Mark Your Calendars: Second Annual Fuse Business Innovation Awards October 17th
Join inVenture and the SBDC as we honor the small business community and spotlight its innovation, creativity, energy, and growth. The Fuse Business Innovation Awards recognize the entrepreneurs in our community who are doing things differently and making an impact. These businesses are the Brands to Watch.

What: Second Annual Fuse Business Innovation Awards Luncheon
Award Categories:

• Entrepreneur of the Year
• Entrepreneurial Growth Award
• Innovative Business of the Year
• Microenterprise of the Year
• Social Entrepreneur of the Year
• Small Business Advocate of the Year
• Community Service Award

When: October 17th from 11:00am to 1:00pm
Where: Ivy Tech Community College, 200 Daniels Way, Bloomington
Cost: $25.00 per person

Seats are limited; register today by calling Terri Brown at 812-339-8937.

Icebreakers Returns, Features Brooke Pyne
Icebreakers, the monthly networking group for technology companies, will resume meeting in September after a summer hiatus. This month's Icebreakers will be held on September 27th from 5:30-7:30pm on the second floor of The Irish Lion. Brooke Pyne, the state's new SBIR director, will kick off this event by speaking about SBIR funds and the direction the state is headed with these funds. To RSVP to this event, contact Jessica.

Leadership Bloomington-Monroe County: Preparing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today
Enroll in Leadership Bloomington-Monroe County (LBMC), an eight-month program designed to help you develop the skills to lead in your community and workplace. You will interact with experts and each other during the program's biweekly morning sessions. The "classroom" is the community itself. Instructors are community leaders, officials, and experts who place important issues into context. Sessions take place at sites related to the day's topic which focus on aspects of community life: human needs, economic foundations, education, government, health, and communication, among others. For more information, visit the LBMC website.

South Central Indiana's area economy is made up of many unique small businesses which often are overlooked. Each month learn about a local small business that you might have not known about!

Resite Information Technology
Resite Information Technology (ResiteIT) provides web-based customer service, intranet, and content management applications to the multifamily real estate market. ResiteIT’s products and services enable apartment owners and managers to transact with renters in real-time, simplifying the entire rental process from lease application to lease renewal.

ResiteIT was founded in 2000 by IU graduates Brad Wisler, Mike Trotzke, and Marc Guyer. Wisler, now the company’s President and CEO, says the internet was already being used to simplify apartment hunting. “Several Internet Listing Services (ILS’s) had already experienced great success in the multifamily industry, but we felt the internet could go beyond apartment hunting to truly enhance apartment living.”

ResiteIT first made waves by releasing ResidentHub(sm), a customer service portal that can be customized and private-labeled for individual apartment communities. ResidentHub allows tenants to pay rent, submit service requests, reserve facilities, access news and events, and interact with their neighbors, all via the internet. “ResidentHub allows a property manager to create a true online leasing office. Literally every transaction that traditionally required a trip to the office is now available around the clock from any location,” said Wisler. “Online rent payment is now a more popular amenity than fitness centers and pools.”

The initial success of ResidentHub inspired the development of additional products like LeadToLease(sm), an online leasing platform that allows tenants to apply for, pay for, and lease an apartment remotely. ResiteIT’s product suite now includes online products for managing investor relations and content for marketing websites.

With revenue growth of over 200% in the past 2 years, ResiteIT is one of Bloomington’s fastest growing companies. They now service over 80 property management firms, including major national real estate investment trusts. ResiteIT’s products and services are used by nearly 1,000 large apartment communities from coast to coast.

Learn more about Resite

NEW MONTHLY ADDITION: Bloomington's downtown Certified Technology Park is made up of many unique technology development businesses. Each month learn news about these innovative businesses and other initatives taking place in the Park!

Next Wave Systems Awarded STTR Phase I Grant
Next Wave Systems, LLC, a new start-up small business specializing in expeditionary warfare and integrated sensor systems, recently received an Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) grant for over $98,000. Next Wave Systems' area of expertise includes sensor-to-shooter systems and subsystems, infrared (IR) sensors, wireless communications, missile launch platforms, fire-control systems, command operations centers, and integrated defense and security systems. The objective of their grant is to extend real-time language translation efforts to operational settings of DoD/IC (integrated circuit) customers. During the initial 6 months for which Phase I of the grant exists, Next Wave Systems plans to conduct a thorough analysis of all the software/hardware issues related to the design of a camera phone capable of capturing and translating foreign character text images in real time. They also plan to identify potential risk areas as well as strong candidates for demo hardware and software.
Learn more about SBIR/STTR grants

Increase Your Chances of Securing a Loan
Need a loan? Consider giving your bank more than just standard loan documents such as financial statements. Letters from commercial accounts stating their intent to do business with you; market data showing demand for your type of business; and research on competitors, including information on customer base and price points, can all help you secure a loan.

Be careful, though; don't submit these documents unless your loan officer gives the okay. Too much information can be overwhelming and actually hurt your chances of getting a loan.
Learn more about business loans

September 1: New Economy, New Rules Seminar
What: Series of video conference presentations from industry leaders geared towards the information technology industry.
Where: inVenture, 501 N. Morton St., inVenture Conference Room
Time: 8:00 - 9:30 am
Contact: Marilyn Skirvin, Bloomington Economic Development Corporation, 812-335-7346

September 6: Business Orientation Start-up Session (BOSS)
What: Learn what it takes to start your own business and become your own boss.
Where: SBDC, 501 N. Morton St., Suite 106
Time: 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Cost: $25
Contact: SBDC, 812-339-8937 (registration required)

September 19: Tech Tuesday
What: A series of video conference presentations with a networking and educational component for Bloomington technology businesses.
Where: inVenture, 501 N. Morton St., inVenture Conference Room
Time: 7:30 - 9:00 am
Contact: Terri Brown, inVenture, 812-335-7356

September 19: Life Sciences Lunch Series
What: The Indiana Health Industry Forum and Barnes & Thornburg present a monthly seminar series on critical issues in life sciences.
Where: Ivy Tech Community College, Bloomington Campus
Time: 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Contact: BEDC, 812-335-7346

September 20: Business Orientation Start-up Session (BOSS)
What: Learn what it takes to start your own business and become your own boss.
Where: SBDC, 501 N. Morton St., Suite 106
Time: 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Cost: $25
Contact: SBDC, 812-339-8937 (registration required)

September 21: QuickBooks Training
What: Learn the basics of accounting and walk through setting up the QuickBooks program with a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor.
Where: SBDC, 501 N. Morton St., Suite 106
Time: 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Cost: $39.00
Contact: SBDC, 812-339-8937 (registration required)

September 21: Business After Hours
What: Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce monthly Business After Hours
Where: Old National Bank, 2421 South Walnut St.
Time: 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Sponsored by: Old National Bank

September 27: Icebreakers :: GET CONNECTED
What: Bloomington's new after-hours networking event for entrepreneurs' tech-based businesses.
Topic: state SBIR update, Brooke Pyne
Where: The Irish Lion, 212 W. Kirkwood Ave.
Time: 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Cost: Free
Contact: inVenture, 812-335-7356

October 6: New Economy, New Rules Seminar
What: Series of video conference presentations from industry leaders geared towards the information technology industry.
Where: inVenture, 501 N. Morton St., inVenture Conference Room
Time: 8:00 - 9:30 am
Contact: Marilyn Skirvin, Bloomington Economic Development Corporation, 812-335-7346

October 17: Second Annual Fuse Business Innovation Awards Luncheon
What: Help support the small business community by joining us in recognizing the top innovative entrepreneurs in the Monroe county area.
Where: Ivy Tech Community College, 200 Daniels Way, Bloomington
Time: 11:00 - 1:00 pm
Cost: $25 per person
Contact: Terri Brown, 812-339-8937

eBay The Right Way
Do you want to get rid of that old inventory that is just collecting dust? Trying to expand your business?

The South Central Indiana Small Business Development Center has Certified eBay Education Specialists on staff to assist your business in leveraging eBay's 135 million registered users to increase cashflow.

Call the SBDC at 812-339-8937 to learn more about how to turn that old inventory into new cash for your business.

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