Admin | February 6, 2012
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Nu Skin Founder to Speak at Utah County ELP Meeting

Mr. Steven Lund, founder of Nu Skin will speak Tuesday.
The Utah County Chapter of the Entrepreneur Launch Pad is excited to have Mr. Steven Lund, founder of Nu Skin International, as the featured speaker. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. Tuesday, February 7, 2012. It will be held at the Business Resource Building on the UVU campus.

The event is sponsored by The Entrepreneur Launch Pad organization and is FREE to the public. Mr. Lund will be accompanied buy two other well know speakers, Jeremy Blickenstaff  and Ryan Lund. Come hear how Mr. Lund grew his company from one simple idea to a mega international corporation.

Mr. Lund has served as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for Nu Skin Enterprises, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nu Skin Asia Pacific, and Executive Vice President of Nu Skin International.

Among the topics Mr. Lund will speak about are how a mega-successful organization, such as Nu Skin, began as a simple idea… grew to a start-up…and finally to a full-blown success story.

The meeting begins at 1:00 p.m. Mr. Lund will speak for approximately 45 minutes. Following Mr. Lund’s presentation, there will be a networking period for attendees.   Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear one of America’s greatest success stories.

When: February 7, 2012, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: The Business Resource Building at the UVU campus between the Hampton Inn and the Pinnacle Building south of the Orem Walmart (the old Saturn car dealership building)
For more information contact Curtis Kramer, Group Leader. 1-801-885-7632 ckramer@bc-ut.com

Category: News |
Admin | January 15, 2012
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Financing Growth and Using Technology to Stay Competitive

SBA Financial Programs for Small Business

SBA is committed to helping small businesses, which are the backbone of the nation’s economy, thrive. Working closely with a wide range of lending partners across the country, SBA has developed a number of financial programs that address the various needs of small businesses.

Evaluate Your Financial Needs

Before seeking financial assistance, ask yourself the following questions to evaluate your business’s financing needs:

  • Do you need more capital or can you manage existing cash flow more effectively?
  • How do you define your need? Do you need money to expand or as a cushion against risk?
  • How urgent is your need? You can obtain the best terms when you anticipate your needs rather than looking for money under pressure.
  • How great are your risks? All businesses carry risks, and the degree of risk will affect cost and available financing alternatives.
  • In what state of development is your business? Needs are most critical during transitional stages.
  • For what purposes will the capital be used? Any lender will require that capital be requested for very specific needs.
  • What is the state of your industry? Depressed, stable, or growth conditions require different approaches to money needs and sources. Businesses that prosper while others are in decline will often receive better funding terms.
  • Is your business seasonal or cyclical? Seasonal needs for financing generally are short term. Loans advanced for cyclical industries, such as construction, are designed to support a business through depressed periods.
  • How strong is your management team? Management is an important element assessed by lenders.
  • How does your need for financing mesh with your business plan? If you don’t have a business plan, make writing one your first priority. All capital sources will want to see your business plan for the start-up and growth of your business.

Banks and other lending institutions offer a number of SBA guaranteed loan programs (7(a) Loans, CDC/504 Loan, Microloan) to assist small businesses. While the SBA itself does not make loans, it does guarantee loans made to small businesses by private and other institutions, encouraging these loans to qualify more applicants for loan approval.

Technology Programs to Keep You Competitive

As a business owner, it is vital that you understand and use advanced technologies. Technology can help increase business efficiency and even expand operations.

Accounting software. This is important, even if you have your own accountant or bookkeeper. Accounting software allows you to see your profits and losses at a glance. It can also help you design and maintain a budget for your business.

Planning software or tools. A calendar system is a must. There are many online planning systems that can be utilized to help you keep your calendar organized. Find a system that meets your business’ needs and be sure to stick with it.

Time tracking software.  A time tracking device will help you determine what tasks result in a profit and what tasks do not. This will help you determine what tasks can be eliminated, outsourced, or improved.  If you’re looking at software that requires a fee, ask for a free trial first to make sure it’s the right software for you.

Email management. As a business owner, you probably use several email accounts to manage the various aspects of your company. If you streamline these emails to one account, you’ll be able to stay organized and abreast of your emails.

Mobile internet access. Access to the internet on your mobile device will not only make your life easier, it will also help you maintain a positive reputation for your business. For example, if you are able to follow up with a client by email immediately after a meeting, you will be showing that you are accessible, timely and professional.

Once you decide which types of technology are right for you and your business, you’ll be on your way to being more organized and efficient than ever.

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Admin | January 12, 2012
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Ideas for Growing Your Business

10 Ways to Grow Your Business

For those of you who have already successfully started a business and are ready to take the next step, you may be wondering what you can do to help your business grow. There are many ways to do this, 10 of which are outlined below. Choosing the proper one (or ones) for your business will depend on the type of business you own, your available resources, and how much money, time and resources you’re willing to invest all over again. If you’re ready to grow, take a look at these tips.

  1. Open another location. This is often the first way business owners approach growth. If you feel confident that your current business location is under control, consider expanding by opening a new location.
  2. Offer your business as a franchise or business opportunity.Franchising your business will allow for growth without requiring you to manage the new location. This will help to maximize the time you spend improving your business in other ways, too.
  3. License your product. This can be an effective, low-cost growth medium, particularly if you have a service product or branded product. Licensing also minimizes your risk and is low cost in comparison to the price of starting your own company to produce and sell your brand or product. To find a licensing partner, start by researching companies that provide products or services similar to yours.
  4. Form an alliance. Aligning yourself with a similar type of business can be a powerful way to expand quickly.
  5. Diversify. Diversifying is an excellent strategy for growth, because it allows you to have multiple streams of income that can often fill seasonal voids and, of course, increase sales and profit margins. Here are a few of the most common ways to diversify:
  • Sell complementary products or services
  • Teach adult education or other types of classes
  • Import or export yours or others’ products
  • Become a paid speaker or columnist
  1. Target other markets. Your current market is serving you well. Are there others? Probably. Use your imagination to determine what other markets could use your product.
  2. Win a government contract. One of the best ways to grow your business is to win business from the government. Work with your local SBA and Small Business Development Center to help you determine the types of contracts available to you.
  3. Merge with or acquire another business. Two is always bigger than one. Investigate companies that are similar to yours, or that have offerings that are complementary to yours, and consider the benefits of combining forces or acquiring the company.
  4. Expand globally. To do this, you’ll need a foreign distributor who can carry your product and resell it in their domestic markets. You can locate foreign distributors by scouring your city or state for a foreign company with a U.S. representative.
  5. Expand to the Internet. Very often, customers discover a business through an online search engine. Be sure that your business has an online presence in order to maximize your exposure.
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Admin | January 9, 2012
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Forecasting for Growth

Maintaining your momentum in growing your business means looking forward even as you focus on the present. Forecasting and planning are critical to your continued success.

Forecasting for Growth: Strategic Thinking

To be effective as a leader, you must develop skills in strategic thinking. Strategic thinking is a process whereby you learn how to make your business vision a reality by developing your abilities in teamwork, problem solving and critical thinking. It is also a tool to help you confront change, plan for and make transitions, and envision new possibilities and opportunities.

Strategic thinking requires you to envision what you want your ideal outcome to be for your business, then work backwards by focusing on the story of how you will be able to reach your vision.

As you develop a strategic vision for your business, there are five different criteria that you should focus on. These five criteria will help you define your ideal outcome. In addition, they will help you set up and develop the steps necessary to make your business vision come true.

Organization

The organization of your business involves your employees, the organizational structure of your business and the resources necessary to make it all work.

  • What will your organization look like?
  • What type of structure will support your vision?
  • How will you combine people, resources and structure together to achieve your ideal outcome?

Observation

When you are looking down at the world from an airplane, you can see much more than when you are on the ground. Strategic thinking is much the same in that it allows you to see things from “higher up.” By increasing your powers of observation, you will begin to become more aware of what motivates people, how to solve problems more effectively and how to distinguish between alternatives.

Views

Views are simply different ways of thinking about something. In strategic thinking, there are four viewpoints to take into consideration when forming your business strategy:

  • the environmental view
  • the marketplace view
  • the project view
  • the measurement view

Views can be used as tools to help you think about outcomes, identify critical elements and adjust your actions to achieve your ideal position.

Driving Forces

What are the driving forces that will make your ideal outcome happen? What is your company’s vision and mission? Driving forces usually lay the foundation for what you want people to focus on in your business (such as what you will use to motivate others to perform). Examples of driving forces might include:

  • individual and organizational incentives
  • empowerment and alignment
  • qualitative factors such as a defined vision, values and goals
  • productive factors like a mission or function
  • quantitative factors such as results or experience
  • others such as commitment, coherent action, effectiveness, productivity and value.

Ideal Position

After working through the first four phases of the strategic thinking process, you should be able to define your ideal position. Your ideal position outline should include:

  • the conditions you have found to be necessary if your business is to be productive
  • the niche in the marketplace that your business will fill
  • any opportunities that may exist either currently or in the future for your business
  • the core competencies or skills required in your business
  • the strategies and tactics you will use to pull it all together.
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Admin | January 6, 2012
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Managing Time to Balance Your Business and Personal Life

Not Enough Time?

You planned on getting to work early to finish the project that’s due today, but the car won’t start. Now where’s that mechanic’s name and number. You frantically search through your notes, but can’t find it. You’re mind’s yelling, “The project!” You start to panic.

The clock just keeps ticking.

Most of us have been swamped at one time or another. With hectic work schedules, family responsibilities, and social engagements, there’s never enough time for everything we need to do. Although life will always have time constraints, once we begin managing our time wisely, the chaos in our lives can be reduced or even eliminated.

Learning to Manage Your Time

The first step in managing your time is to develop a general work schedule. Your work schedule should include time for yourself as well as time for the maintenance of your business.

Develop a General Work Schedule

  • Define the major elements of your workload
  • Prioritize the elements by identifying
    •  critical deadlines,
    • routine maintenance items
    • fun/relaxation time
  • Identify what needs to be done immediately. To start, ask:
    • How much time do I have to make this decision?
    • How much time do I have to finish this task?
    • How much time do I have to contact this person?
  • Set priorities that depend on
    • deadlines
    • how many people you must call to get the information
    • whether you can delegate or get assistance from others
    • time for group project communication and problem-solving

Once you have identified your priorities, determine your options for achieving them. Move forward with the ones you feel are the most useful. You have now started down the road to more effective time management.

Other Time Management Suggestions

Other suggestions useful for managing both your business life as well as your personal life include the following:

  • Contract out tasks. Contract out tasks you do not have the expertise to complete.
  • Start with the most worrisome task. Start the morning, afternoon, or evening with the most worrisome task before you. This will reduce your anxiety level for the next task.
  • Complete deadline work early. This will reduce stress and lighten your work schedule and give you more self-confidence managing your schedule.
  • Know your capacity for stress. When you are hitting overload, take the break when you need it.
  • Stay organized. Take time at the end of each day to briefly organize your desk and make lists of tasks for the next day.
  • Take advantage of down time. Schedule yourself down time between busy periods to review your schedule and reevaluate your priorities.
  • Get physical. Physical exertion such as walking, bicycling, swimming, stretching, yoga, jumping rope, sit-ups, playing with children, doing yard work, or organized sports activities helps to discharge stress.
  • Have fun. Be sure to have fun while working or playing; a good sense of humor keeps most problems in perspective.
  • Divide up your time. Decide how much time to spend on business development, personal needs, volunteerism, and family. Allow 25% for yourself. Make commitments, by setting a timeline for your involvement. Remember maintenance takes at least 25% of the time you spend on any project.
  • Build flexibility into your schedule. Be available to family and friends by being flexible. Female business owners frequently have the primary responsibility for making sure family members are cared for when they are dependent or ill, so it’s necessary to leave some time in your schedule for emergencies or to have good backup resources.

Your Business Life Versus Your Personal Life

Consider the relationship between your business life and your personal life. Be realistic as you answer the following questions, keeping in mind what is most important to you:

  • What are your long term goals? Your partner’s goals?
  • Where are the conflicts, and where are the similarities?
  • What is it that you really want to do? List all possible ways to accomplish this.
  • How long will it take you to reach your goal?
  • How do your timeline and goals affect your family (parents, siblings, partner, children)?
  • How do your personal goals conflict with or match your business goals?
  • How much time can you donate to community programs?
  • Have you talked about your personal goals with your business partner?
  • Have you talked about your business goals with your personal partner?

Don’t underestimate the toll that emotional stress takes on your physical health and your ability to concentrate on your work or enjoy time with your family. Make sure you make time for the important people and events in your life. Your business will still be there tomorrow or next week.

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Admin | January 3, 2012
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Making Decisions That Grow Your Business

Tips for Wise Decision-Making

As you manage your business, you will be faced with important decisions that may impact the future of your company. This may seem stressful, but keep these tips in mind and you’ll find yourself making wiser decisions in no time:

  • Define, as specifically as possible, what the decision is that needs to be made. Is this really your decision or someone else’s? Do you really need to make a decision? (If you do not have at least two options, there is no decision to be made.) When does the decision need to be made? Why is this decision important to you?
  • Brainstorm, and write down as many alternatives as you can think of. Be sure to use your resources (experienced friends and family, the Internet, etc.) to find out more about the implications of each option.
  • Visualize the outcome of each alternative. Do you feel more satisfied with one outcome than with the others?
  • Do a reality check. Cross off those alternatives that most likely will not occur.
  • Once you have made your decision, get moving on it. Worrying or second-guessing yourself will only cause stress. You have done your very best. Remember, no decision is set in stone!

Common Decision-Making Mistakes

Have you ever found a decision you made is not based on sound reasoning? Our brains screen and categorize information based on what society (i.e., parents, teachers, the church, all institutions, etc.) teach us, not what we actually know to be true. Here are some common mistakes leaders encounter when trying to make a decision:

  • Relying too much on expert information. Experts are only human and have their own set of biases and prejudices just like the rest of us. By seeking information from a lot of different sources, you will get much better information than if you focused all of your energy on only one source.
  • Overestimating the value of information received from others. We tend to overestimate the value of experts, authority figures, parents, high status groups, people who seem to have it all together, and people we respect. Ask yourself:  Do they know as much about this problem as I do? Are their values the same as mine? Have they had any personal experiences with a problem like mine? Keep their opinions in perspective.
  • Underestimating the value of information received from others. We also tend to discount information we receive from children, low status groups, women (yes, believe it!), the elderly, homemakers, blue-collar workers, artists, etc. Many times these groups paint a picture of the other side of your problem. They may use entirely different values and perceptions in their answers to your questions. The result is a larger perspective of what the issues really are.
  • Only hearing or seeing what you want to hear and see. If we have expectations or biases that we are not aware of, we tend to see what we want to see.  Likewise, if someone tries to tell us something we do not want to hear, we simply do not hear them. This is a common mistake that many people make. The key is to be aware of your own prejudices and expectations.
  • Not listening to your feelings or gut reactions. Have you ever made a decision only to have it be followed by a major stomach ache or headache? This is your body talking to you. Our brains are constantly taking in  information that gets stored in our subconscious. In moments when we need to make a decision, our bodies provide clues to the answer through feelings or gut reactions coming from our subconscious. Tune into this intuition and you will make much wiser decisions.

Remember to follow through on your decision and take the steps to accomplish it. A decision is never complete until you fully implement it with confidence and courage.

 

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Admin | December 31, 2011
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Your Business Success Depends on Your Ability to Manage Employees

Managing Employees

Although this may not happen right away in an entrepreneurial or new business. Sooner than you realize you will find it necessary to address the issues surrounding employee management. It would be wise to take the time, before you hire your first employee to develop an Employee Handbook.

Employee Handbooks

The company employee handbook is one of the most important communication tools between your company and your employees. Not only does it set forth your expectations for your employees, but it also describes what they can expect from the company. It is essential that your company has one and that it be as clear and unambiguous as possible. Make certain that it is written in an understandable language which makes the company’s policies accessible.

The company employee handbook and related personnel policies are usually the first formal communication that you will have with an employee after they join your team. Make sure the first impression is a good one. Similarly, in the event of a dispute or poor performance review, this will be the first place that the employee turns.

11 Topics an Employee Handbook Should Include

The most effective employee handbooks cover the following topics.

Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and Conflict of Interest Statements

Although NDAs are not legal requirements, having employees sign NDAs and conflict of interest statements helps to protect your trade secrets and company proprietary information.

Anti-Discrimination Policies

As an employer, you must comply with the equal employment opportunity laws prohibiting discrimination and harassment, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. Your employee handbook should include a section about these laws that states that employees are expected to comply with them.

Compensation

Clearly explain to your employees that your company will make necessary deductions for federal and state taxes as well as voluntary deductions for the company’s benefits programs. In addition, you should include your company’s legal obligations regarding overtime pay, and information on pay schedules, performance reviews and salary increases, time keeping, breaks and bonus compensation.

Work Schedules

Describe your company’s policy regarding work hours and schedules, including attendance, punctuality, and reporting absences. Also include your company’s policy for flexible schedules and telecommuting.

Standards of Conduct

Make sure you have thought out your expectations of how you want employees to conduct themselves in your workplace, including dress codes and inappropriate behavior. In addition, it’s important to remind your employees of their legal obligations, especially if your business is engaged in a regulated activity (for example, your company’s legal obligations to protect customer data or to avoid insider-trading activity).

General Employment Information

Your employee handbook should include an a overview of your business and general employment policies covering employment eligibility, job classifications, employee referrals, employee records, job postings, probationary periods, termination and resignation procedures, transfers and relocation, and union information, if applicable.

Safety and Security

This section should describe your company’s policy for creating a safe and secure workplace, including compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) laws that require employees to report all accidents, injuries, potential safety hazards, safety suggestions and health and safety related issues to management.

Safety policies should also include your company’s policy regarding bad weather and hazardous community conditions.

Finally, your security policy should include your commitment to creating a secure work environment, and your employee’s responsibility for abiding by all physical and information security policies, such as locking file cabinets or computers when they aren’t in use.

Computers and Technology

Computers and communication technology are essential tools for conducting business. However employee misuse can have serious consequences for your company. Your employee handbook should include policies for appropriate computer and software use, and steps employees should take to secure electronic information, especially any personal identifiable information you collect from your customers. While not required, it is recommended that you develop policies on the use of social media in your workplace.

Media Relations

It’s a good business practice to have a single point of contact for all media inquiries, such as yourself or a public relations professional. You don’t want your employees to bring unwanted attention to your company by speaking about your business in ways that could easily be misrepresented in the media. Your employee handbook should include a section that discusses how you employees should handle calls from reporters or other media inquiries.

Employee Benefits

Your company’s handbook should detail all benefit programs and eligibility requirements, including all benefits that may be required by law such as disability insurance, worker’s compensation, and COBRA.

The employee benefits section should also detail your plans for health insurance options, retirement, employee assistance, tuition reimbursement, business travel, and any other fringe benefits your business provides to attract and retain employees.

Leave

Your company’s leave policies should be carefully documented, especially those that you are required to provide by law. Family medical leave, jury duty, military leave, and time off for court cases and voting should all be documented to comply with state and local laws. In addition, you should explain your policies for vacation, holiday, bereavement, and sick leave.

Once you finish writing the Employee Handbook, have a Human Resource specialist look over it and give you any suggestions.  He or she can alert you to legal references that may be needed. However, since this is often a crucial legal problem area in a business, you should have your lawyer review the document.

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Admin | December 28, 2011
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Being the Right Leader is a Learning Process

Being a Leader

Over the past several years, one of the most important contributions psychology has made to the field of business has been in determining the key traits of acknowledged leaders. Psychological tests have been used to determine what characteristics are most commonly noted among successful leaders. This list of characteristics can be used for developmental purposes to help managers gain insight and develop their leadership skills.

The increasing rate of change in the business environment is a major factor in this new emphasis on leadership; whereas in the past, managers were expected to maintain the status quo in order to move ahead, new forces in the marketplace have made it necessary to expand this narrow focus. The new leaders of tomorrow are visionary. They are both learners and teachers. Not only do they foresee paradigm changes in society, but they also have a strong sense of ethics and work to build integrity in their organizations.

Leadership Potential

Raymond Cattell, a pioneer in the field of personality assessment, developed the Leadership Potential equation in 1954. This equation, which was based on a study of military leaders, is used today to determine the traits which characterize an effective leader. The traits of an effective leader include the following:

  • Emotional stability: Good leaders must be able to tolerate frustration and stress. Overall, they must be well-adjusted and have the psychological maturity to deal with anything they are required to face.
  • Dominance: Leaders are often competitive, decisive and usually enjoy overcoming obstacles. Overall, they are assertive in their thinking style as well as their attitude in dealing with others.
  • Enthusiasm: Leaders are usually seen as active, expressive and energetic. They are often very optimistic and open to change. Overall, they are generally quick and alert and tend to be uninhibited.
  • Conscientiousness: Leaders are often dominated by a sense of duty and tend to be very exacting in character. They usually have a very high standard of excellence and an inward desire to do their best. They also have a need for order and tend to be very self-disciplined.
  • Social boldness: Leaders tend to be spontaneous risk-takers. They are usually socially aggressive and generally thick-skinned. Overall, they are responsive to others and tend to be high in emotional stamina.
  • Self-assurance: Self-confidence and resiliency are common traits among leaders. They tend to be free of guilt and have little or no need for approval. They are generally unaffected by prior mistakes or failures.
  • Compulsiveness: Leaders are controlled and very precise in their social interactions. Overall, they are very protective of their integrity and reputation and consequently tended to be socially aware and careful, abundant in foresight, and very careful when making decisions or determining specific actions.
  • Intuitiveness: Rapid changes in the world today, combined with information overload result in an inability to know everything. In other words, reasoning and logic will not get you through all situations. In fact, more and more leaders are learning the value of using their intuition and trusting their gut when making decisions.
  • Empathy: Being able to put yourself in the other person’s shoes is a key trait of leaders today. Without empathy, you can’t build trust; without trust, you will never be able to get the best effort from your employees.
  • Charisma: People usually perceive leaders as larger than life. Charisma plays a large part in this perception. Leaders who have charisma are able to arouse strong emotions in their employees by defining a vision which unites and captivates them. Using this vision, leaders motivate employees to reach toward a future goal by tying the goal to substantial personal rewards and values.

Leaders Are Developed

Leaders are rarely (if ever) born. Circumstances and persistence are major components in the developmental process of any leader, so if your goal is to become a leader, work on developing those areas of your personality that you feel are not up to par. For instance, if you have all of the basic traits but do not consider yourself very much of a people person, try taking classes or reading books on empathy. On the other end, if relating to others has always come naturally to you, but you have trouble making logical decisions, try learning about tough-mindedness and how to develop more psychological resistance. Just remember, anyone can do anything they set their mind to.

Bottom Line: You can become a leader when you take the time and effort to become such. And you owe it to yourself, your business, and your future employees.

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Admin | December 25, 2011
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Courses to Help You Start Your Business

Online Courses for Starting Your Business

Each year, more than 10 million people consider starting a business. Of them, only three million people take the plunge and start a business. It’s one of the most exciting endeavors that any person can undertake.

About These Courses

Several free online courses are offered by the SBA to help prospective and existing entrepreneurs understand the basics about writing a business plan. These self-paced courses are easy to use and understand. They will take about 30 minutes to complete. You can, however, exit a course at any time. Because most of the courses offer audio explanations, it is recommended that your computer speakers be turned on.

Before entering a course, you will be prompted to complete an online registration form. The registration process is simple, asks only a couple of questions and will take less than a minute to complete.

Available Free Courses

  1. How to Start and Grow an Online Business
  2. How to Prepare a Business Plan
  3. Franchising Basics
  4. Technology 101: A Small Business Guide
  5. Native American Business Primer

Podcasts

SBA podcasts offer expert insight and guidance about starting your own business. Whether you’re sitting down to write your business plan, wondering about your legal obligations, or researching your financing options, you’ll find the information you need right here.

Managing a Business

Strong management skills are built over time through continued education and experience. To help you understand the basics about managing a business, SBA offers several free online courses. This self paced instruction includes many entrepreneurial topics, including taking your business global, using technology, preparing a business plan, entering into a franchise, planning for disasters, and preventing crime.

Financing a Business

Financing is an integral part to getting your business off the ground and growing it over time. That’s why SBA has provided several free online courses to help you become familiar with your financing options, including an introduction to accounting, a guide to SBA’s Loan Guaranty Programs, and an overview on how to prepare a loan package.

Contracting

If you’re interested in doing business with the government, you’ll need to have a thorough understanding of government contracting and working with government agencies. To help you gain this valuable knowledge, SBA provides several free online training courses. The instruction is self-paced, easy to use and understand, with each course taking about 30 minutes to complete

Other Featured Training

In addition to available online courses about basic topics, SBA provides training on specialized subjects such as disaster assistance, making yours a “green” business, and exporting your products. Plus, you can take advantage of today’s social media technology to learn more via web chats, podcasts and streaming video.

Find A Local SBA Office

Looking for small business counseling and training close to home? SBA can help! SBA provides small business counseling and training through District Offices across the country. Business guidance and support is crucial to increasing your odds of long-term success. Find counseling, training and business development specialists providing free and low-cost services in your area.

SBA District Offices

SBA’s District Offices are responsible for providing businesses with the tools for enhancing and growing their businesses. SBA’s District Offices also oversee the delivery of SBA’s programs throughout the states such as:

  • Free counseling, advice and information on starting a business through SCORE.
  • Financial assistance for new or existing businesses through guaranteed loans made by area bank and non-bank lenders.
  • Free consulting services through the network of Small Business Development Centers. SBDCs also conduct training events throughout the district – some require a nominal registration fee.
  • Assistance to businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals through the Minority Enterprise Development Program.
  • Women’s Business Ownership Representatives are available to advise women business owners.

Check out your local District Office today!

Category: Featured | Tags: , ,
Admin | December 25, 2011
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You Might Be Qualify For Pre-Launch Assistance

Zions Bank and DooBizz.com are co-sponsoring a business accelerator program starting in January 2012. There may be an opportunity for ELP members to apply for this program!

In brief, this program is not for everyone but may be right for you if…

  • You are about to launch or are thinking of launching a new business (this is a launch program not a funding exercise!).
  • You can participate in structured seminars during the workweek probably a 4-hour commitment each week for 9 consecutive weeks at the Zions Bank Business Resource Center at 310 South Main Street, Salt Lake City.
  • You want access to best in class software and training on developing your business for launch and are willing to participate in an evaluation of the software and provide feedback to help DooBizz improve its processes.
  • You are willing to be interviewed by an evaluation team to learn more about how entrepreneurs use the training.
  • You would benefit from access to a seasoned experienced entrepreneur mentor.
  •  You can commit to completing all the training material on time and participating as a cohort.

 

This is not an incubator and office space is not being provided.  This is an opportunity to prepare to launch a new business and participation is strictly limited.

There is no charge for participation in the program but be assured that there is an expectation of your personal investment of time and effort to complete the program in the time period allotted.

If you are interested in applying for this program, please contact me directly ASAP!

William.brown@brownbusinessesintl.com or advisors@utahbusinessadvocates.com

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