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Volume 1,
Issue 30
April, 2008
Upcoming Events
Monday, April 21
Recordkeeping for
Small Businesses
Virginia
1:00-5:00 PM, $59
Fridays, April 25 & May 2
CORE FOUR Business
Planning Course
Grand Rapids
1:00 AM - 5:00 PM, $244
(Two full-day sessions)
Wednesday, April 30
Women's Business
Network Luncheon
The Birch Terrace
Grand Marais
11:30 AM-1:00 PM, $10
(Call Cook County Continuing Ed
to register at 218-387-3411)
Monday, May 5
Recordkeeping for
Small Businesses
Ely
1:00-5:00 PM, $59
(Call Vermilion Community College
to register at 218-235-2163)
Tuesday, May 6
Start a Business...
Here's How!
Virginia
6:00-8:00 PM, $20
Tuesday, May 8
Start a Business...
Here's How!
Duluth
6:00-8:00 PM, $20
Tuesday, May 13
Start a Business...
Here's How!
Grand
Rapids
6:00-8:00 PM, $20
Tuesdays,
May 20 - June 10
CORE FOUR Business
Planning Course
Virginia
5:30-8:30 PM, $244
(Four evening sessions)
Thursdays,
May 22 - June 12
CORE FOUR Business
Planning Course
Duluth
5:30-8:30 PM, $244
(Four evening sessions)
To
register for a
class or event:
1-800-422-0374
info@entrepreneurfund.org
www.entrepreneurfund.org
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Congratulations to our 2008 LABO AWARD Nominees!
Anytime Fitness
Grand Rapids, MN
Firelight Galleries
Virginia, MN
K&B Drive-In
Eveleth, MN
Let the Whole
World Know
Duluth, MN
Plum Bun Bakery
Ely, MN
SCS Aircraft Interiors
Duluth, MN
The 16th Annual
Joel Labovitz Entrepreneurial Success Awards
Tuesday, April 22
11:30-1:30
The DECC, Duluth
Visit
www.umdced.com for more
information! |
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Total Results Since
1989:
Program
Participants:
9027
Business Started,
Stabilized, or Expanded:
977
Jobs Created or Retained:
2500
Dollars Loaned:
$7,008,168
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is not displaying correctly, please click
here.
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Special Announcements |
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Procure
Contracts for Your Business with Government Agencies and Other
Prime Contractors |
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2008 Government
Procurement Fair
Tuesday,
April 29: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Earle Brown Heritage Center, Brooklyn Center, MN
Cost: FREE
(registration required)
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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.
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AGENDA
8 am:
Registration
9 am - 3 pm:
Trade Fair
9 am - 12 pm: Workshops
12:30 pm - 3 pm:
Matchmaking
3 pm - 5 pm:
PTAC Awards Reception
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Women's
Business Network Luncheon, Grand Marais
Wednesday,
April 30,
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
The Birch Terrace, Grand Marais
"Website Development"
All women business
owners/partners and managers are invited to attend
this month’s presentation!
The
cost for the luncheon and presentation is $10.
For more information
and to register, please call
Cook County Higher
Education at (218)387-3411.
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Read All About It! |
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Can You Sell Yourself (and Your Business)
in 60 Seconds or Less?
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You have heard of speed dating, but how about speed networking?
Over 40 participants took advantage of this opportunity at the
4th Annual Business 2 Business Expo at the Duluth Entertainment
and Convention Center on March 26. The Northeast Entrepreneur
Fund facilitated these unique sessions.
In the speed networking format participants sit across from each
other and each have one minute to promote their business before
switching to a new partner.
The participants at the Business 2 Business Expo enjoyed the
experience and found it difficult to end their conversations at
the end of the one minute. 94% of the speed networkers said
they would take advantage of this kind of event again.
Here are some great tips to take with you to your next
networking opportunity.
1) Remember that true networking is not about what someone
can do for you…it is more about what you can do for others.
2) Ask open ended questions to keep the conversation
going. Some examples include: What got you into your work?
What do you like best about what you do? How do I know if
someone I am speaking with is a good referral for you?
3) Be sure to foster a good relationship beyond the
networking event. Don’t just add their email address to your
database. Touch base with others occasionally so you can find
out what is new with their business and you will also have an
opportunity to share your business as well.
4) Be prepared to give your 60 second commercial. State
who you are and what you do with a catchy phrase or a few quick
descriptive sentences. Deliver your commercial with ENERGY!
Show your enthusiasm for yourself and what you have to offer.
5) Have fun and enjoy the process!
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What Are Your
Customers Saying About You?
In
her book, The Woman’s Advantage, Mary Cantando, President of
womenbusinessowner.com, suggests that business owners don’t ask
valuable questions because they are afraid of the answer. What
are these magic questions? It’s not about the questions. Ask the
people who have all the answers…your customers.
Mary
writes, “When you ask your customers for input, you’re setting
yourself up to hear the negative as well as the positive.” This
can be scary, but to make the changes that will allow you to
have explosive growth you need to know what you do well and also
what you don’t do well. Here are some questions Mary suggests
you ask your customers:
If you were to describe our company in a single phrase, what
would that be?
Why do you do business with us?
What value do we bring to your company?
What does our competition provide that we do not?
In what ways are we difficult to work with?
What should we change about the way we do business?
What other offerings can we provide to you now?
What other offerings will you need from us in the future?
What can we do to make your job easier?
Depending on your business you may change these questions
slightly. You may choose a few of these questions and create a
brief survey that your customers can complete with the promise
of a reward in exchange for their opinion. It will be worth your
efforts when you can serve your customers better than your
competition…because you were not afraid of the answers.
20 highly successful women entrepreneurs are featured in The
Women’s Advantage by Mary Cantando. Click on the link
below to hear their stories.
http://www.womansadvantage.biz/hear.html
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This Month's Featured Entrepreneurial Resources:
Free Online
Training from the SBA
The Small Business
Administration offers free online training direct from their
website. The training courses can be viewed from your home
computer at your convenience and at your pace. Choose from
topics including Identify Your Target Market, Developing
Your Business Plan, Franchising Basics, and many more.
Visit the website below and click "Free Online Courses."
It's fun, fast, informative, and FREE!
http://www.sba.gov/training
The
Girl's Guide to Building a Million-Dollar Business
By Susan
Wilson Solovic
Who should read it: Women ready to confront
their fears of taking their business ambitions to the next
level.
Why this book stands out: Today twice as many men run
million-dollar businesses as women--and Solovic, CEO of
Small Business Television, gives a thorough explanation as
to how women can even out the playing field.
Though the number of women-owned businesses is booming
today, Solovic argues that many of these women don't have
million-dollar businesses because they don't imagine taking
their businesses to the next level. While juggling
everything in their personal and professional lives, many
women fail to grow their businesses because they don't know
if everything will get out of hand. But after consulting
women in business for more than 30 years and co-founding a
business of her own, she assures readers that establishing a
million-dollar business can be done without sabotaging
everything in their personal and professional lives.
Source:
www.entrepreneur.com
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