Wyoming Entrepreneur.biz Blog

Show customers you're sincerely green

    There's good news and bad news if you're looking for a way to let customers know you are serious about making your company green. The good news is that there are many third party organizations that certify businesses in the areas of environmental and social responsibility. The bad news is that because there are so many, it can get a little confusing. It depends on the type of business you have and what you want to certify.
    Certifying organizations are called trust providers. They verify the activity of companies like you that want to engage in transparency, environmental sustainability, economic empowerment, and ethical business practices. The “World of Good” website publishes an excellent directory of trust providers that tells what each provider verifies and has a link to the provider’s website for more details. Check it out at http://worldofgood.ebay.com/. Click the “Trust Providers” link at the bottom left.
    There are 39 trust providers listed in the World of Good directory. Each one has a slightly different take on verifying aspects of the business—such as production processes, business practices, impact of use and raw materials. All types of businesses and products are covered—artisans, paper products, imports, microenterprise, recycled content products, organic products and more. Find the one that is the best match for your business and contact them to find out what their certification process entails.
    You also need to be aware of the important the concept of “green washing." Green washing is akin to “whitewashing” — and the term is applied to companies who color themselves green on the outside, without really practicing the solid environmental and social principles that are required to make green claims. According to the Natural Marketing Institute (http://www.nmisolutions.com/), green consumers are very discriminating, and it doesn’t take them long to spot a fraud. Once a company is labeled as a green washer, it is very difficult to regain consumer trust. You’re on the right track when you opt to have a third party verify your green claims.

Do you think I should upgrade my computer operating system to Windows 7? Sarah P., Casper

I only need to borrow $5,000 to get my cleaning business up and running. My credit isn’t great and the banks aren’t interested in loaning me that small of an amount. Are there any other sources of financing that I could contact?

A microloan may be your answer.  Microlending originated in the 1970’s with Grameen Bank in Bangladesh.  The philosophy was to eliminate poverty through entrepreneurship.  Since that time, the concept has expanded worldwide, operating through a number of different types of organizations.  Today, microcredit is available in the US.  Grameen Bank began operation in New York in April 2008. 

Wyoming is fortunate to have our own microlending institution, the Wyoming Women’s Business Center.  They can loan between $100 and $10,000 to individuals unable to get financing through traditional means.  In order to be considered for a loan, you must have been denied credit from a financial institution for a similar loan request, show current responsible use of credit, contribute personal equity in either cash or assets, as well as have some collateral.  In addition, a business plan or explanation of the business and how you plan to utilize and repay the loan funds (application requirements depend upon loan amount) is required.  Interest rates vary from 8.5% to 12.5%, and loan terms up to 72 months are available.  Loan application charges are $47.00.  For more information about the Wyoming Women’s Business Center microloan program, contact Andrea Presse at (307) 778-3908, andreap@uwyo.edu, or visit their website, http://www.wyomingwomen.org. 

Another alternative for small businesses is Accion USA.  Accion, a non-profit organization, sponsors a Global Bridge Fund that allows individual investors to lend money to the funds and earn interest, while their pooled funds support microfinance institutions.  Available loan sizes vary from $500 to $50,000, and interest rates range from 8-15%.  They also charge 3-6% in closing costs.  Start-ups are required to have a cosigner and an external source of income.  Learn more at http://www.accionusa.org. 

If you are a borrower, beware of predatory lending practices.  Research any microlenders very carefully. Some microlenders operate via donations, others repay principal only to the investors, and others repay principal plus interest to investors.  Funds paying interest to investors will be charging higher interest rates to their borrowers.  Walk away from any lender charging over 15%.  Watch carefully for added closing or application fees.  Any organization charging very high fees is using fees as a profit center.

If you are an investor, consider combining investment with social impact.  eBay’s subsidiary, MicroPlace.com, defines itself as a “social business,” a financially sustainable company that has a social mission.  They offer numbers of alternative methods to invest by geographic location, desired return or term, level of poverty, and type of enterprise.  As for borrowers, be careful that the company you are investing with is legitimate, and that a fair proportion of your investment actually goes to those in need.

Tips to Networking with Contracting Officers for All Businesses Involved in Government Contracting.

In order to become successful in government contracting, you need to spend time building relationships with government contracting officers, just as you would build relationships with any of your business’ other customers.  If you are just getting started in government contracting, determining which government agencies may need your products or services, and making initial contacts to develop these relationships can be very intimidating!  The Wyoming PTAC can provide your business with guidance through this process. 

The first step is to do your homework.  Know your product or service, and then spend some time researching potential opportunities.  FedBizOpps (www.fbo.gov) is the government-wide point of entry for contract opportunities of $25,000 or more.  It’s a great place to begin your research, and the Wyoming PTAC team can help you understand how to search this site effectively.  You can use this site to do some market research and learn more about the requirements the government has.  If you do this for a while, you will start to get a sense of which agencies buy the types of products or services that your business sells on a regular basis.  This will help you narrow down your target market within the federal government to the two or three agencies that are perhaps most likely to buy your products or services.  Then, you can focus your energy on establishing and building relationships with the small business specialists and contracting officers at these agencies.  Focusing on just a few agencies to begin with will help your efforts to develop these relationships have more impact.

How do you take the first step to meet contracting officers?  One strategy is that you can try calling the small business specialist (their contact information is often available on agency web sites), indicate that you are the owner of a small business, ask if they have time to talk for 5 minutes or would prefer to schedule an appointment.  If they are willing to give you a few minutes of their time, go ahead and describe the type of product or service your business provides, in 20 seconds or less (your “elevator pitch”).  Then ask them to provide you with some information about what they anticipate their needs to be during the next year, and whether your business might be a god fit for any of these opportunities.  Although this may seem like the time to sell your business and do all the talking, it is better to do more listening, and focus on the contracting officer’s mission and what you are going to do to meet their objectives.  Thank the person for their time.  You can also follow up by sending a brief note thanking them for taking the time to talk with you.  Include your business card, and also perhaps a brief, one-page capabilities statement for your business.  Don’t include anything more unless the person has requested it.

Another great opportunity to meet contracting officers in person is at the annual match-making conference sponsored by Senator Enzi and the Wyoming PTAC.  Each year, representatives from more than 40 state and federal agencies are invited, and spend two days meeting one-on-one with Wyoming firms interested in doing business with them.  It’s a great way to spend some time talking with contracting officers at a time they have specifically reserved for reaching out to small businesses, and your conversation can begin the same way a telephone call to a small business specialist might.  The 2010 Annual GRO-Biz Conference will be held on February 16th-18th at the Hilton Garden Inn in Laramie WY. If you’ve been trying to develop a relationship with a particular small business specialist, and would like us to make sure they are invited to attend our conference, please just let us know!

If you are already working on a contract, make sure you are communicating with the contracting officer or designated member of the contracting team on a regular basis.  Not only will this help you to strengthen your relationship with the acquisition team, it will provide you with regular opportunities to check in regarding your progress on the contract to make sure they are fully satisfied with your performance.  If they attend our conference, make sure to attend, and take a few minutes to visit with them in person.  This can be a really great way to reinforce and strengthen the relationship. 

For more information on the GRO-Biz Conference, or free and confidential one-on-one assistance in identifying government agencies and contacts that may be a good fit for your business, please contact the Wyoming PTAC at 1-866-253-3300 or nstahla1@uwyo.edu . 

Important Updates and Deadlines for All Businesses Involved in Government Contracting that are Required to Register in the Central Contractor Registration Database

The Central Contractor Registration database is the Federal Government’s directory of small businesses pursuing government contracts. They are in the final stages of requiring all users, who initially registered or renewed their CCR profiles prior to December 21, 2008, to update their user logins to usernames and passwords.   If you access the system using your Trading Partner Identification Number (TPIN) and Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number between December 21, 2008 and December 21, 2009, you will be prompted to create a new password, which you will then use for logging into the CCR system in the future.  This is definitely the easiest way to accomplish this mandatory transition.  The benefit of this is that once created, passwords can be individually controlled and updated.  Two other helpful changes to the CCR include that a CCR maintainer is now able to update multiple DUNS numbers from one sign on, and that users can create additional CCR maintainers that are not among the organization’s official points of contact.

Don’t wait until after December 21, 2009 to try to log in and update your profile, you will no longer be able to log in with your TPIN and DUNS number, and you will be locked out of the system.  To get back into CCR, you will have to contact the Federal Service Desk.  This may involve spending a long period of time on the telephone on hold, waiting for assistance, and is not recommended.

The good news is that assisting with CCR registrations and updates is one of the many free and confidential services that the Wyoming PTAC team offers.  We have software that enables us to be on the phone with you and see your computer screen at the same time, so we can walk you through a CCR registration or update mouse-click-by-mouse click.   Our PTAC procurement counselors also have access to a PTAC-only CCR hotline, staffed by high-level customer service representatives who can help resolve any challenges you may be encountering quickly and easily.  To schedule a time for a procurement counselor to assist you, please contact the Wyoming PTAC at 866-253-3300.  Have your TPIN and DUNS numbers ready if at all possible (if you can’t find them, our procurement counselors can assist you with that, too).

For more information on CCR login procedure changes, please visit www.ccr.gov or call the Federal Service Desk at 866-606-8220.

 

I missed the “Free Money” Workshop in Riverton last month. Can you tell me if there really is “Free Money” in the State? M. Dollars, Dubois, WY.

Sorry you missed the workshop Ms. Dollars, but it’s true. There is “Free Money” in the State and it is fairly easy to obtain. A terrific opportunity to business owners (with or without employees) is the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, Workforce Development Training Fund program. The program may be able to assist new and existing businesses by providing up to $2,000 per employee (owners are considered employees) per fiscal year for established businesses who need a skill upgrade or retraining. The program may also provide between $1,000 and a maximum of $4,000 per employee per fiscal year for new or expanding businesses, depending on the employee's full-time status and wage amount. In order to register the business and submit an application for a grant, businesses must be in good standing with the Wyoming Department of Employment, Unemployment Insurance and Workers’ Compensation. The business must complete the “Joint Application Form” with the Department of Employment. Prior to applying for a grant, regardless of entity type (sole proprietor, LLC, Corporation, etc.), even if the business has no employees. This process can take up to two weeks. A business currently registered with the Wyoming Department of Employment does not need to re-register in order to apply for a Business Training Grant. Time is of the essence when applying for a grant. The program provides a date calculator under “What do I need to know about preparing an application.” This will let applicants know when an application can be submitted based on the start date of the training. Applying one day late can make the difference between receiving the grant or not. A business currently registered with the Wyoming Department of Employment does not need to re-register in order to apply for a Business Training Grant.

Another great “Free Money” opportunity is the Wyoming Business Council, Trade Show Incentive Grant Program. The Wyoming Business Council Trade Incentive Program exists to encourage Wyoming businesses promote and sell their products to statewide, national and international audiences. The Trade Show Incentive Program is a reimbursable grant; and as such, the applicant must pay all expenditures before the grant award can be disbursed. The business shall function independently in performing this activity and shall assume sole responsibility of any debts or liabilities that may be incurred in regard to this trade event. The grant award cannot be assigned.
Please keep in mind the program has a limited amount of funds. Money will be dispersed on a first come, first serve basis. Tell me about any “Free Money” your business has received.

Where Do I Purchase State and Federal Forms to Start My Business? John, Jackson, Wyo.

How many times do new business owners come to me AFTER paying for State and Federal Forms to start their businesses? I’m talking about fill-in blank, federal and state forms. These entrepreneurs want to make sure they are in compliance and doing everything necessary to correctly start their business. They search the internet and find sites that charge for State and Federal “free forms”. Sound like an oxymoron “charging for free forms”? It is!!!! So what should the fledgling business owner do?? As a general rule “FORMS ARE FREE”!!! How do you know which forms you need and where to find them? If you’re like me, I find it easier and more beneficial to have someone in the know, show and explain something to me rather than spending time “interpreting” information I haven’t a clue about. So where do you find that expert and how much is that going to add to your start-up costs? The answer is www.WyomingEntrepreneur.biz (The Wyoming Small Business Development Center) where business assistance is only a click and a call (307-382-0947) away. Our small business advisors are free and confidential. They offer a medley of expertise from business planning, e-commerce strategy, doing business with the government and YES – even which forms to file and how to obtain them for free! The next time you need information about starting and growing a business give us a click – www.wyen.biz .

Website Management - a balancing act

 

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization is the buzz term for increasing website visibility.  SEO is usually about keywords, descriptions and titles for websites.  But they can’t work like they are supposed to if they are used in a website with a poor foundation. 

 

A website has to be balanced.  Think of it like a pyramid with your Home page at the top.  The next level down could be the About, Contact and Articles pages.  Review your article pages often.  Outdated articles throw your site off balance and make it harder for people to find the pages that you really want them to find.  Your site organization has to make sense to the user; make the information that you want them to find easily accessible. 

 

 If you are using a web analytics program to monitor your pages (such as Google Analytics), you will be able to see which of your pages are being viewed the most.  Are you making visitors dig to find your most popular pages?

 

Linking strategies are also an important part of this pyramid.  Cross-links that lead people on a goose hunt throw your site off balance and frustrate users.  A navigation scheme that starts at the top and allows users to drill down to the intended page is a much better approach. 

 

A good SEO strategy is to build the site so that both users and search engines can find your content.  Some of my thoughts are based on an interesting article titled, Intelligent Site Structure for Better SEO by Joost DeValk, October 2007.  I recommend it.

http://dev.opera.com/articles/view/intelligent-site-structure-for-better-se/

 

 

 

 

Savannah's Restaurant in Afton

In the 1840s, as pioneers trod across Wyoming, they could hardly have imagined what treasures were buried below the ground's surface.  Although, there are accounts of how they found surface pools of oil and used it to lubricate wagon axles.

Oil, natural gas and trona are not the only treasures that lye below the surface in Wyoming; there are culinary treasures as well like Savannah's Restaurant in Afton.  Opened June 2009 by Afton resident Pat Boedeker, this Wyoming small business has now been added to my list of staple visits when working this way.

When I travel to Star Valley I typically walk up and down Washington and visit with small business owners.  Guess it doesn't hurt that this one serves what is perhaps Wyoming's best New York steak (Pat hand carves all meat here).

 

Hemispheres

There are two hemispheres in owning a small business.  The first is knowing how to produce/sell a product.  Not a problem for Pat since she started learning about food preparation at age 8.  At that time, she helped her grandmother create delicious pastries in a bakery.  She also has more than a decade of experience working at Dubois' Cowboy Cafe, among other credentials.

But consider the other hemisphere: successfully applying principles of business (accounting, marketing, finance, human resource, etc.).  Pat is well qualified as an entrepreneur and understands the realities of business.  For example, not only did Pat have an adequate amount of operating capital for the startup, she also has an accounting degree from the University of Wyoming.  This recipe seems to have the right ingredients.

Both hemispheres blend well in Savannah's as the food is excellent and the business operations make it so.

If you are looking for treasure (like wonderful steak or Pat's staple offering: Chicken Fried Steak), Savannah's is one that should not be kept below Wyoming's surface.

 

Customer service?

As a business owner I always hear about customer service, I think my employees provide that but how do I really know?  What can I do to improve the elusive "customer service"?     Ann,  Torrington

By: Anya Petersen-Frey, Regional Director, WyomingEntrepreneur.biz

 

It’s a fact of doing business.  To stay competitive, you must constantly monitor the quality of the customer service you offer.  If the first experience is poor, you may never have a chance to change that expectation.  The customer will find another supplier.  Yet, customer service is a buzzword that like many others has lost its significance.  It’s time to revisit this valuable asset.

 

Every single contact that your business has with its customers, internal and external, either enhances or corrodes that relationship.  This includes letters you send, advertisements you run and phone calls you make or answer.  This includes employee contact and vendor contact.  So, your business is only as good as your worst employee!

 

Try to see your business through your customers’ eyes.  Create systems that will encourage a positive customer service experience.  Let your customer feel valued and appreciated.   Your customers may range in age from 12 to over 80.  They come from varied ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds.  They are very diverse in their tastes.  They are also more educated, technologically savvy and wealthier than any previous group of consumers. Recognize that they are less tolerant of mistakes and are demanding higher levels of service.

 

Try to see your business through your employee’s eyes.  One of the goals of customer service training is to instill in your employees that it is their business too.  Customer service must be viewed as company etiquette.  If employees are not treated will, it’s tough for them to treat others properly. 

 

Often the difference between a good company and a poorly run company is not always demonstrated when things run smoothly; the difference is how they handle situations when there is a mistake.  Create a feedback loop for customers and employees.

 

 

 

 

 

Ten Commandments of Customer Service: As shared by Inc. Magazine (2002), and still holds true today

 

1. Care about your employees and treat them well.  Employee relations mirror your customer relations.
2. Praise and recognize your employees often.  The more, the better and don’t just leave it to ‘employee of the month’ programs.
3. Know and listen to your customers.  If you don’t really know your customers, how can you value them?
4. Believe that customer service drives profit.  Your bottom line can be positively impacted if your service is good enough.
5. Train and empower your people.  How can you expect employees to handle difficult customers if you’ve never taught them how to do it?
6. Clarify your service strategy.  Are you going to be a Ritz Carlton or a McDonalds as far as service goes?  How far are you willing to go to achieve the level of service you desire?
7. Weed out policies and procedures that are customer unfriendly.  For example, is your return policy easy to understand and implement? 
8. The company culture must be fanatical about customer service.  As Home Depot states: “If you’re not serving the customer, you’d better be serving someone who is”.
9. Continually improve your service levels.  Everyone in your business needs to continually look for ways to improve service.  Develop systems to capture everyone’s ideas and implement the best of them.
10. Remember that everyone has customers.  Internal customer service is just as important as external customer service.