Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE-The Platteville Business Incubator and the Arts Build project in association with the Western Dairyland Community Action Agency will be offering an informational meeting in southwest Wisconsin on selling unique small business products and services on Wisconsin Common Market (WCM), a new e-commerce site for Wisconsin owned businesses on Thursday, Aug. 19 beginning at 7 p.m. at the Mound City Bank Motor Branch, 90 S. 2nd St., Platteville. Seating is limited; to register call the Platteville Business Incubator at 608/348-2758. There is no cost for attending this informational meeting.

The goal of WCM is to expand the markets of small, Wisconsin owned businesses by offering members a low cost opportunity to sell products or services to a global market on the Internet. The site has the capacity to hold 400 small businesses, with each business having their own Internet sales address. Each business has their own page and the opportunity to sell up to 50 products on each page and each product can show three pictures.

Members wishing to use the merchant account option will have the ability to accept payments over the Internet and can sell products directly from Wisconsin Common Market. The site is complete with shopping basket, security software, sales tax calculator and the ability to provide each member with data about customers visiting their individual page. Each member will have control of their own member account and will receive training on how to manage their business information and products on their page within the site. In order to be a real advantage to small business owners with existing websites, WCM has hired a site optimization firm to assure that Wisconsin Common Market is on the first page when a customer searches for e-commerce malls, gifts, jewelry, art, etc.

Small businesses that aren't interested in selling directly from WCM can also participate by showing products or services along with their business contact information. This option is especially advantageous for those products that are very large or heavy such as statuary and sculptures.

Businesses with existing webpages can join the strength of many by choosing to link to WCM in order to increase traffic to an existing website. This option may help an existing website reach a higher ranking status in the major search engines and directories like Google and Yahoo, and it helps "target" the site to would-be buyers.

When a business becomes a member of Wisconsin Common Market, they will be able to take advantage of training in e-commerce topics that will teach how to optimize photos for the Internet, Internet sales tax, shipping online orders, and technical tools to assist in choosing keywords and phrases.

To register or for more information contact: Beth Bickel at the Platteville Business Incubator - 608-348-2758 or e-mail at paidc@centurytel.net. Wisconsin Common Market is a project of Western Dairyland Community Action Agency, Wisconsin Department of Commerce, U.S.D.A.'s Rural Development Program - Wisconsin office, and partnering organizations throughout Wisconsin.

This informational meeting is being co-sponsored by the Platteville Business Incubator and the Arts Build project. The Platteville Business Incubator is a multi-use facility that assists new and expanding businesses in southwest Wisconsin. The Arts Build project is designed to offer assistance to artists, artisans, and crafts persons in southwest Wisconsin interested in beginning or expanding their arts related businesses by helping them to make connections with resources and each other. For more information about Arts Build contact: Heidi Dyas-McBeth, 608-342-1314 or by e-mail at dyasmc@uwplatt.edu.