Events/Workshops

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--the essentials of any good marketing strategy.

Understanding Intellectual Property defines exactly what a copyright, trademark, and patent are and what kinds of protection they might afford your business. The process of establishing such protection is presented for each kind of property. Also discussed are international intellectual property protection issues, as well as, important legal documents such as non-disclosure agreements. A primer concludes this course which details the prior details to prepare before meeting with intellectual property attorney.

Finding and Attracting an Investor examines 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 is presented and the tools for completing the fund-raising process are presented. Special focus is given to the federal and state laws that govern the capital and securities process.

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 such structures as the sole proprietorship, partnership, "c" or "s" corporation, and the limited liability company (LLC). As part of this course, a legal structure wizard ranks the best structure to choose for your business based on a series of questions that account for risk, complexity, types of ownership, and so forth. Once you have selected the best structure, the course then presents each of the forms that are necessary to file and set up your business from a legal requirements perspective. A final section of the course deals with employees and the legal implications surrounding this important responsibility. Each of the forms needed to successfully hire and manage employees is presented.

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!

A comprehensive ten-part course on the tactics of how money is really raised for small business formation. The course examines the sources of available capital and an overview concerning the difference between debt and equity. The course walks you through the maze of financial terms and tactics necessary to successfully identify and secure money for a new business venture.

Take command of a bookstore and coffee bar and see how money moves in and out of a business 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 demonstrating how "the language of business" works. Without using any accounting jargon to begin with, the course demonstrates how to keep score in a business through a simple scorecard approach. When you are finished, you are shown that each of your scorecards represents one of the three primary financial statements used in managing a business.

Pricing is the moment of truth--all of marketing comes to focus in the pricing decision. And yet, pricing is one of the least understood of all the activities in marketing. Evidence of the eclectic approach taken by entrepreneurs can be found in an Inc.com executive survey which polled CEOs from across the county. More than half of the respondents said they incorporated the cost/plus method for pricing, while 40 percent said they simply matched what their competitors charged, and 9 percent admitted they "guesstimated." The difference between successful and unsuccessful pricing strategies lies in how they approach the process. The entrepreneurs who squeeze the maximum profits out of their businesses are the ones who make pricing an integral part of strategy, not merely an after-thought. Strategic pricers do not ask, "What prices do we need to cover our costs and earn a profit?" Instead, they ask, "What costs can we afford given the prices achievable in the market, and still earn a profit?" You should not ask, "What price is the customer willing to pay?" rather, "What is our product worth to this customer and how can we better communicate that value, thus justifying the price?" 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.

Creating Buzz is one of the most comprehensive courses on how marketing is actually executed in a small business. Your marketing agenda as an entrepreneur is vastly different than that of a member of the Fortune 500. Some of the principles may be the same, but the details are different. The theory of creating buzz is that your primary investments should be time, energy, and imagination. In other words, you are shooting for a high return on imagination as opposed to return on investment. But buzz just doesn't happen by itself. Instead, it must be carefully cultivated and strategically crafted with an underlying architecture. Most of today's marketing still focuses on how to use advertising and other tools to influence each customer individually, ignoring the fact that purchasing is part of a social process. The most expensive marketing expenditure for any organization usually comes in educating your market-in placing your message into the targeted group of consumers you have chosen. Yet, your customers have already self-organized themselves into networks at the micro level. By tapping into these self-organized networks you can inject your message directly into the bloodstream of your targeted market. What you are really trying to do when you are marketing a concept is to have it spread in much the same way as an epidemic does through a network. Networks have properties, hidden in their construction, that limit or enhance our ability to do things with them. Creating Buzz details exactly how customer networks operate and how to select and leverage your marketing weapons to best turn your message into action. 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-do tactics to full-fledged formal marketing plans, the lessons taught in this course are paramount to anyone growing an organization.

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

Finding – and keeping – good employees is key to a successful small business. The course will cover proven methods of finding and hiring talented employees suited to your business, and helping those employees develop into the loyal assets you wish them to be.

This seminar covers choosing the right web developer for your business. What questions do you ask your developer, what duties must you undertake to work with this developer, and what information and tools should the developer leave with you when the job is finished? Building a web site is very similar to building a custom home and we will show you all the pitfalls.

Speaker: SCORE

Join Dave Trout from Trout Insurance Services to review insurance options for your home-based business and what kind of protections are available.  These include liability, products, and inventory at your home and professional coverages. 

How many people visited your website this week? What parts of the world are they visiting from? How long did they stay? What page keeps people's attention the longest? Google Analytics offers the free tool to track and improve business. We will start with setting up an account followed by adding the tracking code to the website. The majority of the class will cover navigating and understanding the basic reports. The main focus of this class will be an introduction to the short and long term benefits of utilizing Google Analytics to help grow website traffic. Mobile activity, social media, and live tracking will also be discussed.

Speaker: Boomer Sassmann

This class is perfect for any beginner that wants to learn the basics of how to promote a website. Students will gain a better understanding of website usability and all the different tools available online for promoting products and services. Learn the language of online marketing and become more confident in making decisions about what Internet marketing tools are the best for your business or organization.

Speaker: SCORE

Building and periodically reviewing your strategy will help you grow your business and keep it competitive. This course will outline the elements a strategy must have and why those elements are important. It will also discuss how to periodically review and update that strategy. To make the concepts in the course clear and usable, we will also create a strategy for a sample small business and show you how to measure key performance indicators.

Discover how social media can improve online visibility as well as strengthen branding and increase sales for your business.

Speaker: SCORE

This class will focus on getting your bookkeeping system set up correctly by discussing the chart of accounts, general administrative and selling expenses, fixed assets versus operating expenses, and options for inventory management. Participants will learn the importance of getting the bookkeeping system set up correctly and how to use their system to make comparisons to industry standards and minimize tax preparation time and expense.

Speaker: Rosalie Lulis

Strong brand messaging is a key part of getting your customers and prospects to understand who you are and why they should do business with you. In this interactive workshop, you will learn how to identify the most important ideas you need to convey to your customers and prospects and how to deliver them in a way that supports your brand, engages their interest, and compels them to take action.

Perhaps you have heard that WordPress is an easy way to post progressive dialogue about your business on the Internet...but how do you get started? Join Boomer Sassmann, owner of a local website company (Big Boom Design), to learn how to get your content, photos, and voice onto the Internet. Using WordPress for blogging is a great platform that is constantly updated, produces new features, and integrates better ways to import photos, videos, and links. Questions? Sign up for the class!

Speaker: Boomer Sassmann

This seminar delves into SEO optimization (the art of getting higher rankings on Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.), building links with online public relations, increasing exposure through social media, options for advertising on the Internet, blogging strategies, and e-newsletter best practices. Make sure your customers can find you on the Internet and that you are providing the content they need and want.

Speaker: SCORE

Come and join the A-B Tech Small Business Center and Small Business and Technology Development Center for this collaborative event aimed at preparing small business owners, entrepreneurs, and creative minded individuals for business planning. Find out how to assess your business ownership skills and the feasibility of your idea. Participants will also learn what type of information is needed in order to produce a viable and successful business plan. Session handouts will include the SBTDC Business Startup and Resource Guide, a business plan outline, additional planning documents, and helpful resources to guide the planning process. There will be an opportunity for discussion and to ask questions about specific aspects of business. This session is FREE and open to anyone interested in starting a business, but registration is required in order to secure seating.

Speaker: SBC & SBTDC

This seminar teaches the basic techniques of doing market research. A marketing professional shows how to identify your market and bring your product or service to the attention of your target market demographic. Presented by SCORE.

Speaker: SCORE

Microsoft Office 365 can be a comprehensive tool that allows small businesses to provide outstanding service for their customers - resulting in greater retention and higher profits. This seminar will give small business owners the opportunity to “test Drive” Microsoft Office 365 using the Surface Pro. Equipment will be provided as part of this Customer Immersion Experience so that attendees can become familiar with the platform. A facilitator will guide you through a live environment in the cloud to explore for yourself “what’s possible”. There are only 10 seats available for this session. Only serious attendees need to register!

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 fast-paced workshop gives you a model for managing the full range of business conversations including market research and sales. You will advance your ability by working through simulated conversations in small, non-threatening groups of three. The Workshop is given by Grace Major a long term small business owner who designed award-winning workshops and authored 'Take Charge! How To'

Speaker: SCORE