Start Up 2020

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4 marketing strategies that act like rocket fuel CHIPPEWA VA L L E Y M AR K E T I N G E XP E R T S O F F E R ADV I C E T O BO O S T Y O U R S TA RT U P

BY JOSH RIZZO

YO U R BU S IN ESS P L AN IS AIR TIGH T. YO U R LO G O AN D WEB SIT E ARE CLICKIN G . You’re making sales but you know your product would sell more if you could just reach your audience better.

Now what?

It’s time to fire up your marketing, that’s what.

Sure, marketing costs money and has the ability to take up a lot of time, but it also has the power to inject rocket fuel into your bottom line and grow your business faster than anything else.

There’s a lot of noise in marketing.

There’s noise about results you SHOULD be getting, social media channels you SHOULD be using, types of advertising and content that you SHOULD be creating.

But what works for one business might be different than what works for your business.

Focus on the marketing strategies that DO work for you, spend time creating content that DOES move your audience, celebrate the results you ARE getting.

Want to jump in to high-powered marketing but need a little guidance first?

Glad you asked! Here are four marketing strategies to try and expert tips from four of the Chippewa Valley’s top marketing professionals.

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s o c i a l m e d i a m a r k e tin g Social media has a massive amount of potential for businesses that create content that their audience loves to consume on the platforms where they’re already spending a lot of time. Social media is great because a) it’s free b.) it’s simple for people of any background to publish content c.) it’s a great way to keep your marketing relevant and up to date, and d.) 3.2 billion people globally are on social media!

E X P E R T LOCA L T I P : N I K K I R I E D E L Applied Data Consultants Inc. “Know your audience and where they spend time. If they’re a company president, they’re more than likely on LinkedIn. If they’re an 18-year old female, you can bet they’re on Instagram. Save time by repurposing your content. Create a video, and pull the text to create blogs, ads, social posts, and more! Make buying easy for your customers by sending them to a fast-loading landing page. Lastly, be consistent. Whether it’s organic or paid, be sure to post or advertise consistently to build up your brand. Customers need to see something seven or more times before they’ll take any action.”

“ K N O W Y O UR AUDI E N C E AN D W H ERE T HE Y S PE ND T IME . IF T HE Y ’ RE A C O M P AN Y P R E S I DE N T , T H E Y ’R E MO RE T HA N L IKE LY O N L INKE DIN. IF T H E Y ’R E AN 1 8 - Y E AR O L D F E M AL E , Y O U C A N BE T T HE Y ’ RE O N INS TA GRA M.” – NIKKI RIEDEL

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Interested in getting into video marketing? Ahhh ... you’re a savvy marketer. Here’s why: Product videos can increase purchases by 144%, video drives a 157% increase in organic traffic, and more than 50% of consumers prefer video over any other type of content.

EX PERT LO CAL T IP: ADAM CO N D I T Blue Ox Running “Video marketing is incredibly powerful because you get to be face-to-face (kinda). Our most personal and meaningful interactions in life are face-to-face when we feel cared for and pick up on nonverbal communication. The power of video media with our business is to show our personalities, establish credibility, and provide authenticity, which ultimately drives community and builds trust.

Trust and authenticity drive life-long loyal customers! Customers don’t want to know about your products, they want to know you!”

“ TH E PO WER O F VID EO M E DI A W I T H O UR BUS I N E S S I S T O S H O W O U R PE RS O NA L IT IE S , E S TA BL IS H C RE DIBI L IT Y, A ND PR O VID E AUT H E N T I C I T Y , W H I C H UL T I M AT E LY DR I V E S C O MMU NIT Y A ND BU IL DS T RU S T .”

– ADAM CONDIT

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There is no faster way to scale your business and reach any audience on earth than with paid advertising. While it can cost more, it allows your business to place any message, video, or graphic in front of a very specific audience whenever you’d like. Need to hit a sales goal very quickly? Paid ads can help. Want to announce to your audience that you are selling a new product? Paid ads can help. Increased your production capabilities and want to ramp up sales? Paid ads can help. If you’re new to digital advertising, here’s a benchmark: Across all industries the average cost-per-click is $2.32 and businesses make an average of $2 in revenue for every $1 they invest.

S E O & c o n t e n t m ark e t in g

Strategically designing your website and content to be found by your audience with SEO (search engine optimization) is 5.6x more impactful than paid search ads. Why? Internet users value products, searches, and solutions that naturally appear in search engine results over paid ads. SEO’d content is 8.5x more likely to be clicked and drives large amounts of traffic to your website even when you’re not paying for ads.

EXPER T LOCAL T I P: ABBY R EI M ER Uproer “A good first SEO step: Make sure the language you use to describe your product or service aligns with the words your customers are using to search for it. Conduct keyword research with a free tool like Spyfu to see which words you and your top competitors are being found for, and adjust accordingly. Finally, if you’re a local company, make sure your Google My Business listing is 100% accurate. This helps your customers find you and stay up-to-date!”

E X PE RT LOC AL TI P : SAM ANTH A FOREHAND, Realityworks “Digital and print advertisements can be an impactful part of your marketing program if you plan it strategically. Before jumping into the design and layout, determine your goal, call to action, target market, and how you will measure its impact. With this outline, determining what platform to advertise on and how it should visually look will be much easier.”

THERE IS NO FASTER WAY TO SCALE YOUR BUSINESS AND REACH ANY AUDIENCE ON EARTH THAN WITH PAID ADVERTISING. WHILE IT CAN COST MORE, IT ALLOWS YOUR BUSINESS TO PLACE ANY MESSAGE, VIDEO, OR GRAPHIC IN FRONT OF A VERY SPECIFIC AUDIENCE WHENEVER YOU’D LIKE.

... n o w ge t o u t t h e re & s t art m ark e t in g!

Successful marketing strategies are always changing and the latest marketing fads come and go. Businesses who want to grow start with a deep understanding of their audience. Where does your audience spend time? What are their goals? What are their pain points? What types of content are they interested in? Build every inch of your marketing around your audience first. When you pay attention to their behavior and demographics, you’ll have the best idea of how your marketing can resonate with them.

Josh Rizzo is marketing director at Satellite Six, a brand and digital marketing firm in Eau Claire. Statistics cited about come from the Hubspot Annual Marketing Report (www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics).

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BRANDEN NALL

1 million more EAU CLAIRE CHAPTER OF 1 MILLION CUPS CONTINUES TO GROW

BY TOM GIFFEY W HE N T HE E AU C L A I R E CH APT E R OF T HE N AT I ONWI DE E N T R E P R E N E UR I A L PR OM OT I ON P R OG RA M 1 Million Cups began holding weekly meetings about three years ago, attendance was usually around a dozen or two.

The group has gradually grown, and its Wednesday gatherings now typically draw 40 or 50 attendees attracted by the prospect of free coffee and a stimulating presentation from a local entrepreneur. The hour-long meetings are casual yet caffeinated, and are designed to bring together a broad range of people – from students and other newbies to veterans brimming with sage advice – in a collaborative, supportive environment.

Phil Swiler, one of the organizers of the Eau Claire chapter, says 1 Million Cups gatherings are relaxed and inclusive – not the kind of networking events where attendees are confronted with a what-can-you-do-for-me attitude from each other.

“I think one of the big, compelling reasons is intrigue,” Swiler said when asked what draws newcomers to 1 Million Cups. People hear about it, often from social media, he said, and once they come, they usually return another week – often with a friend in tow.

“I think there is a craving for small business to succeed around our community, and this is one of the more consistently valued forums for that,” said Swiler, membership development director of the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce.

1 Million Cups was founded in 2012 by the Kansas City-based Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and in less than

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a decade has spread to more than 200 cities in 39 states. Locally, the group meets weekly at 9am Wednesdays at CVTC’s Business Education Center, 620 W. Clairemont Ave. (Visitors can park free in the RCU Visitors Lot.) After a holiday break, 1 Million Cups gatherings will resume for the new year on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

Meetings are kept to one hour, and begin with time to socialize followed by a 20-minute presentation. While presenters are typically local entrepreneurs – from boutique owners to software developers to chefs – Swiler said their presentations aren’t sales pitches: Instead, they’re designed to encourage questions and advice from the audience.

“Any entrepreneur with passion who wants to tell their story in an open environment can present,” Swiler said.

Entrepreneurs, he said, are willing to talk about both their successes and failures.

“The more vulnerable you are, the more you’re going to get out of the Q&A and and the community panel,” he added.

In September, Swiler attended a 1 Million Cups conference in Kansas City, where he learned that 1 Million Cups is more than an organization – it’s a movement aimed at empowering the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“The movement piece is about connecting people,” he said. “You never know where your next connection is coming from.”

Learn more about 1 Million Cups Eau Claire at 1millioncups. com/eauclaire or facebook. com/1millioncupseau.

business-building basics

SUCCEEDING AS A START-UP CAN BE ALL ABOUT MEETING THE RIGHT PEOPLE AND FINDING THE RIGHT PROGRAMS. HERE ARE THE KEY WAYS TO DO THAT IN THE VALLEY. COMPILED BY TOM GIFFEY ARE YOU TH IN KIN G AB O U T TAKING TH E LEA P IN TO EN T REPRENEUR S H IP? Have you already started your own business but could you still use a hand, a sympathetic ear, or some inspiration? The Chippewa Valley offers a rich environment to create and expand your own business. Numerous programs can help you incubate your entrepreneurial idea. Here are a few of them.

1 MILLIO N CU PS At 9am each Wednesday at Chippewa Valley Technical College, entrepreneurs meet over free coffee to network and listen to presentations from other business innovators about their latest and greatest ideas. Learn more at 1millioncups.com/eauclaire.

IDEA CH ALL EN G E Local entrepreneurs submit their business ideas, get free guidance from business professionals, and compete for a chance at a $5,000 grand prize to help their ideas succeed through this program, offered by the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corp.

Learn more at eauclaire-wi.com/ entrepreneurs/idea-challenge.

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STARTUP 48 Participants pitch their startup ideas, form teams, and scramble to create a plan for a minimum viable product – all in the space of just two days.

One participant called it “the most fun you can legally have in 48 hours!”

Learn more at startup48.co.

JUMP- START CO M P ET IT IO N This annual competition focuses on people who want to start businesses in – or relocate them to – downtown Eau Claire. Over the past 16 years, JumpStart has given more than $75,000 in prizes, and more than 40 participants have opened their doors downtown.

Learn more at downtowneauclaire.org/ jump-start.

MU S KY TANK M IX ERS Musky Tank, a company which helps early-stage firms develop business plans and get financing, holds frequent mixers that bring together entrepreneurs and industry experts who can help them sell their ideas. Learn more at muskytank.com.

CHIPPEWA VALLEY INNOVATION CENTER

MUSKY TANK MIXERS

CHI P P E WA VA L L E Y INN OVAT I ON C E N T E R This facility on Eau Claire’s north side provides a temporary home for start-up businesses as well as access to local economic development agencies for managerial, technical, and financial assistance. Learn more at eauclaire-wi.

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com/entrepreneurs/chippewa-valleyinnovation-center.

S MA L L BUS I N E SS D E V E LOP M E N T C E N T ER The Small Business Development Center aids entrepreneurs at every stage of business development with

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financial, marketing, and management techniques and strategies – all at no cost! The center offers the Entrepreneurial Training Program, a series of classes that help you learn what it takes to start and sustain a small business. Learn more at wisconsinsbdc.org/eauclaire.

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reluctant to take the leap W I S C O N S I N RA NKS L O W O N NAT IO NW IDE INDE X O F E NT RE PRE NE U RS HIP COMPILED BY TOM GIFFEY

entrepreneurship opens doors

I F T HE R E ’ S G OOD N EWS F OR WI SCON SI N I N T H E AN N UAL STAT E RA N K I N G S OF E N T R EPR EN EU R I AL ACT I VI T Y compiled by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, it’s that Wisconsin DIDN’T land in last place this time around. According to the most recent rankings by the Kansas City, Missouribased foundation, the Badger State made its way into third-from-last-place by edging out Rhode Island and Virginia in the 2018 data. The Kauffman Foundation’s State Report on Early Stage Entrepreneurship, released in September, describes itself as “a set of measures that represents new business creation in the United States, integrating several high-quality, timely sources of information on early-stage entrepreneurship.” While Wisconsin typically ranks low in the share of residents who take the plunge into creating their own businesses, not everything looks bad for our state in the report: Small Wisconsin firms are more likely to survive than their peers in other states, for example. Here’s a deeper dive into the rankings:

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Wisconsin’s rank among 50 states and Washington, D.C., on the Kauffman Early-Stage Entrepreneurship Index. The index is based on four indicators: the rate of new entrepreneurs, the “opportunity share” of new entrepreneurs (the share of entrepreneurs driven by the opportunity to start a new business rather than by necessity, like job loss), startup early job creation, and startup early survival rate. Wisconsin was 46th the previous year and dead last in 2016.

BY UW-STOUT UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS A TR IP TO SWEDEN IN M AY F O R A BUS INESS CO U RSE CAL L ED AR TS AND IN N OVAT IO N H EL P ED CATALYZE A N EW EN T REPRENEU RS H IP CLU B AT U W-STO U T. Two of the 12 students who traveled to Scandinavia, Kayla Bolster and Megan Nimsgern, jumped at the chance to join two other students, Tyler Ellefson and Kyle Gjerseth, to kick off the club last fall.

About 40 students have expressed interest in being founding members of a UW-Stout chapter of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization, a nonprofit charitable corporation founded in 1983 that supports 16,000 emerging collegiate entrepreneurs annually.

Bolster, a senior business administration major from Rogers, Minnesota, is president of the new organization.

“It’s surprising we don’t have a chapter right now,” Bolster said. “College is a place where students have cool ideas and don’t know what to do with a good idea.”

Nimsgern, a senior majoring in business administration from Menomonie, is vice president of the new student organization. She noted UW-Stout has a digital fabrication laboratory and is a polytechnic university, which are conducive to entrepreneurship.

UW-Stout will begin offering an entrepreneurship minor in the 2020-21 school year, according to Mary Spaeth, assistant professor of international business and entrepreneurship and author/adviser for the new minor.

The minor complements a wide range of academic disciplines, Spaeth said. It also supports effective discovery and innovation with an entrepreneurial mindset and provides a platform for students to commercialize a product or service idea or to start a business.

“It gives students an opportunity to build a toolkit to start a business, or if they work for a corporation they can work in what we call the ‘intrapreneurial’ part of innovation planning for that company,” Spaeth said.

On the Sweden trip, May 14-29, students traveled to five cities to learn about business incubation and the importance of innovation to a region’s successful economic development.

Bolster said the trip helped reconnect her with the arts and learn about innovation in another country. She believes younger people are interested in entrepreneurship. “I believe it is a generational thing,” she noted.

“With technology, it is so easy to get ideas out there and market products by yourself.”

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Wisconsin’s ranking among the states (and D.C.) for the rate of new entrepreneurs – specifically, the share of adult, non-business owners who begin a business each month. The figure for the Badger State was 0.25% (that’s one-quarter of 1%). California tops the list at 0.45%.

Wisconsin’s rank in startup early job creation, or how many jobs are created by startups per capita.

Nationally, startups created 5.2 jobs for every 1,000 people in 2018; in Wisconsin, the figure was 3.9 jobs.

Washington, D.C., ranked No. 1 with 11.3 jobs created by startups for every 1,000 residents.

Wisconsin’s rank for the rate of early startup survival: 79.6% of new employer establishments in Wisconsin are still operating after one year. That’s slightly higher than the national rate of 79.4%. Mississippi tops the list at 82% while Missouri is at the bottom with 71%.

Learn more about the Kauffman Indicators of Entrepreneurship at indicators. kauffman.org.

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let’s get started! R E S O U R C E S ADVOCACY Chippewa Falls Area Chamber of Commerce 10

South Bridge St., Chippewa Falls • (715) 723-0331 • chippewachamber.org Seeks to improve the quality of life in the community by providing leadership to coordinate, support, and promote the business interests of its members. A leader of the business community by providing value through member benefits, quality programs, and political leadership resulting in a solid return on investment for members.

Chippewa Falls Main Street 514 N. Bridge St.,

Chippewa Falls • (715) 723-6661 • teri@cfms.us • chippewafallsmainst.org Chippewa Falls has been a Wisconsin Main Street Community since 1989.

Chippewa Falls Main Street helps promote and improve the downtown with rehabilitation projects, façade improvements, and numerous promotional activities including Pure Water Days, Paint The Town Pink, and the Bridge to Wonderland Parade.

Chippewa Valley Entrepreneurs • chippewavall-

eyentrepreneurs.org/hello-world Chippewa Valley Entrepreneurs is a free, member-led, confidential, peer-sharing group of like-minded entrepreneurs from the Chippewa Valley area. Meets monthly in groups of 7-10 people to support each other by focusing on business growth, personal development and community involvement. CVE members will support each other and offer input in those areas where you have questions that someone else has already experienced.

Chippewa Valley High Tech Alliance • members@ cvhta.com • cvhta.com A group of area technologybased businesses that have come together to raise awareness of the region as a leader in technology.

A large number of companies – past, present and

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& LISTINGS

emerging – either employ technology as the core of their business, or rely on technology to deliver their products or services.

Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce 101 N

Farwell St, Eau Claire • (715) 834-1204 • eauclairechamber.org Leader in progressive development of the business community in Eau Claire. Hosts numerous events to promote a healthy business community. Advocates for strong education systems and workforce readiness, promotes educational information and other resources to enhance development, and supports small business members by providing programs and services specific to businesses with 20 or fewer employees.

Greater Menomonie Area Chamber of Commerce

342 Main St. E, Menomonie • (715) 235-9087 • menomoniechamber.org Seeks to promote a successful business climate in the Greater Menomonie area through a variety of events, training seminars from experts, advertising opportunities, a broad professional network, and member-only programs. Hosts Business After Hours, a networking event hosted by and for Chamber members.

Main Street of Menomonie Inc. 342 E. Main St.,

Menomonie • (715) 235-2666 • mainstreet342@ wwt.net • mainstreetmenomonie.org Main Street of Menomonie Inc. is a non-profit organization with the purpose of working with downtown property owners and business owners to build a strong and vibrant downtown commercial district. The group’s four-point approach includes organization, promotion, design, and economic restructuring. Main Street of Menomonie is behind a number of annual events, including SummerDaze and WinterDaze.

Startup Current Dennis L. Heyde Entrepreneur

Program, Schneider Social Science Hall 400D, 105 Garfield Ave., Eau Claire • 715-836-4636 • mgmtmark@uwec.edu • startupcurrent.org Startup Current is a website designed to promote the culture of entrepreneurship on the UW-Eau Claire campus and throughout the community. It provides startup-related news briefs and information about entrepreneurrelated events. Startup Current is sponsored by UWEC’s Dennis L. Heyde Entrepreneur Program.

BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS North Barstow/Medical Business Improvement District City of Eau Claire Economic Development

Division, 203 S. Farwell St., Eau Claire • (715) 839-4914 • downtowneauclaire.org Formed to allow business and property owners in the North Barstow and Medical districts of downtown to develop, manage and pro mote their respective districts and to establish an assessment method to fund these activities. Contact for information about the next meeting.

South Barstow Business Improvement District

City of Eau Claire Economic Development Division, 203 S. Farwell St., Eau Claire • (715) 839-4914 • downtowneauclaire.org Created to allow business and property owners in the downtown to develop, manage, and promote downtown Eau Claire and to establish an assessment method to fund these activities. The South Barstow BID is responsible for the flowers and music on Barstow Street. Contact to learn when the next meeting is.

Water Street Business Improvement District City

of Eau Claire Economic Development Division, 203 S. Farwell St., Eau Claire • (715) 839-4914 • downtowneauclaire.org Formed to allow business and property owners in the Water Street business community to develop, manage, and promote their business district and to establish an assessment method to fund these activities. The Water Street BID stretches along both sides of Water Street from the Chippewa River west to Seventh Avenue. Contact for information about the next meeting.

West Grand Business Improvement District City

of Eau Claire Economic Development Division, 203 S. Farwell St., Eau Claire • (715) 839-4914 • downtowneauclaire.org Created to allow business and property owners in the West Grand Avenue business community to develop, manage, and promote their business district and to establish an assessment method to fund these activities. The West Grand Avenue BID comprises the commercial area on the west bank of the Chippewa River from First Avenue to Second Avenue. Contact for information about the next meeting.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation 770 Scheidler Road Suite #3, Chippewa Falls

• (715) 723-7150 • chippewa-wi.com A certified economic development staff can assist offers multiple business solutions including loans, scholarships, incubators, initiatives & incentives, and an easy-to-use web-based tool designed to help entrepreneurs find a location for their business.

City of Eau Claire Economic Development Division

203 S. Farwell St., P.O.Box 5148, Eau Claire • (715) 839-4914 • eauclairedevelopment.com A division of the City of Eau Claire. Its mission is to grow local businesses, facilitate expansions, and incentivize businesses to locate in Eau Claire. Has resources available to assist in marketing & branding strategies, paperwork, permits & regulations, finding a properties to rent or own, and finding financial assistance through grants, loan & credit programs.

Downtown Eau Claire, Inc. (DECI) 203 S. Farwell

St.; PO Box 5148, Eau Claire • (715) 839-4914 • downtowneauclaire.org A non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the development of business, housing, cultural resources, and activities within downtown Eau Claire. DECI offers grants, loan programs, and credit programs to help businesses that are creating new job opportunities, expanding their operations, or bringing new technology to Eau Claire. DECI can help with location expansion, buying equipment, paperwork, permits & regulations, marketing & branding strategies, and learning how to get started.

Dunn County Economic Development Corporation

800 Wilson, Suite 219, Menomonie • (715) 232-4009 • director@dunnedc.com • dunnedc.com/dunn Promotes economic growth and stability in Dunn County. Resources available include finding available or building new commercial or industrial locations, expansion, starting a new business, customer retention, and matching individuals and companies with funding sources and incentive programs.

Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corporation 7 S. Dewey St., Suite 101, Eau Claire • (715)

834-0070 • ec.info@eauclaire-wi.com • eauclaire-wi. com The Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corporation advances economic prosperity through business and job growth by assisting in the creation, enhancement, and expansion of local businesses.

They have resources for protecting and developing your ideas, financing and funding programs, information regarding regulations and permits, and more. In addition to other financial resources, such as a variety of grant programs, they host the annual Idea Challenge, which is an ongoing contest for individuals or businesses with an idea for a new product or service with the chance to win a grand prize of $5,000.

Momentum West 2322 Alpine Road Suite 7, Eau

Claire • (715) 874-4673 • info@momentumwest.org • momentumwest.org Momentum West is a regional economic development organization serving Barron, Clark, Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pierce, Pepin, Polk, Rusk, and St. Croix counties featuring startup, R&D, and Technology Transfer resources and much more.

SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES Western Dairyland Business Center 418 Wisconsin

St., Eau Claire • (715) 836-7511 • westerndairyland. org The Western Dairyland Business Center targets historically underserved populations such as women, low-income, minorities, veterans, and disabled individuals in our local counties offering group training, networking events, and an annual Women’s Business Conference. Works with entrepreneurs one-on-one to develop a business plan, marketing plans, website development, and business structure.

Western Wisconsin SCORE 500 S. Barstow St.

Federal Building Rm B11 (Lower Level), Eau Claire • (715) 834-1573 • score@score-eauclaire.org • score-eauclaire.org SCORE is sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration and is comprised of retired entrepreneurs that offer advice to current entrepreneurs. Offers free management, bookkeeping, accounting, construction, design, and budgeting counseling, financial & loan resources, help with permits & regulations, and seminars from experienced entrepreneurs.

Wisconsin Small Business Development Center at UW-Eau Claire 7 S. Dewey St., Suite 101, Eau VOLUMEONE.ORG

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Claire • (715) 836-5811 • KEMPENLS@uwec.edu • wisconsinsbdc.org/eauclaire The SBDC assists entrepreneurs at every stage of business development with financial, marketing, and management techniques and strategies at no cost. Provides professional consulting to entrepreneurs in an eight-county area of westcentral Wisconsin. Also offers the Entrepreneurial Training Program, which helps entrepreneurs create business models and business plans and provides advice on accounting, marketing, financing, business structure, and more.

FINANCING Chippewa Valley Angel Network 2322 Alpine Rd.

Suite 7, Eau Claire • (715) 878-9791 • cvangels@ execpc.com • wisconsinangelnetwork.com Angel Investors provide equity capital to local entrepreneurs in order to bridge the gap between initial seed funding and institutional financing.

West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission • (715) 836-2918 • wcwrpc@wcwrpc.org • wcwrpc.org The West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Committee has established the Regional

Business Fund, which offers low-interest loans to businesses that expand within the region, diversify the economy, add new technology, revitalize buildings in the region’s downtowns, and create quality jobs and capital investment in the region.

Wisconsin Business Development 3610 Oakwood

Mall Dr. Suite 201, Eau Claire • (715) 834-9474 • wbd.org WBD facilitates financial assistance for your business by working with your local lender and federal loan opportunities.

INCUBATORS Chippewa Valley Innovation Center 3132 Louis Ave., Eau Claire • (715) 836-2842 • chippewavalleyinnovationcenter.org The Chippewa Valley Innovation Center encourages new and emerging entrepreneurial business by allowing them to use community resources and by providing them a temporary start-up facility as well as managerial, technical, and financial assistance. CVIC offers flexible, low-cost building accommodations along with access to local economic development agencies.

CVTC Applied Technology Center 2322 Alpine Road, Eau Claire • (715) 833-6237 • dolson@cvtc.edu • cvtc.edu/atc/Pages/default.aspx The CVTC Applied Technology Center in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, is designed to accommodate the development of business start-ups for microfabrication and other advanced manufacturing technologies.

UW-Stout Discovery Center 278 Jarvis Hall, UW-

Stout, Menomonie • (715) 232-2397 • discoverycenter@uwstout.edu • uwstout.edu/discoverycenter/ The Discovery Center is the umbrella organization for UW-Stout’s research, outreach, and economic development efforts. The center aids local industry and the community thanks to the extensive expertise of UW-Stout faculty, staff, students and other specialists, fostering discovery and innovation. Among the center’s many programs and services are the Fab Lab, a digital fabrication lab that allows users to design, prototype, and built their creations; the Stout Technology and Business Park, a 403-acre mixed-use park; the Manufacturing Outreach Center, which helps regional manufacturers grow; and the Center for Innovation and Development, which helps inventors commercialize their products and technologies.

STATEWIDE AGENCIES Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation

201 W. Washington Ave., Madison • (855) 469-4249 • inwisconsin.com The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) leads economic development efforts for the state by advancing Wisconsin’s business climate.

Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Network 432 N. Lake St.,

Suite 425, Madison • (608) 263-0398 • wenportal. org A statewide network that identifies high-potential entrepreneurs and helps move their businesses forward, and facilitates collaboration between entrepreneurs and outside organizations. Provides grants to help with business plan development and proposals for federal research and development grants. Expertise, coaching, and guidance with respect to technology assessment and commercialization, business planning, raising capital, and securing state and federal grants.

Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority 201 W. Washington Ave. Ste. 700, Madison

• (608) 266-7884 • info@wheda.com • wheda. com WHEDA uses funds from Wisconsin’s State Small Business Credit Initiative to support programs that leverage private lending to help finance creditworthy small businesses. These programs include Capital Access Programs, loan guarantee programs, and venture capital funds.

Wisconsin Innovation Service Center 1200 Hyland

Hall, UW-Whitewater, Whitewater • (262) 472-1365 • innovate@uww.edu • uww.edu/wisc/ Wisconsin Innovation Service Center specializes in new product and invention assessments and market expansion opportunities for innovative manufacturers, technology businesses, and independent inventors.

Wisconsin Procurement Institute 10437 Innovation

Dr., Suite 320, Milwaukee • (414) 270-3600 • info@ wispro.org • wispro.org NPO assisting Wisconsin businesses in creating, developing and growing their federal, state and local government sales by providing technical and professional expertise and experience to Wisconsin’s business community, specialized for disadvantaged, minority, woman, disabled and veteran owned firms as well as those located in designated HUBzone and distressed areas.

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