Virtual - Better Business Bootcamp

Ignite your entrepreneurial spirit at the Small Business Center's biggest and most comprehensive event of the year! Join us VIRTUALLY for a full day of information and resources to help take your small business to the next level. From marketing to taxes to managing your time better, a variety of useful business topics will be covered. You will be able to select the topics most relevant to your business or idea, as well as meet resources from your local business community.

Virtual Better Business Bootcamp Agenda:

9:30-10:45

1A) Finding Balance in Your Budget:

Create a financial strategy by developing a budget, identifying financial goals, and getting control of debt. Participants will learn the steps to develop cash flow projections that are vital for start-up businesses and required to obtain any type of financing. In addition, learn how to estimate fixed and variable expenses and conduct a break-even analysis. This seminar will help you learn to stay on budget and be more prepared to manage the highs and lows of cash flow in a business.

1B) Online Business Resources to Help you Grow Your Business:

As a new or potential small business owner in North Carolina, you may be surprised to know the abundance of resources available to you. Whether you're interested in business planning, budgeting, marketing or other business-related issues, this session will introduce you to various organizations and online resources that are specifically designed to support you and your business success!

11:00-12:15

2A) Manage Your Time Like a Pro:

How much time do you spend in your business doing things that don’t contribute to your success? Effectively managing your time can produce results you never thought were possible before. This seminar will give you tools to prioritize, set goals, manage interruptions and use time blocking and to-do lists to avoid procrastination and get the most out of your day.

2B) Apps for Small Business:

Whether you’re trying to keep up with expense receipts, manage your time better or just sign documents electronically, there’s probably an app for that! Being an entrepreneur involves wearing many hats and improving productivity is always a concern. Knowing which apps you should be using can make life much simpler, but there’s so many options it’s almost impossible to know where to start. This session will explore some of our favorites that have helped many small businesses we know get on the path to better systems and improved efficiency.

1:00-2:15

3A) The Entrepreneurial Mindset:

Behind a successful business is likely an effective mindset. There are key concepts that align with successful entrepreneurship. During this seminar, we will discuss eight life lessons that are critical in shaping an entrepreneurial mindset.

3B) Making Sense of Online Marketing:

A Simple Checklist for Success: The idea of getting your business online can often feel scary and even confusing. With so many moving parts, figuring out what to do and how to do it presents a unique challenge for time-starved business owners. Don’t worry, once you understand how it all works together you can stop wasting time and focus on the things that actually benefit your business. If you’re just getting started with online marketing or not seeing the results you’ve hoped for… this session is for you. You’ll learn the foundational elements that will help you get the word out about your business and you won’t need a marketing degree to do it.

2:30-3:45

4A) Reach Customers Online with Google:

Learn how customers find your business online and how to promote your business using Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Smart Campaigns in Google Ads.

4B) Create Your Website:

3 Pages You Need to Publish with Confidence: Publishing your website can feel like a daunting task. Even with a template that takes care of the look and feel of your website, you still need to create the content for your pages. It’s easy once you know where to focus. You can publish your website quickly with just the essential pages you need to get yourself online. This session will show you best practices you should follow for your website.