NPC-SBDC is co-sponsoring a couple of informational seminars in April on SBA Lending. The first, cosponsored by Great Western Bank, is being held April 2nd, from 6 until 8 p.m. at the SBDC Training Center in Show Low. This program will feature information on how to present a loan package to a bank, what should be included, why your credit is important, eligibility issues, business plan requirements, and more. Any changes in SBA loan programs as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Stimulus Act) will be presented. Great Western Bank is our cosponsor and presenter, and will be offering raffle prizes and refreshments for those in attendance. Call the SBDC at 532-6170 to reserve a place now.

Later in the month, on April 28th, the U.S. Small Business Administrations District Office in Phoenix will be presenting detailed information on the changes to their programs as a result of the Stimulus Act. This will be held at Northland Pioneer College's Ponderosa Center, Symposium Room, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. SBA representatives will be presenting and on hand to answer questions from interested applicants.

Want more information about the small business provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009? Click below to download a pdf file with more information.

Between job cuts, daily announcements of more Wall Street abuses, the ramifications of the failing auto industry and the credit crunch, it's no wonder road rage is up and people everywhere are pulling back on spending.

There is good news, however. Small business is getting a break with the new economic stimulus recovery, which is good for businesses of all sizes and industries!

The SBDC has provided QuickBooks training for many years in our weekend format, but this is the first time we have offered QuickBooks as a stand alone class. We are providing this training, normally offered by Intuit for $398, for the low price of $195, which includes textbook, materials and hands-on instruction for two full days.

Day 1 Topics Include: · Answers to your QuickBooks software questions · Tips and tricks for working faster and more efficiently in QuickBooks · Prepare and interpret important financial reports · Create your company's books from "scratch" · Set up accounts, customers, vendors, items, and jobs · "Clean up" your important customer lists · Customize your chart of accounts to give you meaningful financial statements · Prepare and process estimates, invoices, sales receipts, credit memos, refunds, bank deposits, and customer statements · Enter and process checks, bills, and payments · Reconcile bank accounts (and what to do if they don't!) · Learn how your company's finances flow thru QuickBooks software · Purchase and manage inventory · Set up budgets/forecasts

Day 2 Topics Include: · More answers to your QuickBooks software questions · Set up and use QuickBooks Pro and Premier with multiple users on a network · Find and fix the most common mistakes made with QuickBooks · Handle "tricky" situations including NSF checks, customer deposits, and more · Enter special transactions including bad debts, petty cash transactions · Automatic bank transactions, and others · Learn advanced reporting techniques and integration with Microsoft Excel · Customize QuickBooks to your business · Set up and use credit cards · Set up and process payroll · Prepare/file your federal payroll tax returns · Generate reports to file state payroll tax returns · Handle unique payroll situations including employee loans and more · Customize your sales forms the way you want them · Add logos to forms

In the current economic situation developing and keeping customer loyalty is essentially. Recognize that in a global economy customers have many more choices than ever before. Tourism competition is no longer "just down the road." In this new and interlocked world, we can determine tourism and travel competition by a number of options including the cost of travel, the languages spoken and the quality of the total product.

Customer loyalty is another way to gain the best possible customer, repeat customers. Not only do repeat customers tend to spend more money but they are often the people who tend to provide the best word of mouth advertising possible. Numerous tourism businesses have developed customer loyalty programs. For example, the airlines frequent flier programs are some of the world's most successful customer loyalty programs. Other tourism businesses such as restaurants and even airport parking lots have replicated these programs. All of these loyalty programs are based on the idea that the more usage of product X makes the customer a special client and provides the customer with add-on benefits.

Basically there are three ways to develop customer loyalty programs. We may call these: (1) enticement programs, (2) service programs, and (3) communications programs. Enticement programs A good example of an enticement program is one of the airlines of hotels frequent user programs. These are programs designed around the idea that a business' best customers are to be rewarded with special treatment, favors, or prizes. Other enticement programs are based around freebies such as hotels offering free toothbrushes to their guests or even a free breakfast. If you are going to use an enticement program, keep in mind: -do what you promise. Enticement programs have been a very successful way to develop customer loyalty as long as the business actually delivers what it promises. Airlines are frequent abusers of enticement programs. They often mislead the public by not carrying through on their promise. Their frequent black-out days, changes of policy and non- seat availability may have hurt airline reputations as much as the program originally helped to build loyalty -be careful not to cancel or cut program benefits. Once the public becomes used to an enticement program, it resents any loss of benefits. If you promise X then deliver X. A withdrawal of benefits may be worse than never having begun the program at all.

Loyalty Service Programs Nothing wins customers over than good service and good value. No matter how good an enticement program is, a lack of good customer service and a poor pricing structure is bound to undercut a customer's loyalty. This is especially true in the hospitality industry, which is an industry that is supposed to be all about service. When considering good customer service, emphasize the following: _if you do not like people, the travel and tourism industry is not for you. Many hospitality employees see their work as just a job. People who do not enjoy people send off signals that turn our customers off. When hiring new employees, try to find extroverts who enjoy chatting with their customers and who see the travel and tourism industry as a never-ending adventure
-Talk, talk and talk some more. The more we know about our customers and listen to them the more loyal they are. Never be defensive when a customer complains. Instead ask the client what suggestions s/he might suggest and involve the customer in seeking a solution and in fixing the problem.
_Give people more than they expect. Whenever you exceed expectations visitors are not only surprised but also delighted. For example, the Grapevine, Texas police department clearly sees itself as part of the city's economic development team. One of the things that Grapevine PD does is provided many of its officers with a credit card to be used when a visitor or citizen has had a serious problem. Often the good will generated by the Grapevine Police brings people back to town. The principle here is that the little extra touch goes a long way to correcting any past mistake. Another example of this approach is Hawaii's VASH program. This is a program designed to help visitors in need due to an unfortunate mishap. The program has had tremendous success in developing customer loyalty to the state of Hawaii.
_Make your business or community special. One way to inspire people to want to return is offer something that is unique about your business or locale. In the modern world a common complaint from travelers is that they might be in "any place". Promote unique products, stores, experiences, or historical events. Customer loyalty and uniqueness often complement each other.

Communication programs. People are loyal to those who take the time to communicate with them. Communication may come in many ways, via newsletters, birthday cards, emails or telephone calls. The type of communication is almost less important than the fact that the business is communicating at all. _Birthday discounts are a great way to go. Almost everyone wants to feel special on his/her birthday. Sending out a discount coupon as a birthday gift not only brings people into your establishment but in shopping at your store or visiting your community the person comes to feel that you care about him/her. _Internet newsletters remind people, that you have not forgotten them. The web is great but it does not build loyalty. Newsletters and information packs build such loyalty. Let people know you care by telling them about new products and services that you offer. Ask for feedback and try to create contests, or other 'e-events that permit people to feel that they have a stake in your success. Create forums where people can spread the word about your product via word-of-mouth. The best advertising is word-of-mouth advertising by a satisfied customer. Develop areas at places where people congregate that allow people to provide feedback and give you suggestions. The suggestions may be useful and the fact and all interchanges help to create a sense of bonding between your customers and you.

The bottom line: People care about people who care about them. Offer a unique product with pleasant customer service at a fair price and people will want to return. Perhaps the Bible said it best when it states "V'Ahvatah l'Reachah Kmochah" which is often mistranslated as "love thy fellow human being as thyself" a better translation might be "when you love your fellow men and women then you are not only being good to them but also to yourself" Be good to your customers and you will win their loyalty.