LGEDC, UW-W, Others Help Lake Geneva Businesses Grow
Job growth in Lake Geneva is a primary goal of the Lake Geneva Economic Development Corporation (LGEDC). While bringing a growing business here from another community produces a dramatic show of new jobs all at once this does not happen often. Statistics show that over 70 per cent of new jobs come from new or growing small businesses.
A national report from the E. M. Kauffman Foundation stated that, if not for start-ups, the nation as a whole would have lost jobs in 22 of the 29 years spanning 1977 to 2005. Young companies, 5 years old or less, added jobs in all 29 years.
This is obviously important to the Lake Geneva community as we work to provide jobs and keep our talented young people here.
Most new business people believe they have a “great” idea for a new and successful venture and believe they can successfully give the public a product or service they need and want. In many cases this is true but many of these same entrepreneurs have little or no concept of the business, financial, organizational or marketing skills needed to accomplish this. I have had the opportunity to meet with a number of these people in the past years but my experience does not give them the total picture needed.
Here is where LGEDC comes in to help. In recent times LGEDC has sponsored a variety of chances for those in new or small growing businesses the opportunity to gain much of this knowledge as well as contact specialists in the expertise they lack to expand this knowledge even further.
Among these have been series on using social media for effective marketing, opportunities for business people to sit down one-on-one with business experts to discuss specific problems they are having and series covering a range of problems facing small businesses. All of these are designed to assist the business manager/owner, not serve as a training ground for employees. For the most part, employee training can best come from Gateway Technical College. LGEDC will be sponsoring future owner sessions during 2013. Please keep an eye out for Regional News announcements regarding these.
Added to these opportunities are the assets of one of the top business schools in the country – University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. Their staff are among those producing the sessions sponsored by LGEDC but they have a number of other resources for small business owners – many without cost to the business involved and most do not require visits to the Whitewater campus. These people are regular partners with LGEDC in promoting business growth.
Ronald “Bud” Gayhart is the director of the UW-W Small Business Development Center. Among the goals of the Center is assisting small business growth by providing information/resources on basic business practices. This can be done by on-site consulting, assisting in planning processes, attaching business owners to specific campus experts in their areas of need and providing student teams to assist businesses. One especially valuable asset can be providing marketing info either on a local, regional or national basis depending on needs.
Gayhart and his staff are ready and willing to assist wherever they can. To learn more about their capabilities call 262-472-3217. This is a direct line to their offices.
I am happy to answer further questions regarding any of these issues. Contact me at a.dammeir@genevaonline.com