July 2008 Online at www.thesmartcenter.biz

Join Us for the Competition on Venture Island this August when a field of innovative, high-growth potential start-up and existing companies will compete to build their businesses and land a substantial cash prize. During their 3-month stay on Venture Island, company founders benefit from executive mentoring and advising, peer-to-peer networking, and high visibility for their businesses in the community and beyond - all while supporting a noble community cause. Venture Island kicks-off in August with an initial round of screen tests. The competition is judged by a panel of subject-area experts, the audience, and also by peer competitors, and the field of entrepreneurs is eventually narrowed down and culminates in the Finalist Showdown competition. The challenges serve as a celebration of entrepreneurship, and a "can't miss" networking event for entrepreneurs, CEOs, technologists, executives, investors, and others seeking to build the next wave of market-leading companies in the North State! Workshops for Contestants Contestant workshops are available at the Smart Business Resource Center in Redding on Thursday, July 10th from 3-4pm, and Tuesday, July 22nd from 5:30-6:30pm. Sign up today at www.thesmartcenter.biz.

July 4th - Independence Day The Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. 2.5 million In July 1776, the estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation. 304 million The nation's population on this July Fourth. Learn more. Read Facts for Features from the U.S. Census Bureau. July 17 - Get to Know Your Customers Day It's all about reaching out. And bringing them in. Do You Know Where Your Customers Are? (morebusiness.com) Who/what/when/where? How many? The things you should know. Marketing Fundamentals: All About Offers (www.epromos.com) Lowering your prices isn't the only way to bring them in. Get to Know Your Customers Day is also celebrated on the 17th of January, April and October. Who knew? Learning about your customers is time well spent, any time of the year. We know.

Free Government Contracting Courses and Counseling at the Redding SBDC The Small Business Development Center at Shasta College has just added new workshops and FREE one-on-one counseling at their Redding Center through The Federal Technology Center (FTC). View the flyer July 16, 6am-12pm Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) Certification Program and 8(a) Business Development Program September 17, 9am-12pm E-Commerce for Government Contracting August 14, 9am-4pm One-on-One Counseling available to help with all your government contracting questions and needs. Register online for classes at theFTC.org. Counseling registration: Call Kathy Wilson at the SBDC, 530-225-2270. All workshops and one-on-one consulting are at no cost to the businesses and clients they serve. Food for thought... Unearth Your Inner Indy (www.smsmallbiz.com) Rising Gas Prices Impact Recruiting and Retention (www.ere.net) What Apple Can Teach You About Marketing (www.smallfuel.com)

- Entreprenuers - We invite you to attend NextLevel Network Meeting July 10 from 12-1:30pm The focus is networking The location is Angelo's Pizza (1774 California St, Redding) The lunch is on us! Click here to view the flyer. Call 245-1509 to learn more. Join us at the NextLevel Website Design Workshop July 8 & 10, 5:30-7:30pm at Smart in Redding $50 Put your business on the Internet with the website you'll create in this workshop. View the flyer You'll get: 4 hours of hands-on training 3 months website hosting a domain name for 1 year You'll be amazed at how easy it is to do and at all the special features available to make your website great. Register now on thesmartcenter.biz