Events/Workshops

In this seminar, participants will learn the basics of setting up a Facebook business page as well as information about promotions, advertisements, and making a huge impact for your business.

Speaker: Matt Rudisill

QuickBooks 4 shows participants how to use the payroll feature in QuickBooks to create paychecks, pay tax liabilities, process payroll forms and produce reports. This seminar is designed for the small business owner or prospective owner.

Speaker: Marlene Houk - QuickBooks Certified Consultant/Trainer

In this seminar, participants will learn about different options to advertise your business using online resources. These options are often easier and much less expensive than traditional advertising. We will discuss social media advertising through major platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc as well as Google adwords and other options.

Speaker: Matt Rudisill

"In this seminar, you will learn how to get started with video marketing, how to make good quality videos with the tools you already have, setting up and promoting your YouTube channel, and spreading your message to all of your customers with a simple and easy to use method."

Speaker: Matt Rudisill

One way to expand your market is to sell products online. We will explore the features of well-known e-commerce hosts such as the eBay Store and Amazon.com, as well as other options for creating an online store. PayPal and other payment gateways will also be discussed. At the end of these sessions, you will be able to: 1) Do you need to sell online? 2) Have an understanding of your online store options 3) Understand the differences between platforms and determine what is right for you. 4) Set up your online store 5) Develop an online store marketing plan

Speaker: Matt Rudisill & Scott Mosteller

Could Amazon or Etsy be the right platforms to help you move merchandise as a business owner? Instructor Phyllis Sneed will present an overview of how to become an Amazon entrepreneur, how Amazon works and what possible cost may be present to you the business owner. Join us and learn if this may be the right fit for your business.

Speaker: Matt Rudisill & Scott Mosteller

Don't miss the opportunity to learn the basics of starting a small business. Are you thinking about getting into business for yourself? This course covers the issues that an individual should consider before thinking about opening the doors. In other words, this course is the starting point on your journey into business ownership. Learn how to identify critical issues and make the right decisions as you prepare to start your business. Topics include business structures (sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations), licensing and zoning, trademarks, copyrights, patents, insurance, financing alternatives, record keeping, and taxes.

Speaker: Eddie McGimsey

Financing continues to be a challenge for many small business owners. Questions range from, Who will give me money for my business idea and what do they need from me? to, How will this business make money and will it be enough to pay back a loan or attract an investor? Get to the heart of business financing in this seminar that answers your questions. Explore the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of funding sources and how to choose the right one for your needs. Discover the keys to financing success. Get answers to: Are there grants available to start my business? What is factoring and is it a good financing tool? How do I apply for a loan? Are banks' lending to small businesses? What is an angel investor? Are venture capitalists willing to invest in a non-technology related business? How much can I borrow from a micro lender? How do I ask family and friends to invest in my business?

Speaker: Eddie McGimsey

Calvin F. Patterson, chairman and chief executive officer of Earnest Harvest LLC, will be speaking on “Managing A Non-Profit Organization.” This free seminar will focus on the guiding principles that successful non-profits utilize to be effective and some of the best practices you can implement to take your organization to the next level. Upon successful completion of this seminar, participants will be able to: • Have clear understanding of successful principles in managing a non-profit organization • Utilize best practices in leading a non-profit organization • Embrace the need for active Board participation in non-profit activies • Understand the need to develop an effective team to execute plans for the organization

Speaker: Calvin F Patterson

Marketing for the 21st Century small business is more dynamic and challenging than ever. Discover how to most effectively and efficiently use the many marketing tools available. Gain insights to understand and reach your customer, analyze your industry and business environment and differentiate between branding, advertising, and grassroots marketing techniques. Explore the components of an effective marketing plan in this comprehensive seminar.

Speaker: Matt Rudisill

Workshop Description: Do individuals on your board of directors understand where their job ends and where staff jobs begin? This workshop will guide participants through conversations and exercises that clarify the roles and responsibilities of board members vs. those of staff. Because boards exist to govern an organization, this workshop will highlight key strategies for crafting/revising your organization's mission and vision statement and outline the policies and procedures all boards should consider to reduce liability and increase productivity. Order of Topics/Content: Session consists of discussion, presentations and on-line presentations, other medium: 1) Brief introductions—Small Business Center, Presenter 2) Roles & responsibilities of board Vs. staff 3) Do's and Don'ts of board/staff dynamics 4) Mission & vision statements 5) Policies & procedures all boards should consider 6) Summary – Q&A 7) Course Evaluation

Speaker: Amada Pearce

Don't miss the opportunity to learn the basics of starting a small business. Are you thinking about getting into business for yourself? This course covers the issues that an individual should consider before thinking about opening the doors. In other words, this course is the starting point on your journey into business ownership. Learn how to identify critical issues and make the right decisions as you prepare to start your business. Topics include business structures (sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations), licensing and zoning, trademarks, copyrights, patents, insurance, financing alternatives, record keeping, and taxes.

Speaker: Eddie McGimsey

QuickBooks is one of the most widely used accounting software packages for small business today. QuickBooks 1 gets participants started using QuickBooks, setting up a company file and chart of accounts, navigating the home page, and using QuickBooks lists and forms. This seminar is designed for the small business owner or prospective owner.

Speaker: Marlene Houk - QuickBooks Certified Consultant/Trainer

In this seminar, participants will learn how to use their online knowledge to grow their business and take it to the next level. We will discuss tips and tactics to use social media wisely and productively. The outcome of this class should be a social media marketing plan of action for each participant.

Speaker: Matt Rudisill

QuickBooks 2 shows participants how to set up their products and services in the QuickBooks system, manage their accounts receivable and accounts payable, receive payments on invoices, pay outstanding bills, and track payments/expenses. This seminar is designed for the small business owner or prospective owner.

Speaker: Marlene Houk -QuickBooks Certified Consultant/Trainer

In this seminar, participants will learn the basics of setting up a Facebook business page as well as information about promotions, advertisements, and making a huge impact for your business.

Speaker: Matt Rudisill

QuickBooks 2 shows participants how to set up their products and services in the QuickBooks system, manage their accounts receivable and accounts payable, receive payments on invoices, pay outstanding bills, and track payments/expenses. This seminar is designed for the small business owner or prospective owner.

Speaker: Marlene Houk -QuickBooks Certified Consultant/Trainer

Creating a Realistic Budget for Your Business: Budget Deconstruction, Diversified Funding Streams, and How to Get Started! This session will identify the building blocks of a strong budget and explain how a lay out a budget, create line items, include all actual expenses, make projects when planning ahead, and ultimately create a realistic budget. We will examine how to develop the strategies to bring in the dollars through each funding stream. We will discuss how proper budgeting will guide work product. If grants are one of your funding streams, get a look at how your budget can propel grant proposals to success, and how to use messaging to raise these much needed funds. You’ll see how to accurately describe, budget, and properly package your programs and projects to effectively secure funds from diversified funding streams and create effective partnerships to help you achieve success. If you have a budget, but aren’t brining in the dollars to cover costs, we will deconstruct a budget so you can see what might be missing in yours. This workshop is for all businesses, for and nonprofit.

Speaker: Amanda Pearce

In this seminar, participants will learn about different options to advertise your business using online resources. These options are often easier and much less expensive than traditional advertising. We will discuss social media advertising through major platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc as well as Google adwords and other options.

Speaker: Matt Rudisill

QuickBooks 3 pulls together information from previous sessions, showing participants how to use classes, customize and use reports, and create financial statements to analyze their business. This seminar is designed for the small business owner or prospective owner.

Speaker: Marlene Houk - QuickBooks Certified Consultant/Trainer

"In this seminar, you will learn how to get started with video marketing, how to make good quality videos with the tools you already have, setting up and promoting your YouTube channel, and spreading your message to all of your customers with a simple and easy to use method."

Speaker: Matt Rudisill

QuickBooks 4 shows participants how to use the payroll feature in QuickBooks to create paychecks, pay tax liabilities, process payroll forms and produce reports. This seminar is designed for the small business owner or prospective owner.

Speaker: Marlene Houk - QuickBooks Certified Consultant/Trainer

Don't miss the opportunity to learn the basics of starting a small business. Are you thinking about getting into business for yourself? This course covers the issues that an individual should consider before thinking about opening the doors. In other words, this course is the starting point on your journey into business ownership. Learn how to identify critical issues and make the right decisions as you prepare to start your business. Topics include business structures (sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations), licensing and zoning, trademarks, copyrights, patents, insurance, financing alternatives, record keeping, and taxes.

Speaker: Eddie McGimsey

Financing continues to be a challenge for many small business owners. Questions range from, Who will give me money for my business idea and what do they need from me? to, How will this business make money and will it be enough to pay back a loan or attract an investor? Get to the heart of business financing in this seminar that answers your questions. Explore the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of funding sources and how to choose the right one for your needs. Discover the keys to financing success. Get answers to: Are there grants available to start my business? What is factoring and is it a good financing tool? How do I apply for a loan? Are banks' lending to small businesses? What is an angel investor? Are venture capitalists willing to invest in a non-technology related business? How much can I borrow from a micro lender? How do I ask family and friends to invest in my business?

Speaker: Eddie McGimsey

Market research isn’t just for startups; it’s an important ongoing process for every small business. Developing a focused and effective marketing plan requires up-to-date market analysis. Discover the variety of market research tools that will give you critical information about your industry and customers. Get the data you need to test the feasibility of a new business, find the competition and potential customers interested in your proposed product or service.

Speaker: Matt Rudisill

An effective business plan is vital to the success of a small business. By committing your idea to paper, you face tough questions and identify strengths and weaknesses. Business plans are not just for financing purposes; they are working documents to guide your business. For new and established small business owners, the course will start you down the path of small business success. This class will discuss tools necessary to write a business plan that will help raise capital and serve as a guide for your business. You will leave with a document that you can begin using immediately and build on in the future.

Speaker: Matt Rudisill

Goal-Setting for Bigger Sales. "Sales don't just happen," so how do you achieve your goals and make your marketing plan succeed? You do so through proactive Goal Setting. This seminar shows you what goals are and how to achieve them. Then, you will learn how to set goals for various parts of your life. We will break them down into manageable steps and give you a plan that could involve a large sales team or possibly just yourself. Once you have set your goals, you now have a target that gives you motivation to plan for the achievement. Topics such as where to find motivation, how to plan a typical day, financing your dream, and methods to get excited about your achievements will be discussed. You will also learn how to motivate others to work towards your goals and what to do when you need assistance in accomplishing them.

Speaker: Matt Rudisill

Learn the various alternatives to financing a small business and the risks involved. The seminar introduces break-even analysis as a tool to assist the entrepreneur in measuring financial feasibility. Activities identify the kinds of data needed to project the revenue, start-up, and operating costs of a business. The seminar helps attendees develop an understanding of cash flow and break even analysis and its relationship to business planning.

Speaker: Arlene Childers

Geared towards those wanting to start their own business, local entrepreneur and former Small Business Center Director David Waechter teaches the basics of getting your business off the ground. This 3 hour session discusses the topics that you need to be aware of. Topics in this course include: *How to name your business and why your business name is so important. *Registering your business with Secretary of State. *How to obtain your LLC, Sole Proprietorship, or Incorporation *How to find the proper tax forms. *How to obtain your tax ID or your EIN (Employer Identification Number) from the IRS. *How to set up a Business Checking account and credit card. *How to find what licenses and permits you need to get started. *Renting a space - things to consider. *Easy and cheap marketing to start NOW. *Sales and Service. *Bookkeeping absolutely must do's. More in-depth classes will be offered in the future that discuss a majority of these topics in more detail. Class will be held at the Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce. Questions? Please call Ben Willis (828) 726-2615

Speaker: David Waechter

Keeping good financial records is a critical step in managing a successful enterprise. This seminar addresses the financial records needed for good business management. Attendees develop systems and practices for collecting necessary information for tax reporting and business decision-making.

Speaker: Arlene Childers

Geared towards those wanting to start their own business, local entrepreneur and former Small Business Center Director David Waechter teaches the basics of getting your business off the ground. This 3 hour session discusses the topics that you need to be aware of. Topics in this course include: *How to name your business and why your business name is so important. *Registering your business with Secretary of State. *How to obtain your LLC, Sole Proprietorship, or Incorporation *How to find the proper tax forms. *How to obtain your tax ID or your EIN (Employer Identification Number) from the IRS. *How to set up a Business Checking account and credit card. *How to find what licenses and permits you need to get started. *Renting a space - things to consider. *Easy and cheap marketing to start NOW. *Sales and Service. *Bookkeeping absolutely must do's. More in-depth classes will be offered in the future that discuss a majority of these topics in more detail. Class will be held at the Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce. Questions? Please call Ben Willis (828) 726-2615

Speaker: David Waechter

In this seminar, attendees focus on the importance of market research and target market when developing a marketing plan. Learn how Marketing Mix decisions can be made using the 5 P's of Marketing. Attendees identify target market segments and develop a marketing strategy for a sample business using SWOT Analysis.

Speaker: Arlene Childers

Geared towards those wanting to start their own business, local entrepreneur and former Small Business Center Director David Waechter teaches the basics of getting your business off the ground. This 3 hour session discusses the topics that you need to be aware of. Topics in this course include: *How to name your business and why your business name is so important. *Registering your business with Secretary of State. *How to obtain your LLC, Sole Proprietorship, or Incorporation *How to find the proper tax forms. *How to obtain your tax ID or your EIN (Employer Identification Number) from the IRS. *How to set up a Business Checking account and credit card. *How to find what licenses and permits you need to get started. *Renting a space - things to consider. *Easy and cheap marketing to start NOW. *Sales and Service. *Bookkeeping absolutely must do's. More in-depth classes will be offered in the future that discuss a majority of these topics in more detail. Class will be held at the Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce. Questions? Please call Ben Willis (828) 726-2615

Speaker: David Waechter

Change the way you think about traditional business idea development and create your blueprint for successful innovation! This hands-on seminar will provide an introduction to the creative process for generating and validating new business concepts, known as Ideation. Attendees will walk through the ideation process and receive an introduction to the Business Model Canvas, a unique method of describing and thinking through the business model of your organization, your competitors, or any other enterprise.

Speaker: Katy Gould

A great seminar for the “beginner” or the entrepreneur wanting to make eBay a primary business tool. During this fast-paced session, learn best practices to use when setting up an account, listing items for sale, taking payments, and shipping. Topics will include eBay appraisals and research, registering on eBay and starting a seller’s account, choosing formats & categories, writing descriptions that sell, submitting photos, feedback, starting up and using a PayPal account, shipping tips and pricing philosophies that will make you an eBay Top Rated Seller!!

Speaker: Nick Hawks

This session is for individuals having knowledge/experience of selling on EBay who want to establish a continual retail presence. Participants will learn: • Starting an EBay business, • Finding merchandise to sell, • Creating professional listings, • Marketing your business on EBay, • Managing active listings, • Resolving issues and feedback, and • Protecting your EBay business.

Speaker: Nick Hawks

Do you struggle writing your business plan? Do you wonder if there is in an introductory step to assist in the creation of your business plan? The Business Model Canvas is your blueprint for business success. This hands-on seminar will walk you through the nine building blocks of the Business Model Canvas and provide you with the tools necessary to successfully work the canvas for any scenario. You will learn to visually map, test and validate your business model quickly. Leave with a clear understanding of business models, the skills needed to implement the Business Model Canvas and ready to test their idea on potential customers, obtaining real world evidence to either support or pivot your business idea.

Speaker: Katy Gould

This 3 hour hands-on seminar is a fantastic way to provide a step-by-step approach to those individuals who are ready to become eBay Store owners. You will learn how to start, brand, and optimize your eBay store website. Understand how to market your eBay store more effectively with email newsletters, traffic reports, and the markdown manager sales tool. Learn how to use the “Quick Store Tune-up” feature and "Manage My Store" page to customize your eBay Store, plus learn tips for search engine optimization (SEO) that will bring even more internet shoppers to your eBay Store via Google, Yahoo, and Bing search engines!!

Speaker: Nick Hawks

This class offers basic information on the program, and introduction to entrepreneurship. There will be a complete overview of the business plan. Participants will have a working knowledge of each of the parts necessary to complete the plan by the end of the class to allow for better understanding of topics to be discussed. Having issues with your credit doesn't stop you from opening your own business. An experienced banker will give detailed information of the impact of your credit score. Many people have been impacted by job layoffs, divorce, medical emergencies, or other life events that have dropped their credit scores. And with the upswing in credit fraud, everyone needs to keep check. This class will discuss ways to check your credit score for free, how to build and/or repair credit, and alternate sources of funding available.

Speaker: Bobbie Young

A business plan can be the most important tool a small business owner has. Learn how to turn your ideas into a solid plan for financing and long-term success. This seminar teaches you the important components of a business plan and helps you lay the foundation for a winning plan. Find out how marketing, operations, and finance are interrelated. Discover how a business plan is used by potential lenders, the dos and don’ts of writing a plan and steps for making the process easy. This seminar is designed for new and established business owners.

Speaker: Bobbie Young

This seminar gives the participant a chance to run a simulated business. They are given a location and building. Then, working in a group and studying the demographics for the area, they decide what type of business to start in that location. Next they hire employees, decide hours of operation, how to market their products/services and types of advertising to use.

Speaker: Bobbie Young

A successful entrepreneur attorney will unlock the mysteries of business structures and legal terms. This class provides an overview of the types of legal business structures and their pros and cons, types of professional relationships necessary for success, licensing and government regulations. The class will look at local demographics and their impact on economic development. Business Plan and Elevator Speech Review.

Speaker: Bobbie Young

This class discusses how to build your customer base. Business location, facade and interior design and layout, signage, pricing, service, traditional and social media, direct marketing, promotional material, trade shows - most every form of communicating with your audience will be discussed to help entrepreneurs understand how to effectively use the available tools, tips, and tricks of the trade to succeed. Learn to fairly price your product by determining the true cost.

Speaker: Bobbie Young

An accountant will review how to decipher financial documents and discuss the four most important financial statements: Personal Financial Statement, Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Cash Flow Statement, along with "warning signs" to look out for. The class will learn basic bookkeeping and record keeping skills.

Speaker: Bobbie Young

Gain a solid understanding of taxes required for small business owners and develop the best tax strategy for your business. Become familiar with the latest tax forms and procedures for both state and federal taxes. Discover how everyday business decisions can have tax implications that can affect your bottom line. This seminar is important for both new and experienced business owners.

Speaker: Bobbie Young

The following topics will be covered: 1. What is Customer Service? 2. Define Your Customer. 3. What are the Characteristics of your Customers? 4. What separates your customers from other companies' customers? 5. What drives your customers away? 6. What role does each person play in the company’s overall customer service? 7. What are the different levels of customer service? 8. At what level is your company? 9. What are the steps to enhance your Customer Satisfaction? 10. Verbal communication and its role. 11. Using Active Listening. 12. Measuring your Customer Service. 13. What are the “Seven Deadly sins of Customer Service?”

Speaker: Bobbie Young

Social media is a free and extremely effective means of reaching current and potential customers. This new four class series is a great source of information for those who would like to increase their online presence. Class 1: Make sense of social media and get it working to increase business traffic and sales! This class will help you understand how social media marketing can benefit your small business. Class one will explore the various social media sites, basic terminology, and an overview of how social media marketing works.

Speaker: Morris

Find out which social media platform that your customers are likely using in order to properly target your social media marketing strategy. This class will give a breakdown of the most popular social media sites, the typical user profile, and number of users. Sites discussed will include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, and others!

Speaker: Morris

Attend one class or all six! In this six class series, learn how to be a successful entrepreneur. SBC business professionals and guest presenters will increase your business savvy by providing current and applicable information. Upon completion of all six classes, participants will receive a certificate from the Mayland Small Business Center. Class 1: Gain knowledge of the basics of starting a business in this seminar that takes you from idea to opportunity. Learn key strategies for start-up, financing and marketing as well as important information about legal issues, licensing, zoning, and operations. Learn the importance of a self-assessment and how to evaluate the feasibility of your business idea. Discover resources available to help start and successfully operate your business.

Speaker: Cook/Phillips

A business plan is vital to starting and operating a business. Learn how to turn ideas into a solid plan for financing and long-term success. This seminar teaches the important components of a business plan and helps lay the foundation for a functional plan. Discover how a business plan is used by potential lenders, the dos and don’ts of writing a plan, and steps for making the process easy. You will also learn to introduce yourself and your business with confidence and clarity, utilizing your personal “Elevator Speech”.

Speaker: Cook

Arguably, the most important class of this series! Learn the essential elements required to build an effective post or tweet that will engage your customers. Class will cover everything related to posting, tweeting, and blogging such as optimum times to reach customers, how to design a post using a free program called Canva, and the benefits of blogging about your business.

Speaker: Morris

Make efficient use of your time by learning strategies to manage your social media marketing! Learn how to save time by posting to multiple sites simultaneously. Class will also explore time saving resources and tips.

Speaker: Morris

This class discusses how to build a customer base. Business location, layout, signage, pricing, service, traditional/social media, direct marketing, promotional material, and trade shows will be discussed to help entrepreneurs effectively communicate and market.

Speaker: Douglas/Cook

This class will discuss the four most important financial statements in business: the personal financial statement, the balance sheet, the income statement, and the cash flow statement. The class will also cover basic bookkeeping and record keeping skills. Attendees will gain a workable knowledge of how to properly record financial transactions for a business.

Speaker: Hollifield

This seminar teaches how to get your business successfully launched into the digital world as well as online marketing strategies that will increase sales. Energetic and Informative Glo Digital Public Relations Director, James “Zen” Douglas will discuss current online marketing platforms that are proven to build sales.

Speaker: Douglas

Gain a solid understanding of taxes required for small business owners and develop the best tax strategy for your business. Attendees will become familiar with the latest tax forms and procedures for both state and federal taxes. Class will be taught by a CPA.

Speaker: Sisk-Morris

Development of a business pitch is a crucial factor to gain funding and build a customer base. In this seminar, each participant will be provided a maximum of ten minutes to present their story, passion, and business idea to their classmates. Graduation follows with a presentation of certificates.

Speaker: Cook/Phillips

Developing a revenue stream from online sales is often an easy way for small businesses to increase profits. Learn what sites work best to sell your product or service. Energetic and Informative speaker, James “Zen” Douglas will discuss popular as well as up and coming websites that might increase your bottom line.

Speaker: Douglas

Run your own virtual bookstore and coffee bar to see how money moves in and out of a business while learning the fundamentals of accounting at the same time. This course provides an in-depth look at each of the primary accounting transactions used in a business. Without using any accounting jargon, the course demonstrates how to keep score in a business through a simple scorecard approach.

Speaker: Small BizU

Buying a Business is a comprehensive course on how to buy the right business at the right price. Developed by entrepreneurs who buy businesses for a living, this course offers advice and wisdom in such areas as: the key questions to ask of any seller, the due diligence process, valuing a business and determining the offer, negotiation steps and tactics, and sample legal agreements.

Every new venture has to work the complex decision of what legal structure to choose for the business. This course breaks down this decision into its essential characteristics simplifying the decision making process. An in-depth discussion is presented about the pros and cons of structures such as the sole proprietorship, partnership, “c” or “s” corporation, and the limited liability company (LLC).

Speaker: Small BizU

This course details the exact steps necessary to prepare a comprehensive loan package request. Typical loan forms and requirements are explained and included. This course concentrates on what a lender is really looking for and how they evaluate loan requests. Simply understanding the way a lender thinks can more than double your effectiveness in raising money for your business.

Speaker: Small BizU

Creating Buzz is one of the most comprehensive courses on how marketing is actually executed in a small business. Creating Buzz is packed-full of hundreds of strategies, checklists, and tips across the realms of network theory, positioning, advertising media, word-of-mouth campaigns, publicity, and public relations. From informal, easy to implement tactics to full-fledged formal marketing plans, the lessons taught in this course are paramount to any growing business.

Speaker: Small BizU

Financial projections are a collection of statements that present a numerical model of your business. Learn to create a projected income statement, cash flow statement, balance sheet, and breakeven point analysis. Understand what financial projections are and what comprises a good set of projections.

Speaker: Small BizU

Examine the peculiar nature of investment capital. The course presents practical tactics on how to identify and secure different types of capital including seed capital, angel capital, and venture capital. The process used by different kinds of investors as well as tools for completing the fund-raising process. Special focus is given to the federal and state laws that govern the capital and securities process.

Speaker: Small BizU

Gain comprehensive tactics of raising money for small business formation. The course examines the sources of available capital and provides an overview of the difference between debt and equity. Learn financial terms and tactics necessary to successfully identify and secure money for a new business venture.

Speaker: Small BizU

Get advice and strategies from leading entrepreneurs concerning what it really takes to start a new venture. “Starting A New Business” moves through the important tasks of building a strong foundation for a business to the more tactical aspects like marketing, managing, and money. This course will also show you how to protect your ideas, how to hire employees, and how to find out what licenses and regulations may apply. More than 50 resources provided.

Speaker: Small BizU

This ten-part course walks you through the details and tactics of creating a comprehensive business plan while helping you avoid planning mistakes that plague most businesses. As an added bonus, this course comes with Active plans Business Planning Software, which helps you create a plan narrative and financial projections through a simple step-by-step approach.

Speaker: Small BizU

Any entrepreneur should want to know as much as possible about their market. This course provides the guidance and resources necessary to develop a working knowledge.

Speaker: Small BizU

This course describes the fundamentals of the most important aspect of any business: marketing. Learn the concepts taught in college-level courses in just a few hours including the “5Ps”-Product, Promotion, Price, Place, and Positioning. At the end of this course, you will be able to create a comprehensive marketing plan for business that encompasses a creative plan, a positioning plan, and a media marketing calendar.

Speaker: Small BizU

Pricing is the moment of truth. All marketing comes to focus in the pricing decision. Yet, pricing is one of the least understood of all the activities in marketing. From the fundamentals of pricing to advanced discussions on psychological theories focused on pricing formulation, this course is essential to anyone responsible for making the price decision.

Speaker: Small BizU

This course presents a media-by-media discussion of the tips and tricks used by marketing professionals when advertising a product or service. Learn to set an advertising budget, why it’s better to run two smaller ads than one larger one, correctly position your product, and how to best design an effective marketing message. This course also presents an overview of public relations tactics and internet marketing practices.

Speaker: Small BizU

Many new businesses don’t have the budget to pay for an accountant, but still must track their finances. Wave is free accounting software that businesses can use to keep up with their books, plus handle basic invoicing and receipt scanning. Join us for this lunch seminar to learn about Wave and determine how it can assist your start-up or small business.

Understand the basics of starting a business in this seminar that takes you from idea to opportunity. Learn key strategies for start-up, financing and marketing as well as important information about legal issues, licensing, zoning, operations and more. Realize the importance of a self-assessment and how to evaluate the feasibility of your business idea. Discover the resources available to help you start and successfully operate your business.

Intro to QuickBooks gets new and prospective small business owners started using QuickBooks, focusing on navigating the home page, using QuickBooks lists, and the chart of accounts. In this hands-on session, participants work through using QuickBooks to create a company file and practice recording sales and managing expenses. The session provides an overview on how QuickBooks can be used to manage a small business’ finances.

Small businesses must find ways to consistently reach their customers, and MailChimp is a platform small businesses can use for email marketing and for creating newsletters. Join us for this two-hour introduction to MailChimp and learn how to get started with this powerful and user-friendly program.

This class will expand on the “Introduction To QuickBooks” seminar, covering more complex transactions that participants might encounter in running their business including: receiving payments and paying bills, managing accounts receivable and accounts payable, reconciling bank and credit card accounts, and how to generate and understand the financial reports (Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet) which small businesses need to monitor and analyze to manage their business and to close the year-end books

Discover how to create blog posts that attract your ideal customers, establish your credibility and generate leads for your business.

Getting a website up and running is great, but having customers find your website on the internet is even better! This seminar provides participants with search engine optimization strategies for improving visibility and driving traffic to their web site by focusing on key words, links, and URLs.

Business owner vs employee, apples to apples? Not a chance. Owning and operating a business means that you wear all of the hats! Before you leave your day job, let's weigh your skill set, experiences, personality and life goals, your financial needs and your tolerance for risk.

With so many social media options and sites, what is right for your business? This three hour seminar reviews the popular social media sites covered in previous seminars and helps small business owners identify what is appropriate for their business to move to the next level. Participants learn tips and tactics to use social media wisely and productively and develop a social media marketing plan tailored for their individual business.

So, you have an idea, and you think it will sell. Not so fast. Let's turn your idea upside down and inside out. Is there a market for your product or service? What are the features and benefits of your product or service? Is there a marketplace need for it? Who is your target customer? What is your competitive advantage?

Market research isn’t just for startups; it’s an important ongoing process for every small business. Developing a focused and effective marketing plan requires up-to-date market analysis. Discover the variety of market research tools that will give you critical information about your industry and customers. Get the data you need to test the feasibility of a new business, find the competition and potential customers interested in your proposed product or service.

Marketing for the 21st Century small business is more dynamic and challenging than ever. To stretch your marketing dollars, it’s critical to focus on your target markets and identify strategies Discover how to most effectively and efficiently use the many marketing tools available. Gain insights to understand and reach your customer, analyze your industry and business environment and focus on low-cost marketing techniques to promote your business.

One way to expand your market is to sell products online. This session will explore the features of well-known e-commerce hosts such as the eBay Store and Amazon.com, as well as other options for creating an online store. PayPal and other payment gateways will also be discussed.

Learn how the big guys create powerful images and powerful messages so that they best their competition and reach their intended targets. You will learn what is meant by branding and begin to create a unique image for your new company.

Amazon and Etsy provide strong platforms for on-line sales, with infrastructure to support many business functions. This seminar shows attendees the pros and cons of working with Amazon and Etsy, and provides direction for getting started with these well-established platforms.

QuickBooks is the most popular accounting software for small businesses. Join QuickBooks Pro Jeff Weathers for some time-saving tricks for using QuickBooks for your small business. A segment of this session is reserved for participant.

You've heard it all before, the 5 P's of marketing: product, price, people, place and promotion. Yes, these are core marketing principles you will have to master, if you are going to attract your target customer. In this session you will learn how to reach your customer targets -- and a bit about the art of the selling.

A WordPress blog can add to your existing Website or become your business Website. For small business owners without the time to learn how to use CSS or HTML or the money to hire a graphics designer and web developer, WordPress blogs offer an inexpensive method to get your company’s name and stories published through the internet. Business blogs provide your small business with a chance to share your expertise and knowledge with a larger audience. Publishing stories and interesting content thru a blog is a powerful companion to your Facebook Page, LinkedIn Profile and Twitter stream. This three hour sessions shows participants how to get started on WordPress, choose a template, develop content, and connect to other social media.

A business plan is not a document that should be put away on your shelf to collect dust. A business plan is your map to laying out the actions you need to take to achieve profits and success. It’s also something that must be updated to reflect changes in your business and changes in the competitive environment. This three-hour workshop shows participants the significance of a well-written business plan, focusing on the audience for the plan, and key elements which should be included such as a marketing plan and financial projections.

You don't have to be schooled in credits and debits to run a business, but you do have to understand how money flows to a company's bottom line. This session introduces you to tools that companies use to track income, expenses and forecast their needs for cash.

Using LinkedIn to Contribute, Collaborate, Connect, and Cram (research) is different than just “having a profile.” In this three-hour workshop participants learn to setup their profile, fine-tune their profile to create maximum marketing impact, and develop strategies for using LinkedIn to create networks and build partnerships to grow business.

This seminar deals with all that has to be in place once the phone starts ringing: facility, equipment, inventory, people, policies, credit lines, operating capital. It also covers risk management, what it takes to be official and legal, and simple steps to Stress Free business planning.

You believe your small business has a product or service the Federal Government can use – but how do you sell to Uncle Sam? Where do you begin? What about the forms and red tape? Selling to the Federal Government can be an overwhelming endeavor through a maze of agencies and regulations. This information packed workshop will provide attendees with first step priority actions to identify and create opportunities, and begin their adventure into the Federal market.

Securing funding for a small business remains a top challenge in this turbulent environment. This three hour program consists of panel discussions with local bankers, financial organizations, and public and private resources to help small business owners and prospective business owners understand the current lending environment and identify options available for funding. Each session will be followed with Q&A sessions for participants to ask questions and interact with panel members.

With so many social media options and sites, what is right for your business? This three hour seminar reviews the popular social media sites covered in previous seminars and helps small business owners identify what is appropriate for their business to move to the next level. Participants learn tips and tactics to use social media wisely and productively and develop a social media marketing plan tailored for their individual business.

Gain a workable knowledge of how to properly record financial transactions for your business. Discover the three most important financial reports and how to use them to make the best-informed business decisions. If you’re a new business owner or need a refresher on the basics of accounting, this seminar is designed for you.

Facebook is used by millions to communicate and share information. And now more small businesses are using Facebook as a way to get on-line and share information. This seminar shows small business owners how to set up a Facebook business page, as well as use Facebook promotions and advertising to make an impact for their business on-line.

There are many digital fundraising opportunities for non-profit organizations, but leaders of these organizations must still build and maintain personal relationships to sustain their funding. Real money is raised through personal contact, through cultivation, through planning and preparation--personal means, as opposed to texting, e-mail, and other more digital forms of communication. This seminar will review the basics of personal fundraising and the “art of the asking” people for money to support their non-profit organization.