Friday, May 22, 2015

Fashion, Fragrance, Cosmetics & Networking at E-Magnify's Friends & Trends


Register for E-Magnify Friends and Trends, a fun night out to network with other women business owners and enjoy the latest trends in the fashion, cosmetics, and fragrance industries. All proceeds benefit programs and services provided by E-Magnify for women in the Western PA region.

Date: May 28, 2015
Time: 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. (program starts at 6:00)
Location: Macy's Monroeville Mall, Monroeville, PA
Registration: $25 (includes a $15 Macy's gift card)

All proceeds from the event will benefit programs and services provided by E-Magnify for women in the Western PA region.

The event emcee will be Betsy Benson, Publisher, Pittsburgh Magazine. Welcome remarks from  Mark Ionadi, VPSM (Store Manager), Macy’s Monroeville; and Jayne Huston, Director, Seton Hill University E-Magnify. Guest Speakers include Kelly Scharbo, Retail Manager, CHANEL; Karen Young, Retail Development Field Supervisor, Macy's Private Brands; and Kathy Rollo, Account Executive, Clarins International Fragrances. 


Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Understanding Financial Statements (May 21)

Instructor: Melanie Ansell
Business Counselor, Seton Hill University E-Magnify
Are you making or losing money? Do you understand your tax returns? How can you get the bank to say "yes? 

Find out in this class, taught by Melanie Ansell, an E-Magnify business counselor and a retired bank president and commercial lender. Melanie presents financial information in a way that makes it easy for participants to understand. 

Class: Understanding Financial Statements
Date: May 21, 2015
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Location: The "New" Connellsville Canteen, 131 West Crawford Ave. Connellsville, PA
Registration: $35 (register here)

Topics will include:
  • How to understand balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements
  • What bankers look for  
  • How to understand your tax returns
  • How to calculate your business cash flow
  • How to determine if you are bankable
  • How to get the Bank to say "Yes!"


If you would like to apply the information to your specific financials, bring a copy of your most recent federal tax return and follow along to calculate your current business financial position.


(Note: Confidentiality will be strictly enforced. Participants will have access to their own personal data only. A mock example will be utilized for instruction purposes.)

This class is presented by E-Magnify and Downtown Connellsville, an initiative of the Fayette County Cultural Trust.

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Congrats to Colleen & Jim Small: Small Business Persons of the Year!

L-R: Juan Garrett, Riverside Center for Innovation; Colleen Small; Jim Small; Ed Huttenhower, St. Francis University SBDC; Kelly Hunt, District Director, SBA Pittsburgh District Office

E-Magnify congratulates Colleen and Jim Small, owners of two The UPS Stores located in State College and Altoona, for being named SBA Pittsburgh District Office's Small Business Persons of the Year! 

Colleen is a member of our ATHENAPowerLink Governing Body in State College.


For 10 years, Centre County small business owners have trusted their trade secrets with proprietors Jim and Colleen Small. Their sales and employment growth coupled with community involvement were noted in an award package penned by the Penn State Small Business Development Center.

Since 2005, the duo and their ever-growing staff has helped their extended Penn State family with everything from packing and shipping valuables, creating canvas paintings from photographs – even creating 3D-printed model trains for a hobbyist turned entrepreneur. 

“We still can’t believe we were chosen for the award,” admitted Jim Small. “This is a tribute to all of the hard work of our employees.”

According to Kelly Hunt, SBA Pittsburgh District director, the Smalls are entrepreneurs who found and refined their customer service niche through outreach and education – becoming a community asset.

For the Smalls, pursuing a second career as business owners trumped retirement. “We were much too young to retire,” said Jim Small. “Instead we looked at opening a franchise close to our families in State College and Altoona.” 

Utilizing some investments, the Smalls purchased The UPS store franchise and then received an SBA 7(a) loan for the necessary fixtures and supplies. 

They soon found themselves back in school at The Pennsylvania State University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) taking every class imaginable from “The First Step” to marketing courses hoping to grow their business via technology and superb customer service.

Colleen Small, who up to then never had a business card to swap, tasked herself as the store’s main marketer attending networking events at the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County.

“I knew many businesses grow through word-of-mouth advertising,” she said. “But, when I went to my first few meetings, I immediately would go to a corner because I thought everyone was staring at me.” However, she became friends with the chamber staff, increased her community involvement, honed her skills and now serves as an ambassador to new members – even winning a chamber award for her efforts.

Hunt applauded the Smalls’ tactics.

“It’s commendable to grow a business via grass roots outreach and it’s hard to do,” Hunt stated. “Our agency may have provided the tools in the form of counseling, classes and capital access, but, the Smalls spent the better part of a decade refining their skill set and technologies to truly diversify their business based on changing customer needs.”

The Smalls admit that being out and about certainly raised awareness for their store, but, according to Jim Small, they wanted to be the “small business for small businesses.”

“Everyone knows we ship,” Jim Small explained. “But, knowing how hard it is to be in business we wanted to help our counterparts. Small businesses may not be able to afford a marketing firm, but they can afford us. We are more than willing to print small quantities of brochures and business cards, allowing our clientele to order on an as-need basis so they can advertise and grow their business.”

Market demand led the Smalls to invest both time and money into purchasing and learning about 3D printing; their site was selected as one of only 52 of The UPS Stores in the country that produce on-demand 3D prototypes for entrepreneurs hoping to enter the business arena.

Just like the Smalls, last year, more than 539 small business owners and entrepreneurs in the SBA Pittsburgh District Office 27-county footprint received more than $125 million through the agency’s 7(a) loan program. It’s the SBA’s most-used business loan program because of its flexibility in loan structure, variety of loan uses and availability. 

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Winners' Circle Awards Luncheon (May 20)

Winners' CircleThe Westmoreland County Winners’ Circle is pleased to announce the 2015 Winners’ Circle Awards recipients to be honored at a luncheon reception.

Date: May 20, 2015
Time: 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Location: Greensburg Country Club, Jeannette, PA
Register by May 12 at wcwinnerscircle.com

The Awards Program will mark its 20th Year milestone as part of the celebration. Tickets for the event are $45 and reservations must be received by Tuesday, May 12, 2015. Register at wcwinnerscircle.com.

Congratulations to this year's winners!
  • ATHENA Award®: Faye A. Rosatti, Vice President, First Commonwealth Bank
  • Seton Hill University Entrepreneurial Excellence Award: April Kopas, Executive Director, Redevelopment Authority of the County of Westmoreland
  • Award for Community Service: Deborah Thackrah, Founder/President of Feeding the Spirit
  • YWCA Rising Star Award: Sherrie E. Dunlap, Director of Development, CASA of Westmoreland, Inc.
The Westmoreland County Winners’ Circle Awards Program recognizes women, men, businesses or organizations who inspire others and advocate for women, women-owned business and our community.

The Winners’ Circle Awards Program is one of Westmoreland County’s most prestigious business awards programs. This program, presented by Seton Hill University’s E-Magnify women’s business center and underwritten by First Commonwealth, began in 1995 to recognize and celebrate those who advance women as leaders and community activists in order to motivate, inspire, and guide women to assume leadership roles throughout Westmoreland County.


Monday, May 4, 2015

E-Magnify Friends & Trends at Macy's (May 28)


Register for E-Magnify Friends and Trends, a fun night out to network with other women business owners and enjoy the latest trends in the fashion, cosmetics, and fragrance industries. All proceeds benefit programs and services provided by E-Magnify for women in the Western PA region.

Date: May 28, 2015
Time: 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. (program starts at 6:00)
Location: Macy's Monroeville Mall, Monroeville, PA
Registration: $25 (includes a $15 Macy's gift card)

All proceeds from the event will benefit programs and services provided by E-Magnify for women in the Western PA region.

The event emcee will be Betsy Benson, Publisher, Pittsburgh Magazine. Welcome remarks from  Mark Ionadi, VPSM (Store Manager), Macy’s Monroeville; and Jayne Huston, Director, Seton Hill University E-Magnify. Guest Speakers include Kelly Scharbo, Retail Manager, CHANEL; Karen Young, Retail Development Field Supervisor, Macy's Private Brands; and Kathy Rollo, Account Executive, Clarins International Fragrances. 



Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.