Food News & Fall Leadership Development
Here at the SBDC, we have been busy!

Food Finance Institute Boot Camp
We were proud to co-host part 1 of a Food Finance Institute Boot Camp last week for some local food businesses who are looking to grow. While every owner participating could not ignore the challenges of COVID-19 on their businesses, the course still brought a wave of optimism as participants considered the new opportunities the event brought.

Below, you will find additional opportunities and resources for food-based businesses.

Leadership Growth Opportunities
Effective leadership is key to the success of any organization - perhaps now more than ever. In our currently tumultuous world, there are many elements we cannot control. Yet one support we can provide is to build our skills and the skills of our team.

This fall, we are offering 5 a la carte leadership training options for yourself or the team (discount available for 3 or more!). Additionally, next week we are offering a no-cost course on leading through uncertainty during COVID-19. Learn more below!

All fall courses will be offered as live, virtual courses for the health and safety of our participants. Our full fall catalog will be coming soon!

COVID Response Guide
This week, we released our free COVID response guide for small businesses. As we began to offer our initial consultations with entrepreneurs back in March, we quickly saw a pattern of overwhelm among business owners as they navigated entirely new ways of doing business, trying to keep their employees safe, and understanding how to keep their business finances afloat. Therefore, we've included these and other topics in our workbook guide - a place where you can reflect on your experiences so far and set goals for the future.
Fall Leadership & Learning Opportunities
Affordable Leadership Options for You & Your Team
This fall, the Small Business Development Center is offering 5 a la carte leadership courses. Ask us for a discount on 3 or more courses!

Next Week! Leadership in the Time of COVID, August 17 & 18
No-cost course paid for by funding from the CARES Act
What are the qualities of effective leadership in this time of great uncertainty? What enables someone to become an adaptive and resonant leader when the coronavirus is profoundly altering our workplaces, our expectations, and our daily lives? This online session explores the core foundations of leadership and examines the unique challenges facing our organizations and their leaders during these uncertain times.
Know Someone Who Is Considering Entrepreneurship?
As with any new venture, much of early stage entrepreneurship is about learning what you don't know and using that information to make smart decisions moving forward.

Our FREE First Steps to Starting a Business course helps aspiring entrepreneurs learn more about what it takes to start a business - including the entrepreneurial mindset, financial readiness, a strong business idea, and next steps.
Food News Roundup
Applications Now Open for FaBcap Accelerator Program
A great opportunity for scalable food businesses
The FaBcap Accelerator and Scaler Series will be hosted by the Food Finance Institute (FFI), which has provided programmatic support since the accelerator’s launch in 2015 by FaB Wisconsin, a statewide, cross-industry food and beverage organization. The Scaler Series was incorporated in 2017 to open the accelerator’s support programming to a larger audience of industry entrepreneurs.
Food Finance Institute Huddles
Entrepreneur Huddles, hosted by the Food Finance Institute, bring together food entrepreneurs to build community and support around COVID recovery. These huddles take place weekly on Mondays from 2:30pm to 3:30pm CST. In each huddle, the FFI team shares high-quality information and best practices on how to help you survive this rapidly escalating situation brought on by the coronavirus. 

Read recent huddle notes here to get a better understanding of what the group discusses!
Webinar: Navigating Your Restaurant through COVID-19
Restaurants are going through an unprecedented time. The pandemic has left many restaurant owners struggling for answers. Never has it been so important to operate your establishment as efficiently as possible and create new revenue streams. Adaptation is the key.

Topics covered:
• Safely reopening your restaurant
• Pivoting into new revenue streams
• Profits & cash flow analysis
• Marketing during a pandemic
• Operating in the "new normal"

Presenters:

9:30 a.m. Tuesday, August 25
Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact the UW-Madison SBDC office at sbdc@bus.wisc.edu or 608-263-2221 to request accommodations.

The Wisconsin SBDC Network is a proud part of the Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship in the University of Wisconsin System. It is funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.