See how the SBDC has helped these entrepreneurs start and grow their business':
- Discount Vials
Glass packaging distributor Discount Vials began in 1999 in the basement of founder and company president Rhett Roeth after he purchased a pallet of glass vials through the UW Surplus With a Purpose (SWAP) program, an initiative that repurposes surplus goods from UW campuses, municipalities and state agencies. The initial success of reselling the glassware on eBay grew to a full-time business for Roeth. Today he runs Discount Vials from a warehouse on Madison’s east side.
- Fisher King Winery
As a corporate marketing professional, Alwyn Fitzgerald helped companies successfully create and implement their marketing plans. To develop a solid plan for success of his own business, Fitzgerald enrolled in entrepreneurial courses at UW-Madison Small Business Development Center (SBDC). In September 2011, after more than three years of preparation, Fitzgerald launched Fisher King Winery in downtown Mount Horeb. This unique urban winery ferments, bottles and sells its own premium wine, made mostly from cold-hearty, Wisconsin-grown hybrid grapes.
- Coopers Tavern
Beer cheese pretzels, a burger and a bottle of local brew are on the menu at The Coopers Tavern, named Best New Restaurant in July 2010 by Madison Magazine. In business for just over a year, its owners attribute their quick success in part to the UW-Madison Small Business Development Center (SBDC) courses they took before launching the business.
- SnowShoe LLC
UW-Madison graduate students Claus Moberg, Matt Luedke and Jami Morton utilized the SBDC to take their idea to the next level after winning a $15,000 innovation prize in the 2010 Climate Leadership Challenge, a business plan competition held annually at UW Madison. Moberg, Luedke and Morton formed SnowShoeFood LLC around their winning idea to build a carbon footprint calculator smartphone application to help consumers make informed food purchasing decisions. The original concept would enable shoppers to scan the barcode of food products to calculate the carbon footprint.
- Customer Development Firm Praises Support of SBDC in Launching Business
John Russell launched Middleton-based The Business Source, a full-service customer development firm, shortly after taking the Entrepreneurial Training Program (ETP) through the SBDC in 2007.
- Entrepreneur’s Burning Inner Fire Creates Successful Yoga Business
When Marit Sathrum moved to Madison from California in 2002, she didn’t plan to become a business owner. But a “for lease” sign in a vacant shop window, led this MBA-bearing yoga instructor to fulfill her dream of opening her own yoga studio.
- Madison Scientist Turns Technology into Business
For a scientist, thinking like a business person can be a challenge. Just ask scientist Patrick Heaney, who in 2009 started NCD Technologies LLC around a technology he developed as a PhD student at UW-Madison.
- Online Sales Success for Family Pottery Business
Two years ago Ericka Napp left a successful career as a product designer in the corporate world to join the pottery business her parents, Cherie and Jeff Napp, started more than 30 years ago.
- InStep NanoPower LLC to commercialize an energy harvesting technology
Turning an idea into a product was nothing new to Tom Krupenkin. Starting a business was. So, he got help from the SBDC and learned how to start a new product business.
- Natural Skin Care Product Distributor Off to a Great Start
Entrepreneur Tim Chulu always knew he had a great product, but the rapid success of the natural skin care line sold through his De Forest-based business, FloClaire LLC, was a bit of a surprise even for him.
- Making Sense of the Emerging Media Madness
John Holcomb started his business by attending the UW-Madison Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Entrepreneurial Training Program.
- Success is Sweet for Madison Chocolatier
Gail Ambrosius is one of ten 2008 Dane County Small Business Award winners. For Ambrosius this award is proof that hard work really does pay off.
- SBDC Instrumental in Growing Madison Design-Build Business
When Dani Michels started her interior design-build construction business, Commercial Interior Contractors, she was a one woman show, working on a laptop computer from her home office and often from her car.
- The Healthy Buildings Guru
www.healthyhomereports.com-New Economy Green Business Launched
- From Riddles to Building a Business
Lifelong learning has led Ed Linville through a journey of building a successful architectual design firm in Madison.
- Personal Chef Prepares for Expansion With ETP Course
This outlook could describe Patricia Mulvey, owner of What's for Dinner, LLC a personal chef service in Madison.
- Collaboration, Business Advice, Spawn Technology-based Firm
Viruses beware! Barbara Israel and her colleagues believe they have a better, faster and more universal way of detecting you, and they've started a business to move their technology into the marketplace.
- Entrepreneur Grows High-Tech Consulting Laboratory
Michael Cockrem solves problems and develops technologies for some of the nation's leading chemical, pharmaceutical and food companies.
- Entrepreneur Links Children's Authors with Teachers
Nick Glass brings the authors and illustrators of children's books to life through a web site he says is an unparalleled multimedia children's literature resource.
- Historian Helps Build Architectural Firm
Anne Biebel is an architectural historian who is committed to the preservation of significant vintage buildings.
