Join us for the Laurentian Chamber Power Breakfast!

Wednesday, April 9
7:45-8:45 AM
Northeast Entrepreneur Fund
8355 Unity Drive, Virginia
(Just off Hwy 169 near the YMCA)

Hosted by:
Northeast Entrepreneur Fund
Northern State Bank

Business owners in the Quad Cities and surrounding communities are invited to attend.  Bring your business cards, your brochures, or even your products for display, and join fellow business owners and Laurentian Chamber members for coffee and conversation!  ($2 and a business card at the door to be eligible for drawings.)
 

Procure Contracts for Your Business with Government Agencies and Other Prime Contractors

2008 Government Procurement Fair
Tuesday, April 29:  8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Earle Brown Heritage Center, Brooklyn Center, MN
Cost: FREE (registration required)
 

Small businesses interested in doing business with government agencies and prime contractors are encouraged to attend the 2008 Government Procurement Fair. 

Coupling education with marketing strategies, this even twill provide small businesses an opportunity to meet with representatives from more than 50 Federal, State, and local departments, commercial/prime contractors, and nonprofit organizations; access available technical assistance; and learn about upcoming contracts.

Small business will also have the opportunity to be matched with a government or corporate buyer interested in their particular product/service.  Online registration for a 10-minute appointment begins April 1 at www.minnesotafeb.org.

More information: http://www.ptac-meda.net/uploads/2008AprilProcurement.pdf

Sponsored by the Federal Executive Board of Minnesota, Procurement Technical Assistance Center, and US Small Business Administration.
 

Taxpayers to Receive Economic
Stimulus Payments of up to $600

The IRS has announced that the taxpayers will be receiving economic stimulus payments of up to $600 per person.  Payments will be disbursed from May 2 through early July.  To receive a payment, taxpayers must have a valid Social Security number, $3,000 of income and file a 2007 federal tax return. IRS will take care of the rest. Eligible people will receive up to $600 ($1,200 for married couples), and parents will receive an additional $300 for each eligible child younger than 17. Millions of retirees, disabled veterans and low-wage workers who usually are exempt from filing a tax return must do so this year in order to receive a stimulus payment.

The IRS has a simple online calculator that will help you estimate your payment due:
http://www.irs.gov/app/espc/

For further details visit the IRS website at:  http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=177937,00.html
 

Enter Your Breakthrough Ideas in the
4th Annual Minnesota Cup!

The Minnesota Cup is an annual, statewide competition that seeks out aspiring entrepreneurs and their breakthrough ideas to be the next great entrepreneurial success story in our state.

This competition is for all entrepreneurs in the State of Minnesota, whether your breakthrough idea is high tech or no tech, whether you are just putting your ideas into a business plan or if you've been out building your venture. 

First place: $50,000 seed capital
Second place: $5,000
Third place: $2,500.

Student entrepreneurs may also submit their business ideas for judging. One student winner will receive a $5,000 prize. Students must be full-time and have less than five years of professional work experience. Entries for the Minnesota Cup competition may be submitted individually or as a group of up to four people.

Microenterprise Development Conference
April  7 & 8  -  St. Cloud, MN

Conference Highlights
- Recent developments and best practices in the microenterprise field
- Practical considerations for developing earned income strategies
- Understanding the supply and demand sides of the microenterprise market
- Responding to changing trends in philanthropy
- Harnessing the power of technology to achieve efficiency
- Understanding and building appropriate capital structure
- Regional flavor initiatives - a new way of thinking about rural microenterprise development
- Creating and implementing successful state legislative initiatives

Who Should Attend
This conference is a great resource for new organizations or people just starting out, as well as veterans in the microenterprise development field.

More information:  http://www.meda.net/uploads/micro.html
 

Announcing a NEW Businesses!

WindCradle Retreat (Grand Marais)
Mary Ellen Ashcroft and Suzanne Sherman, owners
218-387-1536 or 866-586-2224
www.windcradle.org

- Opening  in July 2008! -
 

This Month's Featured Entrepreneurial Resources… 

 Biz Toolkit
www.biztoolkit.org

Biz Toolkit is a program of the James J. Hill Reference Library in St. Paul, MN.  The site contains information to help you plan, manage, market and grow your business; downloadable plans, templates, calculators, and forms; and helps you locate resources and access biz podcasts, search the biz web, and more.
 

IRS Tax Transcript
http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=110571,00.html

Unable to locate a copy of your tax return information?  The IRS can provide you with a transcript of your most recent tax return at not charge to you.  The transcript shows most line items from your tax return (Form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ) as it was originally filed, including any accompanying forms and schedules.  In many cases, a return transcript will meet the requirements of lending institutions such as those offering mortgages and for applying for student loans.