BCCC’s Business and Industry announces a schedule of upcoming classes 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 certificates that acknowledges their studies, according to Lentz Stowe, director of BCCC’s Business and Industry Services.

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

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

• How to Start a Business: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 13, in Room 823 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. Instructors for the course will be volunteers from SCORE.
• How to Write a Business Plan: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sept. 10, in Room 823 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. Volunteers from SCORE will be the instructors for the course.
• Financing Your Small Business: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 22, in Room 823, 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. The instructors are members of SCORE.
• Advertising and Marketing for Small Businesses: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 15, in Room 823 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. The instructors are members of SCORE.
• Recordkeeping and Taxes for Your Small Business: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Nov. 5, in Room 823 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. The instructor is Keith Kidwell, a tax professional with H & R Block in Washington.

Attendance is free of charge for all of these seminars, but preregistration is recommended to reserve seating and allow the college to adequately prepare materials.

To register, contact BCCC’s Business and Industry Services at 252-940-6375 or email Eva Peartree at evap@beaufortccc.edu.

The workshops are co-sponsored by the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce and SCORE, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing professional guidance and making information accessible to all, to maximize the success of America’s existing and emerging small businesses.

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/Small Business/workshops.htm or contact Stowe at 252-940-6306 or Lauren Spruill at 252-940-6311.