"Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision"

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In this issue
	Kutztown SBDC News Reading Electric-Still Shining After 50 Years- by Chrystal Coffelt Kutztown University Honored By USHCC Foundation The Buyer's Position-by Dan Goldberg Insights to Success

Reading Electric-Still Shining After 50 Years- by Chrystal Coffelt

After working in the corporate world in a variety of marketing and accounting positions for more than 16 years, Richard Bashore realized that he preferred the small business atmosphere, and in 1980 Bashore purchased Reading Electric. Founded in 1956, Reading Electric has grown from 17 to 50 employees, and in 2005 Bashore's son joined the company. Reading Electric's services include repairing electric motors, compressors, generators and welders. It also provides electrical and mechanical field service work, electrical construction and preventive maintenance services. When Bashore first purchased Reading Electric the majority of customers were steel foundries. The steel foundry was considered the cornerstone of Reading Electric for the first 35-40 years and now only represents about 5 percent of the industry. To offset this loss Reading Electric is focusing more on power quality and power reliability. It is also shifting from a more industrial to a more commercial focus; Bashore saw homeland security as more of a market. With more focus on commercial clients Reading Electric has redirected their marketing efforts to emergency power. It is focusing on its UPS systems (Un-Interruptible Power Systems); which is a battery back up system. Click here for the complete article. »

Kutztown University Honored By USHCC Foundation

Kutztown University received the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) Foundation President's Award at the Foundation's Annual Gala on September 23 in Philadelphia. One of two major awards presented at the banquet, KU received the honor for its outreach to the Hispanic business community. KU's outreach was demonstrated by the launching of the Latino Business Resource Center, a division of the KU Small Business Development Center (SBDC.) During the 27th Annual USHCC National Convention, the KU Latino Business Resource Center unveiled two bilingual online business development courses. The project was a result of grant from the USHCC Foundation and AT&T Foundation and collaborations between the Berks County Latino Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of the Lehigh Valley. In addition, KU Latino Business Resource Center director Carlos Ojeda Jr.'s support of the USHCC Bizfest program, a Latino Youth Entrepreneurship Program, and the bilingual business development workshops conducted in Latino communities such as Kennett Square and Coatesville, PA were highly considered. We are honored and delighted by this recognition," said KU President Dr. F. Javier Cevallos," As a public institution, we are committed to serving the needs of the people in our region and our Commonwealth. We have a fast growing Hispanic population in Pennsylvania, and our role is to do all we can to help them thrive. Click here for the complete article. »

The Buyer's Position-by Dan Goldberg

In spite of the fact that sales can be a very lucrative profession, closing sales on a consistent basis isn't easy. In fact when you review the steps involved, from prospecting to closing the sale, the process can sometimes be excruciating. But it doesn't have to be that way. Understanding who you are and how to interact and interpret your prospects and clients are extremely important factors that must be considered, and this company buyer-user psyche is an interesting study. If the decision-maker or major influencer in your sales cycle also happens to be the user (either personally or as a supervisor) you need to understand how your product or service will impact his or her position within the company. While it's true that a positive personal buyer-seller relationship is always an asset, it's also true that you must understand the features and benefits of your products and/or services. Even more important is developing an understanding of your prospects' needs and desires and being able to identify factors that will motivate the prospect to buy. However, we all know that these concepts have little value if your prospect perceives that what you are selling will negatively impact on his or her position. Click here for the complete article. »

Insights to Success

is a monthly article sharing challenges/learning opportunities encountered by our clients every month relative to their day-to-day business activities. All Insights to Success articles come from our clients' submittals. The format for the piece consists of a brief introduction, the respective challenge, and the solution. The Blog: Understanding it and using it in PR-by Roberta Perry The blogosphere is confusing and there is a ton of information available about it. So as your guide, let's start with a definition: a weblog, or blog is a shared online journal, where the writer posts regularly updated entries about personal experiences, hobbies, web links or whatever is on their mind (usually in reverse chronological order). Recent studies estimate that 12 million US adults are blogging and 57 million are reading them. Anyone with Internet access can create and maintain a blog, so types, quality and subjects vary greatly. One thing for sure is that blogs are enormously useful tools in getting your message out. As a communications tool, blogs allow you to have conversations with millions of people who are looking for your type of product or service. It gives you a chance to write with authority as a pioneer in your industry and maintain contact with your customers. It is also a great tool for research. You can find out what people are saying about you, your products and services, your competitors and your industry. Please Email your Insight to Success articles to the Success Connection Editor Chrystal Coffelt at ccoff909@kutztown.edu. Click here for the complete article. »