Upcoming Small Business Center Seminars

There are lots of small businesses that you can start for under $100. The sources of the business can be right in front of you in your home, yard, hobbies or past or current work experiences. In this seminar you will learn to find a business that fits you, where to find resources to get you started, how to plan your small business like it is a big business and how to make a small business larger. Businesses such as personal services, business services, computer businesses and service businesses will be covered.

Training employees to build “repeat business” includes: how to identify and provide what your market wants, develop customer centered thinking, how to embolden employees faced with aggressive completion, and ways to encourage return and repeat business. This and more will be covered in this “customer service” seminar.

The idea of a group home is unique. For a specific population, it provides the comfort and support of a homelike environment. More importantly, it helps its residents use available social programs and services these homes offer shelter for people who years ago would have found themselves on the street or in a state-run institution with limited services. This three hour seminar is designed to give you basic knowledge of staring a Group Home by enabling you to avoid many of the bureaucratic roadblocks and frustrations. The following subject matter will be covered: how to work with state and local governments, how to find a good location and how to evaluate a house as a group home, how to find start up money, what to expect in licensing and relicensing process which includes the various inspections your group home must pass, and how to identify staff including your social worker partner.

When visitors are considering spending money in your town, they go first to their phones and tablets ? which draw from online directories ? to make their decision. Is your business ready to be found? You can get ready with these 3 information- packed hours delivering valuable tips and strategies for making the most of the online directories like Google Local that enable businesses to be found when shoppers are searching from their desktop or mobile devices. Since basic listings are free, directories provide a great opportunity for a small business to look as professional as big competitors, and this class will give you the guidelines for setting up your listings in a way that improves search results and builds a stronger Web presence.

This 3-hour workshop will give you an overall understanding of the steps you need to take to make your dream of owning your own business a reality.

Speaker: Mike Collins

This 3-hour workshop will give you an overall understanding of the steps you need to take to make your dream of owning your own business a reality.

Speaker: Mike Collins

The business plan is a roadmap for your business whether you’re determining the feasibility for start-up, tracking your progress, planning for expansion, or applying for a loan. This workshop will discuss the narrative and financial aspects of the plan as well as give the student an opportunity to work with actual plans that have been prepared by others.

Speaker: Ruben Gonzales

The business plan is a roadmap for your business whether you’re determining the feasibility for start-up, tracking your progress, planning for expansion, or applying for a loan. This workshop will discuss the narrative and financial aspects of the plan as well as give the student an opportunity to work with actual plans that have been prepared by others.

Speaker: Ruben Gonzales

An entrepreneur goes into business to make money. In order to accomplish this goal, it is often necessary to borrow funds. This 3-hour seminar will cover determining how much you need, where the money will come from, the 5 C’s of Credit, and preparing your loan package.

Speaker: Ruben Gonzales

A good credit score is now considered to be 740 points or higher. This seminar will include information about the history of credit scoring, credit reports and how they are calculated, the importance of maintaining good credit, and more. Proven methods to increase your credit score by 50-100+ within 60 days will also be discussed.

Speaker: Robert Moore

This seminar is designed for the beginning grant writer, or a more seasoned fundraiser who is interested in picking up new tips and pointers. Seminar participants will examine all the elements of a grant application and have an opportunity to begin developing their own proposals.

Speaker: Sam Gore

An entrepreneur goes into business to make money. In order to accomplish this goal, it is often necessary to borrow funds. This 3-hour seminar will cover determining how much you need, where the money will come from, the 5 C’s of Credit, and preparing your loan package.

Speaker: Ruben Gonzales

Do you know your product or service upside down and backwards, but the numbers just drive you up a wall? This seminar will help you understand the difference between cash basis and accrual basis of accounting and single versus double entry bookkeeping. We’ll talk about calculating and recording payroll taxes and sales tax and you’ll get hands-on experience in preparing financial statements, including cash flow, income and expense statements, and balance sheets.

Speaker: Jess McLamb

This seminar will teach attendees how to get the most out of QuickBooks for their business. You will learn the basics to better understand your financial data. Topics include how to set your business, create invoices, pay bills, reconcile bank accounts, and create reports.

Speaker: Jess McLamb

Do you know your product or service upside down and backwards, but the numbers just drive you up a wall? This seminar will help you understand the difference between cash basis and accrual basis of accounting and single versus double entry bookkeeping. We’ll talk about calculating and recording payroll taxes and sales tax and you’ll get hands-on experience in preparing financial statements, including cash flow, income and expense statements, and balance sheets.

Speaker: Jess McLamb

This seminar covers tips for prospective and existing business owners on how to learn more about customers, competitors, and overall market opportunities. In addition to defining a target market, you will learn the 4 components of the marketing mix and inexpensive and effective market research design.

Speaker: Mike Collins

Hootsuite is a program that can be utilized to manage your social media accounts in one place. In Hootsuite Part 1 you will gain a foundation with a basic overview of the program and receive instruction on how to create a social media marketing plan for your business. You will also learn different ways that a company can cultivate an online image such as How to Articles, Industry Updates, Promoting Specials and Sales, Providing Coupons and Deals, Celebrating Company Anniversary’s, Community Activities, Showcasing Company Culture etc. In Hootsuite Part II will execute your plan.

Hootsuite Part 2 builds on Part I and is a hands on seminar that allows participants to setup their accounts in the classroom. (You CAN attend this seminar without attending Part I, however Part I is highly recommended) There will be a brief review of Part I followed by setting up your account using Hootsuite. This includes: how to add social media accounts to Hootsuite, introducing participants to the dashboard, and to Tabs, Streams, and Applications that can be added to Hootsuite, walk through composing a message, assigning the message to different social media and attaching pictures, links, and tags, as well as using Hootlet, Hootsuite Mobile, Keyword and Hash tag searches. NOTE: participants may need to bring their laptops or tablets to the seminar.

This seminar covers tips for prospective and existing business owners on how to learn more about customers, competitors, and overall market opportunities. In addition to defining a target market, you will learn the 4 components of the marketing mix and inexpensive and effective market research design.

Speaker: Mike Collins