Three join 7 Rivers Alliance board
The  7 Rivers Alliance announces three new members elected to its board of directors -- Marcus Lewis of Black River Falls, Garrick Olerud of Westby and Reva Witte of Melrose.The three join 13 others from around the 7 Rivers Region who make up the Alliance’s board.
Lewis is the owner of Key Change Consulting, a diversity, equity and inclusion company in Black River Falls. He’s also an enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and has worked in diversity and equity for 10 years.
 Olerud is a real estate broker and owner of Next Home Prime Real Estate in Westby, auctioneer and co-owner of the Great American Pancake Company in Cashton. He’s also a member of the Vernon County Board.
 Witte, of Melrose, is the human resources manager at Regal Beloit Corp., in Black River Falls, where she oversees the plant’s 250-person workforce.
Both Olerud and Witte were 2020 7 Rivers Alliance Rising Stars recipients.
“I am so grateful that we continue to have excellent men and women from throughout the region who agree to support the work of the 7 Rivers Alliance,” said CEO Chris Hardie. “I’d also like to thank board members Brian Fukuda, Matthew Gobel and Rich Mikrut -- who are all leaving the board -- for their service.”
The new members will serve three year terms. If you’re interested in being a part of the 7 Rivers Alliance board, please contact Hardie.
7 Rivers, SBA to sponsor PPP program
The 7 Rivers Alliance and the U.S. Small Business Administration will hold a webinar at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 22 to discuss details about the new round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding.
Lisa Taylor, outreach and marketing specialist with the Wisconsin District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administra tion, will discuss a number of changes to the PPP program, the EIDL loan program and several other SBA programs in an effort to provide additional economic relief to small businesses.
More than $284 billion in funding for the new PPP was part of the $900 billion COVID-19 relief package that was signed into law in late December. Further guidance on the act’s provisions are pending but the funding will be open to first-time borrowers and some who received initial PPP loans will also be eligible.
Register for the webinar here.
The UW-La Crosse Small Business Development Center is also holding free webinars for businesses looking for information on how to obtain forgiveness for their first-round PPP loans valued at $50,000 or less.
The programs are Tuesday, Jan. 5 from 2 to 3 p.m. and Thursday, Jan. 21 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. The program will discuss using SBA Form 3508S. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss how to calculate loan forgiveness among as well as backup documentation.
Registration is required. Visit https://www.uwlax.edu/sbdc/calendar-of-events/. If you have questions, email the SBDC.
Vernon County creates business directory
The Give Big, Shop Small in Vernon County campaign centers around a gift guide/business directory housed on the Vernon County Economic Development and Tourism website www.invernoncounty.com. Featuring locally owned and operated businesses, sharing offerings and links directly to the business’s websites. The directory also allows users to select from a wide variety of categories; i.e. art, health, food, home/gifts, etc… in order to find exactly what they are looking for, all while supporting a local Vernon County business.
“We wanted to do something to put the spotlight on our locally-owned businesses and all of the amazing products, services, food, and experiences that they have to offer,” said Christina Dollhausen, Vernon County’s Economic Development Coordinator.”
All Vernon County area businesses are invited to submit their business to the directory by filling out the form on the www.invernoncounty.com website or feel free to contact Vernon County’s Economic Development Coordinator, Christina Dollhausen or 608-209-7727
Lansing women’s business group formed
By Julie Berg-Raymond
The Standard
A group called Lansing Women in Business (LWB) -- an organization of women in the Lansing area who conduct or operate their own business in the community and who are committed to giving back through community events and charitable giving -- has been started.
LWB is part civic organization, part business network and -- given the effects of a global pandemic that reached the United States less than a month after the group’s formation in January, 2020 -- part support group for small business owners working together to meet the unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic.
Women in the group work in a range of fields -- from government and education to the arts, the hospitality industry, and retail. Among the members are a dentist, an attorney and a realtor. They’re owners of salons and spas, photography studios, restaurants, and clothing and gift shops. Their businesses also include a printing company, an art gallery and framing shop, a travel agency, and a fitness center.
Read more here:
Local child care initiative is recognized
 The Wisconsin Early Education Shared Services Network (WEESSN), launched in Vernon and Monroe Counties, has been selected to receive the 2020 Wisconsin Top Rural Development Initiative award, one of two awards presented in 2020 by the Wisconsin Rural Partners, Inc.
With direction from and the support of Kickapoo Conversations, Wisconsin Early Education Shared Services Network (WEESSN) started serving child care providers in January of 2019, with funding from A Healthier Wisconsin (AHW) through a Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program (HWPP). Technology is used to help child care programs become more efficient and effective, and a professional development model is embedded (so required continuing education can be responsive and done onsite, reducing travel and registration expenses), and highly qualified child care substitute teacher pool – Relief Squad – is available, addressing one of the biggest needs identified by providers.
The go al of WEESSN is to reduce program closure and turnover during a time of unprecedented decline in regulated child care programs. Specifically, WEESSN helps programs save time and money by streamlining services through technology, providing qualified substitute care, and offering site-specific needed supports. This allows child care programs to thrive, so children, families, and communities can also flourish. Additional developmental screening supports for child care programs also means healthier children.
Currently, two other communities (Dane and Milwaukee) launched regional WEESSN cohorts. Work is underway in another seven counties (Jackson, Crawford, Richland, Grant, Green, Iowa, and Lafayette) with funding made available through the Preschool Development Grant (PDG) from the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Including the Vernon-Monroe programs and the new expanded region, WEESSN will be serving 130 child care programs and more than 2000 children.
Additional information about the Wisconsin Early Education Shared Services Network can be found at https://wisconsinearlychildhood.org/programs/weessn/ . Questions or comments about WEESSN can be shared with Kelly Matthews, WEESSN Co-director, at KMatthews@wisconsinearlychildhood.org.
WWBIC offers online business classes
 WWBIC offers classes statewide for new entrepreneurs, seasoned business owners and anyone looking to improve their financial health. Due to the Covid-19 crisis, all of the upcoming classes will be offered as webinars.
To find information about classes, click here:
If you have any questions, please reach out to Amber Brantner, the regional WWBIC specialist or call her at 608-799-5163.
Fed conference on regional economy Jan. 13
 The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis will hold its fourth annual conference on our regional economy from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13. The event is free and open to the public.
This year’s conference will focus on the economic impact of COVID-19 to date. Our keynote speaker is North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, who will talk about the challenges and opportunities facing the Peace Garden State and take questions from Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari. Other speakers include prominent economists from across the district, which includes Minnesota, the Dakotas, Montana, northwestern Wisconsin, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
To register for the conference, click here:
WEDA economic conference Feb. 3-5
 The 2021 WEDA Governor’s Conference on Economic Development, which will be held VIRTUALLY this year on February 3 - 5, will address equity in economic development while exploring ways to support businesses, large and small, during difficult economic times. The conference will highlight Wisconsin businesses that have met the new demands of this past year with creative, collaborative approaches and explore the unique challenges faced by minority and women-owned businesses.
Keynote speaker William Fruth of POLICOM Corporation will share the twenty wealth-producing industrial sectors that will grow in the 2020’s and how these will influence economic growth for communities across Wisconsin and the United States.
Full conference registration includes all programming on Thursday, Feb. 4 and Friday, Feb. 5. An optional fee is required to participate in the Wednesday, Feb. 3, webinar.
Registration Fees:
To register, click here:
2021 travel on hold for many until summer
 According to the most recent Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers, almost two-thirds are planning for no travel before the summer of 2021. About a quarter of travelers expect to take their first trip of the year during the summer, and another quarter are not sure when they will take their first trip in 2021.
“The arrival of vaccines and inoculation schedules has shaken up travel planning for next year,” said Amir Eylon, President and CEO of Longwoods International. “We expect the situation to be fluid in coming months, as consumers learn more about when they might be vaccinated and the impact of vaccines on the perceived safety of traveling.”
Almost half of travelers are pausing travel while waiting for the arrival and impact of a vaccine(s). That percentage is up from about a third of American travelers in October.
To see the survey, click here:
Western Dairyland offers child care grants
 The Western Wisconsin Women’s Business Center is partnering with Child Care Partnership to offer a $2,500 grant for new child care businesses in Buffalo, Trempealeau and Jackson Counties
Right now, there are three children for every available child care opening in our communities. With uncertain school schedules and closures this academic year, families of essential workers are struggling to secure safe care for their children. You can help by opening your home to children in need and becoming a part-time or full-time child care provider today! If you have any questions, please contact the Western Wisconsin Women's Business Center at 715-836-7511 or info@successfulbusiness.org for more information.
There are income requirements that apply. For more information, click here:
Houston County gives $1.18 million in grants
The Houston County Board of Commissioners allocated COVID-19 relief grants to 245 applicants for a total $1,187,166.36 in grant funds. The grant program is currently closed, and all grant dollars have been used.
Eligible Houston County businesses included registered or licensed state businesses in good standing, non-profits with a physical brick and mortar building, sole proprietors who provided a schedule C tax return, and farmers who could provide a schedule F tax return.
The county anticipates more funding from the State COVID Relief Bill. The county will use these funds for another COVID-19 relief grant for businesses in 2021. Please check back for more Questions should be directed to Houston County EDA Director, Allison Wagner by e-mailing or calling 507-725-5836.
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