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ENTREPRENEURS OF TULSA,
INC.
18th Floor,
Mid-Continent Tower
401 South Boston, Suite 1810
Tulsa, Oklahoma
74103-4018
Phone 918-582-6131 Fax
918-584-4213
"Creating
an Environment Celebrating the Entrepreneurial Spirit"
Sign
up for membership--now!! Click here for the form.
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Jeff Stava, President of Outdoor Innovations' Top 15 Tips to Properly Managing Your
Company
15 Can not finance the future w/ proceeds from
sales
14 There is a difference between cash flow and profitability
13 If your conservative numbers look "high", then they probably are
12 Be objective
11 Don't put all your cash in inventory (WATCH INVENTORIES)
10 Know your key business stats at all times
9 Manage your investors / don't let them manage you
8 Know your competitors better than they know themselves
7 Know your customers better than your competitors do
6 Product Plus and Quality Built
5 Crisp and Clear Marketing -- Know your Target intimately
4 Unparalleled Customer Service
3 Surround yourself with people that are more capable than you are
2 Delegate, Delegate, Delegate
1 Take personal down time and get a hobby
Thursday March 27, 5:30-7:00 pm
UT's Chapman Activity
Center, 5th & S. Florence, 2nd Floor
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Do You Have the Write Stuff for Selling?
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"Your writing ability is your most important
weapon. The ticket to ride in the 21st century will be that ability. Those that
lack it will be left in the cyberdust . . ."
Jay Conrad Levinson, author Guerrilla Marketing series
Dollar-for-dollar nothing provides a better return on investment than a good,
well-written sales message. If you want to know how to improve the
response you get from your:
Website, Advertisements, Email marketing, Newsletters,
Sales letters & emails, Flyers and brochures
. . . then you need to attend the next ET meeting.
Learn what really works - the tricks of the trade that professional sales
writers use every day.
Good sales copy works in all media - high-tech, low-tech and no-tech. It works
around the clock delivering your message perfectly, every time. It never calls
in sick and it never complains. It can be the most valuable salesperson
you have.
Anyone can write good sales copy and good sales letters - once you understand
the fundamentals. Then you'll have a powerful, secret weapon that you can
unleash again and again to generate new business.
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Jeff Simmons is known for his energetic, fresh and effective manner. He
presents both familiar and advanced sales concepts in a way that is always
interesting and often entertaining. Audiences appreciate his real world
approach along with new and novel take-home ideas.
As one reviewer recently said, "Jeff can teach an old dog new tricks".
Jeff brings both breadth and depth to the platform, gained from 20 years, 26
countries, $150 million in sales and "a few thousand" sales calls.
As the founder of X-selleration, he provides content-rich keynotes, seminars and
workshops for sales organizations, along with sales coaching for individuals.
Check out more at www.x-selleration.com
Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be provided.
We encourage you to bring a guest or business associate. Non-members are asked
to contribute $20. at the door.
Please RSVP
E-mail: Frank: hfw5171@swbell.net
or Jeff: jstoermer@jarboelaw.com
Thursday October 25th, 2001
5:30-7:00
CHAPMAN ACTIVITY CENTER 5TH & S.
FLORENCE
2nd Floor
UNIVERSITY OF TULSA CAMPUS
ET's First annual series on prosperity:
Part 3: Marketing, making closing the deal a cinch
Scott Gaspar
is Business Development Manager for IdeaStudio Design Group.
He's been involved with marketing and branding for nearly 10 years. Previously
he branded and built a cooperative franchise network of over 150 national
companies providing a service network for the retail industry. Scott came to
IdeaStudio one year ago to further develop his skills in branding and helped to
create the exciting field of Image Alignment that IdeaStudio now specializes
in.
Gaspar is a graduate of the University of Tulsa with a Batchelor of Science in
public relations/organizational communications. He's a member of the
International Association of Business Communicators and an active member of the
Tulsa Chamber.
Find out more about IdeaStudio at www.ideastudio.com.
Part 1: August 23: Listening to your customers with Matt McClendon and Adam
Boesen of Emergent Strategies
Part 2: September 27: Best-sellers with Jeff Simmons
Part 3: October: Marketing, making closing the deal a cinch
Various hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be provided. Come enjoy the
food, fun and mingle with new friends. Bring
a friend or business associate and join us at Entrepreneurs of Tulsa beginning
5:30 PM in the University of Tulsa's Allen Chapman Activity Center, 5th and
Florence on the second floor west end. There is no charge for members;
non-members are asked to contribute $10.00 at the door, which can be applied to
membership.
Thursday July 26th, 2001
5:30-7:00
CHAPMAN ACTIVITY CENTER 5TH & S.
FLORENCE
2nd Floor
UNIVERSITY OF TULSA CAMPUS
"Location, Location, Location:
How to successfully move your business"
Our panel of speakers will discuss how to find the best
location, whether it is better to buy or lease, how to negotiate the best lease,
and how to tie up loose ends when relocating businesses.
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Thursday June 28th, 2001
5:30-7:00
CHAPMAN ACTIVITY CENTER 5TH & S.
FLORENCE
2nd Floor
UNIVERSITY OF TULSA CAMPUS
"CUSTOMIZING RESEARCH TO MEET YOUR
BUSINESS NEEDS"
Please join The Research Wizard--Martha Gregory from the Downtown Tulsa
Library.
The Tulsa City-County Library System offers you and your company a unique
service that is customized to meet your business needs and maximize your time
and profits.
What is Research Wizard?
Research Wizard is part of a systemwide service provided by the Business and
Technology Department located on the fourth floor of Central Library. Research
Wizard provides specific, customized information to customers who need more than
a simple answer to a question.
Research specialists work to ensure you receive the information you need,
when you need it. Specialists use library resource collections and databases not
found on the Internet and provide you with information that other companies
don't have. They review and evaluate resources for quality and reliability.
What kind of research questions does Research Wizard answer?
What are our competitors doing on the West Coast?
Answer: "Your major competitor is expanding its operations to three new
states."
Can we use the new trademark we've chosen?
Answer: "There are five trademarks similar to yours already in
use."
Who will buy our new product line?
Answer: "We have identified more than 2,340 potential customers to
market your new product."
Computers,
Technology & Cookies
Wednesday
May 16th-Thursday May 17th
Computer &Technology Showcase
10:00am - 4:00 pm
In
an effort to offer our members well-rounded resources for their businesses,
Entrepreneurs of Tulsa is participating in this year’s Computer &
Technology Showcase (www.techshows.com) in place of our May meeting. We have
enclosed two admission tickets for your convenience in the mailing.
If you need additional tickets, please contact Frank Wilcox at 298.9236
or hfw5171@swbell.net.
Please
visit our booth #910 for fresh, hot cookies and the latest help in computers,
communication and technology.
Managing Change:
How to Profit During Uncertain Times
Thursday April
26th, 2001 5:30-7:00
The Art of Getting
Paid
Tuesday March
20th, 2001 5:30-7:00
CHAPMAN ACTIVITY CENTER 5TH & S. FLORENCE
UNIVERSITY
OF TULSA CAMPUS
Collections
are the concern of every small business owner.
One bad debt can destroy months worth of profits that are desperately
needed for working capital and growth. ET
will explore the pitfalls and the creative ways to collect those past due
receivables. Please Email advanced
questions to: johnm@wordspinners.com
BILL BARTMAN- 1986, founded Commercial Financial Services, Inc., a
consumer debt collection business. In thirteen years, CFS grew to 3,900
employees with revenues in excess of $1 billion per year and $182 million in net
income. In 1998, CFS was acknowledged as the "Largest, best trained and
most efficient debt collection operation in the world." Financial
success is only one measure of accomplishment, a greater measure of
accomplishment is the benefit to society of the enterprise. His innovative
methods and procedures have transformed the entire debt collection industry in
America and abroad. See Bill on the
Internet at www.billbartmann.com.
WORKS AND LENTZ- Works & Lentz has evolved over the past 30 years from a
practice primarily in the areas of commercial and retail collections to its
present status as a general practice law firm with the experience to provide a
wide variety of services to its clients. The firm has offices in Tulsa and
Oklahoma City making it possible to service our clients throughout the state.
Our general practice includes commercial law, mortgage foreclosures, landlord
tenant relations, corporations, wills, probates and real estate title
examination. We are committed to servicing our clients and their needs whether
they are in the area of collections or general practice.
See them on the Internet: www.workslentz.com.
The Internet and The
Entrepreneur
Thursday February
22nd, 2001 5:30-7:00
Entrepreneurs of
Tulsa will be presenting a panel discussion to examine the spectrum of questions
that arise when you are making the business decision to go on-the-web.
This presentation will cover the various issues whether your products or
services are directed towards consumers, businesses, or you're interested in
what's new on the academic front. Additionally,
we will hear the entrepreneur's voice of experience from a newly formed
e-commerce company and an established local media site.
The
program will feature the following Internet visionaries and their companies,
with each spending approximately 10 minutes explaining the various aspects of
their expertise. The panelists will
then field questions from entrepreneurs in attendance or if you would like to
pre-submit questions for consideration, please email to johnm@wordspinners.com.
Mike
Kimbrell,
(webmaster, Tulsa World; www.tulsaworld.com),
has been a professional journalist for nearly three decades.
In the early 1990s he was the system operator for the Tulsa World's BBS,
an effort that led to the creation of tulsaworld -dot-com in the summer of 1996.
He has been a part of that operation since.
Scott
Phillips
- The co-founder and President of Isocentric Networks (www.isocentric.com),
Entrepreneurship is not a foreign word to Scott as he is also credited with
starting Commercial Electronics, a contract research and development company,
whose diverse client list includes the Department of Energy, Oklahoma Center for
Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) and Ford Motor Company. Mr.
Phillips holds one patent and has others pending.
Lori
Leonard,
Assistant Professor, Management Information Systems Dept.; University of Tulsa.
Received
Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas in 1999
- Has conducted research in the
area of electronic commerce for three years, and her dissertation dealt with
electronic commerce and supply chain management
- Has been teaching the
graduate/undergraduate electronic commerce course in the TU college of
business for four semesters
For
her full resume see http://wwwfp.cba.utulsa.edu/leonardln/vita.doc
Lloyd
Prins quit his job a year-and-a-half-ago, as a human resources executive
to sell guitars on the Internet (www.guitarxpress.com).
On July 4, 1999, he launched the
guitarxpress.com web site that he had personally designed. Then he waited.
Slowly, e-mails began to trickle in, and the orders started to pile up. Within
three months, the dot-com was turning a profit.
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Resources
and Financing
For
Starting and Growing Business
January
23rd, 2001
Knowing where to find resources and financing are important
strategy issues in the life of every business, whether just starting or growing
to the next level. Experts from the
Tulsa Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Resource Center and the Oklahoma
Technology Commercialization Center will review the secrets to success for
leveraging resources and financing. An
open question forum will follow the presentations.
Please join:
Dennis Currington,
Director, Small & Minority
Business Development, (www.tulsachamber.com).
Dennis has more than thirty years of industry and business development
experience that includes a background as a plant engineer in manufacturing, an
engineering consultant for the refinery and petrochemical industry, and a
business development director for engineering and service related companies.
During
his first year with the Chamber Dennis has taken the lead in opening a Small
Business Resource Center as a community service outreach of the Tulsa Metro
Chamber. The Center provides business development assistance and one-on-one
consulting for new and expanding business enterprises in the Tulsa area.
David Leavitt,
Oklahoma
Technology Commercialization Center, (www.otcc.org);
David brings more than 15 years of experience in engineering, technology
management, and law to his new position as Director of Commercial Development
for the Oklahoma Technology Commercialization Center.
As Director of Commercial Development
for the Tulsa area, Leavitt’s primary responsibility is to generate, increase
or enhance business development opportunities for advanced technologies within
the State of Oklahoma. Additional
areas of responsibility include proactively identifying, assessing and
cataloging technologies in the research and development stage; linking these
technologies with market or industry needs; assisting the technology transfer
and commercialization process as appropriate; and coordinating and monitoring
the progress of clients through the commercialization process.
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"Hiring and Firing - Doing it right or
wrong?"
November 14th
There
are right and wrong decisions that we have all made in hiring and firing. This panel discussion will focus on the
critical questions and answers related to this sensitive issue. Please
meet:
Barbara Henke is the owner of Human
Resource Investments (HRI) a consulting and organization development company
specializing in management and employee development training with special
emphasis on Conflict Management, mediation, and Customer Service training. She founded HRI in February of 1990
after resigning from MAPCO, a Fortune 500 company, where she held the position
of Manager of Employee Relations and Training. As the first Manager of Training for
Mapco, She had the opportunity to guide Mapco's entire training effort. As the Manager of Employee Relations for
Corporate she had the responsibilities of designing and maintaining H.R.
systems, recruiting and internal consulting on employee relations and
development issues. Prior to coming
to Mapco Barbara was with Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) where she
held a variety of professional positions before being asked to join the Human
Resource Department. Barbara had
the opportunity at PSO to assist in orchestrating an Organizational Culture
change.
Charles S. Plumb
graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas in 1979, receiving
a Bachelor of Business Administration. In 1982 he received his law degree from
the Ohio State University College of Law, with honors. He was an Editor of
The Ohio State Law Journal. He is an Editor of the Oklahoma Employment
Law Letter.
Mr. Plumb's practice includes the areas of
business litigation and employment law. Mr. Plumb is a member of the
American Bar Association's Labor and Employment Law Section, as well as the
Oklahoma Bar Association's Labor Council. Mr. Plumb represents management in all
phases of labor relations and employment law; with regard to business
litigation, Mr. Plumb represents Business organizations involving a wide
range of subjects in state and federal court litigation.
Email: cplumb@dsda.com
Attnette Johnson, PHR
(Professional in Human Resources) holds a Bachelor in Business Administration
with a concentration in Human Resources Management from the University of North
Texas.
Over the years she has served in positions such
as benefits administration, employee/labor relations, safety and
compensation. She has also worked
in a variety of industries both publicly and privately held.
In those positions she has negotiated labor
agreements, developed and instituted broad sweeping polices and procedures,
spear headed major hiring initiatives, and dealt with regulatory agencies and
legal authorities on employee relations and labor law issues.
Ms. Johnson is currently employed with CITGO
Petroleum Corporation in Tulsa, OK as a Human Resources
Consultant.
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October 24th at Chapman Activity Center 5:30 - 7:00
"Survival Skills for Selling or Buying a
Business"
This panel discussion involving
Tulsa's foremost experts in this field will provide detailed insight into the
many pitfalls.
This chance to interact directly with these experts will provide a unique
opportunity that you won't want to miss.
Ownership transfer is an
important strategy issue in the life of every business. How do you build a
business that you can leave in style? How do you navigate the sale process? Experts from law,
accounting, business brokerage and valuation will review the secrets to
success. An
open question forum will follow the presentations.
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David McKinney, an attorney Boesche,
McDermott & Eskridge, has extensive experience in business
transactions.
Mr. McKinney will review topics such as the legal considerations in
building your business's value, preparing your business for sale, avoiding
costly errors, sale agreements, legal due diligence and closing.
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Greg Entwistle, CPA is with Tulsa's
Stanfield & O'Dell and has expertise in tax and accounting for managing
privately held businesses. He will discuss keys to establishing
credible and helpful accounting systems for building business value, preparing
for a sale, tax opportunities, and completing the sale.
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John C. Johnson is a certified
business intermediary with Bluestem Resources Group and Past President of the
International Business Brokers Association. John will share what buyers look for in
selecting and valuing a business, how to successfully go into the market, and
the selling process including common pitfalls by owners.
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About the
Meeting Held on Tuesday Sept. 19
Premier Marketing Professionals will be speaking on various
marketing topics ranging from "knowing your customer" to current trends in
traditional and Internet marketing. Please come and welcome the following
marketing leaders:
Dan
Jarrett, President, ConsumerLOGIC, a marketing and opinions research
company.
David
Stambaugh, President, Word Spinners, an Internet e-business solution
provider.
Kenyan
Blunt, President, Bullseye Database Marketing, database and direct mail
solutions.
Jim
Holder, Regional Manager, Fleetwood Retail, a nationwide manufacturer
and retailer of pre-fabricated homes.
Dr. Ralph
Jackson, Department Chair of Management and Marketing, will speak
generally about marketing plans and budgets.
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