Increase Outreach through Co-Branding

Question:

How was the small rural City of Chelsea, Michigan able to become a 5-Star City for entrepreneurial climate?

Answer:Through the use of co-branding and

collaboration between the MI-SBTDC and the Chelsea District Library.

Library-Biz Connect

Co-Branding: Why?

When effectively done, co-branding provides a way for organizations to combine forces so that their marketing efforts work in synergy.

Capitalizing on each other's resources for cost savings.

From an organizational perspective co-branding represents an opportunity for a win-win scenario.

Co-Branding Advantages

Co-Branding: Who?

Select a highly reputable partner organization.

Select a complementary or synergistic partner organization.

Select a partner organization within the same regional area.

Select a partner organization with a proven history of successfully serving your target population.

Co-Branding Guidelines

Co-Branding: Who?

Local Partners

Community Ownership Appropriate Technology or FacilitiesKnowledge to Implement ProgramsAware of Small Business IssuesMeasure and Monitor Success

Co-Branding Guidelines

Collaborate: Why Libraries & SBDC’s?

SBDC’s Need

Greater Public Awareness of Available Services

Clients for Consulting Space for Business WorkshopsPrivate Areas for ConsultingSmall Business Champions

Collaborate: Why Libraries & SBDC’s?

Public Libraries Need

Innovative Workshops for Adult PatronsGreater Public Awareness of BenefitsLarger Participation in the Local CommunityIncreased Use of Library ResourcesLibrary Champions

Collaborate: Why Libraries & SBDC’s?

A view from the outside:

Loss of

value

Public LibrariesCommunity College Library

University Libraries

Local Newspapers

SBTDCLocal Banks

DDALocal First Movements

Chambers of CommerceBusiness District Associations

RotarySCORE

A view from the outside:

National and/or Regional Business Service Organizations

LocalPublic Library

Washtenaw Community

College

University Libraries

Rotary

Local BanksChambers of

Commerce

Main Street Business AssociationsLocal First

Movements

Local Newspapers

DDA

Local Entities that exist in most communities

Entities that serve large geographic areas.

Small Business Owners

Entrepreneurs

Who are we?

Libraries

Public Libraries◦ In and around Washtenaw,

Livingston, Wayne, Lenawee and Hillsdale Counties

◦ Academic Libraries◦ Washtenaw Community

College◦ University of Michigan and

Eastern Michigan UniversityMichigan eLibrary

Small Business Service Organizations

National Organizations◦ SBDC◦ SCORE

Local ChambersLocal Organizations

◦ Arts Meets Business◦ Business Consultants◦ SPARK Ann Arbor◦ Food System Economic

Partnership

Who We Serve

Mission statement:To provide access to a network of business information

and support services for new and existing small businesses.

We aim to:Position public libraries as the local portal for economic

development.Connect average businesses to knowledge, data,

training, and business counseling in an approachable environment.

Pool regional resources to benefit our local communities.

SBDC’s

• Lower or maintain operating costs by leveraging shared resources• Larger geographic reach• Free marketing• Free space for workshops and one-on-one counseling• Reduce risk of trying something new - learn from each other’s mistakes and success• Identify new markets• Deepen community relationships• Can focus on what you do REALLY well

Co-Branding Benefits

Co-Branding Benefits

Libraries

• Show off - Librarians know how to get business information, that’s powerful!• Usage statistics to provide stakeholders• Recommendations for collection development• Education about resources• Deepen community relationships• More patrons and new audiences for programming• Build relationships to access resources

What We Offer

Biz Resource Centers

Spring 2009 Fall 2010

WCC’s Bailey Library Ypsilanti District LibraryChelsea District LibraryDexter District Library Jackson District Library

& Food System Economic Partnership (FSEP)

Brighton District Library48 miles

32 miles

57 miles

Biz Resource Centers

MI-SBTDC BRC’s:The Biz Resource Center is a partnership program between local libraries or organizations and the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center.

◦ One-stop locations where current and future small business owners can receive business assistance and advice.

◦ The latest computer technology, hardware and software, and extensive small business reference library of hard copy books, and publications.

◦ Software for a variety of business applications, addressing diverse business.

Roles & Responsibilities

Roles & Responsibilities

SBDC’s Libraries’

• Marketing • Presenters for

business workshops• One-on-one

consultations• Doing what we do

REALLY well, working with business owners

• Stay up to date on what resources are available

• Marketing• Program offerings:

workshops on business topics

• Facilities for workshops and business counseling

• Refer patrons to appropriate resource

• Internally educate staff about the collaborative

Co-Branding at Work

Putting it to Use in a Public Library

Grow Your Business 1:1 Consulting monthly

Taking Care of Business Workshops ◦Fundamentals of Starting Your Own Business◦Writing a Business Plan◦Finance: What Your Small Business Must Know◦Marketing Your Business Online◦Borrow A Business Expert◦Food, Farming and Business

Co-Branding at Work

It’s all about who you know!

Speakers found through contacts with libraries

These contacts are crucial for successful marketing as well

Expanding your own contactsOutreach to your audience

Co-Branding at Work

Directed Marketing

Co-Branding at Work

Lessons Learned

Don’t do it by yourself because you don’t have to

The business world is about networking, and by networking with libraries SBDC’s can better meet the needs of business owners

Ask to be askedIt works…

Case Study

Lessons LearnedAttended Workshop

1-on-1 Session at

Library

Further Consultation

Opened Main St. Business

Defining Differences:

• Approachable environment• Known community entity• Accessible facility• Distributed workload• Pooled resources

Co-Branding at Work

Local Recognition

Visible Asset to the Community

Chelsea named 5-Star City for entrepreneurial climate for our “work to foster economic development.”

Library’s partnership with SBTDC recognized alongside tax incentives and the Downtown Development Authority.

Where do we go from here?

Action Steps

Start somewhereFind a FitUtilize your local connectionsKnow your resourcesIgnore the naysayersOutreach: Don’t wait to be

asked

Contact Information

Shannon Beeman, MI-SBTDC

Washtenaw Community College301 West Michigan Ave, Ypsilanti, MI734.547.9170 srbeeman@wccnet.edu

Victoria Bennett, WCC Washtenaw Community College

4800 E Huron River, Ann Arbor, MI734.973.3300