Wisconsin SBDC at UW-Eau Claire

09/08/2026

Red Letter Grant application window is now open!

Our Fall 2026 Grant Application is NOW OPEN!

Are you working on launching a new small business? Receive a hand-up with a $2,000 or $4,000 Red Letter Grant. Open to women living in 18 counties throughout West Central and Northwest Wisconsin.

Applications are due Monday, October 12th. Learn all the details to apply here: https://www.redlettergrant.org/apply-info

Region 1: Buffalo, Clark, Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Pepin, Pierce, St. Croix, and Trempealeau.

Region 2: Barron, Burnett, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor and Washburn.

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09/03/2026

SBDC Client Visits to Downtown Menomonie 📸🤝

Thank you to , , , & for taking the time to meet with us this summer & congratulations again on receiving funds from the Dunn County Small Business Development Grant!

Special thank you to Adam Accola with for joining us & facilitating this grant opportunity, it's making a huge impact already. 🙌

Did you know the Fall 2026 cycle of this grant is currently open? Deadline to apply is September 18th, more details & application link available here: https://mailchi.mp/779c05c3a152/small-business-development-grant

08/24/2026

👏 SBDC Small Business Success Story: SahLan Nails & Spa in Altoona, WI 👏

Congratulations to Lan & her team on the big move to a new, beautiful space in River Prairie! 💅

“The SBDC helped me make informed decisions and gave me confidence as we grew,” Lan said. “Whenever I had questions, they were there to help. I worked with Pam (Baughman) and her students, they are amazing.”

Read more here 👉

When Lan Pham Vu came to the United States from Vietnam, she brought with her big dreams, a strong work ethic, and a determination to build a better future.

08/07/2026

SBDC Client Visit Highlight: & Reindeer Hill in Cameron🦌

We enjoyed visiting Tyler & DeAnna Westphal, owners of 6FourAccord & Reindeer Hill, to learn how they brought their business vision to life. Our team had the unique opportunity to meet the stars behind the show, the reindeer, and got the full immersive experience.

Customers can visit year round to enjoy local self-pour brews, craft cocktails, w**e, coffee, or nonalcoholic mocktails and kombuchas. 6FourAccord also offers fresh culinary creations and shareables for the whole table! We're proud to have assisted early in the process of this startup & it was such a magical experience seeing it in person. Thanks again Tyler & DeAnna for hosting our group!

Learn more & plan your visit here: https://www.6fouraccord.com/

07/31/2026

July SBDC Client Visit Highlight: 🥪🧀

The SBDC team had the opportunity to visit Patrick Kelly, owner of Cheese Louise Sandwiches, to tour his new location & discuss how this business was forced to pivot over the last few years. After an unfortunate fire destroyed their original location in 2024, Cheese Louise then moved into a temporary location in 2025, and finally was recently able to reopen back in it's original location in 2026! 👏

Kudos to Patrick for persevering & our SBDC team is proud to be a small part of this business's success story. After tasting the food, it's easy to see why this is a community favorite! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Special thank you to the Barron County Economic Development Corporation for the referral to our SBDC office as well. 👏

Read more about Cheese Louise's story here: https://www.apg-wi.com/rice_lake_chronotype/news/cheese-louise-opens-back-where-it-began/article_4516a972-7f15-4f63-9fd2-46064e93dcbb.html

07/30/2026

🥳 Excellent article on our SBDC Director - Harlie Juedes! 🥳

Harlie Juedes, director at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, has earned the state of Wisconsin SBDC’s Rising Leadership Award for her longtime leadership in the community.

Through that role, Juedes supports the shaping of new opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses in the Eau Claire center's service area of eight counties in west central Wisconsin: Barron, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin, Rusk and Taylor.

“Of course, I’m honored, and I’m humbled,” she said in a recent interview. “Yet, my view of myself as a leader is like those people who are dressed in black on a stage who support the actors and move sets and props around, behind the scenes.

“I want to do all I can to provide my team and our clients with the resources they need to succeed.”

🔗 Read the full story: https://volumeone.org/articles/2026/07/27/395818-eau-claires-harlie-juedes-earns-state-sbdc-rising-leadership-award

07/22/2026

07/20/2026

Hello! We’re glad you are applying to be 1 of the 6 finalists in the ColorBold Virtual Pitch Competition! Please take a moment to read the following details and expectations to make sure this competition is a good fit for you and your business. PLEASE NOTE that completed applications do not guaran...

07/14/2026

📣 New Small Business Grant Opportunity from Royal Credit Union! 📣

We are excited to introduce our new Small Business Grant, awarding $3,000 to one local small business to help invest in growth, whether that's new equipment, technology, startup costs, or another meaningful business need.

Applications are open now through October 1, 2026.

Learn more about the grant, eligibility requirements, and how to apply at rcu.org/SmallBusinessGrant.

07/07/2026

Highlights from our SBDC Client Visit to Barbara O'Brien Photography in Stockholm earlier this summer! 📷🐴 🐕 😺

The SBDC team loved getting a behind the scenes look into Barbara's business and the effort that she puts into every session. We had the opportunity to learn how Barbara's passion for animals turned into her full-time job and the life lessons she learned along the way.

Thank you for letting us catch a glimpse of the magic that goes behind the lens!