In this issue
	9th Annual SBDC Client Exposition Hunting for Partners and Fishing for Profits Learning Opportunities for May and June Business Skills for Success How to be a Good Borrower in a Bad Economy by Mary Stanczak

Hunting for Partners and Fishing for Profits

On Wednesday, May 14, the KUSBDC presented "Hunting for Partners and Fishing for Profits" at the Hamburg Area Middle School. The workshop addressed the potential effects of Cabela's, a retail outfitters superstore to open in September in Hamburg, on small businesses in the Hamburg area. Hosted by local members of the PA General Assembly, speakers included Alan Dorn, Cabela's retail promotion manager, Bruce Sommers, KUSBDC business consultant, and William Fontana, executive director of the Pennsylvania Downtown Center. Sponsors of the workshop included the Berks Economic Partnership, Lehigh University SBDC, PA Downtown Center, and Wilkes University SBDC. Read press coverage of "Hunting for Partners and Fishing for Profits": from the Allentown Morning Call from the Pottsville Republican & Evening Herald

Learning Opportunities for May and June

2003 Central Pennsylvania Entrepreneur and Growth Company Day It's a Jungle Out There! Survive and Thrive in a Tight Economy. Whether you are starting a new company or looking to revamp your marketing plan, the 2003 Entrepreneur and Growth Day is an event that you, and your team, do not want to miss. Three concurrent tracks, with three sessions in each, will provide you will invaluable information on Finance, Sales and Marketing and Start-ups. click here Energy & Evironmental Management: Tools for Business Private enterprise can benefit from an understanding of the various ways energy and our impact on the environment can be better managed to enhance productivity, conserve and harness precious resources and reduce the costs of business. click here

Business Skills for Success

Planning for the 2nd step series - Business Skills for Success, is in progress. Business Skills for Success (BSFS) will provide networking and Learning Opportunities for existing small businesses. BSFS workshops will be facilitated by highly successful business people and will cover a variety of important topics including ethics, finances, health and stress issues in the workplace, leadership, the legal environment, marketing, and more. The KUSBDC has commitments from over 40 business leaders for more than 50 different workshops. This addition to the typical assistance provided by SBDCs to small business start-ups is very exciting. BSFS workshops will be designed to assist and inspire existing small businesses, addressing the needs and issues of mature businesses. The workshops will be intensely focused, interactive, and include time for networking. Presently, the KUSBDC is developing a BSFS workshop catalog. The catalog will include executive summaries of the workshops, short bios of the facilitators, and other relevant information. The catalog will be ready for distribution early this summer. Please visit the KUSBDC website and read the Success Connection to stay up-to-date on BSFS developments and other KUSBDC news. And mark your calendars now - Success Fair is October 18! www.kutztownsbdc.org »

How to be a Good Borrower in a Bad Economy by Mary Stanczak

If you have ever applied for a small business loan then you probably agree that the process can be accurately compared to a circus poodle jumping through a series of hoops. If you are lucky you will just have to measure up to high credit standards, prepare the "Plan" of all business plans, sign over your house, boat, dog and maybe even your cat as collateral, and cough up large sums of cash for closing and legal fees. But what happens after you close on the loan, get the money, and start spending? Is anyone watching over your shoulder and paying attention to how you spend the loan proceeds or are operating your business? Are there more tricks for you to perform? The answer to these questions is yes. Click here for complete article. »