Thank you Friedman Associates for introducing a larger group of microenterprise development organizations to the successes and possibilities of MicroMentor. 

While we at MicroBiz take a closer look at MicroMentor’s Affiliate Program, we welcome you to engage their free services.  Much like our friends at the Small Business Development Center and SCORE, MicroMentor mentors assist small business owners and entrepreneurs with addressing immediate small business issues as well as with the process of writing a business plan. 

MicroMentor’s Jinell Smithmyer, Affiliate Program Coordinator, considers their service to be Match.com for entrepreneurs.  Mentees and mentors create individual profiles of their needs and experience to facilitate appropriate matches. Mentees and mentors can then search for a match and in the case of a mentor, offer their services.  Mentoring takes place online with email and Skype, as well as by phone, and even in person. 

As is usually the case, one’s experience is relative to one’s own efforts and ability to find the right match.  Good Luck.

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submitted by Tamela Peacock - Bryant & Stratton BBA Student

After Starting a business, how do you advertise without being financially able to do so? How do people know about your product or service? What is the cheapest way to advertise?

Well! This was one big problem that I felt would be an issue for me, if I decided to start advertising for my business. So I went online to GOOGLE and researched ways to advertise with little to no money. I came across a list of 10 unusual ways to advertise (Williams, 2010).

1.       Door hangers on doorknobs - this is a good strategy for grocery stores and day care providers.

2.       Flyers under windshield wipers - this would be a good method for working individuals.

3.       Purchase word-of-mouth - hire someone to be a walking ad

4.       Virtual Showroom - build a website to display your service/product

5.       Nighttime silhouettes  -ask a business owner to allow you to post a poster on a side wall big enough to see at night.

6.       T-shirts and vests - print the service/product on it.

7.       Hand stamps

8.       Publicity stunt - make a statement

9.       Self-publish a book - write a book about the service/product

10.   Spray-painted signs - cost less and easy to make signs

Be prepared to open up doors that were closed. Having these guidelines will help you drastically. With these pointers, advertising may not come quickly, but the organization will be advancing - just not as quickly as if you had the money for advertisement. So let’s get as much knowledge out to the consumer as we can. Don’t forget “word of mouth is the best way for advertising”.

Williams, R. (2010). Entrepreneur of 2010. Retrieved 29 May, 2010, from Entrepreneur: http://www.entrepreneur.com/advertising/adcolumnistroyhwilliams/article83812.html

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Submitted by Nishi Dickens - Bryant & Stratton BBA Student

There are many common ways to market a business online.  Some of the latest trends can help a business capitalize on the internet market.  Social marketing is one of the biggest trends today.  Facebook is one of the most commonly used social medias for marketing.  They have approximately 130 million user’s world wide. (Camusio 2010 p. 1) Users of facebook log in almost everyday which makes them very accessible. 

In order to utilize Facebook for marketing, you must first design a user page for your business.  Next you should request your clients and business associates as friends.  You can always invite people to join Facebook if they are not a current user (Camusio 2010 p. 5).  You can also start a group in order to network with others who are interested in your business and by adding other groups your network will expand (Camusio 2010 p. 7). I started a group in Facebook for chocolate lovers, and one for people who are from the Caribbean and live in the Western New York area.  These groups actually started growing without me adding other groups to them; I can only imagine how they would take off if I did add other groups. 

If you have a blog on your business website, you can import it into Facebook by adding Facebook notes. This keep your customers updated on the latest news with your business.  (Camusio 2010 p. 10)

Social marketing has received a lot of attention, especially through Facebook. I believe social markets will become a more common trend and valid process for businesses to listen, communicate and connect with customers.   Expect change, expect innovation and expect new opportunities for your business.    

Camusio, Z. (2010). Facebook Marketing - 7 Amazing Ways to Promote Your Business on Facebook. Retrieved from http://www.startupnation.com/series/132/9300/facebook-marketing.htm

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The Entrepreneurial Supports Steering Committee was established as part of the process of revisiting the West Side Community Collaborative Plan.  Our committee made several recommendations to enhance the creation of small businesses. Although the overall effort is focused on the West Side of the City of Buffalo, our recommendations could be applied throughout the city.

1. The committee seeks to identify or establish an advocate/ombudsman to assist entrepreneurs through the permitting process, especially within Buffalo’s City Hall.
2. The committee seeks to promote strategic planning within City Hall for small business development. Elements of such a plan might include:

•  
  • Market analysis to determine the viability of new business ventures;
  • Active recruitment of local, independent businesses to participate in development projects; and
  • An increase in the number of available Individual Development Accounts and innovative lending products that help credit-challenged entrepreneurs access capital, improve success and establish a positive credit history.

To move forward with recommendation number 1 (above), representatives from PUSH Buffalo, WEDI and MicroBiz met with Kathy Peterson, Economic Development Assistant for the City of Buffalo.  During the meeting, we expressed our concerns and ideas about some solutions to both of our issues: the ease of getting through the licensing process and promotion and support for micro-lending. Fortunately, Kathy identified herself as the “point” person for entrepreneurs seeking guidance and assistance with permits and licensing through City Hall. 

Now, what should you do first when you want to start a business?

MicroBiz recommends prospective entrepreneurs first get a business plan template.  Download a template and print it out.  Read through it carefully and make notes about how your ideas will fit into the plan and write questions down in a notebook.  You have already started writing a business plan!  Now you should make an appointment at SCORE or the Small Business Development Center to talk about your ideas and get answers to the questions you have about how your business fits into the business plan template.  By now, you should have a pretty good idea about the permits and licenses you will need to open and operate your business.  It is at this time, we recommend you contact Kathy for the first time.  After that first contact, it is up to you to routinely check the progress of your permit and license applications.  If you are dissatisfied with City Department response times, you should ask Kathy to help you.

As for micro-lending, this is an ongoing process to develop funds and build programs which can respond to the needs of the entrepreneur.  We will keep you posted as news is available.

Call Kathy at (716) 842-2667 ext. 111 or email her kpeterson @ berc.org to request Kathy’s assistance.

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Consider attending no-charge counseling sessions at SCORE’s office within the SBA (fifth floor at 130 South Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo - Ste 540).

SCORE also holds one-on-one counseling sessions specifically on Marketing at the Buffalo & Erie County Main Library - SCORE conference room - Tuesdays and Thursdays @ 1:30-4:30 pm.  There are no charges for these counseling sessions.

Call 716-551-4301 for appointments, and plan to attend a business workshop during August.

Starting and Managing Your Business
North Tonawanda Public Library
505 Meadow Drive
N. Tonawanda, NY 14120

This workshop is a must for new business startups to learn all the elements of business management required for success. It is also very helpful for those in business that may be experiencing problems, or want to fine-tune their business for greater efficiency and success.

You will learn about marketing research, marketing, business planning, insurance, federal and state taxes, legal structures, government resources, financing, counseling and more. Representatives from the private sector, SCORE, and government agencies will make presentations. SCORE members will be available for counseling if desired.

Fee: $30 - Includes coffee and donuts.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010; 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM

MicroBiz Buffalo Calendar

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By Ashley Schoenhardt

If you are starting up a new business or buying an existing, have you ever wondered what kind of permits are needed?  This post will take you step by step to finding out what permits are needed to start your business.

The first step is to go to the New York State Online Permit Assistance and Licensing website http://www.nys-opal.com/.  The home page looks like this:

Next, you will click the link that says click here to start and that will take you to a page that looks like this.  Here you will choose the type of business that you would like to go into.

 After you have chosen the type of business you are going into, you will be directed to a new page.  Here you will choose how many employees you will have, what the legal structure is (i.e. sole proprietor, partnership etc.), and if it’s a new or expanding business.

Once you have chosen what your business is going to be, the next few pages you will answer questions about your business.  After you answer all the questions, you will finally know what type of permit(s) you may need.  This page will show you what you will need and also any other links that may be beneficial to you.

On that same page if you scroll down, they now give you the choice of applying online for the permits, printing them out, or having the applications sent to you house.

After you choose which one you would like to do, you will have to fill out a form and give them your information.  You are now one step closer to starting your business. Good Luck!

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By Ashley Schoenhardt

Social networking is a great tool for any business.  They can help with advertising your product and having a presence in the online world.  Social networking sites are a low cost form of marketing your business, many of them are free to sign up and free to use. 

If you are looking to market your product and get your business noticed the best site for you would be Facebook.  By creating a Facebook “Page”, you have access to millions of Facebook users.  On the page that you create you can post information about your business, add pictures, and also videos.  Facebook users will be able to access your page and would be able to get more information about your business.

If you are looking to connect with other businesses and business professionals, LinkedIn is the place for you.  LinkedIn offers you many different tools that you can use to help your business.  You can connect with other professionals in your field and build relationships; it can also help you get business online and sell your products.

Overall, both Facebook and LinkedIn offer many different ways to help your business.  Below are the links to both of the networking sites, it’s fast and easy to sign up.  Once you sign up, you are on your way to growing you business.

www.facebook.com

www.linkedin.com

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Starting and Managing Your Business

North Tonawanda Public Library:
505 Meadow Dr.
N. Tonawanda 14120

This workshop is a must for new business startups to learn all the elements of business management required for success. It is also very helpful for those in business that may be experiencing problems, or want to fine-tune their business for greater efficiency and success.

You will learn about marketing research, marketing, business planning, insurance, federal and state taxes, legal structures, government resources, financing, counseling and more. Representatives from the private sector, SCORE, and government agencies will make presentations. SCORE members will be available for counseling.

Fee: $30 Includes coffee and donuts.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010; 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM

JUST PRINT AND BRING THIS POST WITH YOU TO THE WORKSHOP AND GET $5.00 OFF THE PRICE OF THE WORKSHOP. Veterans may attend Workshops at no charge.

SCORE - Counselors to America’s Small Business www.scorebuffalo.org

SCORE^® is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

All SBA funded programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.

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We took some advice recently to improve the navigation on the site.  Keep in mind, this site was built to serve three purposes. 

1. It serves as a means to an end.  Since people learn to be entrepreneurs, we needed a way to connect people to the things that can help them.
2. It serves as an online mall to connect consumers to local businesses.
3. It provides a platform on which MicroBiz Buffalo offers local businesses a way to incubate their online revenue stream.

With that in mind, here’s the navigation…

Click our logo  in the upper left hand corner to get to the site’s home page, the information desk, if you will.  If you are a searcher like me (you know exactly what you want), go to the search box and type it in.  If you don’t find the answer on our site, contact us (bottom left).  If you want to know what else we do, try the drop-down menu shown below.

 Do you have some advice you would like to give us about the site?  If you do, you can contact us or Register on the blog (right-hand side of page and down) and comment.

 Thanks.

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Hello my name is Ashley, I am a student at Bryant & Stratton College working on my Bachelors degree.  As part of our Capstone project we are currently working on developing a workshop for the Web Incubator Program.

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