The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at UW-Eau Claire hosted a successful Small Business Clinic in Fennimore, WI on March 4, in partnership with the Southwest Wisconsin SBDC. This event, held at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College (SWTC), attracted entrepreneurs that took full advantage of the services provided with 43 one-on-one consulting appointments and more than 160 spots filled across presentations detailing e-commerce, business planning, legal requirements, and sales and use tax.
“Entrepreneurs have always been at the heart of economic development in Grant County, and this was evident at the Small Business Clinic at SWTC,” said Ron Brisbois, Executive Director at Grant County Economic Development Corporation.
Experts from across the region attended to provide one-on-one appointments, group presentations, and networking opportunities. These included Nora Roughen-Schmidt from the Southwest Wisconsin SBDC, Harlie Juedes, Josh Wilson, Alia Carroll and 9 student consultants from the SBDC at UW-Eau Claire, Rebecca Cooke from Red Letter Grants, Jeff Glazer from UW-Madison’s Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic, and Tracey Mueller from the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.
“It is so inspiring to see the entrepreneurs in SW Wisconsin in action: learning, gathering, sharing, and moving their businesses forward,” said Roughen-Schmidt, business consultant at the Southwest Wisconsin SBDC. “I am grateful to my SBDC colleagues from Eau Claire who do a fantastic job of organizing and coordinating these clinics throughout the state and who made this event possible, to Ron Brisbois from Grant County for being an incredible advocate for businesses and economic development, and to Southwest Tech for their generous support of this event on their campus.”
Cooke kicked off the large group presentations with a comprehensive overview of online sales in her All About E-Commerce and How to Get Your Business Online session. She highlighted the pros and cons of the “Big 3” in website development for entrepreneurs (Squarespace, Shopify, and Square) before emphasizing a couple of key tips to help entrepreneurs start their online sales journey. Cooke stated, “Entrepreneurs should use their free resources first! Find your social media voice and leverage it to tell your ideal customer who YOU are.”
Expanding on the topic of ideal customers, Roughen-Schmidt led the lunch session in an overview of business planning. Utilizing the Co.Starters Canvas, she encouraged entrepreneurs to draw their ideal customer and then start walking through the questions all businesses must answer when getting started. After time to start their canvas, entrepreneurs were encouraged to share examples, which led to an interactive Q&A.
After conducting one-on-one appointments with entrepreneurs, Glazer returned to the presenter role to explain some of the most common legal issues entrepreneurs face. “When performing a task related to your business, clarify that you are acting as a business otherwise you can be held personally liable.” Glazer said. “Mismatched expectations are the most common cause of legal issues when running a business.” Using the example of mowing a neighbor’s lawn as a kindness versus as a lawn care business, he showcased how critical communication is.
Mueller, a Revenue Tax Specialist, wrapped up group sessions by providing an extensive overview and discussion on the specifics of sales and use tax. She spent time answering in-depth questions about business and industry specifics across Wisconsin.
“We believe in the transformative power of small businesses, especially in rural communities,” said Harlie Juedes, interim director at the SBDC at UW-Eau Claire. “Serving rural businesses is not just about providing resources; it’s about fostering collaboration and creating networks that uplift the entire community. By partnering with the Southwest Wisconsin SBDC, we can ensure that entrepreneurs of any size have access to the critical resources and support they need to thrive.”
Learn more about the Capital Access Clinic and the Southwest Wisconsin SBDC.
