Buffalo State Small Business Development Center

?? On November 13th, Buffalo State SBDC hosted the 2024 Bengal Entrepreneurship Competition, sponsored by Bank of America, awarding $5,000 to support student entrepreneurs! ?? This annual program provides mentorship, feedback, and funding to student-led ventures, helping build the next generation of business leaders. ?? 1st Place: Hahmier Williams-Borges, TouchFree Essentials ?? 2nd Place: Lorinda J., Aurora Treasures LLC ?? 3rd Place: Jada Ivey, XII XXI ?? 4th Place: Hannah Esslie, Hudson Valley Crusaders LLC A huge thank you to judges Jannell Johnson-Eason (Nikki’s Chocolates WNY), Robin Lazzara (Glow Video), and Kenneth Mersimovski for helping make this program a success! ?? #BengalEntrepreneurs #BuffaloStateSBDC #StudentEntrepreneurs #SmallBusiness

This World Kindness Day, we celebrate the power of kindness in entrepreneurship. Every thoughtful gesture—whether it is a vendor going the extra mile or a customer showing appreciation—helps create a supportive community. Here are a few ways to embrace kindness in your business: ?? Support Local: Choose to shop small and uplift local businesses. ?? Show Appreciation: A simple thank you can go a long way in building lasting relationships. ?? Share Kind Words: Leave positive reviews and testimonials to encourage fellow entrepreneurs. ?? Collaborate: Partner with others in your community to foster mutual growth. ?? Give Back: Consider holding a fundraiser or donating a portion of your profits to local charities or causes. Embracing kindness as a core value in business practices helps create an environment where everyone thrives! #WorldKindnessDay #KindnessInBusiness #SupportLocal

?? Tomorrow is the big night! Join us for the Bengal Entrepreneurship Competition Finals, where Buffalo State University’s brightest student entrepreneurs compete for $5,000 in prizes, including a top award of $2,000! ?? ?? Date: Wednesday, November 13 ?? Time: 5:00 - 7:30 PM ?? Location: Alumni Center at Buffalo State University We’re thrilled to have three incredible judges: ?? Jannell Johnson-Eason, owner of Nikki's Chocolates of WNY LLC ?? Robin Lazzara, owner of Glow Video LLC ?? Kenneth Mersimovski, Senior VP, Commercial Business Development Officer at Bank of America Come cheer on our students as they present their inspiring visions for the future of business! #BengalEntrepreneurship #BuffaloState #SupportStudentInnovation

Honoring our veterans this Veterans Day for their courage, dedication, and the freedoms they’ve protected. Many veterans and their spouses bring that same commitment to entrepreneurship, strengthening our communities and boosting our local economies. We’re grateful for your service and your ongoing contributions!

Marjorie Wagner sanders, owner and operator of Catering by Marjorie, is bringing a unique and delicious slice of Eastern European tradition to Western New York. Located in the McKinley Mall Food Court, her boutique bakery offers freshly made, hard-to-find cookie recipes that evoke memories of childhood and family. From Hungarian Harvest to German Black Forest, each batch is prepared with care and passion. Marjorie’s dedication to her craft has not gone unnoticed. She recently completed the Buffalo State Marketing Solutions and Contract Readiness Certificate Program, a vital step in preparing her business for growth. She’s also currently working with the Buffalo State SBDC MWBE Certified Business advisor Bailey Brouillard to secure her WBE certification and with the Program Coordinator KARINA LOERA to develop a comprehensive business plan and sales pitch that will allow her to expand her cookie business and reach even more customers across the region. One of her proudest recent accomplishments is being recognized as one of the Top Three Favorite Cookies in Buffalo, as selected by The Buffalo News Best of 716. This honor, based on client satisfaction and recommendations, reflects her commitment to both quality and personalized service. As the holiday season approaches, Catering by Marjorie is the perfect place to find unique, freshly baked treats for your celebrations. Marjorie offers beautifully crafted cookie baskets and wrapped cookies, perfect for gifting or sharing with loved ones. To explore her delicious offerings and place your pre-orders, visit her website at cateringbymarjorie.com or email her at [email protected]. Don’t miss out on the chance to bring these delightful, old-world flavors to your holiday table!

Boo! ?? Did I scare you? I hope not... ?? Happy Halloween, everyone! ??? Thank you to all the small businesses in our community that add spookiness and magic ? to their service today! Have a spooky day! ??♀????

Meet Tess Wacker, a graphic designer, illustrator, and brand specialist dedicated to helping small businesses shine through stunning visuals and strategic branding. With a background in fine arts and television animation, Tess brings a unique perspective to her work; Blending creativity with industry knowledge, Tess creates engaging designs that resonate and perfectly align with the needs of her clients. Over the past few months with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), she has collaborated with her advisor Marilyn Roach to develop a targeted marketing strategy and refine her portfolio. Tess states, "Marilyn has been an invaluable gift to me at this point in my career. Her genuine enthusiasm and patience are not only encouraging and supportive, but comforting." If you’re a small business looking for a welcome refresh, Tess is ready to bring your vision to life! Her approach is specifically tailored to each client and their needs, and involves multiple packages of different prices. She guarantees specific effort and focus on understanding a brand's story and goals to create cohesive and eye-catching designs just for them. Whether you need a new logo, ads, illustrative content, or a complete branding overhaul, Tess is eager to help your business stand out! To work with Tess today, visit her website at www.tesswacker.com or email her at [email protected] for more information.

What's good? Watching fellow small business owners succeed, that's what. Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the graduation for the Buffalo State Small Business Development Center's latest Contract Readiness cohort and the energy in the room was next ?? level ?? As part of the ceremony, each entrepreneur stood before the group and delivered the one-minute pitch they'd been refining over the last eight weeks. They NAILED IT. Teaching the digital marketing class for this group was a fantastic experience. This is a group of smart, savvy, engaged entrepreneurs, and I have no doubt that we'll all hear about their success in the years to come. I am HERE ?? FOR ?? IT ??

Rachel S. discovered her passion for travel during her undergraduate years, which led her back to the industry after 15 years in corporate finance. "I wanted to merge my skills with something I love," she explained. Seeking more personal interactions and meaningful work, Rachel launched her business, Shared Memories Travel. Shared Memories Travel focuses on creating personalized trips for individuals and small groups. "We streamline the entire process," Rachel said. "From managing bookings to crafting itineraries, we ensure that every trip is stress-free and tailored to our clients' needs." Rachel’s journey with the Buffalo State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) began with their EntreSkills online program, which provided key insights into starting a business. "The videos and workbooks helped me apply the lessons directly to my venture," she shared. Additionally, working with Business Advisor Olivia Harbol was invaluable. "Olivia connected me with resources that were critical for my growth." As Shared Memories Travel continues to thrive, Rachel is grateful for the ongoing support from the SBDC. "It’s reassuring to know they provide opportunities for learning and development as I move forward," she said. For Rachel, entrepreneurship is about more than just running a business—it’s about creating meaningful journeys for her clients. To learn more check out https://lnkd.in/e6eQZsfY or @sharedmemoriestravel on Instagram.?

This month, we want to congratulate Janna Willoughby-Lohr on receiving Women Owned Business Certification with New York States Empire State Development for her business Papercraft Miracles, LLC! Janna Willoughby-Lohr is the artist behind Papercraft Miracles, LLC. Papercraft Miracles is an eco-friendly handmade paper art company. They make magical things out of paper that bring meaning to people’s lives. With handmade papers, handcrafted paper flowers, hand-bound books, and plantable seed bombs, their team of skilled artisans will make anything you can dream up. Each piece is handcrafted with love and a little bit of magic at their solar-powered studio in Buffalo, NY. Janna is an artist, poet, musician and entrepreneur.?She was awarded a $25,000 Ignite Buffalo Grant in 2018 and was named 40-Under-40 from Stationery Trends Magazine in 2019.?She’s worked with Pinterest, Twitter and Capital One. In 2021, her team created 500,000 seed bombs for Lowe's Companies, Inc.’s Spring Garden Giveaway event. Janna was also a contestant on Meet Your Makers Showdown, a crafting competition TV show on discovery+. She was awarded the Women in Manufacturing Award from Business First in 2023. As so much of the world is becoming screen-based and digital, Janna feels a calling to preserve and promote the physicality of book and paper arts. She is a mom to three little kiddos and loves bright colors, giggling, and things that are small. This past year, she became interested in applying for Women Business Enterprise (WBE) certification. Since this application is known for its intensive and overwhelming process, Janna reached out to the SBDC for assistance. Janna has worked closely with MWBE specialist Bailey Brouillard on the New York State Empire State Development certification application. Bailey reviewed Janna's application and supporting documents, to ensure she was set up for success when submitting the final application. “Bailey has been instrumental in helping me to obtain my WBE Certifications. Not only is she incredibly knowledgeable about the process and the ins and outs of the application system, she is also very organized with all the data and documents needed to submit. Even when we had extra documents and interesting circumstances, Bailey found a way to include all the relevant data needed to get our certification, and the whole process was so much easier and smoother than I thought it would be. I couldn’t have done it without her.” Janna Willoughby-Lohr submitted her NYS WBE application on August 14th, 2024. After corresponding with her assigned analyst to clarify a few questions, Janna was informed that her business was successfully certified on September 20th, 2024! Our office is so excited and proud of Janna Willoughby-Lohr for taking this step in her business journey. For more information visit her website at www.papercraftmiracles.com. She can also be reached via email at [email protected] or phone at 1-855-472-7375.