Dear Friend of WEV,

Back to school for the kids - and adults too! Let the fall season invigorate you and your business.

-The WEV Staff

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WEV’s flagship 14-week Self-Employment Training (SET) course begins this week in Thousand Oaks, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Buellton and Santa Maria.

WEV's 6-week Business Plan Intensive (BPI) course begins Saturday, Sept. 24^th in Ventura and Monday, October 3^rd in Santa Barbara.

If you or someone you know need to write a business plan and a) are already in business, b) plan to apply for a loan within the next few months, or c) have the time and commitment to succeed in BPI, please contact your local WEV office to find out if the course is right for you.
  

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Contact Program Manager Lisa Champagne-Minyard at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to find out how Thrive in Five can provide the accountability, guidance, and "tough love" to push your business to the next level. Our next cohort begins this month, so act now!

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WEV is proud to welcome SET instructor Lisa Champagne-Minyard to our staff as part-time Thrive in Five Program Manager! Lisa joins a special group of former clients turned instructors or staff members, and brings unique expertise and experience to WEV's staffing team.

Please join us in saying goodbye to staff members Julie Karpenko, Tea Silvestre, and Max Anderson as they all coincidentally put down roots in northern California.

Julie transformed WEV's survey data into amazing and impressive statistics across all programs, and Tea played a tremendous role in developing the Business Ready and Thrive in Five programs. Max quickly picked up his Program Assistant responsibilities and provided instrumental support to the program team and staff in his short time before heading to UC Davis this fall. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

WEV seeks a part-time Program Assistant to begin work on September 26th. The position's hours are flexible between 9am-5pm for a total of 20 hours per week. Click here for more information about the position.

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 Join us for the first WEV Connects event in Ventura County on Thursday, Sept. 29th from 6:30-8:00 pm at the Best of VC Marketplace. Owner and SET graduate Talia Wunder welcomes WEV and its supporters for a night of networking and browsing Ventura County's "hidden" treasures.

Don't miss the free prize drawing every 15 minutes (must be present to win). The drawings will culminate with the grand prize gift basket drawing of products from The Best of VC Marketplace valued at over $85 at 7:45 pm. A percentage of proceeds from the evening will benefit WEV's programs.

It is free to attend, but please RSVP so we can estimate snacks and beverages.

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Amy Chalker always knew she wanted to run her own business, even before knowing the definition of "entrepreneur"! With the knowledge she gained from WEV's 14-week SET course, Amy was able to double the income from her massage and nutrition practice in less time than it took to complete the course!

Read more about Amy's success...

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Two talented local artists are featured at WEV's Santa Barbara and Ventura offices now through November:

Santa Barbara - Greg Marquez: Greg's work features the beauty and drama of California's Central Coast. His company, Pacific Photo Images provides a variety of services to the local community. Read more.


Ventura - Lili Rhamati: A world-traveler and explorer, Lili uses fine art black and white photos to express the beauty of her adventures, printing each in a traditional chemical darkroom. Read more.


 

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Montecito Bank & Trust is offering a series of Business to Business (B2B) events to help you grow your business. Beginning in late September, the series and will cover a wide range of topics, from the surviving the current economy to effectively using social media. More info.

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The Word Chef Test Kitchen seeks participants for an online marketing study.
More info.

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In This Issue

• Back to School
  
•  Need a Kick in the Pants?!
  
• WEV Staffing Changes
  
• WEV Connects in Santa Paula
  
• New Instructors
  
• Client of the Month
• Featured Artists

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Resources

• Bank-Hosted Business Training
• FREE Marketing Assistance

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We're always on the lookout for a new Client of the Month, Success Story, Featured Artist or addition to the Client Achievements section of the newsletter. But don't wait for us to find you... let us know how you're doing now! Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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 Start or renew your WEV Got Business membership today! Benefits include an online business directory listing, 1 free hour of consulting, 10 free hours of coaching and more!  All for only $125!

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 Meet some very talented Santa Paula authors at a book signing event at the Best of VC Marketplace on Saturday, Sept. 17, 11am-1pm.


Learn to cook Colombian food with BPI graduates Michael and Julia Crookston of Goodland Kitchen on Friday, Sept. 16th from 6-8pm for $65.
 

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If you've got something for sale or rent - or a special deal to share with the WEV community - email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Santa Barbara County
333 S. Salinas St.
Santa Barbara, 93103
805.965.6073

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