Business Resource Centers Opening to Assist Entrepreneurs

Three new Business Resource Centers (BRCs) in the Greater Washtenaw Region will be opening this spring in Ypsilanti, Chelsea, and Howell.  BRC’s are provided by the Small Business & Technology Development Center and local community partners.

The BRCs offer a wide variety of resources to businesses, including:

·         Computer technology 

·         Specialized software with business applications such as creating business plans, drafting financial statements, writing policy manuals and performance reviews, and more

·         Small business reference library of books and publications

“The BRCs offer entrepreneurs and small businesses owners a place to find answers to their business questions,” stated Charles Penner, SBTDC Regional Director.  “If the BRC does not answer all of their questions, the entrepreneur may call the SBTDC Regional office for additional assistance.”

The Greater Washtenaw region upgraded 8 BRCs and has added 5 new BRC’s since 2011.  In order to start a BRC, it needs to be supported by a community partner, such as a library, educational institution or another type of economic development office.

 The BRC Openings in Greater Washtenaw Region are as follows:

·         April 10^th, BRC Grand Opening Ypsilanti District Library (Whittaker Road)

·         April 26^th, BRC Grand Opening Chelsea District Library

·         May 24^th, BRC Grand Opening Howell District Library

To find out more about the SBTDC services or the BRCs in your area contact the local SBTDC Regional office at  (734) 477- 8762 or e-mail at sbtdc@wccnet.edu.

About the MI-SBTDC

The Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center provides counseling, training and research for Michigan’s new business ventures, existing small businesses, expanding new businesses, new technology companies, and innovators.  Entrepreneurs and small business owners may access the services of their nearest MI-SBTDC by calling 616-331-7480 or visiting www.misbtdc.org.   

MI-SBTDC Greater Washtenaw Growing for 2012

We are pleased to announce the Greater Washtenaw Region MI-SBTDC has grown for 2012! Our small business consultations and trainings will now be offered in Hillsdale, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Monroe and Washtenaw Counties.

 With this change we are welcoming additional MI-SBTDC Business Consultants to the Greater Washtenaw team. Each month we will be featuring a Business Consultant from our newly expanded region.

Nancy Johnson - Livingston County

Nancy Johnson, Satellite Director of the Livingston County MI-SBTDC, is pleased to be joining the Greater Washtenaw MI-SBTDC Regional Team. She took over as the Director of Livingston County in 2008 and has created new partnerships bringing Fundamental classes and FastTrac to county chambers of commerce, libraries, and Cleary University. Nancy received the "Making It Happen" award for the 2010 FastTrac program from the Howell Chamber and the "Business Investment Award" for the 2011 Fast Trac program from the Brighton Chamber of Commerce.

Nancy grew up in an entrepreneurial family starting as a manual inserting & mailing business to a full service direct mail/printing business. She worked at the business and served the Board of Directors until the business was sold in the late 1990's.

From 1989 - 1991, Nancy assisted the set up of the Livingston SBC and was certified as a business counselor through Wayne State University. She enrolled in the MSU MBA program when life took a twist with the birth of twins.

Since 1999, she has owned and operated a real estate/property management business giving her a personal view of the current business challenges.

Nancy's background includes advertising and experience as a campaign manager.

Love a Local Business - $25,000 Intuit Grant

Support local businesses in your city! This month, Intuit is giving away $25,000 to a deserving local business.

The Love A Local Business competition lets fans, including customers, vendors, employees, and the community, determine who deserves some love - in the form of small business grants. Votes from small business owners and fans accumulate between January 1- 31, 2012.

Voting is easy, and fast.

Just share a few brief thoughts about why you love a local business. Nominate a favorite business yourself if you don't find it on the list. Only one vote per business, but you can vote for as many businesses as you like. The more votes a business gets, the more chances it has to win the $25,000.

Your words matter!
So make your opinion known, and vote to help out a deserving local business in your communinty. At the end of the month, one business is randomly chosen from all of the votes posted since the start of the contest on January 1st. Intuit has already awarded over $850,000 in small business grants.

Veronica Weaver - Encore Entrepreneur

MI-SBTDC Satellite Director Retiring

It is with both joy and regret that we are announcing that Veronica "Roni" Weaver has decided to retire from her role as the MI-SBTDC Jackson Satellite Director at the Enterprise Group of Jackson, Inc. Roni has been our Jackson Satellite Director for almost 15 years and will be sorely missed.

We are pleased to announce that Roni is taking what she's learned working with our clients and applying it to her own venture, becoming an 'encore entrepreneur'. Roni will be going into the catering business, with a special focus on healthy lunches for pre-school and elementary school students. You can check out her website at www.fresh-is-best.com.

 

Roni became a certified Small Business Counselor in 2003. Her dedication to her clients, combined with her thorough knowledge of the Jackson area and her expertise in Marketing and the Hospitality industries, made her an important resource for our region. While we are pleased and excited for Roni, her energy and dedication to the Jackson community will be missed.

The Enterprise Group as well as the Greater Washtenaw Region SBTDC look forward to providing on-going product development and business support services to the Jackson community!

Remember to "Shop Small" Saturday November 26th

The 2nd annual Small Business Saturday® is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year. On November 26, millions of Americans will shop small at their favorite local stores and help fuel the economy. When we all shop small, it will be huge!

Small Business Saturday (SBS) was created in 2010 by American Express in response to small business owners' most pressing need: creating more demand for their products and services. A total of 1.5 million Facebook users, 130 public and private organizations, and 41 elected officials declared their support for SBS last year. More than 100,000 small businesses downloaded SBS marketing materials, 10,000 businesses signed up for free Facebook advertising that ran on SBS, and 200,000 consumers registered their American Express cards to receive $25 statement credits when they shopped at a small business on SBS. Small retailers who accept the American Express Card saw a 28% increase in sales on SBS when compared to the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 2009.

Small Business Saturday Help

First there was Black Friday, then Cyber Monday. Now there's Small Business Saturday on November 26, is your small business ready for the rush? Check out the free tools -from tailored facebook ads to in-store signage- available to help make this your biggest sales day of the year!

 

In-store Signage - Create a variety of signage to raise awareness and attract customers on the big day.

E-Marketing Materials - Logos, e-mail templates plus Twitter and Facebook posts.

$100 Worth of Facebook Ads - Run customized ads that geo-target Facebook users in your area to help generate new customers and "Likes" for your business. Quantities are limited, so get them while supplies last.

Download Your Free Checklist

 

 

For more information please visit: http://smallbusinesssaturday.com/

Top Five Tips for Customer Service

1. Be a good listener. Take the time to identify customer needs by asking questions and concentrating on what the customer is really saying.

2. Identify and anticipate needs. Customers don't buy products or services, they buy good feelings and solutions to problems.

3. Help customers understand your systems. Take time to explain how your systems work and how they simplify transactions.

4. Give more than expected. Since the future of all companies lies in keeping customers happy, think of ways to elevate yourself above the competition.

5. Get regular feedback. Encourage and welcome suggestions about how your business could improve.

Want to learn more? Register for Customer Service for the21st Century. This informative session is part of a four part series brought to you in partnership with the MI-SBTDC of Washtenaw Community College and the Washtenaw Council of Chambers.

Marketing Malpractice - October 11th

Frustrated with your current web marketing campaign? Are you paying too much for what you get, or too little to get what you need? Confused about who owns your e-mail list or website domain?

Using the Internet effectively is a critical piece of many small businesses' marketing strategies. Join us for Marketing Malpractice - Avoid Costly Web Marketing Mistakes, a panel of local experts, including web developers, graphic designers, and e-marketing professionals to discuss the do's and don'ts of website design and e-marketing tactics. Learn how to avoid costly mistakes and what a business owner can expect from their e-marketing.

This seminar will be held October 11th from 4:30-6:30pm at the Quarter Bistro in Ann Arbor. The $50.00 fee includes light refreshments and takeaway materials. For more information click here or contact your local Chamber of Commerce.

This informative session is part of a four part series brought to you in partnership with the MI-SBTDC of WCC and the Washtenaw Council of Chambers.