For immediate release March 7, 2018

Media contact: Melissa Meschke, mmeschke@uwsp.edu, 715-346-2288 

SBDC at UW-Stevens Point offers programming for business owners with the Minocqua Area Chamber of Commerce  

Stevens Point –Krystal Westfahl, Executive Director of the Minocqua Area Chamber of Commerce and Melissa Meschke, the Director of the Small Business Development Center at UW-Stevens Point have teamed up to offer a free business education series for area business owners and entrepreneurs.

“It’s a goal for all Chambers to have offerings to assist our local business owners”, said Westfahl, when talking about her Chamber. She stressed the importance of the small, medium, and large sized businesses in the community and the need for educational opportunities for them. 

Melissa Meschke, along with Mark Speirs, the SBDC Consultant at UWSP, are offering a series of programs designed to serve the business owners in the community well. They both have a background running small businesses and used that experience, in addition to incorporating the feedback they have received from community leaders, to come up with this four part series. 

The SBDC and the Minocqua Area Chamber of Commerce invite all area business owners and entrepreneurs to attend this educational series. Here are the program offerings:

The 2018 Business Education Series will involve the following programs:

• April 18: Finding the Money – Know what financing and funding is available for your businesses. It takes money to make money, so where can your business find the capital to launch or grow? This program will provide an overview of the many capital sources for small business including traditional commercial loans, government loan programs and grants, as well as many lesser-known specialized sources of funding.

• May 23: Marketing for Talent – How to attract top talent to your organization. Many people think of marketing their products and services, but what does it mean to market yourself? Learn how with a solid brand, a mobile friendly website, and video, you can help yourself stand out in this tight labor market and attract the talent you need.

• October 17: Buying and Leasing Commercial Real Estate – How to know what is right for your small business. Due diligence is key when buying or leasing commercial real estate to house your business. This program will cover the analysis and investigation needed before signing a commercial lease or buying a piece of commercial property.

• November 28: Grow your Customer Base – Increase sales through networking, sales techniques, and digital and traditional marketing. Learn tips on effective networking and sales techniques and how to pair with your marketing efforts.

All programs will be from 8-9:30 a.m. at the Minocqua Area Chamber of Commerce, 8216 Hwy 51 S., Minocqua, WI 54548

RSVP to the Minocqua Area Chamber of Commerce at 715-356-5266 or email macc@minocqua.org. 

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About the SBDC at UW-Stevens Point

The SBDC at UW-Stevens Point is one of 14 offices in the Wisconsin SBDC Network offered through UW-Extension's collaboration with the UW four year campuses to support entrepreneurs and business owners through no-cost, confidential consulting and targeted educational programs. www.uwsp.edu/SBDC 

About the Minocqua Area Chamber of Commerce

The Minocqua Area Chamber of Commerce exists to advocate for and enhance economic growth for all that visit, work, live, and play in our communities.

 

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