Successful Communication Begins with Strategic Planning: Highlights of the VtSBDC Communications Plan
5 minute read In Part 1 of our blog series on Communications, we shared the Why behind having a well thought out, strategic plan to assess and reflect upon your business’ unique value proposition, target audiences, branding, and messaging. While most of us love to plunge right into the energetic, fun side of tactics, let’s take a pause […]
Disaster COVID-19 Business Lending & Grants (State & Federal) 21-501
36 minute read June 7, 2021 Business owners continue to have options for financial assistance available to apply to now (and others that will be available shortly). Please note that changes from Disaster COVID-19 Business Lending & Grants 21-401 are highlighted in yellow. If this is your first time receiving the document, we suggest reading the entire […]
How to avoid the Big Yikes – Secrets from the Gen Z Guru
3 minute read by Lauren Bass It’s fair to say that the average Vermonter can easily remember the fall of the Berlin Wall. We can recall when wearing seatbelts in cars was optional and we balanced our checkbooks by hand. We remember where we were and what we were doing when frenzied reports of a plane flying into […]
VtSBDC hosts world’s leading generations speaker Jason Dorsey
2 minute read Virtual presentation on June 25: “Crossing the Generational Divide” RANDOLPH CENTER, Vt. (May 6, 2021) – The world’s leading Gen Z and Millennials speaker, Jason Dorsey, is coming to Vermont…virtually. On June 25 at 1 p.m., the statewide business community will have an opportunity to attend a unique and inspiring presentation delivered by the industry […]
A Coffee- (and Food) Loving Couple Fills a Business Niche in Hardwick
2 minute read By Amanda Kuhnert Great start-up ideas begin with a problem that needs solving. A few years ago, Tobin Porter-Brown and Annie Myers were looking for a place in Hardwick to do some computer work. When they couldn’t find a coffee shop, they ended up working in the front seat of their car. And that’s when […]
What’s the Buzz About?: The Five Why’s Behind the VtSBDC Communications Plan
4 minute read When four experienced, well-connected bankers decided to join forces and start a small community bank, their intended marketing plan was to open the doors of their flagship location and reach out to their contacts to say, “we’re open,” a frequently used approach that assumes, “build it and they will come.” However, something happened during the […]
Chocolatier Takes Unexpected Path to Entrepreneurship
3 minute read By Amanda Kuhnert When Dawn Wagner took a job at Lake Champlain Chocolates as a student at the University of Vermont, she had no intention of becoming a chocolatier. Her focus, at the time, was theater. After graduation, Wagner moved to New York City, where she worked as a stage manager for on- and off-Broadway […]
Preparing to Meet with a Bankruptcy Attorney
< 1 minute read In February, we hosted a webinar with Vermont Law School on Small Business Bankruptcy and Reorganization. The goal of this webinar was to clarify the available options, demystify the legal process and destigmatize common misconceptions about bankruptcy. One question that was frequently asked during this webinar was, “How should I prepare for a consultation about […]