By Amanda Kuhnert In 2020, after five years in business, the owners of Vermont Evaporator Company made a dramatic change to their business model. They moved to 100 percent online sales. Spurred by the pandemic, the new sales approach is “much more efficient than running the fair circuit from May through December to drive revenue,” […]
Vermont’s Future is in Great Hands with These Budding Young Entrepreneurs By Priyanka Prakasha Every July, VtSBDC looks forward to assisting with the annual, week-long entrepreneurial program for local high school students, put on by the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont. This event holds a special place in VtSBDC business advisor and student entrepreneurship specialist, Laurel […]
By Priyanka Prakasha In biology, there is a type of symbiotic relationship known as mutualism that describes the interaction between two parties in which both of them benefit. Take the oxpecker and the rhino, for example. The oxpecker lands on the rhino’s back, eating any ticks it finds. The oxpecker gets food and the rhino […]
In a three-part series focusing on communications and marketing planning, we shared the “why” behind having a well thought out plan in part 1. In part 2, we highlighted specific strategies. Finally, in part 3, we take a look at the tactical side of a sound communications plan. Assess, Strategize, Implement: Putting Your Communication Plan […]
By Amanda Kuhnert Jody Frey hadn’t anticipated a career in law. In her 30s, she was teaching adjunct courses at Sterling College to supplement her income as a dairy farmer when she became inspired to pursue a master’s degree in place-based arts. After earning her degree, she spent eight years teaching college-level environmental humanities—a subject […]
RANDOLPH CENTER, VT (July 7, 2021) — State Director, Linda Rossi, announced that Kate Paterson has been selected as the 2021 State Star of the Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC). The award, bestowed annually, celebrates a member of the organization’s team for exceptional commitment to small business success. “In the one year since Kate […]
“The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” – Thomas A. Edison For an entrepreneur, there is no greater fulfillment than seeing one’s innovative idea launch forth into a marketable product or service. Ask anyone who has experienced that trajectory and they will tell you it was not by luck, but by hard […]
RANDOLPH CENTER, Vt. (June 1, 2021) – Linda Rossi, State Director of the Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC), has announced that business advisor Scott Holson has returned to his role as innovation and tech commercialization specialist after a five-year tenure at Simbex, a medical device and development firm. At VtSBDC, Holson provides no-fee advising […]
By Amanda Kuhnert When Jay Miller decided to start his own business, he didn’t write a business plan. Instead, he developed a Business Model Canvas, a tool that helps entrepreneurs visualize their business strategy. For Miller, a landscape architect, the one-page document resembles a landscape plan he might put together for a client. But instead […]
In Part 1 of our blog series on Communications, we shared the Why behind having a well thought out, strategic plan to assess and reflect upon your business’ unique value proposition, target audiences, branding, and messaging. While most of us love to plunge right into the energetic, fun side of tactics, let’s take a pause […]
