|
Dear Mark, <=
/o:p>
Welcome to Northland Pioneer College SBDC's newsletter, Small Business Success. We=
named
it this because that is the role of the SBDC - to help local busine=
sses
achieve success. We hope you get something useful from this issue.
-Mark Engle, Editor
|
DIRECTORS
MESSAGE
|
=
|
|
By Mark Engle, Director
![](3D"Aug2008_files/image003=) =
What have you done for you lately?
A familiar theme I discuss with small
businesspeople is that of remembering to work "on" their
businesses vs. just working "in" the business. Now that=
we
are nearly done with our busy summers...school is starting again,=
and
fall is just around the corner...what have you done to make your
business better for the future?
We have some things to suggest in this
newsletter, of course! The Small
Business Development Center
has a full cadre of classes we offer for local small businesses.
Online or otherwise, we want to help you feed your head, if that's
your answer! See the article below or just visit our website and
click on "Online Classes" to see what we offer.
Are you concerned about the economic
conditions, or even starting to feel a pinch from reduced sales or
profits? We have an article on "Crisis and Opportunity:
Surviving or Thriving in a Slow Economy" that might give you
some ideas or encouragement.
Is this a good time to add that online pres=
ence
you have been putting off? Need some additional capital to help m=
ake
that happen? SBA has some new programs, and a lot of things are
available online today that are new. Checkout our article on this
below.
|
|
Northland SBDC Offers Online Classes for Small Business
|
=
|
|
Take a class when you need it, where you need it =
What=
are
you looking to improve in your business? Need help understanding =
those complex tax, legal or insurance
requirements? Is bookkeeping and accounting your nemisis?
How about marketing? Have you looked at your original business pl=
an
to see how you're doing lately? Time to update things?
We o=
ffer
"Effective Communication" which provides an introductio=
n to
effective business communications, writing, oral and intercultural
communication. We have a class in "Native American
Entrepreneurship", which opens your eyes to concepts of small
business ownership, entrepreneurship and startup issues for small
businesses on the reservation. "Small Business Management
Accounting" builds skills in using accounting to successfully
manage a small business. Marketing: From Product to Profit helps
increase your understand basic small
business marketing and concepts. "Small Business Legal Issues
and Insurance" introduces key concepts in law and insurance =
for
small businesses. And this is just a few of our offerings! <=
/o:p>
Check out our f=
ull
offering of online classes here =
|
|
Crisis and Opportunity=
: Surviving
- or thriving - in a slow economy
|
=
|
|
By J. Roy Miller, State Director, <=
st1:PlaceName
w:st=3D"on">New Mexico Small
Business Development Center
Network <=
span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black;letter-=
spacing:
.35pt'>
With=
gas
prices climbing and commodity costs ascending in their wake, busi=
ness
owners are looking closely at their budgets for ways to compensate
for these unexpected expenses and keep their books in balance. Th=
is
is particularly true in industries with long-term contracts. The
owner of a large construction firm recently confided that his big=
gest
challenge is how to stay within budget on a fixed-price, three-ye=
ar, $7 million job when materials costs are
skyrocketing.
Risi=
ng
prices are just as serious for small-business owners not saddled =
with
long-term contracts, whether their revenue is in the thousands or
hundreds of thousands of dollars. But shrewd entrepreneurs realize
that every economic crisis presents an opportunity - in this case=
an
opportunity to determine where costs can be cut and revenue
collected.
=
For the entire
article click here
|
|
SBA Financing For eCommerce F=
irms
|
=
|
|
New rules make it easier for start-ups, but have tradeoffs,
too
Work=
ing
into the evening, Sterling Savings banker Michael Williams wraps =
up
another day of SBA lending in Portland,
Ore.'s "Sili=
con
Forrest." As business development officer for Sterling Savin=
gs'
SBA division, Williams knows firsthand the issues faced by ecomme=
rce
sites looking for an SBA- guaranteed leg up.
As l=
ong
as you have inventory to handle and a need for capital, there's
almost surely an SBA loan to fit your venture," Williams say=
s.
"About 97 percent of the businesses in the U.S.
qualify for a small business loan, and believe me, they're not ju=
st
traditional bricks and mortar loans."
For
lenders like Williams, mom-and-pop ecommerce sites provide a
refreshing alternative to the revenue black holes of those in
pre-dot-com-bust years. According to the SBA-funded "Strateg=
ies
for Small Business Success" report, 35 percent of firms with
fewer than 10 employees gain 10 to 99 percent of current sales fr=
om
their websites. Meanwhile, 65 percent of all firms with a website
either make a profit or at least cover their website costs thanks=
to
their online sales.
For the entire
article click here
|
|
![3D"](3D"Aug2008_files/image001.gif")
![3DEngle](3D"Aug2008_files/image002.jpg")