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in this issue SBDC News & Information Centers Respond to Growing Concerns about Economic Conditions Bright Ideas: Energy-Saving Upgrades Pay Off for University of Scranton SBDC Client If the Weak Dollar is Hurting You, Exporting May Be the Answer Consultant Profile: Todd Dolbin Penn State SBDC Workshop Examines Business Opportunities in a Challenging Economy Small Business Institute Positions Northeastern PA Business Owners for Success Full Steam Ahead: Brookville Equipment Corporation Celebrates Long-Term Success Capitol Views: Congressman Jason Altmire Veteran Builds Rock-Solid Business with Wilkes University SBDC Help University of Pittsburgh SBDC Bolsters Region's Growing Tech Community Educational Programs |
Apprentice Loser to Headline Duquesne University SBDC’s 10th Entrepreneur’s Growth Conference Successful Businessman Offers Lessons Learned for the Entrepreneurially-Minded
Getting fired is a fairly common occurrence in today’s competitive business climate, but Andy Litinsky’s experience is anything but typical. After all, the Harvard-educated entrepreneur was fired at the hands of business mogul Donald Trump, an experience witnessed by more than 16 million viewers tuned in to NBC’s wildly popular season two of The Apprentice. On June 5, Litinsky will share his story at the tenth anniversary of the Duquesne University SBDC’s Entrepreneur’s Growth Conference held in Pittsburgh. Litinsky will discuss how he has been a successful entrepreneur since the age of 13, how The Apprentice shaped his future, as well as his experiences as a key member of the Trump organization today. (Litinsky, easily the show’s youngest competitor at 22, made a lasting impression on Trump, who later rehired him. Notably, he is the first and only competitor from the reality show to be rehired by Trump.) Since 1998, thousands of business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs and entrepreneurially-minded executives have flocked to Duquesne University for the SBDC’s Entrepreneur’s Growth Conference, southwestern Pennsylvania’s oldest and largest entrepreneurship event. The event features more than 25 expert-led workshops for growth-stage companies, new ventures, million-dollar enterprises and technology businesses; an extensive Business Building Showcase and the nonstop networking opportunities. Andy Masich, President & CEO of the Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and the largest history museum in Pennsylvania, will kick off the day as the morning guest speaker with an address titled 250 Years: A History of Innovation in Pittsburgh. |
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YOUR BUSINESS:
Entrepreneur's Growth Conference Masich is involved in Pittsburgh’s 250th anniversary celebration and is working with regional planners on joint awareness initiatives and developing a timeless exhibit about Pittsburgh’s innovations at the History Center in 2008. SMC, along with other leading organizations from the region, will sponsor the event. For a complete list of workshops, and
registration information, visit www.egc.duq.edu or
call (412) 396-6233.
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Erie Women Go “Wild” over Gannon University SBDC’s Women in Leadership Development Conference  The W.I.L.D. Steering Committee (Top, L-R): Jane Horetsky, Betsy DeAngelo, Barbara Niebauer, Lynn Lewis (Front) Debra Steiner and Jodie Gloekler of the Gannon University SBDC. More than 300 women attended the first Women in Leadership Development Conference (W.I.L.D.), presented by the Gannon University Small Business Development Center at the Ambassador Conference Center in March. The day-long conference included seminars, panelists and speakers promoting wellness, leadership and entrepreneurship – all of it by women and for women. The Conference featured nationally-known speakers including Soni Dimond, CEO of Soni Dimond Media and author of Life’s A PITCH! as well as Jean Gatz, author of Mama Said There’d be Days Like This: Stories and Strategies for Less Stressed Life. Plans for the second annual conference March 20, 2009 are under way. For more information, visit
www.sbdcgannon.org.
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Penn State and Lock Haven University Small Business Development Centers Celebrate 10th Anniversaries Two of the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers are celebrating ten years of service to entrepreneurs. For the past decade, the Penn State and Lock Haven University SBDCs have been offering critical management consulting, education and information to entrepreneurs and small businesses in Centre and Mifflin counties and Clinton and Lycoming counties, respectively. The benefit of these programs to the local and state economies is evidenced in the thousands of businesses and entrepreneurs that have been assisted by both of these centers over the course of the last decade: Clients of the Penn State and Lock Haven University SBDCs have created more than 1,000 jobs in their service area and started hundreds of new businesses. During the Penn State SBDC’s 10th Anniversary Celebration, SBDC clients spoke of the pivotal assistance they received, which enabled their businesses to thrive. Tracina Fisher, owner of Formalities, a bridal and formalwear shop, credited the Penn State SBDC with helping her grow her company’s sales 53 percent between 2002 and 2006. David Hellyer, owner of the Comfort Keepers franchise, has received assistance from the Penn State SBDC since he opened his business in 2003. While working with the SBDC, Hellyer has seen his business grow from several employees to more than 100. In addition to assisting entrepreneurs in opening new businesses and creating jobs, the Penn State and Lock Haven University SBDCs have also helped their clients to obtain millions of dollars in start-up and growth capital. Meanwhile, the SBDCs’ Environmental Management Assistance Program has helped clients obtain grants totaling $830,000 for environmental work while helping to reduce the waste, pollution and water and electricity usage of small businesses. The Lock Haven University SBDC will hold its 10th Anniversary Celebration, highlighting the positive impact the center has had on businesses in Clinton and Lycoming counties on June 12. To learn more about the impact of the Penn State and Lock Haven University SBDCs, visit www.sbdc.psu.edu and www.lhup.edu/sbdc.
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