Thinking about starting a business?

-->

If you want to start your own business, you probably have some homework to do before you get started.  Find out what you need to do with a short workshop on Tuesday, May 18th from 11:30 to 1:00 p.m.  This class is perfect for you if you want to start a business, but are not sure where to start.  It includes the basic elements you need to know, what goes into a business plan, and also includes a brief self-assessment to evaluate your readiness for starting a business.

This is the first workshop in the Yakima Valley Entrepreneur Network’s ‘Working Lunch Series’, presented in partnership with SCORE.   Attend one or all of the sessions to learn what you need to get started.  Workshops are taught by professionals with real-world business experience.

• Thinking about starting a business?  Tuesday, May 18, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Business Plan Basics, Tuesday, June 1, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Financing your Business, Tuesday, June 15, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Marketing your Business, Tuesday, June 29, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Held at the Central Washington Business Resource Center, 10 North 9th Street, Yakima 98901.  Classes are $10.00 each if you pre-register or $15.00 at the door and includes the price of lunch.

To register or for more information, call Tammy Everts, Business Development Director at 509.575.1140 or email tammy@ycda.com.

Great idea…but why should I care?

-->

You may have the greatest idea in the world, but can you convince your customers why they should care about it?  What makes it SO unique and different that they will choose it over your competition?  These questions should be continually top-of-mind if you are pursuing a new business, idea or product.  We recently held an in-depth training workshop for entrepreneurs  and inventors on how to refine their ideas and products and to examine what the value is or why people should care.  The workshop utilizes a training program called Eureka Winning Ways, developed by entrepreneur Doug Hall.

The biggest take-away I got was, “why should I care”?   Whether it’s from a customer, investor or employee, you need to be able to answer this in a clear, precise way.  (Hall recommends two sentences or less.)  Other potential questions you should be prepared to address are, “What is so much better that I would want to buy, use or invest in it, compared to the competition?  What if it costs more, how are you going to convince buyers that it’s so much more superior?  What’s in it for me, the customer?”

Think in terms of real value or why it would be important to a client or customer, for example, it saves time, money, does something better than anything out there.  Just saying it’s cheaper than the competition isn’t necessarily going to change someone’s mind.  But, if it’s cheaper and works better in half the time, now you’ve got my attention.

Here’s an excellent blog from this week’s online Harvard Business Review; the headline mentions ‘trust and customers’ but it’s really about how businesses such as Amazon and Zappos have differentiated themselves from others, gained customers and earned that trust.  What other things make your favorite business or product stand apart from the competition?

What’s better than sliced bread?

-->

Maybe it’s time to upgrade this saying; I’m not sure that sliced bread is the best-invention-ever anymore.  Do you have the next big invention or idea?  Want to see if it’s worthwhile to try and market?  Or perhaps you want to explore better ways of reaching your market and commercializing your product or service.  Register now for Profit 101:Commercializing Great Ideas – a half-day seminar focused on generating or refining innovations, products or services.  The workshop is part of New Vision’s Technology Roadmap initiative (TRI), to help inventors, entrepreneurs and established businesses commercialize bright ideas.

The Roadmap is designed to help inventors, entrepreneurs and established businesses get their bright  ideas, new product lines and inventions in the ‘fast lane’ to commercialization.  We are working with Impact Washington to help people evaluate and commercialize their bright ideas.  The first part of this initiative is for everyone that is interested in launching their inventions or product ideas – Yakima County inventors and entrepreneurs with innovative new products or inventions that are close to market-ready or past the ‘idea’ stage and existing businesses that want to expand or diversify products or areas.  We will then take applications from interested parties and a panel of judges will select up to five individuals or teams for in-depth assistance.

Profit 101:Commercializing Great Ideas will be held on Wednesday, April 28th from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Cost is $30, which includes lunch.  Registration deadline is this FRIDAY, APRIL 23rd!

Contact Tammy Everts, Business Development Director, 509-575-1140 or tammy@ycda.com for more information!

Help us find Entrepreneurs & Inventors

-->

We are looking for entrepreneurs, inventors or folks who have great ideas, inventions or products but may need some assistance.  Our Technology Roadmap Initiative is designed to help innovative people learn how to evaluate and commercialize their ideas, new product lines and inventions.  Participants in the Technology Roadmap Initiative can win a $2,000 Eureka Ranch Merwyn Assessment to evaluate their ideas and determine how they can commercialize potential products or ideas.   The Merwyn Simulation is one of the nation’s best systems for gauging the success of ideas or new products!

Existing businesses that want to improve, expand or diversify product lines or services can also participate in the Technology Roadmap Initiative.

$30 entrance fee includes registration at two upcoming business seminars: Entrepreneurship 101 and Commercializing Great Ideas (Profit 101).  For more info on these seminars or to register click here.

Technology Roadmap Initiative participants wanting to be considered for the Merwyn Assessment must return our full applications by May 3, 2010.  Click here for applications and more information.

SCORE’s Working Lunch Series – Want to start a business?

-->

September 22, 2010
11:30 am	to	1:00 pm

This is the first workshop in SCORE’s ‘Working Lunch Series’.   If you are thinking about starting a business, these workshops are for for you.  Attend one or all of the sessions to learn what you need to get started.  This class is perfect for you if you want to start a business, but are not sure where to start.  It also includes a brief self-assessment to evaluate your readiness for starting a business.  Workshops are taught by professionals with real-world business experience.

• Thinking about starting a business?  Wednesday, September 22, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Business Plan Basics, Wednesday, September 29, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Financing your Business, Wednesday, October 6, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Marketing your Business, Wednesday, October 13, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Held at the Central Washington Business Resource Center, 10 North 9th Street, Yakima 98901.  Classes are $10.00 each if you pre-register or $15.00 at the door and includes the price of lunch.

To register or for more information, call 509.575.1140 or email tammy@ycda.com.

SCORE’s Working Lunch Series – Business Plan Basics

-->

September 29, 2010
11:30 am	to	1:00 pm

This is the second workshop in SCORE’s ‘Working Lunch Series.   If you are thinking about starting a business, these workshops are for you.  Attend one or all of the sessions to learn what you need to get started.  This class will focus on business plans and you will learn the basic components of what goes into a business plan.  Workshops are taught by professionals with real-world business experience.

• Thinking about starting a business?  Wednesday, September 22, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Business Plan Basics, Wednesday, September 29, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Financing your Business, Wednesday, October 6, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Marketing your Business, Wednesday, October 13, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Held at the Central Washington Business Resource Center, 10 North 9th Street, Yakima 98901.  Classes are $10.00 each if you pre-register or $15.00 at the door and includes the price of lunch.

To register or for more information, call 509.575.1140 or email tammy@ycda.com.

SCORE’s Working Lunch Series – Financing Your Business

-->

October 6, 2010
11:30 am	to	1:00 pm

Attend a short workshop on October 6th to learn more about bootstrap financing and funding your business.  This is the third workshop in SCORE’s  ‘Working Lunch Series’ for entrepreneurs and new business owners.   This class will focus on financing options for getting your business off the ground, how to prepare a loan package and the truth about grants and free money.  Workshops are taught by professionals with real-world business experience.

• Thinking about starting a business?  Wednesday, September 22, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Business Plan Basics, Wednesday, September 29, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Financing your Business, Wednesday, October 6, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Marketing your Business, Wednesday, October 13, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Held at the Central Washington Business Resource Center, 10 North 9th Street, Yakima 98901.  Classes are $10.00 each if you pre-register or $15.00 at the door and includes the price of lunch.

To register or for more information, call 509.575.1140 or email tammy@ycda.com.

Missed the Tech Roadmap Orientation? Read on:

-->

If you missed one of the Technology Roadmap Initiative (TRI) orientation meetings, you are not too late to participate.  Here’s a quick summary:  Phase 1 (April 6th – May 3rd) is open to anyone that wants to participate and/or submit their idea/invention/product/service to be chosen for further assistance and assessment in Phase 2. As part of Phase 1, we are offering two upcoming workshops, as follows.

Entrepreneurship 101 on April 20th – a fast-paced, jam-packed hour with information about entrepreneurship, starting a business, financing realities, and more.  The second workshop is Profit 101 – which is an interactive half day workshop focused on idea refinement and generating and refining your ideas/inventions/products/services.

For one $30 fee per idea/invention/product/service you get to attend BOTH workshops if you want (one includes lunch) AND/OR it includes the application fee for submitting your idea/invention/product/service for consideration into Phase 2.

Visit the TRI page to learn more.  Give me a call and we can go over it!  If I get enough interest, we will hold another informal orientation session next week, so let me know if you want more information.

Contact me, Tammy Everts, Business Development Director, 509-575-1140 or tammy@ycda.com to get your idea in the fast lane today!

SCORE’s Working Lunch Series – Marketing your Business

-->

October 13, 2010
11:30 am	to	1:00 pm

This is the final workshop in SCORE’s ‘Working Lunch Series’.   If you are thinking about starting a business, these workshops are for you.  Attend one or all of the sessions to learn what you need to get started.  This class is perfect for you if you want to start a business, but need more information on how to market your business, or if you are already in business and would like some additional marketing tips.    Workshops are taught by professionals with real-world business experience.

• Thinking about starting a business?  Wednesday, September 22, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Business Plan Basics, Wednesday, September 29, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Financing your Business, Wednesday, October 6, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Marketing your Business, Wednesday, October 13, 2010.  11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Held at the Central Washington Business Resource Center, 10 North 9th Street, Yakima 98901.  Classes are $10.00 each if you pre-register or $15.00 at the door and includes the price of lunch.

To register or for more information, call 509.575.1140 or email tammy@ycda.com.

Buckle up for the Tech Roadmap Initiative!

-->

We are excited to announce the launch of two new entrepreneur initiatives to support inventors & innovators.  New Vision, the Yakima County Development Association, announced today that it is initiating two new initiatives to support emerging businesses in the Yakima Valley.  We are partnering with Impact Washington, and poised to start the Technology Roadmap initiative over the next month.  Later this year in September, we will start the Enterprise Challenge, our inaugural business plan competition.

The Technology Roadmap Initiative (TRI) is designed to help inventors, entrepreneurs and established businesses get their ideas, new product lines and inventions in the ‘fast lane’ to commercialization.  We are working with Impact Washington to help people evaluate and commercialize their bright ideas.  The first part of this initiative is for everyone that is interested in launching their inventions or product ideas – Yakima County inventors and entrepreneurs with innovative new products or inventions that are close to market-ready or past the ‘idea’ stage and existing businesses that want to expand or diversify products or areas.  We will then take applications from interested parties and a panel of judges will select up to five individuals or teams for in-depth assistance.

Impact Washington, formerly Washington Manufacturing Services, will help us with the Technology Roadmap initiative.  They will provide general orientations on product development and then provide higher level support during the project’s second phase.  According to Linda Adams, marketing manager for Impact Washington, “We are excited about helping New Vision on this new initiative.  Impact Washington has helped several companies bring new products to market, so we are a natural partner on this project.”

New Vision and Impact Washington will use Eureka Ranch’s Winning Ways Program and Merwyn assessment to evaluate ideas for market viability.  Merwyn has evaluated over 20,000 innovations ranging from industrial products to consumer products and services over the past 10 years with a success rate of over 70% in predicting market success.  Individuals or teams selected for the second round will receive a free Merwyn assessment, which costs $2000.

Two initial orientation meetings will be held at Perry Technical Institute (2011 W Washington Avenue in Yakima) for people that are interested in the TRI and will give inventors, entrepreneurs, and established businesses a clear sense of how this project will unfold:

• April 6, 2010 from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
• April 7, 2010 from noon – 1:00 p.m.

In September, New Vision’s business plan competition, the Enterprise Challenge, will commence.  The EC is an interactive business plan competition to identify the best & brightest new innovative business ideas and solid business plans.  It will run until December when winners are announced and cash prizes – top prize is $10,000! – are awarded.

Our goal through these initiatives is to help emerging companies take root and grow in our Valley.  New Vision established a five-year goal to support the formation, survival, and growth of 20 high value business ventures (companies or business expansions less than three years old).  We are still working to define the high value part but we are confident that these new initiatives will help local businesses and jump start some valuable economic activities for our region.

Contact me, Tammy Everts, Business Development Director, 509-575-1140 or tammy@ycda.comfor more information!

« Previous Page — Next Page »