Small Business Experts Present Free Seminars for Entrepreneurs
The Nash Community College Continuing Education Department’s Small Business Center (SBC) is offering several opportunities for owners and employees of area small businesses to improve their skills and business practices during the month of February. On an ongoing basis, the College’s SBC provides free, confidential counseling services for new and existing small businesses. Available on an as-needed basis, on campus, or at the business location, these services offer free support and guidance for area entrepreneurs.
Each of the February offerings is free and will be held in the NCC Continuing Education Department located upstairs in the Business and Industry Center at Nash Community College from 6-9PM. To pre-register for the following seminars, visit www.nashcc.edu/sbc and click on “Upcoming Events and Seminars.” For more information, call 252-451-8233 or email fbrooks@nashcc.edu.
Obtaining a Loan for Your Business, February 5 – An entrepreneur goes into business to make money. In order to accomplish this goal, it is often necessary to borrow funds. This three-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. The instructor, Ruben Gonzales, is a successful entrepreneur and Small Business Consultant. An experienced presenter throughout the North Carolina Community College System, Gonzales has also served as Business Development Director with the City of Winston-Salem monitoring and promoting economic development opportunities within the city and directing related programs providing concentrated assistance to specialized businesses.
Create a Business Website with WordPress, February 10 – For under $100 a year you can have a professional website using WordPress – the leading open-source content management platform that is both a website and blog. WordPress enables lay users to insert original content and make ongoing updates themselves without the need to hire a developer. This seminar will teach entrepreneurs the details for securing a domain name, choosing a graphics theme, and will provide step-by-step guidance for building a WordPress site. Attendees will have access to instructional support videos and will receive a list of recommended themes, plug-ins and widgets for customizing and enhancing their new site. Attendees should have a working knowledge of the internet and a web-based email account before arrival. Instructor Martin Brossman is a leading authority on social media and online marketing. He is a business coach, consultant and a dynamic trainer known for his insight and humor. A member of the National Speaker’s Bureau, Brossman offers customized coaching and training solutions for individuals and groups integrating social media, social networking and reputation management strategies. His portfolio includes experience with IBM, SAS, GlaxoSmithKline, the Environmental Protection Agency and more.
Grant Writing, February 16 – This seminar is designed for the beginning grant writer, or a more seasoned fundraiser who is interested in enhancing their resume by adding grant writing as a skillset. Participants will examine all elements of a grant application and have an opportunity to begin developing their own proposals. Instructor Sam Gore holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mars Hill College and a Master of Arts degree from Trinity Theological Seminar. As founder and director of Towards A Fruitful Ministry, Inc., he assists nonprofit businesses, including churches, in developing function structures, enabling them to reach their full potential. Gore offers consultancy and serves as a certified congregational coach for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and is long standing member of the American Institute of Parliamentarians. As a practitioner, he worked as a professor at Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute and is a Certified Risk Management Specialist for schools and churches. He has led congregations as pastor for over 30 years and currently is pastor of First Baptist Church of Delco.
Bookkeeping & Taxes, February 17 – This seminar will help small business owners and employees understand the difference between cash and accrual bases of accounting and single versus double entry bookkeeping. Content will include calculating and recording payroll taxes and sales tax and will provide hands-on learning in preparing financial statements, including cash flow, income and expense statements and balance sheets. Jess McLamb, the presenter, is president of The Roper Group Inc. (Roper Bookkeeping), a business consulting and accounting company based in Raleigh specializing in training for QuickBooks®, a small business accounting software package, in-house and onsite bookkeeping services, and Chief Financial Officer services for small businesses. Prior to forming Roper Bookkeeping, McLamb was a senior officer in the financial services industry for close to 20 years. In 1994, she founded the Wake County Women Business Owners’ Network. She is past president and current treasurer of the Greater Raleigh Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners and the North Raleigh Civitan club.
Creative Online Marketing – How to Leverage Blogs, Ezines, Articles Marketing, February 25 – Learn to leverage the power of internet marketing methods to position you and your business at the top of your game, regardless of your competitors’ budgets. This down-to-earth, fun seminar series is free of “Geek Speak” and will help students package services and products into exciting low or no-cost formats. Discover how to delight customers, get your website in front of qualified prospects and generate new business. Dr. Barnsley Brown, the presenter, brings the storytelling skills of her heritage and the business acumen of her entrepreneurial family to her empowerment coaching, keynotes, and training. She graduated magna cum laude from Wake Forest University and studied in France and England before earning her Master’s Degree from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to launching Spirited Solutions™, Dr. Barnsley taught at Wake Forest University, Duke University, and UNC-Chapel Hill. As presenter, coach, and President of Spirited Solutions™, Dr. Barnsley gives small business owners the power to soar personally and professionally.
Dynamite Marketing on Firecracker Budget, February 26 – This seminar covers tips for prospective and existing business owners and employees to learn more about their customers, competitors, and overall market opportunities. In addition to defining a target market, students will learn four critical components of the marketing mix and inexpensive yet effective solutions for market research design. Mike Collins is the president of The Perfect Workday Company, an information company based in the Research Triangle. As a marketing presenter, he leads over 100 seminars annually, addressing a wide range of small business, corporate and government topics.
