Maxine Turner
Cuisine Unlimited
Murray, Utah

Maxine Turner’s interest in starting her own catering business began when she handled catering services for a local charity. The opportunity to learn more culinary skills came when a private school asked her to coordinate their lunch program.

After six years, her catering operation outgrew the school’s facilities. Maxine worked on a business plan, deciding it was time to open a corporate and social catering operation and small deli. With a 2,600 square-foot facility, she and her staff started marketing their services. more…

Nancy Bunkelman
The Ovens of Gracie O’Malley &
Golden Gourmet Wedding Cakes
Delafield, Wisconsin

Investments in small businesses are sometimes long-term bets on success, but the payoff can be sweet … in this case, literally. An SBA microloan  in 1992 helped build a bakery in Nancy Bunkelman’s basement, but it was several years before this artist/baker was “discovered.” more…

Whether you are applying for a small business loan through a traditional lender or are interested in one of the many Small Business Administration guaranteed loan programs, there are certain critical factors that will heavily impact the loan decision process. Take this brief test to see if you are ready to qualify for a loan.

What: How to Get the Most Out of Your Mentoring Relationship

Host: Gilda Dorsey-Program Support Services Manager at Women Entrepreneurs of Baltimore (WEB). Gilda manages WEB’s mentoring program. more…

The Government Electronics and Information Technology Association (GEIA)
announces the following speakers for Oct. 31 through Nov. 2nd: Dr. John
Hamre, Dr. Robert Kahn, Ms. Deidre Lee, Mr. Stanley E. Collender, plus a
SPECIAL MARKET FORECAST on Information Assurance (Day 2).

There is still time to register for the most sought after hard copy source
of federal market forecasts created by industry for industry. You can only
get this by attending! more…

Like the marketing program, your management system will help set the foundation and ultimate plan for your business. Planning and developing a program that adequately manages your center is very important. There are many factors that you must consider, such as

* finding and hiring qualified staff,
* how many staff members will be needed,
* what hours will they work,
* what will be their responsibilities, and
* what salaries and fringe benefits will you offer personnel. more…

MILITARY SPOUSES’
ENTREPRENEURIAL
INFORMATION PAGE

Welcome to the Military Spouses’ Entrepreneurial Information Page. This site is provided as a public service to military family members.

In a time when both spouses in most families must work to make ends meet, military families face a special challenge. Because they must move often, and are seldom in one location for more than two or three years at a time, it is difficult for many military spouses to get good jobs, even harder to advance or build careers.
more…

Before you start caring for children, it is wise to transform your home into a place that is safe, clean, comfortable and inviting. The appearance of your center will help to draw families because parents prefer clean, appealing centers. There are a number of measures that you can take to make your center inviting. An explanation of each is described below.  more…

How you market your center may make the difference between its success or failure. Marketing plays an integral role in the start-up and daily operations of any business, and your center is no exception. Like any other business, a family day care home has a product/service that consumers want and are willing to purchase. Therefore, you will have to sell your product/service (the center) to consumers (parents) who want care for their children. Your marketing plan can help you achieve this goal.  more…

Many excellent ideas that could develop into profitable business ventures oftentimes never get underway or fail because you don’t have adequate money to start a business. Getting funding for your business can pose a problem, especially if you don’t know where to go or whom to see.

There are many sources where you can obtain the money you will need to finance your center. However, that financing depends on whether you are beginning a non-profit or for-profit organization.

While public funding is seldom available for start-up, there are several different sources for loans and grants for which you can apply. These sources of financing can be divided into six categories: private sources, venture capitalists commercial banks, government agencies, grant programs and other sources.

Of these funding sources, those most likely to help you finance your center are private sources, commercial banks, government agencies, grant programs or other sources. Venture capitalists are an unlikely source of funding because they tend to invest in growth firms rather than start-up businesses because of the 1) significant long-term capital appreciation and 2) the high yields generated on investment returns. more…