America’s SBDC Blog

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Success Story: Indiana

June 18, 2014

Erin Schroeder owns Schroeder Dental, Inc., located in Floyds Knobs, Indiana. Dr. Schroeder offers a wide variety of dental services. Some of the services offered include fillings, cleanings, exams, crowns, bridges, whitening, implant crowns, dentures, partial dentures, etc. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Dr. Schroeder was busy with schoolwork. She earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and Associate of Arts and Chemistry from Indiana University Southeast. After four years of dental school, she received her Doctor of Dental Medicine from the University of Louisville.

Dr. Schroeder has had the dream of becoming a dentist since she was only 12 years old. She has always wanted her career to be one that helps people and promotes better oral health. To this day, her mission at Schroeder Dental is to provide excellent dental care to patients. It is important to her that her business enacts ethical procedures and follows guidelines.

Dr. Schroeder enjoys so much about her business, and the part she enjoys the most is helping people learn the importance of oral health. She also loves seeing patients’ happy, smiling faces after treatments. Working with dental insurance companies is Dr. Schroeder’s least favorite aspect of running her business. She says it is a long and sometimes challenging process to learn everything she needs to know about working with each company. (more…)

Webmaster Tools 101

June 17, 2014

There are many different factors that determine which websites appear in Google’s search results. The first step, however, is making sure Google knows your site exists and is able to correctly interpret the information on your web pages.

To help with those first steps, meet Webmaster Tools, a free tool to help you understand more about your website’s position on search results pages. The information you can learn in Webmaster Tools can help you develop a strategy  to improve your chances of appearing, appearing higher, and appearing more often in searches.

Read on to learn more from our 3-part series on Webmaster Tools.

♦ Lesson Highlight: Use free Webmaster Tools for a search-friendly site

Webmaster Tools can help you understand how Google “sees” your website. Once the tool is connected to your site, you can access free reports, and learn answers to important questions like:  (more…)

5 Ways Your Business Can Benefit from Social Media

June 2, 2014

Social platforms such as Facebook®, Twitter®, Google+™, LinkedIn®, Pinterest® and Instagram® are cost-effective avenues for connecting with your target customer base, raising awareness about your brand and building credibility within your industry. Through the strategic use of social media, you can:

1. Showcase Your Business’s Human Side. It’s easy for consumers to think of any business, no matter the size, as “they” or “them” or “that company”—the implication being that they’re dealing with a non-thinking, non-feeling entity with one goal: taking their money. Social media allows you to put names and faces to the people and personalities behind the products and/or services your business provides. Responding to questions, comments, praise and complaints in real-time allows current and potential customers a peek behind the curtain, to see the real people that make it all work.

2. Build Industry Cred. When not directly interacting with current and prospective customers, your social sites provide you and your staff a forum to display the breadth of knowledge and depth of passion you have for your business. It’s an opportunity to take off your salesperson hat and allow your expertise to speak for itself. Examples might include posting links to blog posts, videos, or articles that speak directly to your offerings. You could post links to sites that provide background information or history of your field. Maybe it’s something as simple as posting quotes that you’ve built your business on. Anything that informs your audience, either about you or what you provide, will work.  (more…)

IP And the Most Wonderful Time Of The Year?!

May 30, 2014

College football bowl week is often referred to as the “most wonderful time of the year!” I couldn’t agree more with this statement. I love college football, which includes memories of crisp autumn days, unwavering traditions and college bands. Who would think in the middle of all of this is an Intellectual Property story?

Let me introduce you to John Antonio and Helen Weaver of Henderson Advertising. In 1970, they were hired to create a new logo for the Clemson Tigers. After reviewing several logos from various teams with a tiger mascot, he noticed that all were some form of the tiger. John decided to do something different. He requested the mold of a Bengal Tiger from the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. The mold was sent to Henderson who then created a picture, tilting the image to the right. So what’s the big deal? We see pitchforks and other assortments of logos on helmets. In 1970, it was unusual to have any logo on a college helmet. However, when Antonio showed the Clemson helmet sporting the paw print, the Bengal Tiger Paw Print became the new logo. (more…)

Indiana SBDC Complements Small Business Strengths

May 28, 2014
Success Story: Indiana

Jennie DiBeneditto and Dawn Spyker together own Silica Ceramic Studio, LLC., in Jeffersonville, Indiana. This educational art studio offers art camps, classes, parties, and more. Jennie and Dawn designed the studio to be a relaxing space for adults to have a wonderful creative experience, but children who love to paint are also welcome! Silica Ceramic Studio, LLC. has a small gallery space where they feature a new local artist’s work every two months.

Before becoming an entrepreneur, Jennie was, and still is, a graphic designer. When Dawn isn’t busy at the studio, she is working as an art teacher in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Dawn and Jennie met at the University of Louisville. They are both very passionate about art and started playing around with the idea of starting their own art studio. Dawn and Jennie believed that there weren’t enough art opportunities in the Jeffersonville area.

Dawn and Jennie talked about opening their own business for over a year. Their passion for art urged them to move forward with their dream.  Three months after taking classes at the ISBDC and legalizing their LLC, they opened Silica Ceramic Studio, LLC. on October 4, 2013.  (more…)