Events/Workshops

Do you have what it takes to be a business owner? This seminar will practice identifying business opportunities in the Richmond/Scotland County area and develop decision-making and problem-solving skills under real world pressure. Will the business idea you’ve come up with work? The analysis we will complete in this seminar will help you determine whether your business will make money or lose money each month during the first year in business. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Earn Your Certificate! This seminar is part of the Spring 2015 REAL Entrepreneurship Series. Five (5) stand-alone seminars explore key issues related to starting or expanding a business. Topics include: self-assessment, business idea and site feasibility, legal structure, marketing, and business financials. Attend four (4) or more seminars in the Fall 2014 NC REAL series to earn your NC REAL Business Planning Certificate.

Speaker: Merrielle Buckner

Will the business idea you’ve come up with work? The analysis we will complete in this seminar will help you determine whether your business will make money or lose money each month during the first year in business. You’ve got a great business idea; but who will buy it? This seminar will present the opportunity to identify who will purchase your product, service or venture and practice preparing a business proposal. ____________________________________________________________________________ Earn Your Certificate! This seminar is part of the Spring 2015 REAL Entrepreneurship Series. Five (5) stand-alone seminars explore key issues related to starting or expanding a business. Topics include: self-assessment, business idea and site feasibility, legal structure, marketing, and business financials. Attend four (4) or more seminars in the Spring 2015 NC REAL series to earn your NC REAL Business Planning Certificate.

Speaker: Merrielle Buckner

Are you charging too much or too little? Should you start out charging less than your competitors? This class will explain strategies used to price products and services and help you evaluate different pricing methods for your business. Insurance, legal structure, customer service and taxes are all things you’ve probably thought about but may need a little help with. This seminar will explore the operational issues facing your business. This seminar will practice identifying business opportunities in the Richmond/Scotland County area and develop decision-making and problem-solving skills under real world pressure. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Earn Your Certificate! This seminar is part of the Spring 2015 REAL Entrepreneurship Series. Five (5) stand-alone seminars explore key issues related to starting or expanding a business. Topics include: self-assessment, business idea and site feasibility, legal structure, marketing, and business financials. Attend four (4) or more seminars in the Spring 2015 NC REAL series to earn your NC REAL Business Planning Certificate.

Speaker: Merrielle Buckner

A group activity will help explain the difference between business expenses that occur monthly and others that occur only one time. We will add those numbers to our business plans and determine how much money a business needs to borrow. This seminar will use a loan simulation to understand what makes a business plan fundable. You’ll get to practice being both an entrepreneur and a lender from a bank as you try to identify characteristics that comprise a top-notch business plan. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Earn Your Certificate! This seminar is part of the Spring 2015 REAL Entrepreneurship Series. Five (5) stand-alone seminars explore key issues related to starting or expanding a business. Topics include: self-assessment, business idea and site feasibility, legal structure, marketing, and business financials. Attend four (4) or more seminars in the Spring 2015 NC REAL series to earn your NC REAL Business Planning Certificate.

Speaker: Debra Morman

The North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center will offer a free seminar. The seminar is designed to help small business owners and prospective entrepreneurs understand how to access credit and capital for their businesses. It will review the six basic principles many lenders use to make credit decisions and provide an overview of the resources available in North Carolina for small businesses. Finally, the seminar will cover the Rural Center's Microenterprise Loan Program and provide details about its lending criteria and application process. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Earn Your Certificate! This seminar is part of the Spring 2015 REAL Entrepreneurship Series. Five (5) stand-alone seminars explore key issues related to starting or expanding a business. Topics include: self-assessment, business idea and site feasibility, legal structure, marketing, and business financials. Attend four (4) or more seminars in the Spring 2015 NC REAL series to earn your NC REAL Business Planning Certificate.

Speaker: Deborah Hardison Derek Williams

Join SBA Economic Development Specialist for a seminar all about SBA loans for Small Business Owners Are you ready for a business loan? Take a lunch break with us...and learn!

Speaker: April Gonzales, SBA Economic Development Specialist

What your nonprofit does--your programs--is the highest priority for any nonprofit manager. revenue generation is the second. New ways for nonprofits to raise revenue spring into existence every year, but where those funds come from stays pretty much the same year after year. There is also a basic inventory of methods that should form the backbone of your fundraising efforts. These are, literally, your "bread and butter." Come and learn more of “How to put the funds into your Fundraising efforts.” •Ten essentials you need to know concerning Fundraising. •Tips Concerning -Individual Funding -Better Fundraising •8 Ways to Raise 2,500 (or More) in 10 days (or less). •Writing a Donation letter that Seals The Deal •Ongoing VS Episodic Funding •What Does an Online Donor Look Like?

Speaker: Sam Gore

A-Z GRANT WRITING - This 2-part seminar will equip you with the skills and tools you need to enter the exciting field of grant writing! You'll learn how to effectively complete a grant application and how to build a database of grant foundations, private and governmental. You'll also learn how to prepare and submit successful grant proposals by covering all of the main components, A-Z.

Speaker: Gypsie Murdaugh

A-Z GRANT WRITING - This 2-part seminar will equip you with the skills and tools you need to enter the exciting field of grant writing! You'll learn how to effectively complete a grant application and how to build a database of grant foundations, private and governmental. You'll also learn how to prepare and submit successful grant proposals by covering all of the main components, A-Z.

Speaker: Gypsie Murdaugh

The NC Department of Revenue, NC Secretary of State, NC Industrial Commission, and NC Department of Commerce Division of Employment Security will present a seminar titled "Business Essentials". Each agency will cover basic requirements to help businesses in North Carolina understand the laws and obligations necessary to be a compliant business. *Tax compliance ranging from registering your business, to withholding from employees, and sales and use tax requirements. Information will be provided on a program for businesses that have fallen behind on sales and use, withholding, and other trust taxes. *Registration of business entities and the requirements for doing so. Also will provide an overview of the things small businesses need to consider when conducting securities offering in order to raise capital to finance their businesses. *Workers' Compensation laws and the types of businesses required to carry workers' compensation insurance and how to obtain it. *Covers unemployment insurance laws, employment taxes, and the appeals process. *Steps to be "compliant" with the state, such as business structure, types of business and location of business. BLNC will also share other resources that are on file from education to potential funding opportunities like grants/loans and how to obtain specific certifications like HUB, SBE, Minority Owned Business etc. Q & A at end of session

Speaker: Representatives from North Carolina State Agencies/Commissions: Department of Revenue (DOR), Secretary of State (SOS), NC Industrial Commission( IC ), Employment Security (ES) and Business Link North Carolina (BLNC)

Time Management Secrets of High Achievers Join us to learn how to control the holiday craziness (work, life, family, travel)

Speaker: Russ Seagle

This seminar helps non-profits and for- profits with service programs to recruit and train volunteers to be committed, productive and effective. Participants will learn how to market for volunteer support, where to go to find volunteers, means of equipping volunteers and how to keep volunteers coming back to offer more and more.

Speaker: Gypsie Murdaugh

Are you overwhelmed by those receipts in your shoebox? Do you feel disorganized or have some nagging questions you would like answered? Topics covered include: accrual and cash basis methods of accounting; expenses and revenues; single-entry versus double-entry accounting systems, and a simple example of a manual bookkeeping system anyone can use to prepare their annual profit and loss. Attend this seminar now, so your tax preparer won’t yell at you next April. The presenter, an experienced accountant, provides the participant with down to earth suggestions that are practical and easy to follow.

Speaker: Semone Brissone

Are you looking to take your business online? Is your current website in need of a makeover? Have you considered tapping into the powerful blogging community? L. Diane Wolfe covers the basics in domains, hosting, and website services. Discover the secrets of successful website design and navigation. Blogs are an attractive business feature, as are social sites - learn to tap into this powerful community. Elevate your company’s online presence and take advantage of the 24/7 shopping experience today!

Speaker: Diane Wolfe

HP Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurs (HP LIFE) is a global program that offers aspiring entrepreneurs and small business-owners valuable business skills. HP LIFE offers participants a path to realizing their business dreams. The NC Small Business Center Network, in partnership with the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), is pleased to offer this innovative program to NC entrepreneurs and small business owners free of charge! This program is self-paced, making it possible for more aspiring entrepreneurs to participate. All you have to do is register to start.

Speaker: Various