NewsFlash
Summer 2017
 
Prep for Holiday Season, Brewery Client Takes Top Spot,
Million Dollar Challenge Going Strong, Social Media Tips,
and more...
Start Your Holiday Prep Count-Down Today!  
When both the temperature and the humidity are in the 90's, it's hard to believe that the start of the holiday shopping season is on its way.

But now is the time to begin planning and implementing your strategy for those crucial weeks.

For example, think about how you can make the most of the "Shop Local" movement. Two-thirds of consumers say they intend to support small, local shops .

If you're not comfortable with Social Media, use this time to read up on it and dive in! It's a great way to communicate with your buyers, but it takes time to build an audience.  So the sooner you start, the better off you'll be.

Another thing to consider:  Americans shop all the time. As many as 40% start their holiday purchasing well before Halloween. So you need to be fully staffed and supplied sooner than you may think.  
From: 
Christmas in July:  why you should plan your holiday marketing now and   6 Steps to get your Business Ready for the Holiday Sales Season

You'll find a lot of great ideas in these articles, but they all miss the mark on one vital component - sufficient capital!  You have to spend money to make money and if you don't have enough cash and/or credit to support your holiday marketing, you won't maximize your revenue potential.

That's where we come in.  If your business could benefit from some additional working capital to support seasonal staffing, supplies, advertising, renovations, etc., consider one of our financing options. Start today to ensure you're ready for your biggest holiday season ever!


  • Microloans:  Borrow up to $50,000, fixed for 6 years.  Both start-ups and established business qualify.

  • Community Advantage 7a:  If you require larger financing, this program offers $50,000 - $250,000 with flexible collateral requirements.

Does your business slow down to a crawl during the holiday season?  Winter just not your thing?
Our financing options may be the answer for you. Get the working capital you need to cover your slow period so you can hit the ground running next Spring.  START TODAY.
From Side Hustle to Career:  selling online
Have you heard the term "Side Hustle"? It refers to the way that an ever-increasing number of people are making extra money and/or starting a  new full-time career by having a business on the side.

Selling online (hand-made crafts, antiques, food, etc) is a big part of the Side Hustle economy.  And while it's relatively easy to get access to your own online shop, it's not so easy to set it up properly, maintain inventory, conduct e-commerce transactions, market your products,  etc.  In fact, it's just as challenging as having a bricks and mortar location!

That's why we've started offering multi-week workshops on online selling (our inaugural class in Atlantic City is just finishing up now).  We'll be posting additional opportunities on our Training Calendar soon.  In the meantime, whether you're just dabbling in a side hustle or are determined to make it your full-time career, be sure to take advantage of our free workshops in Pricing, Marketing, Intellectual Property, QuickBooks, etc.  We have classes scheduled through the end of the year and will be adding our 2018 events soon. 

This Caught Our Eye:  The Indispensable Social Media Cheat Sheet  (free sign-up required)

Whether we like it or not, social media marketing is here to stay and every small business owner needs to get up to speed (fast) on how to use the various platforms for maximum effect.

The theory is that you can repurpose one piece of content (information about a new product, pictures of happy customers, how-to videos, etc) to use on several different platforms, like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, LinkedIn and YouTube.

The reality is that each platform has different posting rules, image size requirements, and handy shortcuts, to say nothing of their unique new trends and features. So what you thought was a few minutes worth of effort can turn into a hour or two slog.

This infographic (free and easy sign-up required) from Marketing Profs is a great one-stop resource for essential information on these leading sites.  Keep this handy and you'll be whipping through your social media posting like a pro!

UCEDC Client Wins Gold Medal (and top spot at staff picnic)
UCEDC loan client, Cape May Brewing Company (CMBC),  has been winning the hearts of craft beer lovers all over South Jersey and Philadelphia since it opened in 2011.

Now, they won an award and it's a big one! CMBC took home a gold medal at the US  Open Beer Championships with one of its Barrel-Aged brews, The Topsail. (read the article and visit CMBC's fabulous website)

(By the way, those handsome devils to the right are Andy Gaffney, loan officer, and Erich Peter, director of training.  They're displaying their beverage of choice at our recent UCEDC staff picnic - Cape May Brewing Company's Devil's Reach.)
Million Dollar Challenge Going Strong

Our partnership with the Hudson County Economic Development Corporation is paying off for the small businesses of Hudson County.  We're committed to lending at least $1 million in the County and we're well on our way.

County Executive Tom DeGise recently visited UCEDC loan client Genuardi Master Tailor in Hoboken to see first-hand the impact our efforts are having on small business development.  Here he's speaking with owner, Joseph Genuardi. Learn more.

UCEDC Wins Wells Fargo Grant to Enhance Outreach to  Diverse Populations

We're proud to report that we were recently awarded $250,000 by Wells Fargo to support our efforts to increase lending and technical assistance to minority and women business owners.

The award will allow us to increase staffing and employ additional outreach initiatives to broaden our impact in these communities.  Stay tuned for more information.
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