Every year there is a Customer Appreciation Day, but I say let’s buck the system and celebrate customers every day. Here are some great ways you can tell your customers how much you appreciate them.

1. Send a thank-you note to every customer. Do not attempt to sell them anything, simply thank them for the business. If you don’t have a customer database, start one. Loyal customers are created by following up after the sale.
2. Run a “real” customer appreciation promotion. Think about what your customer would really enjoy and find a way to provide it. Do they need a price break or an additional value? Maybe gift-wrapping or extra deposit slips. If you don’t know your customer’s hot buttons, ask them.
3. Call them. A telephone call from you might confuse them, especially if you’re not calling to sell them anything. Tell a great story for them to share with their friends.
4. Offer a referral gift. Good feelings are generated when you reward your customers for sharing your business with their friends. Reward your customers who brag about you with a token of appreciation. This is where all that schwag in your inventory get put to good use. Give away gift cards whenever someone introduces you to someone new.

Great customer service is rare these days. Create a revolution that gets your customers bragging about you and you will earn new business that you wouldn’t get on your own. If you’re still looking for a reason to celebrate, look no further than your loyal customers. Every day can be customer service day, so start blowing up those balloons. 

This week’s tip was provided by Angel Tuccy and submitted by the South Metro Denver SBDC. Angel Tuccy is the co-founder of Experience Pros, LLC of Littleton. Experience Pros offers professional consultation and training to service-based industries. For more information and a complimentary initial consultation, visit www.ExperiencePros.com or call 720-344-2446. 

This message is being brought to you by the Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network. The SBDC is part of the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT). The Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network is dedicated to helping small businesses throughout Colorado achieve their goals by providing free, confidential counseling and various training programs. The SBDC combines information and resources from federal, state and local governments with those of the educational system and the private sector to meet the specialized and complex needs of the small business community.

For more information on the SBDC please click here.  For more information on OEDIT, please visit www.AdvanceColorado.com

It may not get the attention Facebook does, but Twitter is still a powerful tool in the world of today’s social media, even more so with last week’s redesign. In an effort to broaden its appeal, Twitter has simplified its process for new users while, at the same time, providing a relevant platform for advertisers.

If you’re on Twitter already, you may have noticed the home page has been total revamped with three icons at the top of the page: “Home,” “@Connect,” and “#Discover.” Here’s the scoop:

Home – you’ll discover that Twitter has embraced it’s two most recognizable functions that implement both the at (@) and hashtag (#) symbols. Their goal in doing this is to make Twitter easier to learn. With the redesign, the news feed is easier to follow and you can now see photos and videos displayed within tweets once you click on them rather than being taken to another site.  

@Connect – when you click on this icon, it will take you to a page that displays your Twitter interactions. You will easily see how many times your tweets have been retweeted or if other Tweeters have mentioned you.
 

#Discover – this is where you might notice the biggest change. One problem many new users to Twitter faced was the lack of initial content. No one wants to be lonely on Twitter, so #Discover helps users find content from the start as well as trending stories, community activities, top categories, and suggestions for who to follow and connect with – very similar to Facebook.
Finally, Twitter is expected to roll out Brand Pagesover the next few weeks. The hope is that this will help create more compelling brand destinations for companies by using large header images for displaying visuals, logos and taglines.

 Follow the NEECCO SBDC on Twitter

This information is from Eric Spellmann from Spellmann & Associates

Eligible Uses:

SBA:

• Buy, build, renovate primarily owner occupied commercial real estate
• Working capital/inventory
• Purchase materials, suppliers, furniture, fixtures and equipment.

US Department of Agriculture:

• Working capital, building/land purchase or construction, business acquisition, debt refinancing and purchase of inventory, furniture, fixtures and equipment.
• Agricultural production is not eligible.

Loan Amount:

SBA: Financing available up to $200,000

US Department of Agriculture: Financing available from $20,000- $35,000

More information view flyer

Loan Application

Have you been looking for some information regarding disaster preparedness?  Join the SBA’s free webinar series:

 Culture of Preparedness-Getting Through the First 72 Hours: September 7th from 2:00-3:00 EDT

10 Steps to Business Preparedness: September 14th from 2:00 to 3:00 EDT

Personal & Community Preparedness: September 21st from 2:00 to 3:00 EDT

Survivor Panel- Real Life Lessons Learned from Recent Disasters: September 28th from 2:00 to 3:00 EDT

For More Information View the Flyer

A dream that has become a reality in Burlington, CO! After the long haul of processing data, a hotel in Burlington, CO has obtained financing with the help from the NEECCO SBDC.

It expected to be completed in November of this year.

See the picture to the right for an example.

Or contact Yvette directly: 1-800-552-9033 ext. 809

www.wallconnections.com

Brochure

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“The mobile app will help users connect with SBA district office staff and SBA-affiliated counselors and mentors who can provide free, personalized small business assistance. The user-friendly format of the app will help answer questions such as: How do I start a business? Where can I go in my area to get free help with writing a business plan? And where do I begin finding funding for my business?

The SBA mobile app also features a built-in startup cost calculator to help estimate the costs associated with getting a business off the ground, plus an SBA partner locator to help users find SBA offices, Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers and SCORE.”

If you would like more information on this topic read the press release below.

SBA Smartphone App Press Release

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Colorado Lending Source, the state’s not-for-profit small business financing expert, announced the launch of Colorado Main Street Loans, a new small business loan program in northeastern Colorado established in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program will provide $450,000 in revolving, non-agricultural loans to small businesses in northeastern Colorado in an effort to stimulate economic growth and create jobs.  Colorado Main Street Loans of $20,000 to $35,000 each are available to small businesses located in towns with populations of fewer than 25,000 people in Eastern Elbert, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Yuma, Washington and Weld counties. Financing via the Colorado Main Street Loans can be used for working capital needs, start-up operating costs, building construction or renovation, the purchase or development of land, acquisition of equipment, feasibility studies or debt refinancing.
 

About Colorado Lending Source:
Colorado Lending Source is a private, not-for-profit economic development organization with a mission to foster the economic growth of diverse, Colorado-based small businesses. Colorado Lending Source has been assisting Colorado’s small business community for more than 20 years. By providing loans for commercial real estate and capital equipment purchasing, Colorado Lending Source has helped create nearly 16,000 jobs and invested more than $750 million in the state’s economy. In 2010 alone, Colorado Lending Source helped create or retain more than 2,300 jobs and awarded more than 250 loans.

For more information view flyer 

By: Nicole Christianson

Loan Officer

Colorado Lending Source

Direct Line 303.657.4813

nicole@coloradolendingsource.org

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“What is my #1 goal for my business?” 

Hopefully when you answer you will have that important factor of success!  Without success what are we doing in business?  There are two different types of mission statements.  The first is a reason of being and the second is a destination.

Reason of Being: A reason of being mission statement will identify why you are in business or if you are a start-up business why do you want to start the business.

 Business A is a flower shop:

To be a successful flower business providing quality products.

 Business Bis a service based business for exterior residential painting.

To be a successful painting business providing the best service.

Destination: A mission statement that identifies a specific location in which the business will target.

Business A, the flower shop:

To be the #1 flower shop in Denver, CO. 

Business B, the painters:   

To be the premier painting service in Burlington, CO.

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There is a loan available for beginning ranchers and farmers looking for funding.  This loan is a direct and guaranteed loan for those who are not able to obtain financing from commercial credit scores.  The loan is provided from the Farm Service Agency (FSA). 

There are specific requirements that must be met by the person looking to qualify for the CADA loan and to apply you need to contact your local FSA office. 

Click on the link below to find where you can apply.

FSA 

Key points of the Beginning Farmer Program

Borrower must be a Beginning Farmer which is defined as an individual who has never owned farmland which is equal to or greater than 30 percent of the median county farm acreage
Funds can only be used for the purchase of agricultural land and depreciable agricultural property
The maximum which can be borrowed is $469,000
Borrower must be approved by a lender
Loans are not guaranteed by the government or by CADA
The borrower and lender must mutually agree upon the terms of the loan (i.e. interest rate, length of loan)
Interest rates can be either fixed or floating
Loan applications must be approved by CADA within 60 days of any payments made on the project
No portion of the loan may be used for a personal residence

Information from http://www.cadafarmloan.com/ 

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