entrepreneurs. As such, we like to think that the planning committee is entrepreneurial and keeping abreast of the latest tools for our community. In that spirit, we are trying something new, quite possibly the first time ever in the history of the world: a business idea pitch competition using twitter! The judges are anyone and everyone with access to Twitter - so get your friends and business partners engaged.

Rules for competitors:

If you don’t already have a Twitter account, please go to Twitter to set one up.

Tweet your business idea (115 characters max – assuming your username is not more than 10 characters – with #ACEbizIdea at the end) by 5:00 pm EST on 1/13/2010, and you’ll be entered in the contest.

We will RT (retweet) your plan as it comes in. (Or as humanly close as we can get to that time, during business hours.)

Others will vote for your plan by RT’ing or by marking it as a favorite. Voting will close at 5pm on 1/15/2010, so the sooner you get your plan in, the more chances you’ll have to be seen.

Rules for competitors:

Follow @ACEevent on Twitter.

Vote on business plans as they’re Tweeted, either by:

Marking them as a favorite, or RT’ing them

Only one vote per account for each business idea will be counted. You are welcome to vote for multiple business plans; but you can only cast one vote per plan!

Voting must be complete by 5pm on 1/15/2010.

Prizes and recognition:

The business ideas of the top five voter getters will be displayed at ACE.

The winner will be recognized during the program - and their idea will be shared with the audience.

The winner will receive a prize of $140 (which is even more money, on a per character basis, than Charles Dickens was paid!)

The Annual Collaboration for Entrepreneurship is the place where Great Lakes region entrepreneurs gather to network, learn, and connect. Each year at ACE, you'll join an exciting, forward-thinking community of innovators, entrepreneurs, and business leaders - people like you who have the vision and drive to build new ventures for a new future.

For more information please visit: http://ace-event.org/acebizidea.aspx

Additional Dates Added for Free Market Research Courses

The Biz Resource Center at the Bailey Libary of Washtenaw Community College & MI-SBTDC announces additional Market Research for the winter and spring 2010. Dates include February 19th and May 7th. Please visit our website for further information.

Market Research Series Part I: Researching Customer Profile

Making money in your small business comes from understanding your customer; where they live, where they shop, and what they prefer to do in their times of leisure. Building a customer database is essential to growing your small business, in this course you will use the research tools of the Washtenaw Community College's Biz Resource Center to gain an insight into your customer base. From the information gained in this session you will have an understanding of the marketing resources available to you the small business owner through WCC.

Market Research Series Part II: Researching Competitor Profile

The fast-growing skill of the small business owner is and will continue to be the use of knowledge. The more you understand about the competitions infrastructure, the more you can apply this knowledge to your benefit. Gaining an understanding of your competitor can also help you to understand the unique attributes or niche of your small business. In this course you will use the research tools of the Washtenaw Community College's Biz Resource Center to gain an insight into your competitors businesses.

Please pre-register online or by calling 734-973-3429 as space is limited.


Cost: FREE
February 19th & May 7th, 2010
10:00AM to 11:30 AM &
12:30PM to 2:00PM
WCC Bailey Library
4800 E Huron River Dr
Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Ann Arbor Chamber iPhone Application Available for Free Download from the AppStore on iTunes

A2Chamber iPhone Application available for free download from the AppStore on iTunes. Through this application you can gain discounts from restaurants and retail stores to auto repair and web applications. Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce members are listed for free.

Does your business need visibility? Get it listed in the A2 Chamber's m2m (member-2-member) directory of businesses. Using the power of the iPhone marketing you can reach the on-the-go person. Complete a simple electronic form allowing businesses to update the offer, as frequently as weekly: http://www.annarborchamber.org/benefits/save_money/m2m_discounts.html
Businesses listed in m2m gain a complimentary window clingy notifying others of your participation.

Gain the free application from the iTunes App Store download page for the "A2Chamber" App:
http://www.annarborchamber.org/benefits/save_money/m2m_discounts.html

SBA Office of Veterans Business Development

The mission of the Office of Veterans Business Development is to maximize the availability, applicability and usability of all administration small business programs for Veterans, Service-Disabled Veterans, Reserve Component Members, and their Dependents or Survivors.

Veterans Business Outreach Program

The Veterans Business Outreach Program (VBOP) is designed to provide entrepreneurial development services such as business training, counseling and mentoring, and referrals for eligible veterans owning or considering starting a small business. The SBA has eight organizations participating in this cooperative agreement and serving as Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC).

Services Provided by the Centers
Pre-Business Plan Workshops:
VBOCs conduct entrepreneurial development workshops dealing specifically with the major issues of self-employment. An important segment of these workshops entails the usage of the Internet as a tool for developing and expanding businesses. Each client is afforded the opportunity to work directly with a business counselor.

Concept Assessments:
VBOCs assist clients in assessing their entrepreneurial needs and requirements.

Business Plan Preparations:
VBOCs assist clients in developing and maintaining a five-year business plan. The business plan includes such elements as the legal form if the business, equipment requirements and cost, organizational structure, a strategic plan, market analysis, and a financial plan. Financial plans include financial projections, budget projections, and funding requirements.

Comprehensive Feasibility Analysis:
VBOCs provide assistance in identifying and analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the business plan to increase the probability of success. The results of the analysis are utilized to revise the strategic planning portion of the business plan.

Entrepreneurial Training and Counseling:
VBOCs, working with other SBA resource partners, target entrepreneurial training projects and counseling sessions tailored specifically to address the needs and concerns of the service-disabled veteran entrepreneur.

Mentorship:
VBOCs conduct, as appropriate, on-site visits with clients to ensure adherence to their business plans. Additionally, VBOCs review monthly financial statements to determine whether a revision of the business plan is warranted or that desired results are being attained.

Other Business Developmental Related Services:
VBOCs also provide assistance and training in such areas as international trade, franchising, Internet marketing, accounting, etc.

VetBiz Central, Inc
Edward Ronders/Matt Sherwood
711 N. Saginaw St.Suite 206
Flint, MI 48503
Phone: 810-767-8387
Fax: 810-767-8662
Email: ed@vetbizcentral.com or matt@vetbizcentral.com
Webpage: http://www.vetbizcentral.com