Your Success Connection



Your Success Connection		October 2003 Issue IX

Question of the Month

Q: Do business owners have the tools to guide their company?

Mark Levandowski, Kutztown SBDC BSFS Facilitator: In today's fast-paced and ever changing world, it becomes more important for the entrepreneur to have a good understanding of every aspect of his or her business. After all, we become business owners because we think we have a better idea or an improved product. Or perhaps because we think we can do a job better than the previous company we worked for. We're convinced that we have specific knowledge about a process or selling method that will make us successful. We become very excited about the aspect of running our own company. The issue that many of us discount is that to be successful one needs to be equipped with the proper tools to weather the many storms the company will face throughout its existence. What are the "proper tools" and "which types of storms" will my business deal with?

Click here for Mark's complete response.

In this issue

	Kutztown SBDC News Learning Opportunities More Opportunities Ten Mistakes to Avoid in Starting Up Your Business by Lou Davenport Government Procurement by George Boehm

Learning Opportunities

First StepSeries

Starting & Growing a Successful Business:
Exton - November 12
Harrisburg - November 10
Wyomissing - November 3

Business Plan I:
Exton - November 20
Harrisburg - November 25
Lancaster - November 5
Wyomissing - November 11

Business Plan II:
Exton - December 4
Harrisburg - December 2
Lancaster - November 19
Wyomissing - November 18
York - November 6

Business Plan III:
Exton - December 11
Harrisburg - November 4
Lancaster - December 3
Wyomissing - December 2

Business Plan IV:
Exton - December 18
Harrisburg - November 18
Lancaster - December 17
Wyomissing - November 4 & December 16
York - October 30

BUSINESS SKILLS for SUCCESS Series

The Six Steps to Solid Sales Success
Exton - October 28

Building Your Business Muscles
Hamburg - October 29

Microsoft's Latest Technology in Action
Wyomissing - October 30

Sales Made Simple
Hamburg - November 3

Communications: Getting Your Message Across
Hamburg - November 12

QuickBooks Pro Basics
Exton - November 13

Developing a Strategic Business Plan
Exton - November 20

The Art of Successful Prospecting
Hamburg - November 24

Tourism & Terrorism
Exton - December 2

Developing a Strategic Business Plan
Hamburg - December 2

Financing Your Business Through Non- conventional Loans
Hamburg - December 10

Marketing with Your Website
Exton - December 11

The Three Big Challenges of Managing People: Hiring, Firing and Performance Improvement
Hamburg - December 17

Visit the Kutztown SBDC website for details! »

More Opportunities

FastTrac for Tech Feasability Course
November 20, 2003 at the Hershey Medical Center.

George Boehm, Kutztown SBDC Business Consutlant for Technology Businesses is leading a new FastTrac (TM) for Tech Feasibility course that is using a new pilot curriculum developed by the Kauffman Foundation specifically for technology businesses.

The second phase of this course Business Planning for Tech Firms will be starting in mid November and will include a 6 module course on developing a business plan to attract venture capital or angel financing. This curriculum is also being supplemented with case studies from other bio-tech sector firms and the course is specifically targeting researchers and early stage bio-tech firms in our region for the program.

"It is essential that we develop the resources and tools to help the Bio-Tech sector transfer their viable research with commercial promise into viable businesses that will create jobs locally. The bioterials economic age has arrived and the results from this emerging business sector will likely transform our lives faster and more personally than the information age," said Ernie Post, Executive Director, Kutztown SBDC.

If you would like an application for the limited number of seats that remain for the Business Planning class, please contact Ernie Post directly at post@kutztown.edu.

Veteran Business Training & Outreach Conference
October 20, 2003 at the Conference Center at Penn State Great Valley.

The conference is sponsored by the PA Small Business Development Centers, the Southeast PA Procurement Technical Assistance Program, and others to provide support and learning opportunities to veterans in small business.

This year's keynote speaker is Representative Curt Weldon.

Click here for the brochure.

Click here to visit the Southeast PA Procurement Technical Assistance Program website.

$50,000 Grand Prize - Staples' Contest Will Jump Start a Berks-Area Business

Even a thriving business can use a little boost. With Staples Business Expo's new Build Your Business Contest a Berks-area business is likely to get a big jolt. A local winner will walk away with $50,000 in equipment and services.

Click here to learn more about the contest.

Ten Mistakes to Avoid in Starting Up Your Business
by Lou Davenport

Since one mistake is usually enough to bring down a new business. Do your best to avoid these ten classic (all too often occurring) mistakes. These are some of the major reasons 70% of new businesses fail. Forewarned is forearmed for success.

1. Start a business with partners and associates with no formal written business agreements.
It doesn't take long for disagreements to develop and the fighting to begin. Why? There are no stated limits of responsibility and authority, and each person acts for him/herself and not for the benefit of the business. A written partnership or owners' agreement is essential.

Click here for the complete article. »

Government Procurement by George Boehm

So, your best friend, or worse yet, your marketing representative, just told you about a Government Procurement Opportunity that is a "sure thing" for your company and you must bid! The bid is due in five (5) days so, if you bid, you must rush to get a proposal submitted. What do you do?

Bid ASAP with a Ready-Fire-Aim approach which is "doomed for disaster" (been there, done that).

Stop and see if it fits into your Business Evaluation Criteria - which is the Ready-Aim-Fire approach.

The problem is - what do you consider as part of this Business Evaluation Criteria?

Click here for the complete article. »

Kutztown SBDC News

REGISTER NOW for Business Skills for Success!
The BSFS (Business Skills For Success) series begins on October 28!
The first workshop, The Six Steps to Solid Sales Success, will be lead by Dan Goldberg of Dan Goldberg Consulting. The workshop is offered in Exton on Tuesday, October 28, 6:30-9:30.

The second workshop, Building Your Business Muscles, a marketing course conducted by Catherine Nemetz of Envisions Art & Design, is offered in Hamburg on October 29, 6:30- 9:00. The Hamburg workshops are developed to help the area's small businesses benefit from the opening of Cabela's.

Visit our New Website!
The new Kutztown SBDC website went live in September. If you haven't visited, please do. We have several new features, including a complete course calendar, online bookstore, access to thousands of business reports and audio files, and a press room.

A Spanish version of the Kutztown SBDC is currently in development. We hope to go live with the Spanish version in the next month.

NBC10 Technology & Lifestyles Expo

The Kutztown SBDC will participate in the NBC10 Technology & Lifestyles Expo at the Fort Washington Convention Center on November 8 and 9. The expo was developed to provide area consumers with a FREE, high-quality expo featuring hands-on training, workshops, and the opportunity to evaluate cutting-edge technology products and services. Please visit us at the expo!

Write to the Success Connection!
SuccessConnection@kutztown.edu





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