Events/Workshops

This online course summarizes IRS resources for small business owners using the following media: (1) On the web at IRS.gov, (2) Tax Publications, (3) Videos and (4) Social Media. It also provides specific resource information for the Recordkeeping and Understanding Gross Business Receipts issues. This is a self-paced course that is delivered via an electronic file that describes and links to various IRS resources.

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

Este curso se basa en el arte de crear un plan para su negocio. El plan de negocio es un documento esencial utilizado para recaudar fondos. También comunica su misión y visión estratégica al equipo administrativo, proveedores, consumidores, y acreedores. Los 10 temas de este curso le enseña detalles y tácticas en la creación de un plan comprensivo mientras que le ayuda a evadir errores críticos de planificación que plagan la mayoría de planes de negocio. Como valor agregado, este curso incluye Activeplans, un software que le permite crear la parte narrativa y proyecciones financieras de su plan mediante la utilización de un enfoque simple que detalla paso a paso el proceso. Este software por si solo tiene un valor de $40.00. Los temas que se tratan en este curso son: Que es un plan de negocio? Diez preguntas que debe responder Determinando sus posibles lectores Elaborando su misión y visión Definiendo metas y objetivos La estructura de su plan de negocio Aspectos de la industria y sus consideraciones Fuentes de información e investigación Consolidando su plan de negocio Los errores más comunes al elaborar el plan de negocio Course Objectives Ayudarle a entender lo que es exactamente un plan de negocios. Ayudarle a decidir si necesita un plan de negocio formal y escrito, además como crearlo para persuadir a diferentes audiencias. Darle a entender las preguntas que un plan de negocio debe responder. Ilustrarlo en cuanto al contenido y estructura de un plan correctamente desarrollado. Ayudarlo a evitar los errores comunes que se encuentran en la mayoría de planes de negocio. El curso dura aproximadamente de 2 a 2.5 horas y provee más de 135 diapositivas animadas y narradas completamente.

This course is about the craft of creating a plan for your business. The business plan is the essential document used to raise money for a business and communicate your business vision and strategy to your management team, suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders. This ten-part course walks you through the details and tactics of creating a comprehensive plan while helping you avoid the critical planning mistakes that plague most business plans. As an added bonus, this course comes with Activeplans Business Planning Software which helps you create a plan narrative and financial projections through a simple step-by-step approach--a $40.00 value by itself! Topics covered by this course include: What is a business plan? The questions you must answer Determining your audience Crafting your mission and vision Setting goals and objectives The structure of your business plan Industry aspects and considerations Sources of research information Bringing the plan together The most common mistakes Course Objectives To help you understand exactly what a business plan is. To help you decide if you need a formal, written business plan and how to cater it toward different audiences. To give you an understanding of what questions a business plan must address. To illustrate the content and structure of a well-developed plan. To help you avoid the common mistakes most business plans make.

Small businesses are becoming a larger target for criminals looking to access sensitive data, because attackers are aware that small businesses have limited resources dedicated to information system security. The protection of sensitive data such as business invoices, payroll records, client and employee data and other proprietary information is essential to the success of a small business. Business owners need to know how to identify information security vulnerabilities that can put their companies at risk. In an effort to combat cyber-attacks against small businesses, The Small Business Administration (SBA) is helping to provide the protective tools and techniques needed to maintain and guard business information and systems. It has developed an online course called Cybersecurity for Small Businesses to help educate businesses on securing online information and evaluating the needed security tools and techniques. The online course teaches how to identify the types of customer information that should be secured, how to guard against intentional attacks or even unintentional damage, and offers practical steps to take to protect a business' operations. Do not assume that your business is not at risk. Many small business owners run a large part of their business over the Internet, without any security features. As a business owner, The SBA advises small business owners to understand that, while there are advantages to taking a business online, certain risks come with it.

Speaker: SBA SBA

This online course summarizes IRS resources for small business owners using the following media: (1) On the web at IRS.gov, (2) Tax Publications, (3) Videos and (4) Social Media. It also provides specific resource information for the Recordkeeping and Understanding Gross Business Receipts issues. This is a self-paced course that you will immediately have access to a series of training videos, resources, and tax tips supplied by the IRS. There is also a PDF file with links to various other services provided by the IRS. Hello everyone and welcome to Small Business Taxes: The Virtual Workshop. We designed this workshop to help you, a new business owner, understand and meet your federal tax obligations. This workshop is constructed so that the first three lessons... What You Need to Know about Federal Taxes and Your New Business, What You Need to Know about Schedule C and Other Small Business Taxes and Tax Forms; And How to File and Pay Your Taxes Electronically are for everyone, no matter what kind of business you have or whether you have employees. Then, in What You Need to Know When You Run Your Business Out of Your Home and How to Set Up a Retirement Plan for You and Your Employees, we'll discuss some information that may be relevant to you now-- or that may become relevant once your business has become established. The final four lessons... What You Need to Know about Federal Taxes when Hiring Employees or Independent Contractors, How to Manage Payroll so You Withhold the Correct Amount from Employees, How to Make Tax Deposits and File a Return to Report Your Payroll Taxes. And Hiring People Who Live in the U.S. but Who Aren't U.S. Citizens, ....are for those employers who already have, or who are thinking about hiring, employees. Because this is a virtual workshop, you can choose the lessons that apply to you.

Speaker: IRS

This seminar focuses on how to report income and how to gather all the deductions the small business or selfemployed person can claim on their taxes. Handouts and examples will help guide the participant in organizing for tax preparation.

Speaker: Angelia Alden

Cash flow is the lifeblood of any small business! If you don't have cash to pay the bills, your business won't survive. Learn how to construct realistic cash flow statements by developing good financial assumptions.

Speaker: Jim Myers

Conversational Business Spanish - Beginners Learn Spanish for situations including greetings and goodbyes, social niceties, compliments, employment issues, hiring and dismissal, medicinal emergencies, work rules and regulations, business operations, quality control and more.

Speaker: Daniel Farmer with Jared Hotchkiss as guest speaker

Here you will learn the basic skills necessary to find that funding source and begin putting your proposal together. You will learn thing like different types of funding sources how to prove your need for the project., the best months to contact, application guidelines and how to do an effective presentation.

Speaker: Olga Abrams

The old bromide is true: "Failure to plan is planning to fail." While you can never perfectly foretell the future, you can lay out a reasonable plan for how your business will start, operate, attract customers, deal with competitors, and MAKE MONEY. Learn a simple technique for writing an effective business plan. Discover what really needs to be there, what detracts from your message, how to say what's important, and how to use your plan to communicate your business idea to lenders, investors, customers, vendors, and others. Also learn the most effective method for improving your business plan. Note: This seminar is part of the Small Business Development Series.

Speaker: Russ Seagle

***************THIS SEMINAR HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO MARCH 5 DUE TO POTENTIAL INCLEMENT WEATHER**************** Leaders are critical in every facet of life; politics, economics, sports, education, and business just to name a few. Great leaders empower those that they lead and the principles of leadership can be the same even when the fields they are being applied to are vastly different. In this seminar we will discuss characteristics of great leaders and how you can utilize those characteristics to benefit your small business. We will also examine how to turn managers into leaders. We will discuss how to identify and motivate the potential leaders within your small business as well as how to enhance your own leadership characteristics in order to inspire those you lead.

Speaker: Kurt Buehlmaier

Every business can use social media to expand their brand. This course will cover using Linkedin & YouTube as viable options for small business outreach. Lady Bizness will discuss how to use your pages to brand your business and engage your customers. This 2 hour workshop will teach you the following: • How to start a page from scratch • How to schedule messages that save you time • How to automate your marketing and keep people on your page • Apps that integrate to make your business stand out

Speaker: Chisa D. Pennix-Brown

Put your Bookkeeping Basics knowledge to immediate use! This hands-on workshop will help you setup and customize a new company file in learning the basics of QuickBooks Pro 2013. If you have a laptop with QuickBooks 2011 (Windows) or later installed and prefer to use it, please bring it to class. We will have PCs setup with QuickBooks Pro 2013 for those who need them. If you will be working on a PC, please bring a USB flash drive so you can save your work.

Speaker: Rosalie Lulis

The North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center will offer a free seminar Thursday, March 5th. 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.

LOCATION: WAYNE WEST ROOM 330. This workshop is aimed at small business owners interested in creating a Facebook page. We'll cover why a Facebook page is important vs. using a personal Facebook profile for business, how your page works, and all the settings to get your page up and running by the end of the workshop.

Speaker: Trish Forant

You will learn a simple yet effective method to start the process of making yourself debt free! Also, we will discuss the shams and “quick fixes” that should be avoided and how to properly and legally deal with creditors. Bring a list of your debts with balances and monthly payments and learn how to develop your own debt elimination plan.

Speaker: Bob Moore

This second part will continue topics covered in part one with special emphasis on "Projections". This class is for the small business owner or prospective owner.

Speaker: Robert Reynolds

A local CPA/accountant discusses financial statement formulation and terminology, self-employment and payroll taxes, tax theory and forms, and aspects of interacting with your finance and accounting professional.

Speaker: Shelly Lands

As funding becomes more difficult to secure, non-profit organizations face significant challenges to fulfill their missions. This 2.5 hour seminar reviews the questions non-profits need to answer prior to searching and applying for grant funds, outlines the 7 basic elements of most proposals, and shows participants how to match their needs to funder priorities. Participants focus on the major questions that need to be answered prior to a grant application and incorporating these answers into research and ultimately a competitive proposal.

The purpose of the Small Business Center is “Increasing Business Success” and this seminar discussed one of the keys. Our ability to communicate the value of our businesses is essential. During this one-on-one session, you will explore, share, and refine your business concepts and unique value propositions. As a special gift, we will arrange for your to have a professional headshot taken during your visit. Please request your 15 or 30 minute appointment by sending an email to sbc@forsythtech.edu.

Speaker: Allan Younger

The purpose of this session is for business owners to practice speaking to an audience and obtain feedback prior to their actual presentations. This is an opportunity to refine your message and gain a comfort level before money is at stake. Our ability to communicate the value of our businesses is essential. As a special gift, we will arrange for your to have a professional headshot taken during your visit.

Speaker: Angela Wilder

Business owners can learn the basics of using QuickBooks for their business in this hands on workshop conducted in a computer lab setting. Tracking your income and expenses is essential if you as the business owner want to keep tabs on your business performance and make time sensitive decisions about your business operations. A bookkeeping system saves time and allows you to print financial statements with just a few clicks as well as gather all your tax information in one place for year-end tax return preparation. Class space limited to 26. Please sign up early to attend this six-hour Saturday seminar. There will be a 1 hour break for lunch on your own.

Speaker: Jess McLamb

No question too big or too small..."What's the quickest, fastest, easiest way to grow my business?" "How much should I charge for my product" "How do I find customers?" These are typical questions small business owners have. Now you can get your answers in an easy open-forum setting. Directions - http://www.forsythtech.edu/services-businesses/small-business-center/driving-directions/

Speaker: Jim Blaylock

Small Business Professional Series Businesses that thrive have one thing in common – owners who prepared themselves to succeed. Learn how to start a successful business endeavor by attending any or all 5 of the seminars in this series. How to Write a Business Plan An effective business plan is vital to the success of a small business. In this seminar, participants will learn the tools necessary to write a successful business plan to serve as a guide for their business. Participants will: identify the parts of a business plan; understand the purpose and uses of the business plan; learn the who, what, when, where, and why of a business plan.

Speaker: Allan Younger, GRACE Consulting

Before a business can develop a social media marketing strategy, the owners must understand and be able to use Facebook. This seminar is designed to introduce participants that are small business owners or prospective owners, to Facebook. This seminar will be presented in two parts.

Learn about pricing for profit.

There is a great deal of misunderstanding of how to start a non-profit organization. This seminar will provide a brief overview of the non-profit sector and will cover the essential steps to successfully form a non-profit organization in North Carolina.

Speaker: Teresa Lewis

Get a step-by-step approach so you can optimize your eBay store. Topics include how to market your store more effectively and how to list items in your eBay store. Prerequisite: The BASICS of Using eBay to Sell your Products and Building Your Business: BEYOND the BASICS

Speaker: Nick Hawks

Learn the fastest, easiest way to manage your business! This course provides small business owners with an introduction to one of the most popular small business accounting applications that tracks general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, and checking accounts and provides easy-to-use reporting features.

Speaker: Jo Ann Harris

LOCATION: BRYANT STUDENT CENTER MEETING ROOM 1ST FLOOR - The underlying goal of preparing a business plan is to insure the success of your business. It provides you with the Road Map that you need, and allows you to make detours, change directions and alter the pace that you set in starting or running a business. A plan forces you to think through the entire business process so that you do not lack vital information in opening and maintaining your business.

Speaker: John Smith

Discover the basic requirements for starting and operating a business in North Carolina. Hear from three key departments on compliance and how to do it right! •Department of Revenue: Covers the basics of tax compliance ranging from registering your business, to withholding from employees, and sales and use tax requirements. •Secretary of State: Covers 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. At the end of the seminar, there will be a question and answer session with the presenters and networking possibilities with other business owners. Don’t miss this great opportunity. Location: Rittling Conference Center, Room 110 - Davidson Campus.

Speaker: Karen Bargsley

Small Business owners will gain an understanding of common business expenses, comprehend the general deductibility rules, and learn how to track those that require documentation. Home office use, capital assets vs expensed items, leasehold improvements, depreciation, insurance, travel and entertainment costs, business startup costs, bad debts, intangibles such as patents or trademarks, legal fees, political contributions, and taxes will all be discussed.

Speaker: Rebekah Barr

Registration is suggested but not required. Please click on link below to register. Thank you.

Speaker: Sandy Johnson-Clark, SBC Director

"Drive Your Business" - Use Free Resources from the Forsyth County Public Library to: •Identify Sales Prospects •Research Competition •Find Sources of Supply •Improve Sales •Target Your Market •Create Custom Lists

Speaker: Kathleen Wheeless

During this seminar participants will become familiar with the basics of these three social media outlets. Attendees will learn how and why to use Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. You will understand why you must use these platforms to attract your customers. We will also discuss other options such as Google+, Instagram, and others.

Speaker: Matt Rudisill

Learn how to turn your marketing into a predictable investment with a measurable return.

Speaker: Dave Springett

Learn the all the necessary steps to starting your business.

Credit 101: Are You and Your Business Bankable Learn how your credit affects your business and as well as you personally. There are many credit factors that determine your ability to qualify for a business loan. This session will discuss credit scores, reports, how to repair your credit and the impact of your personal credit on your existing or future business. Presented by April Gonzalez – U.S. Small Business Administration

Speaker: April Gonzalez

Building and maintaining relationships is absolutely essential to business success. Learn to build, manage, and use your network to help yourself and others succeed.

Speaker: Martin Brossman

This training focuses on preparing artists on how to be public artists. We will review contracting basics that will mainly pertain to artists, discuss the City's public art program and 1% for art policy and review an actual call for artists process.

Speaker: Brenda Mills

Discover the basic requirements for starting and operating a business in North Carolina. Hear from information about the three key departments Department of Revenue, Secretary of State and Commerce on compliance and how to do it right! •Department of Revenue: Covers the basics of tax compliance ranging from registering your business, to withholding from employees, and sales and use tax requirements. Also covering 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.

Speaker: Karen Bragsley NCDOR

Are you thinking about getting into business for yourself? This seminar covers the issues that an individual should consider before thinking about opening the doors. In other words, this seminar 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. Directions - http://www.forsythtech.edu/services-businesses/small-business-center/driving-directions/

Speaker: Small Business and Technology Development Center

Can I make a living by operating a new or existing home-based business? How can a new business hope to survive in a marketplace where selling at cost appears to be the norm? Where do successful businesses find those great employees who have that special something? What enables Fast Food stores to do so well on a street with nothing but other Fast Food stores? Tim Dannelly – author of Selling The American Dream – believes effective planning, execution and marketing are involved in all successful businesses. If you’re serious about succeeding in business, you’ll want: The success factors already present in your market Essentials for the home office Those “little things” that get big results in your business Effective “Cut To The Chase” employee training Advertising that attracts customers without giving away profits Generating and controlling cash flow Ways to keep employees committed to the success of your business Now is a great time to start and grow a business!

Speaker: Tim Dannelly

LOCATION: WAYNE WEST ROOM 112 - To successfully operate your business, you need to understand Federal and State Tax Reporting Requirements. This workshop includes: •Applying for a Federal Identification Number (FEIN), •Forms of Business Organizations, •Choosing a Paid Tax Preparer, •Keeping Good Business Records, •Accounting Methods, •Bookkeeping Systems, •Understanding the Form 1040 Schedule C

Speaker: Kim Beauchamp

Everything from quarterbacking a football team, leading a corporate conglomerate or growing your local civic organization, begins and ends with Leadership. In this seminar you will learn what leadership truly is and what it is not. You will uncover the characteristics of true leaders and how to gain the influence necessary to lead. You will gain firsthand experience and have the opportunity to apply what you have learned. You will leave well on your way to developing the skills necessary to have individuals willingly follow you.

Speaker: Wrenwyck Williams

Social media marketing can be the most inexpensive and powerful marketing tool that will exponentially grow your small business. Invest 3 hours in learning more about how social media can help expand your reach and capture more business.

Speaker: Martin Brossman

Come to this seminar if you would like to develop or improve your relationship with your bank. Learn what information all bankers want in order to sustain a mutually satisfactory relationship. You will be able to have a thorough discussion with a retired banker with 45 years experience dealing with all types of small businesses.

Speaker: Ed Marxen

A 3 week series in which Participants will learn to be more entrepreneurial in what they make, how they monitor their business and how they market. Participants will receive a crash course on their business from concept to completion. Take this opportunity to learn something new, renew your entrepreneurial spark, and/or see how the Small Business Center can help move your business forward.

Speaker: Tonya Snider

Understanding the 4 quadrants of franchising: We will outline the 4 quadrants that make up all franchise business models and discuss the owner’s role, capital requirements and growth strategies How much money do I need? We will discuss how territories are defined in franchising We will evaluate Single Unit vs. Multi-Unit Growth strategies in the 4 quadrants We will look at manager run vs. owner operator models We will look at how an operator can keep their job while starting a franchise: When does this option make sense, and how to identify franchises that can truly support that business model.

Speaker: Betty Fudge

The social media platforms Instagram, Pinterest, Tout, Vine and Youtube are just a few of the graphical/image platforms that small businesses can use to inform and engage their clients and prospects through videos and images. When used correctly and with other social media platforms these tools can drive web traffic and business opportunities. In this seminar we will introduce these tools and the basics of using them.

Speaker: Teddy Burriss, Burriss Consulting, Inc.

This course will introduce the basic principles of Logistics and Supply Chain Management (SCM) and the steps required to move product from the beginning as raw material all the way to your customer as a finished product. Generally seen as a subject only beneficial within a manufacturing facility, businesses of all types and sizes experience many of the same issues that larger manufacturers see on a daily basis. At the conclusion of this class, participants will have the knowledge and tools required to implement and maintain a proper Logistics and Supply Chain Management (SCM) Program.

Speaker: Joe Crews

SBA Financing-How to Get an SBA Loan • Why SBA? o SBA Loan Candidates o The Special Purpose Nature of SBA loans o The Credit Elsewhere Test • Roadblocks to SBA financing o Lack of clear plan o Inability to generate sufficient cash flow o Poor credit history o Outstanding judgments & liens o Criminal record • Preparing to Submit a Loan Request o Knowing what you need and why o Business Plan with 12 month projections ? https://www.sba.gov/tools/sba-learning-center/training/how-write-business-plan o Resume o 3 years of previous years’ results o 3 years of personal tax returns for each guarantor

Speaker: Daniel Farmer with David Caster as guest speaker

This workshop for aspiring entrepreneurs offers an overview of financing for a new or existing business. Outside funding options, including commercial bank loans, SBA-backed loans, and sources of equity capital such as angel investors and venture capitalists, will be covered.

Speaker: Alyssa Mako

Do you have questions about how to use your computer, phone, or tablet? How about servers and the cloud as well? Visit our technology clinic to have your questions answered. You may also gain some tips which will result in the growth of your small business. Please register to reserve your time with Triad Tech Guys. Registration required at sbc@forsythtech.edu for your 15-30 minute one-on-one appointment.

Speaker: Tim Dixon

This seminar will mainly focus on the process of public contracting with an emphasis on assisting business owners on how to market themselves. It will also cover various forms of contracts and include additional resources that businesses can utilize to list themselves for bidding purposes.

Speaker: Brenda Mills

LOCATION: WAYNE WEST ROOM 112 - A nuts and bolts workshop for your business that shows you how to create and register a domain name, hire a web host, upload your website to the web host and then make your website available on the Internet.

Speaker: Rick Doble

This seminar takes business owners to the next level of their eBay experience. This hands-on seminar provide a step-by-step approach to those individuals who are ready to take the next step in their experience as sellers on the world’s leading online marketplace.

Speaker: Nick Hawks

8- Week Business Plan Series - you will learn how to determine the feasibility of a business idea, analyze and develop marketing strategies, consider important operational issues and become more familiar with business financials. You will also learn how to develop a full business plan that brings all the elements together, as well as how to make a presentation of your business idea.

This seminar will help new or current business owners: Identify the federal tax reporting requirements of a small business and its owner, and to establish a plan to account and pay for federal taxes. Identify the general state/local tax reporting requirements of a small business, and establish a plan to account and pay for state/local taxes. Identify methods for researching the local, municipal, and county reporting/licensing requirements for a small business.

Speaker: Jo Ann Harris

RESCHEDULED to March 11, 2015 Franchising can be an attractive form of business ownership that provides brand recognition, proven business systems, training and on-going support. And there are many more options than just fast food. This seminar will provide guidance on how to explore franchise ownership; how to find the right franchise for you and avoid mistakes; how to utilize the franchise disclosure document; and how to finance a franchise business purchase. ***Seminar will be held in Room 215 of the Hall Building on Central Campus*** To download a campus map visit: https://www.cpcc.edu/campuses/central/images/central_map

Speaker: Jason Powers

Three dimensional (3D) printing is a new innovation that can be of great use to entrepreneurs and small business owners. The process has become an intergral part of business development from idea generation to technical advancement. There are many in the business world that could reap great benefits from 3-D printing but are yet to understand how. Those who attend this seminar will have an opportunity to study the landscape of this innovative form of technology and develop an understanding of how to apply it in a real-life setting.

Speaker: Steven Schain of Spectralight Images

This is a very basic overview of just exactly what social media is – it’s history, general statistics & demographics, positives and negatives of engagement, and the reasons why it’s considered a highly effective marketing tool. This class will set the tone for the follow-up sessions. You will learn why YOU should be involved in this growing interest.

Speaker: Matt Rudisill; Matt Rudisill is owner and lead trainer of The Leadership Academy. They are your local training authority for all things related to starting and growing your business. They assist small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs by teaching them how to be the best in their field.

When you’re offering your time, energy or money for a service or product, don’t you want the experience of a lifetime? Mediocre and bad customer service is so normal now that we all want something great; something extraordinary! In “The Experience of a Lifetime,” you will learn: - How to understand that everyone is a customer - Why difficult people can be good customers - When you should let a customer “just vent” - The Moments of Truth - The 7/11 Rule: The 11 perceptions customers create in the first 7 seconds after they meet you - How to read customers - How to anticipate customer problems - How to communicate effectively with displeased customers - How to create a simple communications plan for crises - When customer service should go “The Extra Mile”

Speaker: Mike Collins

Many entrepreneurs believe that if they have a great product or service and provide an outstanding customer experience, customer retention will naturally follow. And if this is your startup philosophy you would be right … but only for a while. Customers don’t owe you their loyalty. You have to earn it — continually. Having an effective customer retention program in place gives you the ability to identify, track, and custom promote to those customers who are most likely to become loyal, long-term sources of revenue. This seminar will cover how to get and maintain customers.

Speaker: Glenn Osbourne

You’ve thought about what social networks to use for your organization, and you’re ready to take the next step. Where do you go from there? This seminar will take a closer look at the popular social media networks – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+.. It will highlight the benefits of using each, how other organizations are marketing with them, and some dos and don'ts of each channel. There also will be tips on how to tell if your social media activity is working. This session is best suited for beginners who have begun to use social media for business but are ready to go a little further.

Speaker: Daniel Farmer with Mary Ann Gerney as guest speaker

Business Readiness Certification, in collaboration with the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, Greensboro Community Development Fund and GTCC Small Business Center, the GCDF BRC is a 10 week business program, providing education and business preparation for small business owners and start-up. Tour City Hall and its various departments that are setup to help with starting and maintaining your business.

Have you been thinking about setting up an Online store? Now is the time to learn from Lady Bizness, in this hands-on seminar. In 3 hours you will learn: *Various site options for starting an online store *Using Social Media *Stand Alone vs. Embedded Sited *Tips, Tools and Marketing Your Site. Come join us.

Speaker: Lady Bizness, Inc

Advertising and promotion aren’t what they used to be. There are so many different outlets. Find out which promotional strategies can work for you and how to implement them. Learn how to identify your customers and expand your reach to new ones. Discover free advertising opportunities and learn how to partner with others. Get pointers on how to work with your local media and why they are an important part of your plan. What do your customers think of your product/services? Learn why feedback is important to advancing your business growth. This class is designed for micro and small business owners and marketing directors who have either never created a plan or need to update a current one. http://www.forsythtech.edu/services-businesses/small-business-center/driving-directions/

Speaker: Greta Lint

An organized business is a productive business. You may not consider yourself blessed with natural organizational skills, but now is the perfect time to get your business and work space organized.

Speaker: Tanya Roberts & Karen Monroe

The Small Business owner will be introduced to the basic concepts used in sustainability, what it takes to be able to market their business as a green company, and how to add value to their customers.

Starting a nonprofit organization can be rewarding and fulfilling. Review the basics on how to start such an organization, how to manage it and what resources are available.

Speaker: Mike Sowinski

This seminar will deal with the subject of legal entities and which one is appropriate for an individual's particular business. The program will discuss sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, LLCs, and LLPs. Advantages and disadvantages of each form will be discussed, along with the basic tax treatment of each type. This class is for the small business owner or prospective owner.

Speaker: Don Bridges

LOCATION: WAYNE WEST ROOM 330. This workshop is aimed at small business owners interested in using Twitter as a part of their marketing plan. We'll cover Twitter basics like learning your way around Twitter, Twitter terminology like tweets, retweets, modified tweets, hashtags and more. Learn how to create your Twitter account, set up your profile and some basic best practices. Participants will leave with a fully set up Twitter profile and the ability to create one week's worth of Tweets. Taking the Social Media Marketing Workshop is highly recommended prior to attending this workshop.

Speaker: Trish Forant

Learn the necessary skills to find funding sources and put a proposal together. Different types of funding, proving a need for the project and effective presentations will be covered.

Speaker: Olga Abrams

Conversational Business Spanish - Intermediate Learn Spanish for situations including greetings and goodbyes, social niceties, compliments, employment issues, hiring and dismissal, medicinal emergencies, work rules and regulations, business operations, quality control and more. This a basic seminar designed to expose seminar attendees to what they need to know for a slightly more advanced form of conversational business Spanish

Speaker: Daniel Farmer with Jared Hotchkiss as guest speaker

Goal-Setting for Bigger Sales. In the second part of the series, we take your goal setting to the next level. We will take what you have worked on over the past month and make it into a life plan - for yourself and your business. We will discuss your successes and failures and what gave you these outcomes. Some action items on your plan will be eliminated and some things may be added. After this session, you should be able to continually set daily goals and reminders that move yourself and your business forward. You will now be able to plan without wasting valuable time in your business and life and success will come easier now that you are constantly working towards daily and lifetime goals.

A local attorney discusses issues on business organization, legal obligations and the rights and legal liability of the small business owner.

Speaker: Keith Hance

The purpose of this session is for business owners to practice speaking to an audience and obtain feedback prior to their actual presentations. This is an opportunity to refine your message and gain a comfort level before money is at stake. Our ability to communicate the value of our businesses is essential. As a special gift, we will arrange for your to have a professional headshot taken during your visit.

Speaker: Angela Wilder

Opening a business takes a lot of energy and planning. For those that have a great idea and want to turn it into a business to make money with immediate results they need a program that is geared to go from “Idea to Open” in a short amount of time. The Business Accelerator is a specially designed Bootcamp Style course to get serious entrepreneurs ready to open. Each class is 4 hours long and in 6 short weeks attendees can expect to have a completed strategic, financial, marketing, and business plan. This program is unique as attendees will have one on one access with professionals in the legal, accounting, insurance, financial sector, graphic design, and marketing industries to complete their business vision. Attendees will receive a Business Accelerator Certification upon completion. Flash drive required. No class on April 4th. 3.14.15 Week 1. The Lean Startup: Determining your Legal Needs. Choosing Your Business Identity. Business Development from the ground up with State and City Requirements. 3.21.15 Week 2. The Visual Brand: Creating the aesthetic look, feel, and design of your business. Development of marketing materials and Graphic Design Consultation. 3.28.15 Week 3. Creating Your Customer: Creating a tangible message and client profiles. Use of demographic information to target your client. Business Needs: Brick and Mortar vs Online vs At Home. 4.11.15 Week 4. Show Me the Money: Financial planning and capital to run the business. Assessing the business needs, supplies, and budget designed for solvency. 4.18.15 Week 5. Strategic Marketing & Promotion: Developing your social media & website presence for your brand. Creating a strategic plan for your products and services. 4.25.15 Week 6. Open for Business: Attendees should expect to have at least a one page business plan with a clearly articulated vision that will enable the business to start immediately.

Speaker: Chisa Pennix-Brown, Lady Bizness

No question too big or too small..."What's the quickest, fastest, easiest way to grow my business?" "How much should I charge for my product" "How do I find customers?" These are typical questions small business owners have. Now you can get your answers in an easy open-forum setting. Directions - http://www.forsythtech.edu/services-businesses/small-business-center/driving-directions/

Speaker: Jim Blaylock

Small Business Professional Series Businesses that thrive have one thing in common – owners who prepared themselves to succeed. Learn how to start a successful business endeavor by attending any or all 5 of the seminars in this series. Marketing and Market Research In this seminar, participants 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. Participants identify target market segments and develop a marketing strategy for a sample business using SWOT Analysis.

Speaker: Allan Younger, GRACE Consulting

This seminar is a continuation of Part 1.

Learn about working with financials in a small business.

Participants will learn how to think strategically about their business instead of only focusing on the day-to-day activities. You will learn how to capitalize on your strengths and manage your weaknesses.

Speaker: Jenny Barnhill

Learn the fastest, easiest way to manage your business! This course provides small business owners with an introduction to one of the most popular small business accounting applications that tracks general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, and checking accounts and provides easy-to-use reporting features.

Speaker: Jo Ann Harris

Do you know your product or service upside down and backwards, BUT the numbers just drive you up the wall? Do you really work hard, but always seem to run out of cash at the end of the month? This seminar will help you understand the financial aspects of your business. We’ll talk about tax issues. You’ll become familiar with those financial terms that confuse you, but are the road map to your success. You will learn… • What makes your business thrive and grow? • What is a CPA and when and how do you use them? • How to understand financial statements • What your banker is looking for? • What federal and state reports are required? • If I made that much money, where is it?

Speaker: Keith Kidwell

Do you know your product or service upside down and backwards, BUT the numbers just drive you up the wall? Do you really work hard, but always seem to run out of cash at the end of the month? This seminar will help you understand the financial aspects of your business. We’ll talk about tax issues. You’ll become familiar with those financial terms that confuse you, but are the road map to your success. You will learn… • What makes your business thrive and grow? • What is a CPA and when and how do you use them? • How to understand financial statements • What your banker is looking for? • What federal and state reports are required? • If I made that much money, where is it?

Speaker: Keith Kidwell

Business owners usually are experts about their product or service but often unsure how to find and capture new customers. This workshop will provide the basic tools to talk with any prospect and move them through the sales cycle. This workshop is not a tour through Sales 101. Rather it is very interactive. Owners will get their specific questions answered. Directions - http://www.forsythtech.edu/services-businesses/small-business-center/driving-directions/

Speaker: Jim Blaylock

****This event was originally scheduled for Monday, February 16th and has been re-scheduled to March 16th, due to inclement weather. The Piedmont Triad Chapter of the National Black MBA Association and the GTCC Small Business Center present Following Your Dream: From Craft to Cash Are you a crafter or a hobbyist that wants to make money selling your products or services? Plenty of people have a hobby or a skill and do not know how to turn it into a business. Meet entrepreneurs who have been able to go from Crafting to CASH! Explore various ways to sell, market, and develop your talent into a business. Open to the public, students, professionals, and entrepreneurs.

An excellent credit score is now considered to be 740 points or higher. Should you have one credit card or four? Should you pay off your balances every month or carry a balance? Should you carry a credit card even though you have not used it in years? The answers to these questions may surprise you when it comes to increasing your credit score. Now more than ever, having good credit is important in being able to obtain a loan to start or expand your business. In this three-hour seminar we will discuss the history of credit scoring, how to read a credit report and what factors are used in calculating your FICO or Beacon score. You will learn the legal tricks credit bureaus do not reveal on how to raise your score simply by the way you use your credit cards, treat inquiries, make your payments and carry balances. This seminar will also include information about the importance of maintaining good credit and the positive financial consequences it produces. Using several proven methods, your credit score could increase by 50-100 points or more within 60 days. Make plans to attend now!

Speaker: Bob Moore

This seminar identifies the marketing tools relative to specified business needs, with the introduction of demographic, location, and advertising selection activities.

Speaker: Candace Thomas

If someone searches for your business, what do they see? Are they intrigued enough to buy from you or do they move on? This seminar is about making sure you have a good online presence and using free internet tools to your advantage. This seminar will give you the tools necessary to develop a top notch online profile.

Speaker: Matt Rudisill

"Drive Your Business" - Use Free Resources from the Forsyth County Public Library to: •Identify Sales Prospects •Research Competition •Find Sources of Supply •Improve Sales •Target Your Market •Create Custom Lists

Speaker: Kathleen Wheeless

Financing and Loan Structure: Matching the Funding Source to the Need • The Loan Purpose o Short term needs ? Matching short-term loans to short-term needs ? Operating Cycle Coverage • Inventory • Accounts Receivable • Business Seasonality o Long term needs ? Matching long term loans to long term needs ? Equipment Purchases ? Business Expansion ? Permanent Working Capital ? Real Estate Purchases • Sources and Uses o Money from the financing source o Equity in-skin in the game • Paying Back the Loan o Primary Source: Cash Flow ? Operational cash flow ? Global cash flow o Secondary Source: Guarantors o Tertiary Source: Collateral liquidation o Last Resort: Legal action and judgment enforcement

Speaker: Daniel Farmer with David Caster as guest speaker

Learn how to rebuild your credit without paying a credit repair company or individual. Do it yourself!

Do you have questions that you want to ask about lending or banking? Do want to get ready for your official visit to the bank or credit union? Do you understand how they can help you to start or grow your business? Do you want to learn best practices that move you from pretty good to very good? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, you should take advantage of this opportunity to meet those who are committed to your financial success. You will have the opportunity to speak with them confidentially about your financial needs.

Speaker: Tommy Hicks

Keeping good financial records is a critical step in managing a successful enterprise. This seminar addresses the financial records needed for good business management. In this module, participants will also become familiar with tax procedures and forms that owners must file to comply with state and federal regulations for reporting business activity. Participants will demonstrate the connection between cash flow projections and the bookkeeping system created for a business, practice posting business transactions to monthly cash receipts and disbursements journals, and demonstrate how good bookkeeping practices and regular financial statements give a clear snapshot of a business’ health and tax liabilities. Directions- http://www.forsythtech.edu/services-businesses/small-business-center/driving-directions/

Speaker: Ruben Gonzales

Now that you have created a Professional LinkedIn Profile, the next step is to begin deliberately Connecting and Engaging on LinkedIn. In this session we will guide you through doing research, making relevant connections, contributing and engaging on relevant content. These purposeful activities on LinkedIn are vital to truly create meaningful business value using LinkedIn. Directions - http://www.forsythtech.edu/services-businesses/small-business-center/driving-directions/

Speaker: Teddy Burriss