| Issue No. 263 Serving the Entire Business Community July 2006 | ||||
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Annual CHAMBER PICNIC| Small Business Development Center The mission of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is to provide advice, training, and access to resources for potential and existing small businesses in order to facilitate their success. Whether it's starting a business, securing funding, managing cash flow, paying taxes, supervising your employees, planning your days more effectively, or any number of other things, it never seems to stop for the small business owner and the SBDC is here to help.  For those of you who are considering starting your own business, the SBDC provides training on a variety of topics from helping you determine if your business idea is sound to the steps you need to take to get started on the right foot. Those seminars include: Business Feasibility - Can I Make Money at This? Legal Considerations for New Business Preparing Your Business Plan Personal Credit Financing Your Small Business For our complete seminar schedule, visit our website at www.southbendbcg.com. At the core of SBDC services is individualized business advising. While you will attend a seminar to learn the fundamentals, clients can meet privately with an advisor, or a team of advisors if need be, to learn more about their particular concern - whether it be starting a business or growing and managing an existing one. There are no fees for these sessions and clients are encouraged to establish a relationship with their SBDC advisor that will focus on their changing needs as the business is started and grows. As a supplement to business advising the SBDC can offer many services: Market Research: Since market research is so important to the success of a business, the SBDC has purchased various software programs to help clients with this often-overwhelming task. Some of the services we can provide include generating business prospect-lists, reviewing customer buying habits, and providing demographic information based on a particular location. Financial Statement Analysis & Review: Through the use of a software program called BizBench, the SBDC can generate reports, based on a client's financial information, which will help analyze internal data in comparison to previous years and/or a particular industry. Software Resources: The SBDC sells three software programs that have been developed by members of the Indiana Small Business Development Center Network. These programs are: Active Ventures - everything you need to start a business Navigator: Business Plan Edition - a web-based tool to develop a business and/or a strategic plan CONTACT INFORMATION: Small Business Development Center 401 E. Colfax Ave., Suite 120 South Bend, IN 46617 574.282.4350 www.southbendbcg.com   Centier Bank 201 N. Michigan Street, Plymouth; 574-936-3192; 537 N. Oak Rd., Plymouth; 574-936-1970; www.centier.com Centier Bank has been named 'Best Bank for Business' by the Northwest Indiana Business Quarterly Magazine for 2006. This is the fourth year in a row that Centier has received this honor, which is decided by area business leaders in a poll conducted by the magazine. Centier has one of the largest and most experienced teams of Business Bankers in Northern Indiana, with banking locations in over 22 communities and their surrounding areas. For more than 111 years, Centier has built lasting partnerships through a network of world-class service experiences with families and businesses of Northwest Indiana. "We recognize that our clients want responsive financial professionals who understand the local economy, and this helps determine the course of action for business planning," stated Mike Schrage, President and CEO of Centier. "When you are committed to the financial future of the communities you serve, you prioritize getting it right. This honor recognizes that accomplishment." Centier Bank is reinforcing a commitment to the community with a promise to remain Not For Sale. With more than 111 years of exceptional service as a Schrage family-owned and managed bank, Centier is dedicated to meeting the needs of all residents of Northern Indiana. For more information about Centier's products and services, contact its website at www.centier.com. Plymouth Quick Space Warehouse & Dist. 301 S. Liberty Street, Plymouth; 574-941-2372 Emeric Szalay, along with being the Plymouth Quick Space Warehouse & Dist.'s owner and a real estate agent for Collins & Co. Realtors, has also been a Reserve Deputy Marshall with the Lakeville Police Department for three years. To raise funds for the reserves, or LPD Aux Fund, Inc., Emeric wants to make our Plymouth community aware of the Lakeville Police Department Reserve Unit presentation of 'Cops & Comedy' featuring Dwayne L. Gill, State Trooper and stand up comedian. The show times are 5 and 8 PM at the Newton Center in Lakeville, on Saturday, July 29th. The ticket price for this fund raiser is $15 and may be purchased at the Newton Center. For further information, contact Emeric at 574-298-4000. MarketPlace of Ideas . . . watch for our next event! Open Letter to all Business Owners: I recently participated in the MarketPlace of Ideas during the annual Chamber of Commerce dinner. I was overwhelmed by the turn out of other business owners attending this event and visiting our booth. Not only did I meet a lot of great people, but I also gained a lot of great potential customers as well. This was by far the best investment I have made in 2006 hands down. I would encourage anyone who would like an opportunity to network and grow your business to inquire about this event, furthermore, the investment of ten dollars to secure booth space was far outweighed by the return of 2-3k in business not to mention the fact that I won a $100 money tree from the great people at Centier Bank. Needless to say I still smile when I think about the MarketPlace of Ideas. Pete Quella HQ Chem Dry 5178 E. Toto Rd., Knox 574-772-0222 www.ChemDry.com LaFree Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy 2934 Miller Drive, Plymouth; 574-941-2200 Erica Rowe of Argos has joined LaFree Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy as a patient representative and physical therapy aide. As a patient representative and aide, she is responsible for making sure the needs of patients are being met pertaining to physical therapy and their treatment program. Rowe also handles patient questions or concerns regarding their insurance, treatment rendered, or appointment scheduling. Rowe graduated from Argos High School in 2003 and attends Indiana University-South Bend where she is studying business. Kristy Kay Showley, DPT of Knox recently joined LaFree as a physical therapist. Showley graduated from the University of Indianapolis Krannert School of Physical Therapy with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy. She completed a 15-week internship at LaFree this past spring and was invited to join the staff after her graduation in May. Showley is excited to be working at LaFree and looks forward to learning different and creative ways of providing patient care to treat a variety of orthopedic diagnoses, pre and post-operative cases, and to observe treatment of wound care as well as lymphadema management. LaFree Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy, located in Plymouth, serves patients throughout Northern Indiana and specializes in orthopedic physical therapy, workman's compensation, and sports medicine. The Center for Hospice & Palliative Care, Inc. 112 S. Center Street, Ste C, Plymouth; 574-935-4511; www.centerforhospice.org The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc. invites individuals to attend the upcoming volunteer training to be held at its Plymouth office, 112 South Center Street, July 17, 19 and 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The training will focus on the hospice philosophy, communication skills, spirituality, family dynamics, patient care, bereavement, and much more. Following training, volunteers may assist patients and families with respite, transportation, laundry, errands, companionship, or bereavement, or may serve in office or clerical roles. Scheduling for volunteers is flexible. For a volunteer application or further information, contact Ellen Brown, Volunteer Resources Coordinator, at (574) 935-4511 or (800) 774-2784. The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc. is a premier not-for-profit, community-based agency improving the quality of living through hospice, home health, bereavement services, and community education. Through offices in South Bend, Plymouth, Elkhart and Mishawaka, The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc. serves St. Joseph, Marshall, Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, LaGrange, La Porte and Starke Counties. Ancilla Domini College 9601 S. Union Road, Donaldson; 574-936-8898; www.ancilla.edu Sunny skies greeted golfers at the 11th Annual Ancilla College Golf Tournament at the Plymouth Country Club on June 12th. Thirty-five teams took part in the tournament with major sponsor St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center's team of John Ruff, Jim Beckham, Dr. Guy Kedziora and Dr. Rod Kubley taking top honors with a score of 57. The golf tournament is the single largest fundraising event held by Ancilla with this year's outing raising in excess of $18,748 for the College's Annual Fund. Town and Country Press and Lake City Bank were this year's contributing sponsors while Christo's Banquet Center was the lunch sponsor. A new Provincial Team of Heavenly Putters was on hand at the ninth green this year helping teams shave a stroke off their score with their putting expertise. Sr. Nora Hahn, Sr. Virginia Kampwerth, Sr. Marlene Lama and Sr. Kathy Haas didn't disappoint and sank a number of long putts to the delight of the players. Once they finished their game, players were able to trade stories and have a delicious steak dinner in the clubhouse. A live auction was also held raising over $1,200 for the College. Next year's tournament will be held on Monday, June 11th. Ancilla College is a Catholic, two-year, co-educational, liberal arts college in Donaldson, Indiana sponsored by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. July 2006
July Inserts
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