Upcoming Small Business Center seminars

The Division of Continuing Education at Beaufort County Community College has announced its schedule of Small Business Center seminars for spring 2016. The schedule is as follows:

How to Start a Nonprofit Business, 6-9 p.m., Jan. 7, in room 828 of Building 8. This seminar is designed to explain the basics of what a nonprofit is, the issues involved in starting a nonprofit, key steps in forming a nonprofit, forms and documents, what takes place at the first board meeting and when it is appropriate to obtain the services of an attorney.

There’s Always Money for Good Ideas – Part I, 9 a.m. to noon, Jan. 23, in room 822 of Building 8. Successful entrepreneurs in nonprofit or for-profit sectors are able to identify problems, propose solutions and convince funders to invest in their ideas. In this two-part workshop, Michele Oros will provide hands-on experience in researching and writing needs assessments, designing concrete, measurable objectives and creating justifiable budgets.

There’s Always Money for Good Ideas – Part II, 9 a.m. to noon, Jan. 30, in room 822 of Building 8. With specific attention to the nonprofit sector and grant funds, subject matter expert Michele Oros will take students deeper into the world of finding funding for their nonprofit or business concepts.

Taking Your Home Business to the World Market with Etsy, 2-5 p.m., Feb. 11 OR Feb. 18, in room 822 of Building 8. This class is an orientation to Etsy.com, an online marketplace with millions of sellers and buyers. Students will learn what can and cannot be sold on Etsy, how to choose a name and open a shop, what is needed to make it look good and be taken seriously, how to collect money and ship, selling internationally and resources for help.

How Small Business Can Leverage the Cloud to be More Effective in Marketing, 6-9 p.m., Feb. 23, in room 828 of Building 8. This seminar will be an introduction to cloud-based (web-based) computing tools. Cloud-based computing, which allows the sharing of files and applications over the Internet, provides a high level of accessibility that frees the small business owner from a fixed workstation environment. This training will include how to use team sharing of information, how cloud resources can enhance customer relationships and improve marketing efforts, how to be able to access data in front of a customer and how to establish security for web-based services.

How to Find, Interview and Hire Magical People, 2-5 p.m., March 1, in room 828 of Building 8. Tired of having candidates who do well during the interview, only to be a bust on the job? Is your business like a revolving door of average employees coming and going? Have you ever wondered why your competition has better players? Your people are your greatest asset, yet most small business owners have no idea how to find and hire great people. John Formica’s one-of-a-kind program will help participants make the best possible hires.

Manage Your Debt and Credit, Prior to Starting Your Business, 6-9 p.m., March 24, in room 828 of Building 8. If past credit issues are preventing you from moving forward toward your financial goals, this workshop is a must. Topics include how the FICO score is determined, how credit bureaus operate, how to build and maintain positive credit, how to deal with inaccurate and derogatory items on credit reports by asserting your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and why paying off old collections will NOT improve your credit. Students will leave with strategies that can be implemented immediately to dramatically improve credit scores in as little as three to six months.

So You Think You Want to Start a Business, 6-9 p.m., April 5, in room 828 of Building 8. This seminar has been created for those individuals who are thinking about starting and operating their own business; however, they do not know if they have the personality, drive, creativity, adaptability and a host of other talents and attributes that comprise a successful entrepreneur. During this seminar, attendees will honestly assess themselves in order to discover their strengths and weaknesses, so they can make a better-informed decision on moving forward at this point in time. The seminar will also incorporate realistic challenges encountered by entrepreneurs and methods for finding a solution.

Market Your Business by Networking in Your Local Community, 6-9 p.m., April 7, in room 828 of Building 8. Find out how to reach potential customers in the local community and gain their trust. This seminar includes tips on face-to-face networking, a powerful and virtually free form of marketing.

Dynamite Marketing on a Firecracker Budget, 6-9 p.m., April 26, in room 828 of Building 8. How about inexpensive, easy-to-use ideas for growing your business, such as 50 ways to grab new customers, reinforce relationships with current customers and pique the interest of customers you don’t even know about? This seminar will help participants create a low-cost marketing plan for their businesses.

Starting and Operating a Home-Based Business, 2-5 p.m., May 12, in room 828 of Building 8. How does a new business become a booming business? This fast-paced, information-packed seminar details how to best market your business image on a low- or no-budget plan. Attendees are encouraged to bring samples of their product to the seminar. The workshop will focus on selling through craft fairs and trade shows, designing a booth at shows and why presentation is important, successful marketing tips including press releases, business cards and gift tags, designing logos, business cards, flyers or brochures and exploring the very essence of exactly what a marketing story needs to say.

Small Business Resources for Current and Prospective Entrepreneurs, 2-4 p.m., May 26. BCCC Small Business Center Director Lentz Stowe will share resources gathered from counseling small businesses and prospective business owners in eastern N.C. Resources are also received from attending annual professional development conferences.

HP LIFE Online Entrepreneurship Training, On Demand, Online. HP Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurs (HP LIFE) is a global program that offers aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners valuable business skills. The N.C. Small Business Center Network, in partnership with the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), is pleased to offer this innovative program to N.C. entrepreneurs and small business owners free of charge. This program is self-paced, making it possible for more aspiring entrepreneurs to participate. Read more about this program at www.ncsbc.net. Click on the HP Life logo.

Attendance is free of charge for all of these seminars, but pre-registration is recommended in order to reserve seating and to allow the college to adequately prepare materials. To pre-register, contact BCCC’s Business and Industry Services at 252-940-6375 or email Eva Peartree at Eva.Peartree@BeaufortCCC.edu. The workshops are co-sponsored by the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce.

For more information about other services offered by BCCC’s Business and Industry Services’ Small Business Center, including targeted seminars for business owners, visit BCCC’s website at sites.google.com/site/conedbccc/small-business-center or contact Lentz Stowe, director of Business and Industry Services, at 252-940-6306 or Lentz.Stowe@BeaufortCCC.edu.

 

BCCC schedules entrepreneurial core curriculum classes

Business and Industry Services at Beaufort County Community College announces a schedule of upcoming classes this winter that serve as the core curriculum for potential and existing small business owners.

The classes are designed to help entrepreneurs understand the basics of starting, advertising, financing and keeping records for their existing and potential small businesses, as well as business plan development.

Those students who complete all five of the core courses will receive a certificate that acknowledges their studies, according to Lentz Stowe, director of BCCC’s Business and Industry Services.

Students can use the certificate to prove to potential business lenders and investors that they have the skills to successfully operate a small business, or they can use the certificate to bolster their resumes when applying for positions as small business employees, Stowe said.

Participants can register to attend one or more of these classes. They are scheduled as follows:

How to Start a Small Business: 6 to 8 p.m., Monday, Jan. 4 in room 828 of Building 8 on the BCCC campus. This is a workshop designed to help budding entrepreneurs start their own businesses. It will help encourage individuals who have good business ideas to take them seriously and find out how to pursue them while avoiding costly and painful mistakes. Among the topics to be discussed include the following: advantages and disadvantages of owning a business; factors to be considered in starting a business; how to obtain permits and licenses; where to obtain tax information; and how to know if you are ready to start a business.

How to Write a Business Plan: 6 to 8 p.m., Jan. 11, in room 828 of Building 8 on the BCCC campus. This is a workshop that will help students create a plan for their small businesses. A business plan is the foundation for success when future business owners are deciding whether to start a new business or buy an existing business. It is also a valuable tool for entrepreneurs seeking financing for their businesses. Some of the topics to be discussed in the seminar are writing the executive summary of a plan, describing the business, developing a marketing plan and writing a financial plan.

Financing Your Small Business: 6 to 8 p.m., Jan. 25 in room 828, of Building 8 on the BCCC campus. This workshop is designed to teach participants ways to finance their small businesses including information on grants and loans available to help. It will also provide information on where entrepreneurs can obtain good, solid and reliable financial advice.

Advertising and Marketing for Small Businesses: 6 to 8 p.m., Feb. 8, in room 828 of Building 8 on the BCCC campus. This workshop is designed to teach participants low-cost advertising and marketing strategies and methods. Students will learn to create a marketing plan and score greater sales with current customers.

Recordkeeping and Taxes for Your Small Business: 6 to 9 p.m., March 14, in room 828 of Building 8 on the BCCC campus. This seminar will help participants understand the financial aspects of their businesses including financial statements, working with bankers, filing federal and state reports and financial terms that may be confusing.

Attendance is free of charge for all of these seminars but pre-registration is recommended in order to reserve seating and to allow the college to adequately prepare materials. To pre-register, contact BCCC’s Business and Industry Services at 252-940-6375 or email Eva Peartree at eva.peartree@beaufortccc.edu.

The mission of the Small Business Center Network is to increase the success rate and the number of viable small businesses in North Carolina by providing high quality, readily accessible help to prospective and existing small business owners.

For more information about other services offered by BCCC’s Business and Industry Services’ Small Business Center, including targeted seminars for business owners, visit BCCC’s website at www.beaufortccc.edu/coned/contin.htm or contact Lentz Stowe at 252-940-6306 or lentz.stowe@beaufortccc.edu.