October 1, 2008  

A BUSINESS NEWSLETTER from SBA's resource partner.Also at e-news.

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NEWS

LEARN WHO WE ARE

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U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR THANKS CEDAR RAPIDS

Jovita Carranza. the Acting Administrator of the United States Small Business Administration, or SBA, sent a letter of commendation to Jean Kruse, Chairman of the Cedar Rapids Area SCORE Chapter. Presented by Dick Weeks, SCORE® District Director (left, in picture), the letter extends praise for the community's help in the nations post-flood disaster recovery effort—but notably SCORE®'s efforts. Jean is most deserving, as are all the members of SCORE® and the greater Cedar Rapids business community.

This honor adds to the continuing number of national organizations thanking Cedar Rapids for setting a new standard in disaster recovery support and action.

The SBA Disaster Recovery group, the nation's “rapid response” team which assists after all national disasters, including those like Katrina, has said that they have never worked with as dedicated, competent and determined a group of people as those they encountered in Cedar Rapids after the “Flood of 2008.” We should all be very proud.

HIGH SCHOOL FOR ENTREPRENEURS - IOWA LEADS!

Perhaps the only one of its kind in the nation and certainly in Iowa, the eSeal Charter School in Sigourney, Iowa, caters to youth wishing to be entrepreneurs. It's mentors include Stanford University (California) and the University of Iowa's Pappajohn Business School.

Business folks in the Cedar Rapids area might consider encouraging our school district to establish a similar school here. It is a wonderful concept and we should support it. A great way to grow an economy!

If you wish to read about how this high school grows business people, CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE!

FREE OFFICE SOFTWARE

Small businesses often start with minimal resources. Many cannot afford the commercial and proprietary office software suites distributed by the major software companies. There is good news:

or OPEN OFFICE. ORG

One of the world's most powerful and current Office suites is free. More importantly it is "open" (meaning no restrictive licenses) and can be downloaded by anyone. It includes a powerful word processor, spreadsheet, presentation program, "pdf" export and data base. It is also compatible with the leading commercial equivalent. If you need an Office suite and cannot afford hundreds of dollars for one, check it out.

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Brought to you by the Cedar Rapids chapter of SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business," a nonprofit association and resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration. SCORE is dedicated to entrepreneurship and the formation, growth and success of small businesses nationwide. Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 7.5 million entrepreneurs.

Copyright 2007. SCORE Chapter 227. All rights reserved.

SCORE® Ch. 227 c/o SBA, 2750 First Avenue NE, Ste. 350,
 Cedar Rapids IA 52402-4831
(319) 362-6405 Ext. 2005

Office hours:  10-12 and 1-3  --NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED