Business News for August 25, 2021
Today's message includes the following news, best practices, and online courses:
  • Interested in Government Contracting?
  • The David T. Prosser Jr. State Law Library is open to entrepreneurs
  • What is the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin?
  • Wisconsin Restaurant Initiative

Client Spotlight: Betterbin Wins Doyenne's 2021 Forward Fest 5x5x5 Pitch Event

Upcoming SBDC Learning Opportunities
  • The Freelance Economy webinar
  • Launch into Leadership
Business News, Updates, and Best Practices
Interested in Government Contracting?
Check out these relevant resources
Interested in government contracting? Below are some resources to help you along the way.
  • Check out Associate Administrator of SBA’s Office of Government Contracting and Business Development, Bibi Hidalgo's, interview with the Federal News Network to learn how the SBA is working to boost federal contracting opportunities for small, disadvantaged businesses.
  • Register for the ChallengeHER webinar on August 26, which will cover overlooked opportunities in federal contracting. 
Did You Know?
The David T. Prosser Jr. State Law Library is open to entrepreneurs
While the David T. Prosser Jr. State Law Library (located at 120 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in Madison) serves lawyers from around the state of Wisconsin, it can also be a great resource for local entrepreneurs.

By reviewing law library resources, you can familiarize yourself with the topics and structure of key legal documents for your business. By doing so, you can begin to make key decisions about your business that will enable you to make the best use of your paid time with a legal professional.

A few titles in the collection that you may find helpful include:
  • Legal Guide for Starting and Running a Small Business
  • Law for the Small Business Owner
  • Buy-Sell Agreement Handbook
  • Business Contracts A to Z
  • Create Your Own Employee Handbook: A Legal & Practical Guide for Employers
  • Hiring and Firing in Wisconsin
  • Intellectual Property in Wisconsin

By visiting the library in person, you can access these titles as well as a variety of legal databases on topics like local municipal codes and business resources organized by topic.
What is the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin?
Nominate your favorite(s) by September 3!
Each year, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) and Johnson Financial Group partner to determine the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin. The competition aims to highlight the state’s vibrant manufacturing industry.

After products are nominated, they compete in a popular vote that sets the field for Manufacturing Madness. In this tournament-style bracket, the Top 16 Wisconsin-made products compete in head-to-head matchups to win the ultimate prize – being named the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Restaurant Initiative
Your Recipe for Success
Did you know that one of SBDC initiatives specifically supports restaurants?

Client Spotlight
Click the video link above to see Michelle's pitch!
Congratulations to Michelle Goetsch of Betterbin
Winner, Doyenne's 2021 Forward Fest 5x5x5 Pitch Event
Congratulations to SBDC client Michelle Goetsch of Betterbin for her win at Doyenne's 5x5x5 pitch event! This year, the event - focused on women entrepreneurs - was held virtually during Forward Fest.

Michelle founded the Wausau company in 2018 to make localized recycling, composting and food waste prevention education relevant, convenient and accessible to all consumers. The company's proprietary database helps consumers scan the products they are holding in order to understand whether they can recycle a product in their area, and how to prepare that item for recycling.

As the winning pitch, Michelle won a $5,000 seed grant, which she hopes to use to increase staffing capacity to build out their California database.
Upcoming SBDC Learning Opportunities
The Freelance Economy
September 24, 2021
Are you looking to grow your freelance business while you work from home? Are you a small business owner looking to hire freelance professionals?

This webinar describes how to capitalize on the explosive work-from-home culture by using online freelance sites like Upwork and Fiverr. Individuals learn how to launch and grow freelance careers, while small businesses learn how to grow using sourced labor and assistance from around the globe. Comes with downloadable notes.
Launch into Leadership
September 29, 30 & October 1, 2021
Taking on new supervisory responsibilities is a great opportunity and challenge. Many in supervisory roles have learned either by trial and error or by following what was done by their predecessor. In most cases, this is not a very effective strategy. This virtual online series will start you in the right direction with fundamental leadership skills and ideas for how to continue your growth as a supervisor and leader.
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.