2015 Youth Business Plan Competition Winners Announced

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5th Year of Youth Entrepreneur Showcase 2.0 Business Plan Statewide Competition for Ninth through Twelfth Grade Students

Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation (AEAF), an affiliate of The Arkansas Capital Corporation Group, today announced the winners of the Youth Entrepreneur Showcase 2.0 (Y.E.S. 2.0) statewide youth business plan competition for grades ninth through 12th. Today’s winners were chosen in the categories of Best Business Plan and Most Innovative. The competition included 62 teams from nine high schools across Arkansas. Y.E.S. 2.0 students from across the state and their teacher advisors work to develop and market a business concept. The winners in the two competition categories are as follows: [Read more…]

Is Your Small Business Export Ready?

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This month is all about business exporting. Each week we have talked about exporting and how it can benefit your small business. The first article introduced you to exporting and provided you with a guide to small business exporting. Last week’s article gave you 8 reasons why you should export. This week we want to determine if your business is ready for exporting. To find out if you and your business is ready for exporting, ask yourself these six questions: [Read more…]

Why Export?

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import-exportLast week we provided a small business guide to exporting and tips on how you can get started with exporting. If you missed the article, click here to read: Small Business Guide to Exporting. Continuing this week on exporting, you might be asking why it is important to export or where you can find out more about exporting. Below, the U.S. Small Business Administration offers these eight reasons to export:  

  1. Decline in the exchange rate of the dollar is resulting in increased purchasing power in many export markets
  2. The U.S. has manufacturing capacity and lots of workers available
  3. Costs for transportation and communication have dropped
  4. Trade barriers have been reduced
  5. Exporting can increase sales and profit
  6. Increase market and reduce dependence on domestic markets
  7. Extend the sales potential and product life of existing product
  8. Stabilize seasonal market/sales fluctuations.

[Read more…]

2015 Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Finalists and Semi-Finalists Announced

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The best business plans from college and university teams statewide were recently selected to compete in the next round of the state’s premier business plan competition. Teams from six Arkansas colleges and universities were announced today as finalists in the 15th annual Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition that is managed by The Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation, an affiliate of The Arkansas Capital Corporation Group. On April 2 at the Embassy Suites in Little Rock, AR., the 12 advancing semi-finalist undergraduate teams will make a 20-minute presentation to volunteer judges from the state’s business and entrepreneurial sectors. Afterward, they will answer questions from judges for 15 minutes. Two judges’ panels will determine the six finalist undergraduate teams. The six undergraduate finalist teams, along with the six graduate finalist teams, will compete in the last round of oral presentations for first-, second- and third-place prizes April 3 at the Embassy Suites. [Read more…]

Small Business Guide to Exporting

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import-exportWith the emergence of e-commerce, businesses can now sell and ship their products around the world much easier than in the past. Many small businesses don’t think they have the ability to export their products. Just figuring out where to get started often seems like a monumental task. There are quite a few resources out there that can help jump start exporting for your business.   The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers lots of great resources for helping get started. One is the Export Business Planner. http://youtu.be/n9hz1g65N_s This downloadable tool allows you to save and customize your work as you progress through the tool. The tool includes:

  • How to determine your export readiness
  • Training and counseling information
  • Worksheets for global market research
  • Financing information and options
  • Customizable export business plan and marketing plan templates

[Read more…]

Arkansas Capital Corporation Is Pleased to Showcase the Work of Neal Harrington, Tammy Harrington, and David Mudrinich

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2nd Friday Art NightThe Arkansas Capital Corporation Group (ACCG) is dedicated to helping small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout Arkansas succeed. Arkansas artists are certainly entrepreneurs. In 2013, ACCG began showcasing the work of Arkansas artists in our offices and began hosting open houses open to the public to help support the artists, as well as provide our community of staff, clients and visitors with a chance to be inspired by the art and be able to network at our offices as part of downtown Little Rock’s 2nd Friday Art Night. We are continuing that successful public-artist venture with the March 13th Friday Art Night with works by Neal Harrington, Tammy Harrington, and David Mudrinich in a show titled “Inside the Valley”. Robert Bean is the show curator. Whether you are interested in learning more about the many lending products or just need a little visual inspiration, please stop by our offices Friday, March 13 from 5-8 p.m. Light hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served. The artists will all be at the event to discuss their work, and all work is for sale with proceeds directly benefiting the artist. Our offices are located at 200 River Market, Avenue, Suite 400, Little Rock, AR 72201. Two nearby parking decks, as well as street parking are available. We are at Trolley Stop 10. Additional details about the trolley are available here. [Read more…]

SBA Tool Helps with Market Research

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If you are a small business owner, you need to know how your business stacks up with the competition in order to succeed. A free tool released by the Small Business Administration, SizeUp, will help you manage and grow your business by benchmarking it against competitors, mapping your customers, competitors and suppliers, and locating the best places to advertise. [Read more…]

IRS Offers Arkansas Businesses Resources to Avoid Common Mistakes

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TaxesThe Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has provided Arkansas Capital Corporation with some educational material based around two topics that, according to their research and experience, commonly trip up new business owners. Those topics are recordkeeping and understanding gross business receipts. Understanding these topics and others presented in the material will help the small business owner be more successful. The IRS deals mostly with taxing businesses, but they also provide materials related to other topics that may be helpful. The goal of these educational materials is to give the user a starting place when trying to troubleshoot problems that may arise when starting their own small business. [Read more…]

3-D Printing: Fad or Here to Stay?

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3-D Printer 3-D printing is the process of “printing” three dimensional objects designed on a computer. Most printers use plastic strands that are heated through the printer then formed across X and Y axis’s according the design file. All kinds of items are being 3-D printed, from the controversial (guns), to the weird (model fetuses), to the useful (replacement table legs). 3-D printing has opened up a whole new world for startups and small businesses. In an article on VentureBeat.com, an MIT startup has launched a customizable 3-D printed jewelry store for Valentine’s Day gifts. The company, Matter.io has launched the service on the site Dyo.co (short for “design your own”) where anyone with an Internet connection can use templates and tools to design their own jewelry. [Read more…]

2015 Youth Business Plan Competition Winners Announced

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10thyear of Youth Entrepreneur Showcase for Arkansas Competition for Fifth- Through Eighth-Grade Students

Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation (AEAF), an affiliate of The Arkansas Capital Corporation Group, today announced the winners of the Youth Entrepreneur Showcase (Y.E.S) for Arkansas business plan competition for grades five through eight. Today’s winners, announced at Park Plaza Mall in Little Rock, Ark., were selected from 25 finalist teams that were announced in December. The competition included 242 teams from 35 schools across Arkansas. Y.E.S. for Arkansas competitors work in small groups, led by their teacher advisors, to develop and market a business concept. The winners in the four competition categories are as follows: [Read more…]

Youth Business Plan Competition Winners to Be Announced

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Who: The Youth Entrepreneur Showcase (Y.E.S) for Arkansas Expo Day, a project of the Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation (AEAF), an affiliate of The Arkansas Capital Corporation Group, invites the media to attend the event for photo and interview opportunities with students and student advisors. What: The top 25 Y.E.S. finalist teams will set up booths to showcase and sell their products at Park Plaza Mall. Eight volunteers from the Arkansas business and education communities will judge the teams on creativity, innovation, marketing, and booth display. A representative of Frost, PLLC in Little Rock will assist AEAF staff in tallying the scores. When: Jan. 16, 2015. The showcase and sale is 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony, which begins at 1:30 p.m. Where: Park Plaza Mall, 6000 W. Markham St., Little Rock, Ark. The student showcase and sale will take place on the third floor and the awards will take place on the second floor. [Read more…]

Arkansas Capital Corporation Is Pleased to Showcase the Work of Ashley Saer, Dan Thornhill, and Elizabeth Weber

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2nd Friday Art NightThe Arkansas Capital Corporation Group (ACCG) is dedicated to helping small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout Arkansas succeed. Arkansas artists are certainly entrepreneurs. In 2013, ACCG began showcasing the work of Arkansas artists in our offices and began hosting open houses open to the public to help support the artists, as well as provide our community of staff, clients and visitors with a chance to be inspired by the art and be able to network at our offices as part of downtown Little Rock’s 2nd Friday Art Night. We are continuing that successful public-artist venture with the February 13th Friday Art Night with works by Ashley Saer, Dan Thornhill, and Elizabeth Weber in a show titled “Life by Design”. Robert Bean is the show curator. Whether you are interested in learning more about the many lending products or just need a little visual inspiration, please stop by our offices Friday, February 13 from 5-8 p.m. Light hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served. The artists will all be at the event to discuss their work, and all work is for sale with proceeds directly benefiting the artist. [Read more…]