From ASME San Francisco Section January 1997 Newsletter:

Small Business Report: January 1997
by Eric E. Worrell, P.E., Small Business Committee Chair, ASME Region IX and San Francisco Section

This column, past editions, upcoming small business events, The Small Business and Consultants Referral List and more are on the web at http://www.ccnet.com/~eew/asmesfsb/.

As we finish 1996, a small and growing group has been meeting regularly to learn from and help each other do better as mechanical engineers in small business. During 1996, San Francisco Section has held two section meetings specifically targeted to small business members, three stand alone small business meetings, and two small business networking and discussion meetings prior to section meetings. In October, the ASME SF Small Biz web site went up, with a Small Business and Consultants referral list, current small business events in ASME Region IX, and archived editions of the six editions of the "Small Business Report" published this year. In November, Region IX Vice President "Krish" Krishnamurthy presented our report at the IMECE Small Business Meeting.

With the big, distinguished lecturer joint meeting providing plenty of excitement in January, we'll hold our next Small Business Networking and Discussion meeting with the February Section Meeting.

December Highlights
With newsletters delayed in a USPS twilight zone, just a small group met for the Small Business Discussion prior to the December meeting -- myself, two members whom I contacted from my small business committee e-mail list, and one that checked out the section web site. We dropped the planned topic in favor of issues on the minds of those attending -- marketing, finding needed expert help and using the internet.

Establishing your reputation on-line through internet newsgroups (or through friends that use the newsgroups) is one way to bring in clients. To find consultants you need, look through postings and ask for leads with one of your own. Point your web browser to http://www.ee.ualberta.ca/newspage/sci.engr.html for a list of science and engineering news groups.

The opinion was expressed that ASME International should be the primary source for a listing of mechanical engineering experts. San Francisco Section's referral list is a small start at this. Another is the on-line forum recently added to ASME International's web page. If you too want more, the ASME web site gives the forum, "Ask the Prez" and e-mail addresses to let your voice be heard.

Members at the meeting were not yet aware of any business that they had received through their (still young) company web sites. They gave some cautions -- time can disappear rapidly on line if you let yourself get distracted from your task-at-hand. Learning HTML and designing more than a simple web site can also turn into a black-hole of engineering time spent. You need to be willing to buy services from someone who can do a needed job more cost effectively than you can. Knowing HTML basics will help you give better instructions if you contract this job out.

Simply talking, getting to know people and them getting to know you better, has turned out to be one of the best ways to get jobs. In one case, a conversation with another person at a site, after the main business of a meeting was concluded, led to two jobs.

The ASME Capital Update
One way to learn of government activity that may help (or hurt) your business is the ASME Capital Update, posted on the Government Relations Page or sent by e-mail to ASME Action Alert Team members.

From the November 6 ASME Capital Update
"DOE AWARDS GRANTS FOR CITIES TO USE ALTERNATIVE FUEL..."
"OMB REVISES INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATIONS...."
"SEARCHING FOR ON-LINE "ANGELS" Angel Capital Electronic Network (ACE-Net), a clearinghouse of information for investors and small business entrepreneurs, went on-line October 30. ACE-Net, recommended as a result of the 1995 White House Conference on Small Business, is a private-sector partnership with non-profit university networks nationwide. ... Information about the program can be obtained at http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov or http://ace-net.edu.unh." (the latter was not working when I checked this link).

From the December 11 Capital Update
"SYMPOSIUM IN CONNECTICUT HIGHLIGHTS STATE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES On December 9, ASME's Hartford, Connecticut Section and Board on Government Relations' State Action Program sponsored a symposium to help ASME members tap technology development resources in Connecticut and Southern New England. ... During National Engineers Week in February, a similar symposium with the same theme will be held in Pasadena, California. Representatives from California programs helping small and medium-sized businesses access technology resources have been invited to speak. For more information about the Connecticut or California events, contact Reese Meisinger at meisingerr@asme.org. (written by Katie Henderson, ASME government relations)"

As always, if you have comments or input for small business activities, this column or the small business web site, please contact me at: Eric E. Worrell, P.E., The Ergonomic Energy Works, PO Box 271923, Concord, CA 94527-1923, Phone/Fax (510) 689-4579, eew@eew.com.

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