America’s SBDC Blog

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Minnesota SBDC Helps Small Businesses Think Big

May 21, 2014

Since 1951, the Wrazidlo family has been providing the Twin Ports area of Duluth MN, Superior WI, and surrounding communities with quality meats. Wrazidlo’s Old World Meats continues a tradition that started with Paul Wrazidlo’s grandfather, Frank Wrazidlo, when he opened Frank’s Quality Meats in Duluth, MN. Today, Old World Meats continues to grow and provide quality products made with the same meat recipes and techniques handed down through the generations.

Paul Wrazidlo first came to the Center for Economic Development (CED), Northeast Minnesota’s Small Business Development Center, to participate in the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) Student to Business Initiative (SBI) Marketing program in fall 2012. UMD students provided him with an integrated communications and marketing plan that really impressed him.

“The marketing program was the boost we needed,” Paul said, “we have used 99% of their proposed marketing suggestions and today when I walk through the door of a prospective customer I think ’People Buy What I Believe.’ The students stressed this to me in their presentation.”  (more…)

How to Turn Your Social Media Presence Into Profit

May 20, 2014

You likely already know that to be a successful small business marketer, you need to be where your customers are online—social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn; online review and ratings sites like Yelp; and in the inbox with email marketing.

Yet even if you have an active Facebook page, a growing Twitter following, a healthy amount of email subscribers, and good reviews on Yelp, it may not necessarily translate into customers (and profit) for your business. If all of those “Likes,” re-tweets and comments aren’t generating new business, here are three questions to ask yourself:

Are your messages focused?

You may offer a lot of products and services but if you focus on your differentiators, you’ll be able to demonstrate your expertise and dominate a market segment.

For example, a retailer specializing in high-end kitchen gadgets can show customers how to use the latest tools, offer cooking classes, and write about topics such as “what to look for when buying carving knives.” These actions will draw in customers looking for specific kitchen tools and while they’re shopping, they’ll discover other products offered by the retailer.  (more…)

How Can You Expand Your Business Through Financing?

May 19, 2014 1 Comment

There are about 8 million small businesses in the US that have employees; meaning they are not independent contractors. Some of these businesses don’t seek financing because they don’t believe they need it. However, a large majority of these firms may very well need debt financing at some point in their lifecycle to expand their businesses.

Not accessing expansion-oriented capital could mean a missed opportunity to gain on their competition. More nimble business owners seize on that opportunity like Utica, New York based auto-collision and repair shop, Whitesboro Frame & Body. I had a chance to speak with Bill Chromczak, the President of the company, to learn how financing has expanded his business.

Can you provide some background on your business?
Our company, Whitesboro Frame & Body, is based out of Utica, New York and we service the local community here. We are an auto-collision and repair shop.  (more…)

Intellectual Property Issues with 3D Printing

May 16, 2014

Intellectual Property and 3D printing don’t get talked about often, mainly because 3D printing is still growing into a mainstream activity. But with 3D printing starting to become more accessible to businesses and homes, what kind of Intellectual Property issues might develop that your business will need to protect or analyze?

Protecting Original 3D Creations

Any blueprint of a 3D design can be protected through copyright. And if your business is a creative one where people are creating original 3D files, this is going to be a necessary step as an interesting direction in creating new media works. However, many existing blueprints already exist for specific 3D objects. If your business happens to print one of those designs that you didn’t create yourself, you could face copyright infringement if you plan to profit off the objects.

Just as you would with any other creative work of art, you have to check if it’s available in the public domain before you can make money off of it. When using an existing blueprint for a 3D object, check online to see if it’s copyrighted and who the creator was. You can contact them for permission once you confirm their existence.  (more…)

Write an Epic Site: Tell Your Story to Make Sales

May 15, 2014

Writing website content is something everyone can do, but a story is something your visitors and customers can connect with—and nobody can tell it better than you. Your customers are on your website for a reason, they want to know more about you.

Take your visitors on a journey by sharing values that were shaped through personal experiences—a struggle, breakthrough, or success story. Dig deep and show them the passion, dedication, and experience that make your business stand out from the rest.

Be a Storyteller
Everyone has a story, and every story has a beginning, middle and end – a journey from where you started and what you’ve been through, to where you are now. Think about how your business got started or why you do what you do. By adding a personal touch to your website and by giving it a friendly vibe, your customers will feel welcome.  (more…)