|
April 2011
Issue XCII-A
April 29,
2011
|
|
|
"The talent of success is nothing more than doing what
you can do, well."
Henry W. Longfellow |
|
|
Featured Workshops for Spring 2011
How to Win SBIR Awards
Equipping entrepreneurs and company top management to
WIN SBIR/STTR awards(not just write the proposals).
These workshops, designed
for researchers
and/or high tech companies, t
hose familiar with SBIR/STTR programs and those
interested in commercialization of new technology, will
be presented by a Nationally recognized SBIR/STTR
Expert.
The instructor, training media and 100-page workbook
will be provided by the SBIR Resource Center®, the
nation's leading supplier of business development
resources to the SBIR/STTR community. See what past
attendees have said about this highly-acclaimed event at
http://sbir.us/course/workquot.html
Where: TEK Park, 9999 Hamilton Blvd.,
Breinigsville, PA 18031
When: May
19, 2011
Cost: $325
or $150 if you live or work in PA
or
Where: Chester County Economic
Development Counci, 737 Constitution Blvd, Exton, PA
19341
When: June 2, 2011
Cost: $325 or $150 if you live or
work in PA
Click here
for more information about these sessions.
|
|
|
Pennsylvania Budget
On March 8,
2011, New Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett
released his proposed budget for fiscal year
2012. In an effort to keep our stakeholders
informed, the Kutztown University SBDC will
release editions of our monthly newsletter more
frequently over the next few months.
BUSINESS NOTES
Having a Hard Time getting a loan?
You're not the only ones...
According to an April 4 article, the
Kaufmann Foundation, The world's largest
longitudinal survey of new businesses
identified a marked increase in 2009 in
firms being denied bank loans or credit due
to tougher lending restrictions - and firms
not applying for needed loans because they
feared being denied. You can read the rest
of this article on how firms are investing
in "Intangible assets"
here.
Creative
Ways to Stretch Your Marketing Budget
Innovative ways some business owners are
using to stretch their marketing
dollars:
Take advantage of technology -
- Use email instead of direct mail
- Attend virtual trade shows rather
than traveling
Partner with others in your industry to
spread the expense and the knowledge
Build your social network by offering free
classes at libraries
Take a horizontal marketing approach:
Determine your typical client profile and
then target this group by identifying a
noncompeting business that has that group as
customers.
Read more horizontal marketing ideas in
this article from Entrepreneur.
Federal Government Small Businesses
News
Small Loan Advantage and Community Advantage
7(a) Loan Initiatives
SBA is committed to expanding access to capital
for small businesses and entrepreneurs in
underserved communities so that we can help
drive economic growth and job creation. In line
with that, SBA is rolling out two new
initiatives on February 15, 2011, aimed at
increasing the number of loans in these
communities. For more information on these
programs, and to see if you qualify, please
read this
article.
Cut in Payroll Taxes will Boost Take-Home
Pay for Most Workers
Congress recently reached an
agreement that cut the Payroll Tax for 2011
from 6.2 percent to 4.2. For more
information on how this impacts you, please
read this
article from the IRS.
-----
Learn
about the special tax treatment for expenses
incurred before business operations begin.
Business Start-up and Organizational Costs
Business Start-up Costs
From IRS Publication 535 (2008) -
Business Expenses
-----
"The Child Care Tax Center" This
link to the IRS Website connects the
business owner with tax resources for their
child care business. The
Child Care Tax Center covers several
areas pertinent to running a daycare
center.
BUSINESS
NOTES |
|
|
|
SBIR & STTR Program Information Sessions
These
webinars with simultaneous
teleconferences will provide
information on the Small Business
Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small
Business Technology Transfer (STTR)
programs to help you determine
whether or not these initiatives are
right for you.
Where: Webinar with
Simultaneous Teleconference
When: May 10, OR May 24, 2011
Cost: $0
Click here
to register for one of these sessions. |
Certification Made Simple
This workshop is offered monthly. It
guides participants through the
application process for state
certification as either a Minority
or Women Business Enterprise
(MBE/WBE). It is presented by Curtis
Burwell of the Pennsylvania
Department of General Services,
Bureau of Minority and Women
Business Opportunities (BMWBO).
Where:
Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC,
3211 North Front Street, Harrisburg, PA
17110
When:
May 4 OR June 1 from 9 a.m. - noon
Cost:
$0
To register, click
here. |
|
| |
|
Business Planning (Part III) - Financial
Management Projections and Statements
This is the third workshop of the
Business Planning Workshop Series
that began on April 21 and runs
through May 12. Registration is
available for each workshop or for
the entire series.
Where:
Chester
County Library, 450 Exton Square
Parkway, Exton, PA
When:
May 5 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Cost:
$25.00
For more information, or to register for
this session ONLY, click
here. |
|
Basics of Government
Marketing Webinar
This Webinar covers the first steps
a small business needs to take to
prepare for doing business with the
Federal and State Governments. It
offers an overview of the codes and
registrations, explanation of small
business certifications, potential
strategies small businesses can use
when approaching this market, and
tips for marketing your firm to
federal and state agencies.
Where:
Webinar with Simultaneous
Teleconference
When:
May 11 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Cost:
$0
To
register for this session, click
here.
|
|
Business Planning (Part IV) - Financing
the Business & Feasibility Decisions
This is the fourth and final
workshop of the Business Planning
Workshop Series that began on April
21. Registration is available for
each workshop or for the entire
series.
Where:
Chester County Library, 450 Exton
Square Parkway, Exton, PA
When:
May 12 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Cost:
$25.00
For more information, or to register for
this session ONLY, click
here. |
Your
Fair $hare: Doing Business with Public
Universities
The
event is sponsored by the KU
Purchasing Department and developed
for small, minority and women owned
businesses. Attendees will learn how
to: become a PA Department of
General Services certified vendor,
learn how to do business with the
Commonwealth of PA and commonwealth
universities, how they can increase
and market their business, and how
to go about obtaining financing. The
Keynote Speaker will be State
Senator Pat Brown.
Where:
The
Academic Forum Building, Kutztown
University, Kutztown, PA 19530
When:
May 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Cost:
$0
For more information, or to register for
this workshop, please click
here. |
Moving Up in State Government
Contracting
The Bureau of Minority & Women
Business Opportunities is conducting
a workshop where small business
owners can learn:
How to
read and understand Request for
Proposals (RFPs)
How to
write effective proposals
Find
and market your company to
Commonwealth agency heads,
purchasing agents, and RFP
administrators Learn the Do's and
Don'ts on becoming a prime
contractor for the State.
Where:
3211
North Front Street, Suite 201,
Harrisburg, 17110
When:
May 24 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon
Cost:
$0
For more information, or to register for
this workshop, please click here. |
|
The
First Step: How to Start and Operate a
Small Business
If you are in the early stages of
thinking about starting a small
business, this workshop is for you.
In fact, even if you have started
your business and are realizing that
you missed a few things, this
workshop is still right for you.
This workshop will provide an
overview of the things you need to
know and the skills you need to have
to manage a small business. Subjects
include: legal and accounting
issues, organization, and
management. The workshop offers you
the opportunity to practice
networking with other entrepreneurs.
Existing business owners can use
this workshop as a "checkup" on
their operations. This workshop is
presented in partnership with the
Small Business Assistance Center.
Where:
Chester County Library, 450 Exton
Square Parkway, Exton, PA
When: May 25 from 6:00 to 8:30
p.m.
Cost: $15.00
To register, click here. |
|
The First Step Workshop
This live workshop highlights the SBDC
process, learning resources, and we will
direct you to the SBDC services you
need. Some topics covered are:
-
Funding of the SBDC
-
Owning a Small Business
-
Business Structures
-
Legal Issues
-
Business Financing
-
Business Planning
The outcome of the session will be a
clear understanding of your next steps
to take. REGISTER NOW TO START THE
PROCESS -YOUR SUCCESS IS OUR MISSION
Where:
Berks County Community Foundation
Building, 237 Court Street, Reading, PA
19601
When: May 26 from 6:00 to 8:00
p.m.
Cost: Free
To register, click here. |
|
Thank you for taking time out of your
busy schedule to read our newsletter. We
appreciate your participation in the KU
SBDC community.
|
|
Sincerely,
Ernie Post, Director
Kutztown University Small Business
Development Center |
|
|
|
|
