** NEWS RELEASE ** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: January 19, 2010 CONTACT: Ryan Broderick, (414) 263-5450 or ryan.broderick@wwbic.com Milwaukee, WI Own It, Grow It, Do It! The Wisconsin Women s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC) encourages the people of Wisconsin to explore entrepreneurship, provide the tools to run more successful businesses, finance their ventures, and help them take control of their personal finances. WWBIC is offering business education and financial awareness classes to help you realize your potential and follow your dream. Yes We Can! To register or learn more about other WWBIC services, please contact Ryan Broderick at 414-263-5450 or visit our website at www.wwbic.com. Start Smart Milwaukee: Business Planning Series Orientation: All Start Smart participants are required to attend an orientation session. We will outline the course format, fees, materials, and review participant expectations. No Fee Business Planning Series: provides in-depth learning for starting and running a small business. Participants can complete a draft business plan through weekly worksheets & exercises. Extensive information will be provided on business financing and ownership, market research, marketing strategies, record keeping, cash flow, business operations and management. Weekly guest speakers will include business professionals & successful entrepreneurs. $300 (Reduced Scholarships Available) Orientation: Monday, January 25 from Business Planning Series: Mondays, February 1 - May 10 from Small Business Discussion Groups - Insurance Talk with a WWBIC representative in an informal group setting about business classes, assistance programs, and information exchange. Explore a wide range of business topics such as business idea feasibility, marketing research ideas, and business planning. No Fee Tuesday, February 2 Noon - 1pm
Are You An Entrepreneur? Thinking About Starting a Business? Decide if entrepreneurship is right for you. Participants will evaluate their skills and readiness for business ownership and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of starting a business. No Fee Thursday, February 4 6-7:30pm 6767 W. Greenfield Avenue, 2nd Floor Top Notch Customer Service Finding & keeping quality customers is key to any growing business. However, being simply good isn t enough anymore with today s educated customers. Learn new creative & cost-effective ways for you to increase and manage your sales, help get your employees on board, and fine-tune your customer service programs. $10 Tuesday, February 9 Will My Biz Idea Work Have you made the decision to go into business? The next step is to explore the potential of your business idea. We will focus on examining the feasibility of your business idea, exploring ways to market the product or service, and identify resources for starting your business including an introduction to the business plan. No Fee Wednesday, February 10 MLK Library 310 W. Locust Street WWBIC Orientation Are you interested in starting a business or looking to expand your business and don t know where to start? Attend WWBIC s Orientation session and learn about WWBIC s services which include business & financial education classes as well as ways of which to obtain financing through WWBIC s loan program. No Fee
Thursday, February 11 1-2:30pm Budgeting 101 Learn the skills needed to plan and stick to a budget. This class is for people interested in budgeting for the first time or people who want to review their current budgets. No Fee Wednesday, February 24 Capitol Library 3969 N. 74th Street Milwaukee, WI 53216 Keeping the Books Experienced business owners and start-ups alike will learn how to keep accurate business records and will be introduced to basic bookkeeping techniques including QuickBooks. Learn to recognize patterns in financial records for better planning and management of your business. $10 Thursday, March 4 6767 W. Greenfield Avenue, 2nd Floor Start Smart West Allis: Business Planning Series Orientation: All Start Smart participants are required to attend an orientation session. We will outline the course format, fees, materials, and review participant expectations. No Fee Business Planning Series: provides in-depth learning for starting and running a small business. Participants can complete a draft business plan through weekly worksheets & exercises. Extensive information will be provided on business financing and ownership, market research, marketing strategies, record keeping, cash flow, business operations and management. Weekly guest speakers will include business professionals & successful entrepreneurs. $300 (Reduced Scholarships Available)- West Allis Residents only pay $75 Orientation: Tuesday, March 2 from Business Planning Series: Tuesdays, March 9 - June 8 from
6767 W. Greenfield Avenue, 2nd Floor Certification for Women & Minority Owned Businesses Discuss benefits of local, state and federal certification programs for your small business. Learn how certification can lead to new customers & more business. Should your business be certified? $10 Wednesday, March 10 WWBIC Orientation Are you interested in starting a business or looking to expand your business and don t know where to start? Attend WWBIC s Orientation session and learn about WWBIC s services which include business & financial education classes as well as ways of which to obtain financing through WWBIC s loan program. No Fee Tuesday, March 23 9-10:30am Business Financing Seminar - West Allis Learn about a variety of financing options and the steps necessary to apply for a loan. Participants will meet representatives from several traditional and alternative financing agencies to learn which program will best suit their business financing needs. No Fee Thursday, March 25 6-7:30pm Landmark Credit Union of West Allis 9515 W. National Avenue West Allis, WI 53227 QuickBooks Advanced Learn the advanced features of Quick Books to manage your bookkeeping. This class will teach you how to create estimates, invoices, receive payments, pay bills, manage customers & vendor accounts. Hands-on opportunity to apply the class materials and ask specific questions that apply to your business. $50 per QuickBooks Class (Reduced Scholarships Available) QuickBooks 101: Saturday, March 27 from 9-Noon QuickBooks Advanced: Saturday, March 27 from 1-3pm
Marketing in a Tough Economy This hands-on workshop explores a wide range of marketing strategies and tips used to get the word out about your business, attract and retain new customers, operate in a competitive marketplace, and fuel business growth. Topics include: low-cost promotion ideas, the three steps of a cost-effective marketing plan, and how to obtain free publicity. $10 Wednesday, March 31 The Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC) is a nonprofit, statewide economic development corporation with an emphasis on low-wealth individuals, women, and people of color. Our services include direct loans and access to other capital, quality business education, business assistance, financial awareness and asset-building programming. For more information on WWBICwww.wwbic.com **END**