Customers are the lifeblood of business, regardless of whether you are a startup or a mature company. You worry about where to find them, what to tell them, and then hope they are interested. And we all hate to do cold-calling! Then when fortunate enough to get customers there is another set of problems; how long will it take to complete the order/job? Are there nough people & resources? When am I going to be paid? When will I get the next order?
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2/25 Open for Business
A
free program, and small-business resource for anyone starting a business or expanding their existing company.
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3/8 Network like a Pro: Best Practices from Experienced Business Development Experts - Finding your Next Customer Workshop Series
This interactive session is designed to get you engaged in the process, learning from business people who are actually doing it every day, sharing your own successful techniques, and answering your questions about networking. You'll come away with some practical things that you can put in use right away!
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3/24 Open for Business
A
free program, and small-business resource for anyone starting a business or expanding their existing company.
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We are here to help you and your business navigate the business world. We work with start-ups, early stage companies, and businesses within their first 3 years that are ready to grow. We are a flexible incubator that provides business education, coaching and mentoring, dedicated office space, and networking opportunities through our affiliation with the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce. Not looking for office space but want a mentor - Take a look at our Virtual program. This program give the client all the benefits of our resident clients without the office space. This is geared toward those businesses that already have a physical space or are not quite ready to take on the space, but wish to participate in the program. Find out more information by calling us 302-737-4343.
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Exciting News about an EEC Graduate
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Last week, the EEC and others were treated to a wonderful visit to the Fireside Partners facility located on the Wilmington/NCC Airport, by Don Chupp. It was a reunion of sorts, as some of Don's fellow EEC Graduates, joined us. There was Mark Olazagasti, Info Solutions, Matt Doyle, Advertising is Simple, and Lee Genoese, Genoese and Associates, whose times at the EEC overlapped with Fireside's time there. Also joining us on the tour was David Staff from Senator Tom Carper's office, and Scott Goss from the News Journal, who wrote the article below.
Fireside graduated in August 2012, and as you can read in the NewsJournal article, has had a very successful run at it. Not included in the article, was the fact that Don hired a couple of guys who were also EEC members, Stefun Hawkins and Ron Berry from My Fan Country. They weren't able to make MFC work at the time, but Don loved their entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to take risks. They are currently Customer Experience Director (Stefun) and Managing Director (Ron) at Fireside. Fireside also works with Greg Fylak for UCEx another EEC graduate. Greg's business provides "experts" for analysis and investigations for the insurance & legal industries.
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Business Education Updates
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We are pleased to officially announce that
Costco Wholesale will be the sole breakfast sponsor for all business education workshops in 2016. One of the key missions of the EEC is to help businesses develop business skills to tackle not only the nuts and bolts aspects of running a business but also marketing, networking, and sales skills so that they can grow. Frank DeSantis, Program Director of the EEC, says "We are excited to have Costco as a sponsor for the breakfasts at our business education events. They have a longstanding commitment to the communities in which they serve, and have been a great resource for alot of the products that small businesses need on a daily basis."
Costco Wholesale has been a member of the
New Castle County Chamber of Commerce (affiliated with the EEC) since 2004 and sponsored many events but never has taken on series this large with the Chamber. "We are absolutely excited to be a part of the EEC business education programs. It is not only a great marketing benefit for Costco but we are also providing a service to our local businesses and the EEC, by helping keep their minds and bodies fueled," says Cheryl Strootman from Costco Wholesale.
With this new sponsorship, the EEC can provide one more benefit to its businesses for attending the business education workshops.
The Emerging Enterprise Center wants you to join us for Educational Workshops and Networking!
Our first quarter Workshops are listed on the EEC Website
(
www.EECincubator.com
), and on the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce Calendar of Events (
www.NCCCC.com
). Please check us out and Register for the ones that will best help you!
We hope to see you soon as a future event.
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Growth Wheel
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The EEC has a new tool that we are using to help personalize for you the development of the business skills You need for Your business. Growth Wheel provides us with the framework, structure and resources to Focus, Make Decisions and Take Action.
We are offering it as part of a series of workshops to the business community. By taking what we believe to be 4 topics that are universally relevent to many businesses and present it in a group setting.
We'll start off with two this first quarter. The first session was held on January 21
st with an overview of the process, and how it works, using the self-assessment tool, and working it through a Framework, Articles etc. to develop a 30-60-90 day action plan. The second session will really be the first of the 4-part series, and will be held on February 4
th: Customer Acquisition and Building a Pipeline.
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Welcome to our Newest Member of the EEC!
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In January we welcomed UNISCRAP PBC to the International Soft Landings Program. UNISCRAP, founded in August 2014, is a Public Benefit Corporation, headquartered in Delaware. They currently operate in both the US and Europe. The core activities of UNISCRAP PBC focus on the Resource Management Industry and the sourcing of recyclable resources, to develop investment that creates Social, Environmental, Financial and Industrial Impact.
Panagiotis Kollas, CEO and Founder of UNISCRAP, is responsible for the company strategy, leading the Business Strategy Office and the Finance Strategy Board. He establishes partnerships with other recycling corporations as well as suppliers and clients spearheading efforts for business development. Panagiotis also formulates the international partnerships roadmap for the social and environmental impact that UNISCRAP PBC is committed to helping.
Panagiotis, has strong experience on international business and trade by working in Greece and international organizations and by setting up startup companies in UK, US and Greece. He has a degree in Economics from University of Piraeus, Greece as well as a masters' degree in International Business from University of Wollongong in Dubai, UAE.
Panagiotis gained further insights on environmental topics when attending the Extension School of Harvard University.
Public Benefit Corporations (PBC) are relatively new. In July 2013, Governor Markell signed into law a new type of public benefit corporation. As defined in General Corporation Law (Title 8, Chapter 1 of the Delaware Code), a PBC is a for-profit corporation intended to produce a public benefit and operate in a responsible and sustainable manner. The PBC is to be managed in a manner that balances stockholders' pecuniary interests, the best interests of those materially affected by the corporation's conduct and the public benefit for which the PBC is formed.
According to Kollas, "In UNISCRAP we believe that the generation for public benefit is a MUST for affecting positively the sustainability of our work. We give emphasis on the Global Goals of United Nations." UNISCRAP divides the public benefit in four (4) categories:
- Social Impact Level: UNISCRAP has developed the roadmap for working with organizations, and foundations in Delaware, to generate measurable impact on the sectors of education, entrepreneurism, and tapping into the cultural approach to environmental sustainability.
- Environmental Impact Level: Through their activities UNISCRAP aims to affect the carbon dioxide emissions to satisfy international agreements, such as the recent Paris agreement for climate.
- Financial Impact Level: Plans are to generate financial income from activities to guarantee the financial sustainability of the company, and to impact the community through taxes and wages for our employees. Last but not least, the profits will give emphasis to the industrial impact through innovation and technology generation.
- Industrial Impact Level: Partnerships will be the emphasis for the industrial impact, through the quality of the materials being used, as well the satisfaction of the production needs of the partners. UNISCRAP will work to develop the best solutions for business challenges of resource management and recycling, addressing challenges such as production infrastructures, logistics needs, quality control etc. On this front also, they will give strong emphasis on the smart innovation and technology development to multiply the effect and the sustainability of the community.
Frank DeSantis, Program Director for the EEC said, "I am so pleased that we were introduced to Panagiotis Kollas and UNISCRAP by Andrea Tinianow's team at the Delaware Department of State, as part of their Global Delaware initiative. Our International Soft Landings Program is designed to help foreign companies that are looking to establish a presence in US markets. We provide support and services that allow them to open an office, learn the business culture, and make the contacts they need, while they determine where in Delaware they want to permanently locate."
The EEC has worked with two other companies in the International Soft Landings Program. One of them, originally known as Idea Italia, now operating as Delaware is Good for Business (DIGFB), brought the "Treasures and Tales of the Guardia di Finanza, Italy's Art Recovery Team", an interesting and interactive art exhibit, to the Grand Opera House in Wilmington in the Fall of 2014.
UNISCRAP has an ambitious, global vision, that is rooted in a very practical approach, utilizing current industry resources and technology to develop relationships that will create funding and revenues that will finance future innovations and revenue streams. Currently, Panagiotis and his team are actively pursuing a variety of partnerships and sourcing agreements. In Europe, UNISCRAP has established a partnership with FCC Environment on the sourcing of recyclable resources (alternative fuels & materials), and are working with the following materials: tire scrap, biomass (wood chip), plastics, metals and solid recovery fuel as well as paper. At the moment they are working to supply alternative fuels to the Greek cement plants industry.
Here in United States, UNISCRAP PBC is seeking to work with the government of Delaware, and participating on the Organics Task Force Committee, for designing and developing a solution for recovery the organics waste materials from the poultry industry and producing bi-products such as biogas, power and organic fertilizer. UNISCRAP has also established a partnership with North East Recycling Council Organization.
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Looking for Funding?
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We hear stories about small businesses always scrambling to find funding, and usually asking us where they can find the initial funding before they qualify for more conventional loans.
Here are 11 Grants that we've identified that are available. Five of them are available to Women-Owned Businesses, all 11 of them are available to small businesses (several are offered through the SBA). Click this link to read more.
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DONATE to the EEC
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Did you know that the EEC is a non-profit? We sure could use your help. Think about donating to the program and giving back to the community like we do.
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Contact Us TODAY to learn about our program!
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The EEC is
here to help you focus on growing your business and learning new techniques and things to help you grow. Whether you need a mentor with expert advice from years in the field, office space, introductions to the right people to help you, or education on different aspects of the business, the EEC has what you need all in one place. Contact us today to help you and your business 302-737-4343
.
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Check Out our Calendars of
Business Events to find the
right event for you!
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The EEC is Delaware's only small business incubator. Check out our YouTube Channel to see some examples of what makes us so great. You will find testimonials, informational videos, how incubation works, and highlights of educational videos.
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We HAVE OPENINGS:
The EEC currently has openings for members in each of its programs.
- Pre-incubation
- Resident
- Virtual
- International Soft Landing
For More Information check us out at
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- Longwood Foundation
- Delaware Technology Park
Sponsors of the EEC Business Education Programs
- TD Bank Charitable Fund (Growth Wheel)
- The NewsJournal Media Group
- M&T Bank
- Costco Wholesale (Breakfast)
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