Iowa County Area Economic Development blog and current news



You can search by keyword or scroll through. Newest additions are at the top. Oldest at the bottom. We will also use this page to re-post relevant information from 3rd party sources that have a bearing on entrepreneurship and business development in the Iowa County area. Welcome!



Post 16.
Tour Managers and Camp Assistants Wanted. Please forward.

Shuttleguy, LLC is looking for a manager and staff for DALMAC, a bike tour Aug. 29 to Sep. 4 in Michigan. We are also looking to fill positions for next summer. Please contact me if you know anyone who is available, looking for a job or would be a good match. Possible employees must be able to work outdoors in all weather conditions and sleep in a tent for the duration of the tour. Food and transportation is provided.

One of our managers got into med school and is no longer available. Please pass this on to anyone you know who might be interested. Our need is significant.

Interested parties can contact me at shuttleguy@shuttleguy.com

Thanks much,
Tym Allison, Manager
Shuttleguy, LLC


Post 15.
Free seminar. Financing Business Growth.

Making the Most of Government Programs.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2011.
7:30AM - 11:45AM
SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN TECHNICAL COLLEGE
LENZ CENTER, FENNIMORE, WI

Registration: 608.342.1038

Post 14.

Iowa County Area Economic Development sponsoring and hosting the Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Championships. April 2012

Save the date! The Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Championships. April 2012.

Post 13.

BEST Conference Innovation Fair Vendor Information

Make plans now to attend the first ever Innovation Fair to be held in conjunction with the 11th Annual BEST Conference, Thursday, May 12, 2011 at the Rossing Building in Argyle.

WHO should be a vendor at the Innovation Fair? ANYONE!!

The Innovation Fair is designed to celebrate the wonderful inventors, entrepreneurs, non-profits, business services, and community programs we have to be proud of in Southwest Wisconsin!

WHAT can I expect?

It is a way to connect and share through networking and education. This will be a great opportunity for you to showcase and sell your products and services and tell others where to find you.

You will be able to sell directly to the public if you wish

Shortly after you register you will be added to the website with a link on your name to your website.

WHEN is the conference?

Thursday, May 12th setup will start at 10 am and will end at 6:30.

WHEN do I have to register?

You must register by Friday, May 6th

WHERE will this take place?

At the Rossing Building in Argyle WI

WHY should I attend?

You will be able to interact with a wide cross section of people from the region and share information about your business, project, organization or products. The fair will be open to the conference attendees and the general public throughout the day. The conference social hour will also be held there from 5 to 6:30 and will give you the opportunity to share further.

This is a chance to strengthen the region from the inside and networking and building relationships helps us accomplish that goal. It would also solve one of the main barriers to local collaboration which is simply that we don't know what help is out there.

HOW do I get more information?

Go to www.bestwisconsin.org for all the conference details or contact the Executive Director of BEST April Fuhr, by email at bestwisconsin@yahoo.com or phone at 608 778 7998.

HOW do I register?

Registrations may be submitted online here and accessed through www.bestwisconsin.org

Post 12.
Free seminar. Exploring a Small Business Startup

Have you wondered how to make your business a reality? The Small Business Development Center of Southwest Wisconsin will offer a FREE Exploring a Small Business Startup workshop for individuals interested in starting their own business. At the workshop you will learn how to target your marketplace and calculate startup costs. You will also learn about helpful websites and how to get funding. Resources from local business development organizations will be provided.

The workshop will be held at the Southwest Technical College, room 492, in Fennimore, WI on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. The workshop is FREE of charge. Participants can register by calling the Small Business Development Center at 608 342 1038. Contact: Small Business Development Center

Download flyer. PDF format

Becky Troy, Department Associate
Phone: 608 342 1038
Email: swsbdc@uwplatt.edu
Website

Post 11.
MIDWEST FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL RECEIVES TOURISM MARKETING GRANT

DODGEVILLE, Wis. (March 22, 2011) -- Department of Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett presented a $11,503 Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) grant to Folklore Village officials to promote the "Midwest Folklife Festival" to be held on August 20-21, 2011. The festival is expected to draw 1,600 attendees to the Dodgeville and Mineral Point communities and book 40 additional hotel rooms over the event weekend. Organizers estimate the additional promotion will result in a projected economic impact of $71,300, double the estimated $35,650 economic impact for the 2008 festival.

"The Midwest Folklife Festival is an undiscovered gem that showcases the cultural arts and traditions of the Midwest through dance, music, crafts and food," Secretary Klett said. "A JEM grant will go a long way to boost attendance by raising the event's profile through the power of marketing and promotion. In the end, if we can grow this event and bring hundreds of more attendees to the area, the local community benefits from the additional travelers spending their money in hotels, restaurants, gas stations and stores."

Download WI Department of Tourisim announcement awarding Midwest Folklife Festival Tourism Marketing Grant.

Post 10.
SW WI Poultry Producers Survey - Please Respond by March 13

Please help us assess poultry processing needs by filling out this short online survey. Click here for survey

Post 9.
NEW SALES OPPORTUNITY FOR AREA GROWERS

In response to unprecedented demand for WI produce, Dane County, Dane County and UW Extension and WI DATCP are conducting a study to determine the feasibility of a small to medium sized (15,000-30,000 sq. ft.) WI fresh market produce packinghouse to be located in Dane County.

The purpose of this survey is: 1) to identify interested WI produce growers that would like to sell their produce into a packinghouse; 2) gauge the amount and type of produce they could sell into a WI only produce packinghouse beginning in 2012 and beyond; and, 3) gauge what level and type of involvement farmers would like to have.

Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XLNSKR8

Who should fill out this survey? Farmers interested in selling wholesale produce into packinghouse can include: current produce growers, new or beginning growers, commodity grain producers or livestock and dairy farmers that are interested in diversifying and growing produce .

Your input is critical: Grower survey responses and determining grower interest, capacity and obstacles to participation are critical to moving this project into the development phase. This survey will ask general questions, and assumes fair market value wholesale pricing.

All survey information will be kept strictly confidential. Information will be reported in the aggregate only for the purpose of this feasibility study. The data will be collected by the study consultants and will not be shared with any individual not directly responsible for the creation of the feasibility report.

Please note that this is only a survey and your answers are not binding in any way. Survey results will be made available to all respondents after the study is complete. Survey directions: The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete. Please answer all of the questions, and skip any that don't apply to you. All online survey responses must be completed by March 11, 2011.



Post 8.
Registration is now open for the UW System Entrepreneurship Summit, Wednesday, March 30th at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery on the UW-Madison campus. This daylong event will start at 9:30am and include opening remarks by UW System President Kevin Reilly, keynote and panel presentations, interactive sessions and culminate in a tour of the recently opened state-of-the-art facility. For additional information call Cathy Sullivan, UW Extension, at 608-263-7805

Post 7.
Exploring Entrepreneurship for Engineers, Scientists, & Others. February 28 at 6:30 p.m. in Ottensman 105 on the University of Wisconsin Platteville campus.

Post 6.
The Pecatonica Grapevine in Blanchardville is having a Wine Tasting this Saturday, Feb. 12, from 5-7

We will be sampling a variety of wines, Port, Shotfire Shiraz, Chocolate wines (for Valentines) and the popular Moscato D'Asti along with Hors D'veours, Chocolate and Cake. $10 per person.
The Pecatonica Grapevine

Post 5.
RURAL BROADBAND SUBJECT OF COMMUNITY FORUM

Rural broadband issues will be the subject of a community forum for the public in Hollandale on Friday, February 11, 2011 from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. The forum will feature representatives of Frontier Communications, the local phone company for many area communities.

The forum will be held in the American Legion/Village Hall at 200 5th Avenue, Hollandale, WI 533544. The forum was organized by Senator Dale Schultz. Representative Howard Marklein will also participate.

Representatives from Frontier Communications will be Joanne Johnson, Director for Government and External Relations in Wisconsin, and Terry Kucera, Regional General Manager. They will share news about Frontier's recent acquisition from Verizon of 117 telephone exchanges in Wisconsin, and Frontier's goals to address demand and supply for broadband in underserved and unserved areas.

Figuring out how to make quality, affordable broadband available at every home and business in the region has been identified as a top need by leaders for the southwest region said Schultz. The goal of the community forum is to discuss how to make broadband service economically feasible in sparsely populated rural neighborhoods, and ways for community members to partner with a provider like Frontier on both demand and supply issues for rural broadband. Community members will have opportunities to share their situation with broadband and ask questions.

On his website , Schultz has started an initiative called Universal Broadband for a Rural Region (UBER) where he covers several broadband issues.

Schultz invites people who live outside a Frontier exchange to participate in the forum on February 11 in Hollandale because issues to be discussed apply to rural broadband generally. Schultz welcomes contacts on broadband, especially from those who are "stuck with dialupŎ. Contact Schultz at sen.schultz@legis.wi.gov or call 800.978.8008.


Post 4. Feb. 2, 2011.
Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corp (WWBIC) is holding a series of free business training courses in the Madison area in February. The link above leads to registration and further information about these sessions, including:

Lunch With A Loan Officer. Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 Noon- 1:30PM

Resources For Small Business. Thursday, February 10th, 2011 6-7:30PM

Start Smart BootCamp. Saturday and Sunday, February 26th & 27th 2011 9-3:00 PM. $300 fee with scholarships available.

Post 3. Feb. 1, 2011.
Wisconsin Aquaculture Conference to be held in Pewaukee on March 11 and 12.

Wisconsin Aquaculture has over 2300 fish farms and contributes $21 million in economic activity

CONTACT:
Ron Johnson, Aquaculture Outreach Specialist
UW Extension
UWSP Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility
P O Box 165
Bayfield, Wi 54814
715 779 3189
ron.johnson@uwsp.edu

Post 2. Jan. 31, 2011.
SAVE THE DATE. March 30, 2011
UW System Entrepreneurship Summit

Please mark your calendar for the second annual system-wide

Entrepreneurship Summit to be held on Wednesday, March 30th at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery on the UW Madison campus.

This daylong event will start at 9:30am and include opening remarks by UW System President Kevin Reilly, keynote and panel presentations, interactive sessions and culminate in a tour of the recently opened state-of-the-art facility.

Schedule and registration information will be made available soon.

Hosted by UW System Administration, UW-Extension Division of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development and the UW-Madison Office of Corporate Relations

Cathy Sullivan
Entrepreneurship Summit Coordinator
Wisconsin Entrepreneur's Network
cathy.sullivan@uwex.edu
608 263 7805

Post 1. January 23, 2011. Info provided by conference sponsor

2011 National SBIR/STTR Spring Conference

April 10-13, 2011 Madison, WI

Tap into over $2 billion in federal research grants to commercialize your new technologies and products.

Learn more about the opportunities, facilitate partnerships and meet program leaders.

Connect with industry and agency leaders through online partnering and scheduling software (more info to be distributed in February)

Who should attend?

Small business owners
University researchers
Entrepreneurs
Business consultants

Conference offers:

One-on-One private meetings with SBIR agencies and large companies
Poster Session for small technology companies and university tech transfer offices to showcase their technologies, products and services
Opportunities for partnering
Workshops, panels and presentations

Why you should attend:

Learn about new SBIR/STTR initiatives and program changes
Collaborate with researchers on R&D opportunities
Develop strategic alliances with companies
Interact with companies developing novel technologies
Find resources
Network with SBIR program managers and federal government contractors

To register visit our website at: www.wisconsinsbir.org

To inquire about sponsorship opportunities, call 608 267 0346