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E WISCONSINE January 18, 2011 Ms. Karen Pribbenow Accounting Dane County Planning and Development City County Building, Room 116 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Madison, WI 53703 Dear Karen: I'd like to thank Dane County for its support for the Small Business Development Center's (SBDC) Business AnswerLine service. Below is a service report for calendar year 2010. The SBDC Business AnswerLine — A First Step in the New Business Development Process The AnswerLine is a toll-free telephone hotline that operates 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday. The service assists a broad cross-section of Dane County people who want to explore starting their own business. The AnswerLine helps people understand how to evaluate their business idea, what next steps they can take and what community resources, SBDC and others, they can use to help them start their business, finance their business and reach their goals. New and growing small businesses produce jobs that pay taxes and create healthy communities. It is risky and expensive to start and grow' a small business that employs others. It is in Dane County's best interest to educate and encourage people to consider small business ownership. `There is no duplication of services with Dane County Extension. Dane County Partnership Dane County has been a valued partner in this service since 1989 because the AnswerLine allows the County to serve potential new business owners with a very modest investment. It would not be possible for Dane County to deliver this quality and quantity of service for $4,850 through the County's own efforts. • Since 1989, the AnswerLine has helped over 31,800 callers from Dane County. • Since 1989, free, in-person business counseling has been provided to over 3,586 start-up and established small companies. • Since 1989, thousands of small business owners and managers have attended classes on starting a business or other SBDC business courses such as financial, internet or human resource management. • The SBDC has helped Dane County citizens launch a wide variety of businesses in both rural and urban settings. Continued Dane County support is vital to the quality and quantity of service that can be provided to Dane County residents. Dane County funds are used directly to pay a portion of the costs for experienced staff to answer calls 40 hours per week. Now more than ever, as we slowly recover from recession, we need to support Dane County entrepreneurs to help grow our economy. Small Business Development Center University of Wisconsin—Madison 3260 Grainger Hall 975 University Avenue Madison, Wisconsin 53706 608/263-7680 Fax: 608/263-0818 www.uwsbdc.org I