Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/595878
6 University of Hartford's Entrepreneurial Center | Women's Business Center e City of Hartford is a proud partner of the Entrepreneurial Center e Hartford Small Business Technical Assistance Program is funded in part with Community Development Block Grant funds allocated to University of Hartford's Entrepreneurial Center by the City of Hartford. www.Hartford.gov The Hartford Small Business Technical Assistance Program (HSBTAP) helps strengthen and grow Hartford businesses by developing a customized plan, designed especially for each company and its needs. Center experts conduct a site visit and assessment to get an in- depth perspective; offer individual appointments with business advisors and technical specialists; and host small group seminars. Technical help is available in marketing strategy, business plan development, financial management, hiring and contracts, and more. The goal of HSBTAP is to help keep small businesses in Hartford and establish them on solid ground, where they can blossom and succeed. HARTFORD SMALL BUSINESS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Rodney Matthews was actively looking for new customers for his signs, banners, and custom T-shirts. However, it wasn't until his Entrepreneurial Center advisor told him that he could be nurturing relationships with existing clients that something clicked. "She told me, 'Mine the gold in your own backyard. You don't have to look for new adventures [or customers] all the time,'" recounted Matthews. A business seminar on energy savings first brought Matthews to the center three years ago. At that time he was "in production mode, not looking at the financial end." He has since written a business plan, learned QuickBooks, analyzed his marketing, and attended Business Matchmakers, where larger corporations meet independent vendors. Thanks to the public and private funds that support the center, all of these initiatives arranged by the center were at low or no cost to his business. When it was time to hire two full- time employees in 2009, his advisors gave him advice on interviewing. "They gave me a whole different perspective and helped me identify prospects." Matthews recommends the center to new or existing business owners. "You are definitely going to learn something valuable." Rodney Matthews, Owner, Exclusive Linez, Harford, Conn. "In 2013, I took sole control over my deli after losing my partner and was struggling to make ends meet. I was seriously considering closing my business. It was around that time that I joined HSBTAP at the center, where they provided me with classes, tools, and connections to help re- establish and grow my business. Since then, I have seen strategic growth and feel more confident and re-energized operating a small business on my own." —Donna Ambrogio, Owner, Capital View Deli Business Owner Guided By Positive Signs SUCCESS STORY RODNEY MATTHEWS