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Business Workshops
The
Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Northeast Regional
Office conducts free or low-cost
workshops addressing a wide range of concerns for
both start-up and existing businesses. Many of these programs are
cosponsored with local chambers of commerce, colleges and
universities, community development organizations, trade
associations, banks and corporate sponsors.
All workshops are
held in Massachusetts and offered free of charge
(unless noted otherwise). Pre-registration is required.
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We have audiocasts available from some of our
previous workshops. Click here to learn
more.
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Weather Cancellations: If a host school
closes due to inclement weather, SBDC workshops
at that location are canceled. If possible, we
will try to reschedule workshops. Please refer
to the host school websites for schedule changes
and weather alerts |
For a complete listing of SBDC seminars offered
throughout
the state, please visit
www.msbdc.org.
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**Program Descriptions**
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Your
Business Plan: Soup to
Nuts
Learn an easy
approach to developing a
business plan to manage
all aspects of your
business, including
marketing, finance,
operations, personnel,
and overall strategy.
Existing business owners
and pre-ventures will
learn to test the
feasibility of a new
company or a new
direction, and discover
how to use their plan to
raise capital.
Participants will
receive a copy of the
SBDC Business Planning
Guide.
The speaker will be
Michael Salach of The
Bay State Consulting
Group, Inc.
Date:
Thursday, September 9,
2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Location: Enterprise Center at Salem
State College, 121 Loring Avenue, Suite 106, Salem (directions)
Cost:
No charge
Contact: Laurel
Costello
at the SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
Register online with
link below.
> Register online
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State
College
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So You're Thinking About
Starting a Business
Business ownership
can be an exciting and
rewarding career path,
but entrepreneurship is
not for everyone. If
you're thinking about
starting a business and
have never started or
run a business before,
this workshop is for
you. What does it take
to be a successful
entrepreneur? Do you
know if you have the
"right stuff"? Do you
know where to begin?
This workshop will help
you take the first steps
toward startup and
ownership.
The speaker will be
Connie Komack, owner of
LifeWork Enterprises.
Date:
Friday, September 10,
2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Location: Enterprise Center at Salem
State College, 121 Loring Avenue, Suite 106, Salem (directions)
Cost:
No charge
Contact: Laurel
Costello
at the SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
Register online with
link below.
> Register online
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State
College
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Cash Flow Your Way to
Breakeven
Why do bankers say
"cash flow is king?" How
is cash flow different
from profit? This
workshop and its simple
but realistic class
exercise will help you
understand cash flow,
assess when you will
need capital, and
position your business
for bank financing.
The speaker will be
Jane Johnson, CPA and
CMA, B2B CFO.
Date:
Tuesday,
September 14, 2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Location:
The Career Place, 100
Sylvan Road, Woburn
(directions)
Cost:
No charge
Contact:
Laurel Costello at the
SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
Register online with
link below.
> Register online
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Marketing Basics
Effective marketing –
the process of
identifying, reaching,
capturing, and retaining
your customers – is
essential to business
success. This workshop
will provide simple,
cost effective, and
practical approaches to
marketing your business.
Our experienced
presenter will explore
and discuss a wide range
of marketing resources,
tools and tips.
The speaker will be
David Maloney,
instructor of Marketing
and Sales at Northern
Essex Community College.
Date:
Thursday, September 16,
2010
Time:
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Location:
Northern Essex Community
College, Riverwalk
Campus, 360 Merrimack
Street, Building 9, Lawrence (directions)
Cost:
No charge
Contact:
Laurel Costello at the
SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
Register online with
link below.
> Register online
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Mastering the Sales
Process
Confidence is the
path to closing the
deal. In this workshop,
you'll get more
comfortable with the
idea of selling, break
down the sales process,
improve your
communication skills,
and generate practical
strategies to build your
business.
The speaker will be
Keith Boudreau, owner of
The Growth Coach.
Date:
Tuesday September 21,
2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Location: Enterprise Center at Salem
State College, 121 Loring Avenue, Suite 106, Salem (directions)
Cost:
No charge
Contact: Laurel
Costello
at the SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
Register online with
link below.
> Register online
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State
College
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Social Networking
Bootcamp Series:
Setting Up and Using
LinkedIn
Promote your business
and develop a strong
system of contacts and
referrals through
LinkedIn, the premier
business social media
network. Find out how to
set up an account and
how to leverage your
relationships to further
your business goals.
The speaker will be
Patrick Agostino, owner
of Resolve IT, Inc.
**Notes: Please
bring your laptop and
learn hands-on how to
harness the power of
social media. Due to
space constraints, only
30 registration spots
available. Laptops must
have wireless
capability. No
refunds!
Date:
Tuesday, September 28,
2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Location: Enterprise Center at Salem
State College, 121 Loring Avenue, Suite 106, Salem (directions)
Cost:
$25 - Please pay at the
door with cash or a
check payable to the
Enterprise Center or
register and pay via
PayPal with link below.
Contact: Laurel
Costello
at the SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
> Register online
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State
College
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Your
Business Plan: Soup to
Nuts
Learn an easy
approach to developing a
business plan to manage
all aspects of your
business, including
marketing, finance,
operations,
personnel, and overall
strategy. Existing
business owners and
pre-ventures will learn
to test the feasibility
of a new company or a
new direction, and
discover how to use
their plan to raise
capital. Participants
will receive a copy of
the SBDC Business
Planning Guide.
The speaker will be
Michael Salach of the
Bay State Consulting
Group, Inc.
Date:
Thursday,
September 30, 2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Location:
North Shore
Community College, 100
Cummings Center, 181
Elliot Street, Room C01,
Beverly
(directions)
Cost:
No charge
Contact:
Laurel Costello at the
SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
Register online with
link below.
> Register online
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How
to Get a Loan for $5,000
to $50,000
Approaching lenders
can be intimidating and
frustrating --
especially in this
economy where
traditional bank funding
is often out of reach
for small businesses.
Come find out what it
takes to qualify for a
microloan and gain some
much-needed financial
momentum.
The speakers will be
Sheri Lane, a loan
consultant with ACCION
USA/New England Lending
and Tom Daniel, Economic
Development manager with
the Salem Department of
Planning and Community
Development.
Date:
Tuesday,
October 5, 2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Location: Enterprise Center at Salem
State College, 121 Loring Avenue, Suite 106, Salem (directions)
Cost:
No charge
Contact: Laurel
Costello
at the SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
Register online with
link below.
> Register online
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State
College
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Marketing Basics
Effective marketing –
the process of
identifying, reaching,
capturing, and retaining
your customers – is
essential to business
success. This workshop
will provide simple,
cost effective, and
practical approaches to
marketing your business.
Our experienced
presenter will explore
and discuss a wide range
of marketing resources,
tools and tips.
The speaker will be
David Maloney,
Instructor of Marketing
and Sales at Northern
Essex Community
College.
Date:
Thursday, October 14,
2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Location: Enterprise Center at Salem
State College, 121 Loring Avenue, Suite 106, Salem (directions)
Cost:
No charge
Contact: Laurel
Costello
at the SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
Register online with
link below.
> Register online
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State
College
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Financing Your
Business: Do You
Qualify?
Learn from a banker
and a consultant how a
lender looks at your
loan request. Credit
quality, cash flow and
collateral are key. This
presentation will focus
on preparing your
existing business or
startup venture for
financing. Sources of
capital, including SBA
guaranteed bank loans,
will be discussed.
The speakers will be
Jane Johnson, CPA and
CMA, B2B CFO, and a
banker.
Date:
Tuesday, October 19,
2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30
a.m.
Location: The
Career Place, 100 Sylvan
Road, Woburn
(directions)
Cost:
No charge
Contact: Laurel
Costello
at the SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
Register online with
link below.
> Register online
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How to
Get Paid When Customers
Delay (Collecting Those
Overdue Payments)
Collecting accounts
receivables from clients
who are slow to pay is
delicate work under the
best of circumstances.
In these difficult
economic times, it can
come down to the
survival of your
business. This workshop
will offer persuasion
tips and proven methods
for getting paid with
alienating the clients
you need.
The speaker will be
Jim Smith, president of
CRS Cash Recovery
Specialists.
Date:
Tuesday, October 19,
2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Location: Enterprise Center at Salem
State College, 121 Loring Avenue, Suite 106, Salem (directions)
Cost:
$10 - Please pay at the door (cash
or check to the
Enterprise Center) or by
PayPal with link below.
Contact: Laurel
Costello
at the SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
Register online with
link below.
> Register online
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State
College
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Pricing Your Products
and Services
Learn about pricing
concepts, the role of
pricing in a company’s
strategy and an easy
four step process to
determine pricing for
your services or
products on the basis of
costs, customer goals,
trends and competition.
The speaker will be
Michael Salach of the
Bay State Consulting
Group, Inc.
Date:
Thursday, October 21,
2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30
a.m.
Location:
North Shore
Community College, 100
Cummings Center, 181
Elliot Street, Room C01,
Beverly
(directions)
Cost:
No charge
Contact:
Laurel Costello at the
SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
Register online with
link below.
> Register online
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How To Be a Successful
Importer
Are you running or
thinking of starting an
importing business?
Learn the ins and outs
of working with
international companies
to import products
and/or services.
Discover the
opportunities at this
workshop that covers
importing for resale and
distribution, materials
and logistics,
government regulations,
as well as how to
provide your services
internationally.
The speaker will be
Jim Logan, owner of
Logan Marketing,
Date:
Thursday,
October 21, 2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Location: Enterprise Center at Salem
State College, 121 Loring Avenue, Suite 106, Salem (directions)
Cost:
$10 - Please pay at the door (cash
or check to the
Enterprise Center) or by
PayPal with link below.
Contact: Laurel
Costello
at the SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
> Register online
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State
College
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Internet Marketing
Proven online
strategies can help you
launch your company's
web presence, email
newsletter or blog, and
help you sell goods or
services online. At this
workshop, you will learn
how to track your
marketing and sales
progress through web
analytics. The workshop
will touch on natural
and paid search engine
marketing, developing
keywords, shopping
carts, web graphics and
building your email list
to reach your target
market.
The speaker will be
Carol Sanger of the Web
Division.
Date:
Thursday,
October 21, 2010
Time:
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Location:
Northern Essex Community
College, Riverwalk
Campus, 360 Merrimack
Street, Building 9, Lawrence
(directions)
Cost:
No charge
Contact:
Laurel Costello at the
SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
Register online with
link below.
> Register online
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Social Networking
Bootcamp Series: Setting
Up and Using Facebook
Groups, Fan Pages, Ads
and More
Facebook can be a
highly effective tool
for promoting your
brand, sharing
information, and earning
your customers' trust.
Learn how to post a
business page, a fan
page and how to
capitalize on the
influence of your fans.
The speaker will be
Patrick Agostino, owner
of Resolve IT, Inc.
Notes: Please
bring your laptop and
learn hands-on how to
harness the power of
social media. Laptops
must have wireless
capabilities. Due to
space constraints, only
30 registration spots
available per workshop.
No
refunds!
Date:
Tuesday, October 26,
2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Location: Enterprise Center at Salem
State College, 121 Loring Avenue, Suite 106, Salem (directions)
Cost:
$25 - Please pay at the door (cash
or check to the
Enterprise Center) or by
PayPal with link below.
Contact: Laurel
Costello
at the SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
> Register online
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State
College
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Art
Marketing For Artists
Whether you are a
full or part-time
artist, this interactive
workshop will help you
promote and sell your
art work in the 21st
Century.
Susan Fader, co-owner
of Ditto Editions and a
lifelong artist, will
draw on her 30-year
career in marketing and
promoting fine art and
consumer
products. Topics will
emphasize today's art
marketing trends and
tools. Susan is also the
author of "The Artist's
Giclée Handbook: Digital
Fine Art Reproduction".
Date:
Friday, November 5, 2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Location: Enterprise Center at Salem
State College, 121 Loring Avenue, Suite 106, Salem (directions)
Cost:
No charge
Contact: Laurel
Costello
at the SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
Register online with
link below.
> Register online
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State
College
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Cash Flow Your Way to
Breakeven
Why do bankers say
"cash flow is king?" How
is cash flow different
from profit? This
workshop and its simple
but realistic class
exercise will help you
understand cash flow,
assess when you will
need capital, and
position your business
for bank financing.
The speaker will be
Jane Johnson, CPA and
CMA with B2B CFO.
Date:
Tuesday,
November 9, 2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Location: Enterprise Center at Salem
State College, 121 Loring Avenue, Suite 106, Salem (directions)
Cost:
No charge
Contact: Laurel
Costello
at the SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
Register online with
link below.
> Register online
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Social Networking
Bootcamp Series:
Maximizing Other Social
Media Networks
There's more to
social networking than
the perennial favorites
Facebook and LinkedIn.
This workshop shows you
other important sites
that increase your reach
even further. Mark your
presence on the Web
through business-focused
directories such as
yelp.com and
merchantcircle.com, and
set up an personalized
blog as an outlet
through which to sing
your company's praises.
The speaker will be
Patrick Agostino, owner
of Resolve IT, Inc.
Notes: Please
bring your laptop and
learn hands-on how to
harness the power of
social media. Laptops
must have wireless
capabilities. Due to
space constraints, only
30 registration spots
available per workshop.
No
refunds!
Date:
Tuesday,
November 16, 2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Location: Enterprise Center at Salem
State College, 121 Loring Avenue, Suite 106, Salem (directions)
Cost:
$25 - Please pay at the door (cash
or check to the
Enterprise Center) or by
PayPal with link below.
Contact: Laurel
Costello
at the SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
> Register online
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State
College
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Financing Your Business:
Do You Qualify?
Learn from a banker
and a consultant how a
lender looks at your
loan request. Credit
quality, cash flow and
collateral are key. This
presentation will focus
on preparing your
existing business or
startup venture for
financing. Sources of
capital, including SBA
guaranteed bank loans,
will be discussed.
The speakers will be
Jane Johnson, CPA and
CMA with B2B CFO and a
banker.
Date:
Thursday,
November 18, 2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Location:
North Shore
Community College, 100
Cummings Center, 181
Elliot Street, Room C01,
Beverly
(directions)
Cost:
No charge
Contact:
Laurel Costello at the
SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
Register online with
link below.
> Register online
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The Art & Science of
Sales
Innovative and
practical approaches to
sales will quickly
improve your company's
bottom line. Learn about
cold calling, closing
sales, getting that
first appointment,
making presentations and
developing positive
long-term relationships
with customers. Note:
this workshop does not
cover marketing.
The speaker will be
Jay Wallus.
Date:
Thursday,
November 18, 2010
Time:
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Location:
Northern Essex Community
College, Riverwalk
Campus, 360 Merrimack
Street, Building 9, Lawrence
(directions)
Cost:
No charge
Contact:
Laurel Costello at the
SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
Register online with
link below.
> Register online
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Financing Your
Business: Do You
Qualify?
Learn from a banker
and a consultant how a
lender looks at your
loan request. Credit
quality, cash flow and
collateral are key. This
presentation will focus
on preparing your
existing business or
startup venture for
financing. Sources of
capital, including SBA
guaranteed bank loans,
will be discussed.
The speakers will be
Michael Salach of The
Bay State Consulting
Group, Inc. and a
banker.
Date:
Tuesday,
December 7, 2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Location: Enterprise Center at Salem
State College, 121 Loring Avenue, Suite 106, Salem (directions)
Cost:
No charge
Contact: Laurel
Costello
at the SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
Register online with
link below.
> Register online
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State
College
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Put It In Writing:
Shaping Your Business
Through Words
Though shiny new
technologies have given
us more ways to
communicate, the basics
remain the same: Be
clear, get to the point,
banish meaningless
buzzwords, and provide
key details that convey
your expertise,
credibility, and
professionalism to your
target audience. This
hands-on workshop will
provide techniques for
creating effective
proposals, reports,
business plans,
memos, and investor
pitches. Bring your
company mission
statement or description
and learn a process for
improving it on the
spot.
The speaker will be
Kate Victory Hannisian,
owner of the Blue Pencil
Consulting.
Date:
Thursday,
December 9, 2010
Time:
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Location: Enterprise Center at Salem
State College, 121 Loring Avenue, Suite 106, Salem (directions)
Cost:
No charge
Contact: Laurel
Costello
at the SBDC at 978-542-6343 or lcostello@salemstate.edu.
Register online with
link below.
> Register online
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State
College
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Cancellation Policy |
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Cancellations received by noon the day prior to
the seminar will be entitled to a refund. No
refund will be given on notifications received
after that time or in any no-show situation. The
MSBDC reserves the right to cancel or reschedule
a seminar due to insufficient enrollment.
Registration fees will be returned or credited
towards a future program. |
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