July Newsletter 2008
http://www.wku.edu/Dept/Support/AcadAffairs/IED/SBDC/
WKU SBDC Crushes Goals and Leads Statewide Network
The Western Kentucky University
Small Business Development Center (SBDC) received the
The
award was presented to Rick Horn, WKU SBDC Director, during the KSBDC statewide
meeting held at Dale Hollow State Park Resort earlier this month.
The trophy is presented
bi-annually to the SBDC that exceeds their SBA goals which include: number of
clients served, number of businesses started, total loan dollars secured and
equity invested. The WKU SBDC exceeded all of their goals by 105 percent
or more and assisted clients in securing nearly $2 million in financing.
This is the second consecutive time the WKU SBDC received this award.
“Rick Horn and his staff are to
be congratulated for their exceptional service to small businesses in
The WKU SBDC is part of a
network of 15 service centers located throughout the Commonwealth that help
start-up and existing businesses succeed by offering no-cost confidential
business consultations, affordable business workshops, research to make
informed business decisions and other valuable resources. The WKU SBDC
has an office located on WKU’s campus and another
location at the Housing Authority of Bowling Green.
Upcoming Marketing Training
Marketing for the Small Business:
July 14, 2008; Garvin
House; 6pm
The goal of the session is that
attendees will leave with an understanding and action plan to begin marketing
their business. This session will take attendees through the basics of
marketing a small business. Specifically, some of the teaching points of the
event will be:
·
Discussion of the
big picture of marketing
·
Defining your
market
·
The importance of
Customer Service
·
How to develop a
marketing plan
·
Press
opportunities and Public Relations
·
Advertising
·
Pros and cons of
different types of media
·
Online / Web
marketing
·
Developing a
marketing budget
·
Low-cost
marketing techniques
·
Tracking /
Evaluation of your marketing
About the Presenter
Chris Houchens
(www.ChrisHouchens.com) is a marketing speaker, writer, blogger,
and owner of Shotgun Concepts, a marketing firm he founded in 1997 to provide
guidance on marketing strategy to today's forward thinking companies. Houchens has spent years working in both
media and marketing, in the broadcasting, online, print, and healthcare
fields.
Chris’ blog, the Shotgun Marketing Blog, is ranked on Advertising Age magazine's list of the
world's top marketing blogs and is read daily by
hundreds of subscribers. Chris has been hired as a business speaker at
conferences such as the Medical Group Management Association, the American
Advertising Federation, and the World Tea Expo and to private companies like Schwinn Bicycle and the
Locally, Chris is a past President of the Bowling Green
Professional Marketing Association where as a member he has garnered many
awards including being honored as that organization's 2007 Marketer of the
Year. Chris works as the Online Director of the Daily News where he manages the
online content for bgdailynews.com as well as operations for the monthly
entertainment tabloid, The Amplifier. Chris is an Adjunct Instructor in
This seminar will be held at
the Garvin House, 221 Ft. Webb (31W to Riverview; Beech Bend Rd) turn left at
the Bowling Green Country Club, then turn left at the Garvin House sign, follow
the lane up to the big house. This will be held from 6-8:00pm, you may register
at Marketing
for the Small Business . There is no
charge for this seminar.
New Facebook Account
The
WKU SBDC is proud to announce that we are now on Facebook! Facebook is a
social networking tool that can be used to connect people all across the globe.
On our page you can find pictures, news, and information about our upcoming
workshops.
To access this webpage you need to
be a member of Facebook. Start out by going to the Facebook Homepage
. Click on the green button on the right hand side of the page that says
“Sign Up”. It will walk you through creating an account. After you have set up
your profile you can search (in the upper left hand corner) for “WKU SBDC”. Now
that you have found our page click on “Become a Fan”. This will put a link into
your profile so that you can access our information quickly. The page will look
something like the image to the right.
Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business
Administration. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made
if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact [Chris Bixler,