Citizen Potawatomi Community Development Corporation

BUSINESS START UP
2023-11-10 10:30 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | ONLINE
Topic: Start-up Assistance

It’s back to basics! If you want to start a business but aren’t sure where to begin, then this class is for you. In this workshop, our SBDC professionals will address many of the questions you should ask yourself before beginning the process of starting a new business. Attendees will learn about legal business structures, small business tax basics, best management practices, basic marketing strategies and market research. We will also talk about how to write a business plan and the importance of financial statements. After attending, you will have the opportunity to connect with one of our SBDC Business Advisors to get assistance in moving through the stages of your business venture. Attendees will receive a copy of the presentation along with helpful handouts, and have the opportunity to ask questions.
Speaker(s): Oklahoma SBDC Business Advisor
Co-Sponsor(s):
Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Language assistance services are available for limited English proficient individuals with appropriate advance notice. Please contact OKSBDC Training Manager Cindy Ruminer by email at cindy.ruminer@oksbdc.org or call 580-745-2877. Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

Native American Heritage Month
2023-11-14 11:00 - 12:00 | ONLINE
Hosted by SBA Oklahoma District Office
Our speakers will discuss Hot Topics for Minority Owned Small Businesses including Government Contracting Opportunities and Resources.

Safe and Savvy Online Shopping
2023-11-14 12:00 - 13:30 | ONLINE
With the holiday season approaching, consumers will once again head online to make their holiday purchases. The popularity of online shopping has grown every year for good reason. The internet offers a far greater selection of goods than we could find at our local stores (often at better prices), enables us to shop from virtually anywhere at any time, and delivers our purchases right to our door.
This doesn’t mean online shopping is without risks: the potential for order errors, lost or stolen deliveries, breached payment information, dissatisfaction with products or merchant policies, or even outright fraud. But consumers can enjoy all the advantages of shopping online and reduce the likelihood of hassles when they know how to protect their personal information, make wise choices about where they shop and how they pay, and take steps to avoid disputes.
Please join us for a free train-the-trainer webinar, sponsored by Amazon, featuring a panel of experts, including Debra Berlyn, executive director of Project GOAL (Project to Get Older Adults onLine), and John Breyault, vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud for National Consumers League.
Webinar panelists will provide tips to help ensure a jolly online holiday shopping season for you and the community you serve. Among other things, attendees will learn:

The safest payment methods to use online
How to dispute a fraudulent charge
How to protect their personal information
How to spot fraudulent sites and online reviews

MAKE YOUR SMALL BUSINESS MORE ACCESSIBLE
2023-11-15 11:00 - 12:00 | ONLINE
Hosted by OKSBDC & Google When businesses build digital communications that allow people with disabilities to perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with products and services, it expands their market. Implementing accessibility best practices can help businesses grow, and improve the experience for all users. Join us as Maria Elena Duron, Google Trainer/Digital Coach helps small businesses gain a better understanding of the following: * What does accessibility mean, online? * How to design for accessibility: web pages, email, and tips for physical spaces * Tips for being more inclusive Attendees will be able to get their questions answered by this amazing Google Coach and will receive a copy of the presentation with valuable handouts.
Speaker(s): Maria Elena Duron Grow with Google Trainer/Digital Coach
Co-Sponsor(s): Oklahoma SBDC
Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Language assistance services are available for limited English proficient individuals with appropriate advance notice. Please contact OKSBDC Training Manager Cindy Ruminer by email at cindy.ruminer@oksbdc.org or call 580-745-2877. All SBDC programs and services are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. “Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.”

BUSINESS SMART
2023-11-16 11:00 - 12:00 | ONLINE
Topic: Start-up Assistance

Hosted by: Oklahoma SBDC If you’re looking to start a business and have questions on where to begin, this workshop covers those first steps. Maybe you have a business idea and need to answer a few questions to give the idea more structure. Have you thought of a clever name, registered your business, or opened a bank account? Now what? In this workshop, we will be covering the following topics: Market Feasibility Key sections of a business plan Factors to consider when determining legal structure Where to find funding Key resources for your business The goal of this workshop is to provide direction to new entrepreneurs and introduce you to the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center. Attendees will have a better understanding of initial steps to starting their business.
Speaker(s): OKSBDC Advisor Sandra Pierre OKSBDC Advisor Greg Jones
Co-Sponsor(s):
Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Language assistance services are available for limited English proficient individuals with appropriate advance notice. Please contact OKSBDC Training Manager Cindy Ruminer by email at cindy.ruminer@oksbdc.org or call 580-745-2877. All SBDC programs and services are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. “Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.”

How to maintain your credit for both business and personal...IDRS Acorn Project webinar this Friday
2023-11-17 08:00 - 17:00 | ONLINE
This Native American Heritage Month, we continue our celebration of all in Indian Country with the entrepreneurial spirit whether that be small business owners, artists, farmers, ranchers, of even those being entrepreneurial in the home.
This week we’re also participating in Global Entrepreneurship Week and recognizing that Native entrepreneurs join Indigenous entrepreneurs all around the world in being a valuable part of the global entrepreneurial ecosystem. Check out our Facebook or Instagram pages as we highlight just a few of the awesome entrepreneurs and Tribes that we serve.
Tomorrow, we’ll learn all about credit. How do you get it and how do you keep it? What’s a good score and how is it calculated? Eddie Torres is back and will make sure you’re prepared whether you’re going for a loan, applying for a credit card, or just operating your business and you want to make sure you’re ok, just in case. Please join us!
Details about this workshop plus details on how to register are below. As always, IDRS workshops are totally free of charge. We hope you are able to make it!
And, if you know of another Native artist or entrepreneur who our programs would benefit, please share this email with them.

Credit Management: Learn the Five C’s of Credit and How Scores are Calculated –
Friday, November 17th, 2023
12 pm (noon) Pacific; 1 pm Mountain;
2 pm Central; 3 pm Eastern
1 1/2 hour session
Shortlink to registration: ntv.bz/money
​
The five Cs of credit are important because lenders use these factors to determine whether to approve you for a financial product. Lenders also use these five Cs—character, capacity, capital, collateral, and conditions—to set your loan rates and loan terms. FICO Scores are calculated using many different pieces of credit data in your credit report. This data is grouped into five categories: payment history (35%), amounts owed (30%), length of credit history (15%), new credit (10%) and credit mix (10%).
This is the second in a four part finance series. When you register for this webinar, you will automatically be registered for all of the other webinars and will have the option to attend any or all of the sessions.
For the recording of Webinar #1, The Purpose of Budgeting and Saving, please visit: ntv.bz/money_rec_1

For more information about the IDRS Acorn Project or to get help for your business at no cost, please contact us at:
Our Team Help email: help@idrsinc.org​
Phone: 916-482-5800
Website: www.nativebiz.org​
Facebook: www.facebook.com/idrsacornproject​
Instagram: www.instagram.com/idrs_acorn_project​
About IDRS Acorn Project:
The IDRS Acorn Project is a program of Indian Dispute Resolution Services, Inc. (IDRS, Inc.) a 501(c)(3) Native-governed, non-profit based in California. The IDRS Acorn Project provides free, online and offline small business training to Native entrepreneurs throughout the United States. IDRS also offers free counseling services to Native entrepreneurs to help them start and grow small businesses.
IDRS, Inc. also provides dispute resolution services including mediation and facilitation, dispute resolution training, and tribal election administration to Native American tribes. For more information about IDRS, please visit www.idrsinc.org.
​

Virtual: Getting Started with Microsoft PowerPoint
2023-11-28 10:00 - 11:30 | ONLINE
Microsoft PowerPoint is a business essential. It allows you to create, edit, present, and share presentations. We will show you how to make attractive and effective presentations using basic PowerPoint tools like themes and transitions that will make an impact and engage your audience. There will also be plenty of time for Q&A.
Topics to be discussed:

Using themes
Basic slide creation
Embedding and linking to video
Transitions

Presenter: Chris Hennes, Pioneer Library System
This workshop is provided by Pioneer Library System, Great Plains Technology Center, Davis Chamber of Commerce, OSBDC, Kiamichi Technology Center, and REI Women’s Business Center.
Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. WBC and 7j programs and services are provided on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities and language assistance services for clients with limited English proficiency will be provided if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact Lori Smith, WBC Assistant at PO Box 1335, Durant, OK 74702 or call 800-658-2823.

Short Term Vacation Rental Start Up - Wednesday November 28 - Oklahoma SBDC
2023-11-28 11:00 - 12:30
Topic: Start-up Assistance

THIS IS AN ONSITE ONLY EVENT TO BE HELD AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER BUILDING IN QUINTON, OKLAHOMA. Thinking of using your house or property for extra income by starting a short-term vacation rental? This presentation will walk you through information needed for decision making and set up of a vacation rental. We will cover basic information on Airbnb, VRBO and other short term rental platforms as well as tax information to consider. Attendees will have the opportunity to have their questions answered and receive a copy of the presentation with additional tips for success.
Speaker(s): Dana Hugle, OKSBDC Assistant State Director of Performance & Operations Aaron Deering, OKSBDC Business Advisor
Co-Sponsor(s):
Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Language assistance services are available for limited English proficient individuals with appropriate advance notice. Please contact OKSBDC Training Manager Cindy Ruminer by email at cindy.ruminer@oksbdc.org or call 580-745-2877.

Fee: No Cost
Register Online
Already Registered? Sign in for more information.

Phone: 580-745-3358
Email: cindy.ruminer@oksbdc.org

LOCATION

Quinton Community Center

1021 Main Street Quinton, Oklahoma 74561

Virtual: Cybersecurity and Your Small Business
2023-11-29 11:00 - 12:00 | ONLINE
Cybersecurity is an important issue for businesses of all sizes. In this workshop, we’ll introduce the basics of online security and how it applies to your business and customers. You’ll learn ways you can identify common digital threats and steps you can take to protect your business. You’ll walk away with practical tips and tools to increase your business’ cybersecurity, as well as learn about the Google Cybersecurity Career Certificate to help your employees build skills in this space.
In this session we’ll talk about:

Why cybersecurity matters for businesses of all sizes
How to protect your business and your customers online
What steps you can take after a potential security breach

Presenter: Maria Elena Duron
Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. WBC and 7j programs and services are provided on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities and language assistance services for clients with limited English proficiency will be provided if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact Lori Smith, WBC Assistant at PO Box 1335, Durant, OK 74702 or call 800-658-2823.

SBA Webinar on Building Capacity with Government Contracting - December 7
2023-12-07 11:00 - 12:00 | ONLINE
Wendy Clark with State of Oklahoma Office of Management & Enterprise Services and Carter Merkle with TGI APEX Accelerator will discuss how to navigate state contracting and build capacity for larger federal contracts.
Thank you!
Follow us on Eventbrite: US SBA, Oklahoma District Office Events | Eventbrite
Let us know how we are doing www.sba.gov/feedback

Launch Your Business with Customer-Focused Marketing
2024-01-03 11:00 - 12:00 | ONLINE
Online
Online Meeting
Map and Directions
Date/Time:
January 10th, 2024
11:00 am
12:00 pm
As a new entrepreneur, you’ll need more than good products or services to grow your business. It’s also important to have strong customer-focused marketing strategies to reach your audience and turn them into loyal customers.

In this workshop, you will learn how to:
Create a compelling brand
Define your audience
Convert customers
Build loyalty and advocacy
Presenter: Maria Elena Duron
Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. WBC services are provided on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities and language assistance services for clients with limited English proficiency will be provided if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact Lori Smith, WBC Assistant at PO Box 1335, Durant, OK 74702 or call 800-658-2823.

Price: $0.00

Where's the Money
2024-01-03 11:00 - 13:00 | ONLINE
Almost all businesses require an infusion of money at some time to start, maintain, or grow. This workshop describes various funding sources and specific criteria used to evaluate funding requests. A SCORE mentor will explain the process for SBA guaranteed loans, as well as talk about local organizations that provide loans to start-ups and existing businesses. Also get tips on crowd-funding, friends and family loans and equity investments from Angel Investors and when Venture Capitalists come in.
A Finance expert will help you learn about:

Loan Application Packaging
Alternate Funding Sources
Micro Loans, Bank Loans, Angel Investors and Venture Capital
Real Estate Loans
Working Capital for Start-Ups and Existing Businesses
SBA Policies and Procedures
What you need to do as a borrower
Where to go for advice

It’s frustrating to go from one bank to another and not get the answers you need. This workshop will explain your options and help you to get that loan!
This workshop will be held IN-PERSON and on Zoom. Registration deadline is 9:00PM the day before.
EVENT LOCATION:
8825 Aero Drive, Suite 102
San Diego, CA 92123
Presenters: Michael Sedloff helps start-up and existing businesses turn good ideas into great profitable performance. He built Southland Equities from a one-person local start-up into a highly profitable business. After 23 years, he sold it to a national bank which was and still is the largest originator of home loans in the U.S. Michael draws from his experience in planning, strategizing, selling, managing, hiring and training employees, negotiating leases, complying with regulatory requirements and finding financing to help clients be successful.
Harry Duffield has 40 years of experience in accounting and finance. He started his career with Plante & Moran, CPA’s in Michigan then moved to San Diego and worked for Deloitte & Touche CPAs (then Haskins & Sells.) He then spent 15 years working for real estate developers in the San Diego area as their Controller/Vice President/Chief Financial Officer. In 1995 he purchased a CPA practice and spent 15 years operating the practice which consisted of about 300 clients. He conducted audits, reviews, compilations, and prepared income tax returns for corporations, partnerships, individuals, nonprofits, and estates. He sold the practice in December 2010 and retired.

Measuring your Website Success with Google Analytics
2024-01-03 13:00 - 14:00 | ONLINE
Website owners who are trying to grow traffic and leads for their business can gain profitable insights about their website performance by utilizing the information in their Google Analytics (GA) account. Yet many marketers and business owners fail to take advantage of this valuable information. If you are struggling to understand how your website is performing or don’t know what things to look for in GA to identify problems to fix, this workshop is for you.
Steve Pitchford will lead this workshop measuring your website success with GA. You will learn basic navigation as well as how to measure key performance indicators (KPIs) like those below and more. Bring your laptops and logins to dig in. You will get instructions on how to set up a Dashboard in your GA account and learn how to import existing reports from the Google Solutions Gallery. You will leave this workshop with a better understanding of your website and with proven steps on how to measure your website success going forward. Other topics covered will include the following:
• Who is staying on your website or bouncing off
• What pages are visitors spending time on
• When it’s time review underperforming content or update your website design
• Where is your traffic is coming from
• Why is Mobile traffic performing differently than Desktop
• How well is your blog content converting visitors into engaged prospects
Steve Pitchford presents this workshop.
Steve Pitchford has been helping business grow with lead generation services since 1991. Today Steve runs his own SEO agency with a passion for helping small and medium-sized businesses understand their website performance better. With the significant amount of data that Google Analytics provides, profitable insights can be gleaned that lead to traffic growth and higher profits.

Learn To Use Financial Statements As Tools To Manage Your Business
2024-01-03 18:30 - 20:00 | ONLINE
Financial Statements are important for every business, and sometimes they are a bit mysterious to Business Owners. At this Workshop we will review the various Financial Statements that you need to see monthly in order to manage your business effectively. Knowing key financial numbers about the performance of your Business on a timely basis will help you to improve key decisions regarding the overall management of your business. Please join us to learn WHY! It is also important to learn how to interrupt these types of Financial Statement to more effectively manage your Business, and the operations of your Business. The objectives of this Workshop are:

To help you learn how to read a Balance Sheet, and understand what key information is stated in that Financial Report.

To help you learn how to read a Monthly / YTD Profit And Loss Statement. How to use this Financial Report to improve your Business.

What is a Cash Flow Statement, and why is that important.

How to use your financial statement to manage your Business and create projections.

Review those taxes due for Businesses ( Payroll Tax, Sales Taxes, Business Taxes, etc.)

The Facilitator for this Workshop will be Anne Marie Craighead. Anne Marie is the President and Owner of AMC Accounting Solutions, an accounting firm located in Naperville, Il. AMC Accounting Solutions focuses on accounting and tax needs for individuals and Businesses. Ann Marie started her firm in 1998 to serve the Naperville and Chicagoland areas. She has her MBA from DePaul University and has been a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) for 27 years. Ann Marie isa member of AICPA Society, and a Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor.

OKC Women's Business Breakfast
2024-01-04 08:15 - 10:00 | REI OKC Conference Center, 218 East Main Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, United States
REI OKC Conference Center
318 NW 13th
Oklahoma City, OK
73103
Map and Directions
Date/Time:
January 4th, 2024
8:15 am
10:00 am
Doors open for registration at 8:15 AM

Program begins at 8:30 AM
The OKC Women’s Business Breakfast is a monthly networking and business-building event. This opportunity enables you to interact with other women in business and potential customers, build your network, and market your business!
Each month this exclusive networking meeting for women business owners, professionals and small business resource partners will cover a topic relevant to small business management and include a time of introductions so participants come away with new contacts and resources.
The OKC Women’s Business Breakfast meets the first Thursday morning of every month (with the exception of July 2024). Breakfast sponsorships are available. Contact Jennifer Edwards at 800-658-2823 or jedwards@reiok.org.
The OKC Women’s Business Breakfast is offered in partnership by the Pioneer Library System and REI Women’s Business Center.
Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. WBC services are provided on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities and language assistance services for clients with limited English proficiency will be provided if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact Lori Smith, WBC Assistant at PO Box 1335, Durant, OK 74702 or call 800-658-2823.

Price: $0.00

Brainstorming Your Business Idea: What You Need to Know
2024-01-04 10:00 - 11:00 | ONLINE
You’ve got this idea for a new business. Maybe it’s something you always wanted to do. Maybe there’s an opportunity you see in the market place. How do you figure out if it’s an idea that can work. Here’s one word: BRAINSTORM!

This webinar will go through a 10-step process — a series of 10 questions you can mull, research and answer — that acts as a personal brainstorming process and shed light on the validity of your business idea.

Among the things we’ll consider in this event:
** What is the point of the business
** To whom am I selling my goods or services?
** How much money do I need to start?
** Why someone should care (how am I solving the customer’s pain point)?
** Who are the bad guys (the competition)?
And more!

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS: Gary Robinson is chair of the Memphis chapter of SCORE as well as the district director for the state of Tennessee. He has been a SCORE volunteer since 2017 after spending 40 years as a journalist. Lenora Ebule is founder and owner of Bailan Spice, a Memphis-based business that sells African spices in local stores and on online retailers. She has been a SCORE client for several years.

Simplifying QuickBooks
2024-01-04 10:00 - 12:00 | ONLINE
If you are an experienced QuickBooks user who needs help, you can skip this workshop and go online to austin.score.org to request free individual QuickBooks mentoring sessions. For the beginner, we present QuickBooks as a tool for storing transaction data for your business and generating your financial reports. In this introduction, we discuss the different versions of QuickBooks, look at the user interface, and prepare you for free, one-on-one sessions with a SCORE mentor get your company set up in QuickBooks. Supporting the presentation are several short video tutorials using the online version of QuickBooks. Time is allowed for discussion and answering questions. This is not a hands-on workshop, so a computer is not needed. If you sign up for a mentor after the workshop, we will help you to set up your business in QuickBooks with an appropriate chart of accounts, so you can begin data entry. Youtube videos are another good resource. For example, we think the Youtube tutorial at https://youtu.be/Oejy3YTVTdQ can be helpful.
Patrick Coleman and Bill Grosskopf are SCORE mentors and experienced QuickBooks trainers. Both are available for one-on-one mentoring to help you set your business up in QuickBooks.

Are YOU SBA Ready?
2024-01-04 11:00 - 12:00 | ONLINE
If you need funding for your business and can’t get on Shark Tank, register for this webinar! You’ll learn what steps are required to get approved for and SBA loan.
Specifically, you will learn:

The importance of a written business plan
How to create financial projections
Which categories of loan proceeds you can request
Difference between collateral and down payment
Purchase or lease negotiations
Tenant improvements and or renovations
What is funded at loan closing and the draw process

Our Presenter, Mike Mickler
Mike Mickler is a #1 SBA lender and a native of Jacksonville and 10th generation of his family (think Mickler’s Beach). He moved to Nassau County in 1990 where he raised 3 kids (now in their 30s). Mike has been in banking for over 30 years and currently helps business owners with SBA loans to start, grow, or buy their business. Mike is married and enjoys fishing, traveling, history and creating driftwood & shark teeth art. Together with his Team, Mike helped Pineland Bank achieve the #1 SBA Lender for Northeast Florida in 2021 according to the Jacksonville Business Journal. Mike is a Board Member for the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce, serves on the Fernandina Beach Police Foundation Board and the Community Hospice Board.

Simple Steps 1: Business Startup Basics
2024-01-04 11:00 - 12:00 | ONLINE
This introductory webinar focuses on the basics of testing your business idea and identifying the key factors that influence start-up success. Start-up Basics provides you with an overview of the skills and the tools you need when deciding to start a business. In this session, you learn about:

the advantages and disadvantages of owning a business
the most profitable form for your business
the fundamentals of formation, organization, marketing, cash flow and funding sources

Starting a Business - Are You Ready?
2024-01-05 09:00 - 10:00 | ONLINE
Have an Idea? Turn it into a business!
Starting a successful business requires more than a great idea, conviction, and ceaseless energy to make it happen. A thorough Self-Assessment will identify your readiness to begin the journey to Start Your Own Business.
In this Live Online Workshop you will:

evaluate your preparedness to start a business
identify financial and other necessary resources
learn about business legal structures
collect data to build your business plan

You will have the opportunity to have your questions answered both during and at the conclusion of the Workshop.
About Our Instructor
User advocate Peter Hildebrandt has been helping companies make sound business decisions for 35 years. He is the principal in Covetability, a consulting firm specializing in bringing customer data into the design of product offerings. His clients range from high technology Fortune 500 companies to startup businesses. He is on three non-profit boards and plays the string bass professionally in his spare time. Mr. Hildebrandt has been a SCORE mentor for more than five years and has helped thousands of small business owners succeed.

Business Use of Credit
2024-01-05 12:00 - 13:00 | ONLINE
In this workshop, business owners will learn the types of credit available to a small business owner such as lines of credit, credit cards and term loans, as well financing options from the Small Business Administration.
Bio: Regions Bank is a Fortune 500 company committed to keeping customers first, providing tech-driven convenience and being a strong community partner. As part of that partnership we offer tips, tools and resources designed to help you stay on track and safeguard your future. Click here for more information
Registration Information:

Upon registering you will receive a confirmation email. The confirmation will contain a Regions Bank Webex link to attend online.
You do not need a Webex account to participate.
Please connect 5 minutes in advance to be sure you have a good connection. The workshop begins promptly at 12 PM and concludes by 1 PM.

How to Write a Business Plan
2024-01-05 12:00 - 13:00 | ONLINE
I will explain the purpose, structure, and requirements of a business plan. Each crucial section of the business plan will be reviewed and key elements will be discussed. It will be my goal to provide attendees with a ‘blueprint’ on how to write a winning business plan.
Presented by Zoey Charif.
Zoey has mastered the art of entrepreneurship with over 15+ years of experience in various industries. Now, she runs her own business plan writing agency and acts as a consultant to help small business owners write business plans.

Simple Steps for Starting your Business - Basics
2024-01-06 09:30 - 11:30 | ONLINE
This ZOOM webinar provides you with:
* An overview of the skills and tools you need when deciding to start a business
* The advantages and disadvantages of owning a business
* The most profitable form for your business
* The fundamentals of formation, organization, marketing, cash flow and funding sources
This is the first webinar in the three part series “Simple Steps to Starting Your Business”. Session 2 – Polishing Your Business Idea/Marketing Strategy & Social Media Marketing and Session 3 – Financial Statement Basics, Sources of Funding, and Financial Projections.

Small Business, Big Impact: The Power of Generative AI
2024-01-06 10:00 - 12:00 | ONLINE
Are you a small business owner eager to explore the world of generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) but don’t know where to start? Generative AI is a powerful tool that can save you time, create content, and boost your marketing efforts.
This workshop is designed as a general introduction to generative AI and will explore how it works, its strengths and weaknesses, and how it can benefit your business. Join us and discover how generative AI can be a game-changer for your small business, even if you’re new to the world of AI. Don’t miss this oppportunity to take your business to the next level!
**IMPORTANT INFORMATION: NO Registration after 1/5/24 at 11:59 pm.**
Instructor: Sandy DeWald
Sandy DeWald is an expert in bringing new products to market. With 20 years of experience in the manufacturing industry, she has developed and launched hundreds of new products into multiple market segments.
Key areas of expertise involve the entire lifecycle of new product development including market research and idea validation; developing product specifications, features and benefits; and effectively launching new products into the market.
As a lifelong learner, she has a BS in English/Biology from the University of South Carolina and an MBA from Union University and is excited to share what she’s learned in both academic and real-world business settings to help new entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life.
**IMPORTANT INFORMATION: NO Registration after 1/5/24 at 11:59 pm.**
Registered attendees will be notified of any changes or cancellations
Any workshop materials will be sent within 48 hours following the event.

How to Obtain a Business Loan
2024-01-08 11:00 - 12:00 | ONLINE
Do you need to finance your existing business or are you starting a new business ? This Webinar will explain the qualifying factors of personal credit, credit score, and collateral or equity requirements. We will review sources of financing, explain cash flow, and the importance of using a business plan. We will also review the basics of a financial statement. This Webinar will be presented by Ken Nadler, Pasco/Hernando Score Volunteer.

Online Workshop: Shopify
2024-01-08 11:00 - 12:00 | ONLINE
Are you looking for a comprehensive Shopify tutorial to help you get started with creating your own eCommerce store?
This free workshop is perfect for beginners who have no prior experience with Shopify. We’ll provide step-by-step instructions on the basics of setting up and running your store, including how to create products, manage inventory, process payments, and more.
By the end of this workshop, you’ll be well equipped to start selling your products online with Shopify! So let’s get started!

Buying or Selling a Small Business
2024-01-08 11:30 - 13:30 | ONLINE
Learn how to sell your business for what it is worth!
Learn how to buy the right business at the right price!
This is a class for anyone who wants to buy or sell a business and doesn’t know where to start. Two highly experienced business brokers, each with over 30 years of experience, teach this class and they really know their stuff. The course will cover how to start the process of either buying or selling; how to place a value on a business so that Buyer and Seller negotiate a fair and equitable price; a discussion of places to get funding, contingencies, and due diligence. You will also have the opportunity to make an appointment with the instructors for a one-on-one conversation.
Learning Outcomes
If you are a business owner thinking of selling you will learn …

How to estimate the value of your business so it will sell
How to prepare your business to maximize its value
How to market your business

If you are interested in buying a business you will learn …

How and where to find businesses to purchase
How to estimate the right price to pay for a business
How can you find business financing and loans
How to investigate the business you are looking to purchase

Testimonial:A recent participant, T.B., wrote:
“I took 17 pages of notes. The presenters were both very knowledgeable and I have been talking non-stop about this class to others. I recommend that people watch for the next one and sign up. It was great!!”
Registration Information
Registration Fee: Free
The link to join will be included in your registration confirmation email.
If you have trouble registering, send an email to siliconvalley@scorevolunteer.org
About The Course Instructors: Mel Weisblatt and John Mittelstet
John Mittelstet
John has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from Texas Tech University and completed the IBM/Harvard joint President’s program. He holds the Certified Business Intermediary designation from the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) and is a Certified Business Broker member and past President and board member of the California Association of Business Brokers. He is the president and managing partner M & A Advisors. Having completed the sale of more than 200 businesses he has acquired a large body of experience in recasting financial statements and tax returns. Key to safely purchasing a business is understanding the value as well as the associated risks of acquiring a business. John has been helping buyers and sellers of businesses since 1981.
Mel Weisblatt
Mel has a Bachelor of Science degree from The Ohio State University and an M.A. from Case Western Reserve University. He has been a business broker since 1989, and the owner of his own company, Probus Business Sales, since 2000. He was president of the California Association of Business Brokers, as well as Executive Director of CABB. As a business broker he has focused on small business in the Bay Area and has represented hundreds buyers and sellers successfully negotiate the transfer of businesses.

Retirement Plans for Small Business Owners
2024-01-08 15:00 - 16:00 | ONLINE
This workshop is to help small business owners design and set up the proper business retirement plans for themselves and their employees to achieve retirement saving goals. This can be part of your benefit packages you can offer to attract, retain your key employees and be compatible among your peers.
You will learn or check in the following areas:
1. General concepts for retirement planning
2. Type of IRAs business can set up
3. Type of defined contribution plans like 401k and 403b, profit sharing, safe harbor and solo 401k, etc.
4. Type of Defined benefit plan like: cash balance pension plan
Mandy Woo is the presenter of this workshop. She has been a SCORE volunteer since 2006. Mandy, herself is a business owner, certified financial planner and educator. She has extensive years of experience in wealth preservation as well as strategic retirement, financial and tax planning for high net worth individuals, families and business owner since 2001.

QuickBooks Online
2024-01-08 17:00 - 18:00 | ONLINE
This workshop is suitable for entry-level and beginner users of QuickBooks Online version only. It is not designed for intermediate users. The objective is to learn the basics and include the following topics:

Introduction to QuickBooks Online
Which online version is right for you?
Creating a new Company File
Understanding the Dashboard, Gear & Plus Icons
Chart of Accounts – “Customize it for your business”
Creating an invoice and receiving payments
Entering and paying bills.
Linking your bank account to download transactions
Categorizing expenses to the correct expense account
Overview of Inventory
Understanding the Basic Reports: Profit & Loss, Balance sheet, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable
Overview of QuickBooks Mobile app
Sharing file with accountant and other users

Fee: FREE
Copy of the recording and materials will be sent to all attendees.

Marketing Your Business
2024-01-08 17:00 - 18:00 | ONLINE
For people who want to obtain trial by customers and growth for their business, whether it is a product, service or both. It explains various marketing strategies and contains many practical marketing tips. It will help you define your mission, analyze your situation, conduct research, identify your target market, and develop your marketing mix.

Stuart Hodes is a retired nonprofit/association manager who currently serves as a volunteer counselor for the Orlando Chapter of SCORE. The executive administrative positions Stuart has held represent over thirty-five years of professional experience in association and nonprofit management. During Stuart’s eleven years of non-profit management, twenty-three years of association management and six years in the private sector Stuart worked for Junior Achievement (JA), American Automobile Association (AAA), United Cerebral Palsy, and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP).

Steve Martin is the owner of Omni Productions. He produces and directs high end corporate video, in-person & hybrid events/conferences and multimedia projects. Most clients are fortune 500 organizations, although some are small and mid-sized firms. His extensive marketing background makes him the perfect fit as a SCORE instructor.
