Startup Wisconsin Week

As Sheboygan County's economy continues to evolve, we're seeing a rise in new entrepreneurship. Two types of entrepreneurship that are on an upward trend are small businesses and startups. While this trend is positive for the future of the local economy, in order for us to best support this entrepreneurship it's helpful to recognize and understand the nuances of small businesses and startups.

As part of Startup Wisconsin Week, The Surge is hosting an opportunity to learn from experts on the basics of both small businesses and startups, how they're similar, and maybe more importantly, how they're different. From business models and go-to-market strategies to growth rates and economic impact, following this program, you'll have a better understanding of the distinctions between small businesses and startups.

This webinar will feature the following presentations:

The Basics of Small Businesses
Tara Carr, from the Wisconsin Small Business Development Center, will present on small business basics, including best practices, strategies, and resources needed throughout the business stage life cycle.

The Basics of Startups
The Surge's startup and innovation advisor, Shashank Varma will discuss the building blocks of startups and explain how they leverage fast growth to attain business success.

The Economic Impact of Startups & Small Businesses
Jeffrey Sachse, a northeast Wisconsin-based economist, will cover an assessment of the startup and innovation community in Sheboygan County including some quick benchmarking to similarly-sized communities. He will also discuss the economic impact that small businesses and high-growth startups have in small metro markets and what is needed to support them. Sachse's talk will conclude with a discussion regarding the value of collaboration in building a local entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Following the presentations, the webinar will feature two local business owners -- one startup founder and one small business entrepreneur. Attendees will have the chance to ask questions of both entrepreneurs about the similarities and differences of leading these types of businesses.

Startup Founder - Dean Dumez, Boogie Bikes
Boogie Bikes started a year ago with an idea to get into the rapidly expanding electric bike business by specifying and marketing a great bike. After going through the process of what would make a great bike, Dean's team realized that they needed to build the bike themselves to be sure. Now, Boogie Bikes is a company that is based on offering the best value in electric bikes through Built-in-the-USA quality and the best equipment.

Small Business Owner - Eirik Nelson, SarrikClean
With over 45 combined years in the hospitality industry and several more years managing a large franchise cleaning and restoration company, Eirik and Sara Nelson realized that Sheboygan County deserved better when it comes to professional cleaning services. Whether it's the cleaning of your carpets, tile, furniture, or mattresses, SarrikClean is confident that you'll never go back to the other guys. SarrikClean is based on the belief that our customers' satisfaction is of the utmost importance. The entire team is committed to meeting those needs. As a result, a high percentage of the business is from repeat customers and referrals.