Columbia-based SBDC Launches Blog, Seeks Reactions
"We've all been reading a lot about blogs lately," says MU Extension small business specialist Mary Paulsell. "Everyone, from Dave Barry to Barak Obama has a blog."
The term blog is an abbreviation of the original Web log moniker used to introduce a more personal and friendly means of communication from popular Web sites. Over time, the name has been shortened to blog, and blogs are about as diverse as the people who start them.
"The University of Missouri's University Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (UCIE) has joined the ranks of bloggers, and we think it will be a good venue for sharing information, updates about programs and services, and some of our favorite stories of entrepreneurial success," says Paulsell, director of UCIE.
"Our blog is called 'The Entrepreneur Next Door,' after the name of our local newspaper column. You can join our discussion at www.missouribusiness.net/ucie/blog. Let us hear from you, and tell us what kinds of information would be helpful. We'll do our best to make it an active, lively and interesting conversation."IRS Roundup
Popular Small Business Resource Guide updated for 2007
The 2007 Small Business Resource Guide CD-ROM is a handy, interactive CD produced and distributed by the Internal Revenue Service. Designed to help small business owners and self-employed taxpayers comply with tax laws, the CD provides an abundance of comprehensive information organized around the life cycle of a business, including:
- Pre start-up and starting your business
- Specialized guidance
- Hiring
- Preparing tax returns
- e-file
- Filing returns/paying taxes
- Post-filing issues
- IRS business forms and publications
- "Teens in Biz"
- Changing your business
- FAQs
- State and local government
Small Business Resource Guide
IRS Pub. 3207
The CD includes critical tax law changes, provides helpful information (such as how to prepare a business plan and finding financing for your business) and links to various government agencies.
The "Teens in Biz" section is geared toward young, aspiring entrepreneurs. It is an interactive module that gives practical tips for teens about starting their own business, creating a business plan and filing taxes.
For an online version of the resource guide, the content is available on the Web exclusively at MissouriBusiness.net (visit www.missouribusiness.net/irs/).
To obtain your own copy of this free CD, call the IRS at (800) 829-3676 or visit www.irs.gov/businesses/small/page/0,,id=7128,00.html 
to order online.
Business Going Green
Uncorked: recyclers turn trash into treasure
Awareness of the fragile environment grows daily and society takes note as it recycles more items once considered one-time use products.
Yemm & Hart Green Materials, of Marquand, Mo., give wine aficionados reason to uncork another bottle of wine: the company has joined the eco-friendly trend and started a wine cork recycling program.
The idea occurred following a fruitless search for recycled cork, which the firm planned to use as flooring material. Yemm & Hart has converted recyclables into building materials since 1989, so it seemed fitting for the company to add cork recycling to its list.
"Natural cork is the bark of a special oak tree that grows around the Mediterranean Sea, primarily in Portugal," partner Stephen M. Yemm explains.
Farmers remove cork by hand and the trees are left unscathed by the process. Cork farming, a centuries-old process, is important to both the agricultural economy and the ecosystem.
"Within the last few decades as the Earth's human population has soared, awareness of the pleasure and health benefits of consuming wine has skyrocketed," says Yemm.
Increased wine sales have led some wine companies to look for alternatives to real cork to save costs. The use of synthetic cork worries some who believe it could hurt the economy and the ecosystem that depend on cork farming.
"Fortunately, there are many vintners who would never use anything but real cork for their product," Yemm says. "There is also small but growing consumer awareness that seeking out wine contained by real cork helps to preserve an ecosystem whose anchor is one of the most unique trees on the planet. Real cork is a sustainable material and synthetic materials are not."
Yemm believes "commercial flooring has the highest value for cork as a recycled material." Eventually, those who donate cork will get discounts on flooring and other cork-made materials. Yemm & Hart has collected 1,200 pounds of wine cork stopper material.
"The response has been, I would say, very good, considering that all of the contributions to date are prepaid by the sender," said Yemm. "This highlights the fact that wine cork recyclers are passionate about recycling their corks."
The entrepreneurs believe donations will increase when Yemm & Hart is able to pay donors and as more businesses participate. The company plans to begin processing the recycled cork in 2008.
Yemm hopes the company's cork recycling program will "in our small way help raise the awareness of the importance of real cork use, to extend harvested cork's life for another 20 or more years, and to cause one more material to become successfully recycled in the U.S."
He also says the aromas from this process have been "wonderful."
For more about Yemm & Hart, visit the Web site at: www.yemmhart.com
Cork donations may be sent to:
Wine Cork Recycling
Yemm & Hart Ltd.
610 South Chamber Dr.
Fredericktown, MO 63645
Procurement Conference Explains Federal Contracting Process
Statewide meeting to explore government contracting for small business
In order to make it easier for firms to learn about government business opportunities, each year I join forces with the Missouri Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) and the Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (MO PTAC) to sponsor a federal procurement conference. This year's conference will be held on Wednesday, May 30, at University of Central Missouri (UCM) in Warrensburg.
Learning how to do business with the federal government can be a daunting prospect, particularly for small businesses. When I served as chairman of the House Small Business Procurement Subcommittee, I often heard from business owners who wanted to expand their businesses through government contracting, but just didn't know where to start.
The federal government spends about $250 billion a year on goods and services, and Missouri businesses sell many of the products the government needs. Our annual federal procurement conference is designed to help businesses learn how to navigate through government red tape, discuss new market opportunities, and make additional business contacts.
This year's conference is sure to be the best ever. In addition to dozens of contractor and government buying activity exhibits, we are fortunate to have Congressman Silvestre Reyes, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and Rear Admiral Kathleen Dussault, Deputy Assistance Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition, as guest speakers.
Small business owners interested in government contracting opportunities should not miss this useful and informative event. If you would like more details about the Procurement Conference, please check my official web site at www.house.gov/skelton or call my office at 816-228-4242 for a copy of the conference agenda and registration form.
If you would like more information about federal contracting opportunities or would like to find out about other assistance available to small businesses, I encourage you to contact the Small Business Development Center, University of Central Missouri, Dockery Suite 102, Warrensburg, MO 64093-5275. The Center can be reached by phone at (660) 543-4402, by fax at (660) 543-8159, or by email at sbtdc@ucmo.edu.
The conference is open to business owners and interested individuals. A fee of $49 per person is required and includes lunch. Registration prior to May 23 is encouraged. Individuals who want to attend may register online at www.missouribusiness.net/ptac or www.ucmo.edu/biz. A full agenda is available at www.missouribusiness.net/ptac/docs/skelton2007.pdf
Procurement Technical Assistance Center Results
From Jan. 1 to Mar. 31, 2007, MO PTAC clients received 243 awards totaling more than $57 million
At Your Service
Profile: Mark Manley
Mark Manley, manager of manufacturing technology at the University of Central Missouri SBDC in Warrensburg, graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a B.S. in mechanical engineering in 1982. For many years, he worked as a patent agent in Alexandria, Va. Manley later worked as a registered patent agent and as a mechanical engineer. For several years, he was employed with the Maytag Corp., in Iowa. He joined the University of Central Missouri SBDC in 1988.
Get to know Mark in the following Q&A.
Q. What is your favorite success story?
A. An ongoing one is with TextCaster, a specialized text-messaging service started by Kansas City entrepreneur Rob Sweeney. It's been a pleasure to work with Sweeney on this project. He's a classic entrepreneur. He does one thing well and then moves on to the next. He previously owned a restaurant. He did well with that, sold it, and used the finances to launch TextCaster. He's that type of entrepreneur that you always read about. The first time I met with him, it was 10 a.m. At 9 a.m., he had been at another meeting where he sold his product. (For a feature story on TextCaster go to www.missouribusiness.net/success/mobile_media.asp.)
TextCaster is great! If Missouri is playing in Nebraska, you can sign up to get reports about the Tigers' progress. Above all, Sweeney's a great salesman and he gives back. For instance, he completed FastTrac training in Kansas City two years ago and then donated two scholarships to the program for others to experience it.
Q. What's a piece of advice you'd offer someone who wants to patent an idea?
A. We work with a lot of classic innovators who are at the idea stage. I'd recommend that everyone should exercise caution and not jump into the patent/trademark process too quickly. Only about 5 percent of all innovations work out, so you need to be realistic and not waste money.
Q. Should you hire a patent lawyer?
A. I'd recommend people to come speak to us first about trademarks and patents because unlike a lawyer, we aren't on the meter. We have the time to talk and help develop the product before going to an attorney. We can prepare you so that when you go to a lawyer, you'll be ready and won't have to waste time and money.
Q. If you were to start a business, what would you do?
A. I actually have a business. I do patent work for businesses outside of Missouri. I have clients in places like California. I'll do ghostwriting where I'll write up a patent and a lawyer will sign off on it, but my name won't appear on the patent. I was really disappointed that the domain 'patentguy.com' was already taken.
Q. Anything else?
A. I would like to mention that I really appreciate all the clients that I get from referrals. I have received great clients from people like Jackie Rasmussen, MU Extension business development specialist based in Camdenton, and the SBA-related advisory group SCORE. I like the system of referrals.Mark is consulting engineer and patent agent in Warrensburg, Mo. He assists small businesses in the west central area of Missouri and specializes in helping clients throughout the state on specialized technical assistance issues, such as intellectual property. Contact Mark at manley@cmsu.edu or phone 660-543-4642.
Small Business, Big Contribution
Small business continues to generate 50 percent of private nonfarm GDP
"We've Small business is a big contributor to the nation's economy, generating 50 percent of the private, nonfarm gross domestic product (GDP), according to a study released in April 2007 by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The study covers the period 1998 - 2004, and confirms the findings of earlier research.
"Small business plays a big role in our economy," said Dr. Chad Moutray, Chief Economist for the Office of Advocacy. "This study confirms just how important small business is to our economic growth and prosperity. It makes clear that economic policy needs to take into account the needs of small businesses, because those businesses drive our economy."
The Small Business Share of GDP, 1998-2004, (www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs299tot.pdf) written by Katherine Kobe of Economic Consulting Services with funding from the Office of Advocacy, is the first study of its kind to use the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) as the basis for analysis. Use of this system allows the small business share of total GDP to be categorized into 16 major industrial sectors. The small business share of the GDP in each major industrial sector in 2004 ranged from 18 percent of the information sector to 85 percent of other services.
Over the seven-year period studied, the small business share of GDP held steady at around 50 percent. However, there has been a long-term decline from the late 1950s when the small business share of GDP was approximately 58 percent.
The Office of Advocacy, the "small business watchdog" of the federal government, examines the role and status of small business in the economy and independently represents the views of small business to federal
agencies, Congress, and the President. It is the source for small business statistics presented in user-friendly formats, and it funds research into small business issues.
For more information and a complete copy of the report, visit the Office of Advocacy Web site at www.sba.gov/advo.
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