Building Community Brick by Brick and Board by Board

market & johnson has created an award-winning business by keeping customers first

You’re forgiven if you didn’t realize that Market & Johnson’s headquarters is on Galloway Street in Eau Claire. After all, those of us who live in the Chippewa Valley are used to seeing their name everywhere ...

Slow to Start?

Wisconsin ranks low in nationwide index of entrepreneurship

We have some good news and some bad news about Wisconsin’s national rankings for entrepreneurial activity. The good news is that – unlike the previous three years – Wisconsin didn’t place dead last among the states ...

Business-Building Basics

Succeeding as a start-up can be all about meeting the right people and finding the right programs. here are the key ways to do that in the valley.

Are you thinking about taking the leap into entrepreneurship? Have you already started your own business but could you still use a hand, a sympathetic ear, or some inspiration? The Chippewa Valley offers ...

New Ideas Percolating: 1 Million Cups brings entrepreneurs together over coffee

Sometimes a cup of coffee is more than just a cup of coffee. Just like a humble napkin can hold crumbs and a sketch of a million-dollar idea, a cup of coffee can be a stimulant to both the central nervous system and an entrepreneur’s dreams ...

From Idea to Prototype: UW-Stout Center gets $50,000 entrepreneurship grant

Bob Rosendahl of Menomonie, who has invented Cradle Stake, a product designed to secure gutter downspouts and protect them, said that an Entrepreneurship Support program from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. ...

Lighting a Fire for Entrepreneurs: Artisan Forge Studios gets economic development award

Artisan Forge is more than a collection of artists’ studios: It’s a small-business hub, an ever-changing gallery, a hive of creative activity, and an entrepreneur’s dream come true. In less than three years ...

Pursuing Entrepreneurial Excellence

Eau Claire consultant Dawn Garcia has tips for turning your idea into a profitable business

There is little doubt about the entrepreneurial passion in the Chippewa Valley, and with that comes the need for local consulting expertise. Dawn Garcia, founder and principal of Pursuit of Excellence in Eau Claire, has more than a few tips for local businesses ...

Little Business Leaders

local inventor creates contest for young entrepreneurs

Kim Nimsgern, the Menomonie-based inventor of the Click n Curl and creator of Casual Panache Inc., has found a way to support and inspire young female entrepreneurs in the Chippewa Valley ...

Grab a Cup, Grow an Idea

1 Million Cups meetings designed to inspire entrepreneurs

For many of us, coffee is much more than a hot beverage that provides a quick pick-me-up: It’s a caffeinated catalyst for relationships and opportunities. That idea is the nucleus of 1 Million Cups ...

Passion for Health Becomes Business

skin care line a result of natural ingredients, family support

Tracy Adkins did not set out to start a business. In fact, the last thing this mother of five young girls was seeking was a way to make life busier – she was simply hoping to cure her toddler’s eczema without harsh steroids ...