Duluth, MN –
The Northeast Entrepreneur Fund is sponsoring a four-part
Business Dinner Series exclusively for business owners in five
Duluth neighborhoods—East Hillside, Central Hillside, Lincoln
Park, Morgan Park and West Duluth. The five neighborhoods are
supported by “Growing Neighborhood Businesses” (GNB), a part of
Duluth at Work, a new initiative co-administered by the City of
Duluth and Duluth LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation).
Through its partnership in GNB, NEF provides technical
assistance and training for small-business owners.
The dinners
will be held the first Thursday of February, March, April and
May, beginning at 5:00 p.m., at the Historic Depot, 506 W.
Michigan Street in Duluth.
Cost is $48
for the four-part series, or $15 per session. Pre-registration
(one week in advance) is required. To register, call Jennifer
Young, 218-726-4791, email jennifery@entrepreneurfund.org.
Thurs., Feb.
5 – Financial Foundations for Greater Profitability.
Proactive financial management, including analyzing your P&L,
enhancing your cash flow and figuring your breakeven point.
Speaker is Jesse Frye, Eagle Accounting. Dinner host is
Grapevine Restaurant (Central Hillside).
Thurs.,
March 5 – Marketing Strategies for Uncertain Times.
Innovative thinking and branding to promote your business in an
economic downturn. Speaker is Carrie Hegstrom, Eclat Branding.
Dinner host is Duluth Grill (Lincoln Park).
Thurs.,
April 2 – Operation Structures for Working Smarter.
Creating efficiencies and improvements in customer service,
employee productivity, workflow, technology and more. Speakers
are Bruce Beste, CW Technology, and Bill Kimbler, CW
Technology. Dinner host is Grandma’s Restaurant (West Duluth).
Thursday,
May 7 – Marketing Panel: Creative Ideas and Strategies.
Panel members include Pascha Parks, JPG Advertising; Cavan Timm,
Midwest Communications; Ivan Hohnstad, Duluth Budgeteer; and a
web specialist to be announced. Dinner host is Burrito Union
(East Hillside).
About the
Northeast Entrepreneur Fund
The Northeast
Entrepreneur Fund helps people start and grow successful small
businesses. It provides training, consulting and financing to
emerging and small businesses in northeast Minnesota and
northwest Wisconsin.
Since 1989, NEF
has helped start, stabilize or expand more than 1,000
businesses; helped create or retain more than 2,500 jobs;
provided $7.5 million in loans to nearly 500 businesses; and
served 9,000 people through its training, consulting and lending
programs. More than 85% of business owners who receive
assistance from NEF are still in business two years later.
The Greenstone
Group, a new 10-year initiative of NEF, seeks to foster a
culture of entrepreneurship and strengthen entrepreneurs through
group-based learning, peer support and access to a variety of
business services.
To learn more,
visit
www.entrepreneurfund.org.