DAWN EVANS Owner, Editions Coffee Shop & Used Bookstore SMALL BUSINESS COURSES & SEMINARS WINTER/SPRING 2018 SMALL BUSINESS CENTER

Transcription

1 DAWN EVANS Owner, Editions Coffee Shop & Used Bookstore SMALL BUSINESS COURSES & SEMINARS WINTER/SPRING 2018 SMALL BUSINESS CENTER

2 SEMINARS FREE and open to the public MARKETING MONDAYS NEW! Marketing Mondays ONLINE! Join us online every other Monday evening from Jan. 8 May 21 for vital marketing topics that will take your business to the next level! Mondays 6 7:30 p.m. Online How to Build Your Website Explore different options for building your business website, including easy website building platforms such as Wix, Webs and GoDaddy, along with popular WordPress. Also see what ecommerce platforms offer, such as Shopify, BigCommerce and others. Join internet marketing specialist Teresa Broadway as she shares the pros and cons of each, and helps guide you to the perfect solution for creating your website. ONLINE 1/8 M 6:00-7:30 p.m. Develop Your Marketing Plan When it comes to marketing, small business owners run the risk of wasting time and money on tactics that don t work or yield little results. That s why a well thought out plan for how you will advertise, use social media, do PR, network and spend on events is so important. Marketing expert Sherré DeMao takes you through the steps for creating a solid marketing plan. ONLINE 1/22 M 6:00 7:30 p.m. The Inside Out of Branding 4 Key Factors You are your company s brand, and how customers experience every aspect of your company is part of that brand. Continue learning with Sherré DeMao as she helps you understand and embrace four key factors of branding that yield powerful, loyalty-building results. ONLINE 2/5 M 6:00-7:30 p.m. Make Facebook Advertising Work for Your Business Facebook advertising can be extremely effective if done right, or it can be very costly if done incorrectly. How do you create a Facebook ad that will generate sales or get people to your website? How do you track the results of your ad and ensure you re reaching your target audience? Social media expert Sue White guides you through the best practices of Facebook advertising. ONLINE 2/19 M 6:00-7:30 p.m. Create Marketing Materials with CANVA Image is everything! Enhance your business image by creating amazing and professional looking social media posts, flyers, logos, newsletter, business cards, letterhead, presentations and much more! This seminar, with marketing specialist C. Renae Simon, is designed to walk you through using this simple platform. You ll be amazed at the professional quality materials you can create. It s easy and it s free! ONLINE 3/12 M 6:00-7:30 p.m. LinkedIn: Make it Work for Your Business Sue White returns to teach you how to create a LinkedIn presence for your business that s engaging and profitable. She ll share empirically proven methods for increasing customer engagement and ways to channel that engagement to boost your bottom line. ONLINE 3/26 M 6:00-7:30 p.m. Gaining a Competitive Advantage: Being Preferred and Profitable As a business owner, you aim to set yourself apart from your competitors to gain market share. Components such as trusted suppliers, loyal customers, efficient operating systems and raising industry standards are examples that help you attain an advantage. Learn more ways of being a go to business for customers. Hear Sherré DeMao address ways you can be preferred and profitable. ONLINE 4/9 M 6:00-7:30 p.m. SEO 101 Search engine optimization may not be rocket science, but it does take some know how, especially in today s crowded online space. Learn the best practices to increase your website s visibility. Web design business owner John Walko helps you understand how to optimize titles, improve navigation, use metatags and keywords. Also discover the tools available to make it easier for you to get top rankings on search engines. ONLINE 4/23 M 6:00-7:30 p.m. Social Media Marketing Using social media in your marketing efforts is an inexpensive way to attract customers, build brand awareness and increase leads. Teresa Broadway returns to give you the latest tips on how to manage your social media time, maintain focus, engage existing customers and reach new ones. ONLINE 5/7 M 6:00-7:30 p.m. The Art of Selling Your Product or Service Business owners are often surprised by how much time they spend selling their product or service and selling themselves! While it may be one of the least favorite tasks of many, selling is a necessity for any business owner. Learn how to sell in this informative session with Marjorie Benbow, and discover what you can do to make selling more productive and even enjoyable. ONLINE 5/21 M 6:00 7:30 p.m. See next pages for other days and times for online, also onsite seminars

3 Twitter for Business Getting Started What s with using Twitter for business? Find out in this online seminar that gives you a step-by-step guide for setting up the right account for your business. Learn how to use hashtags, link shorteners, and how to get your message across in limited characters. ONLINE 1/17 W 9:00 10:30 a.m. ONLINE 6/6 W 6:00 7:30 p.m. How to Write a Business Plan A business plan can be the most important tool a small business owner has. Learn how to turn your ideas into a solid plan for financing and long-term success. This seminar teaches you the important components of a business plan. Find out how marketing, operations, and finance are interrelated. Discover how a business plan is used by potential lenders, the dos and don ts of writing a plan and steps for making the process easy. This seminar is designed for new and established business owners. ONLINE 2/1 TH 6:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Selling on Amazon, Etsy, EBay and Other Sites For business owners, expanding reach by setting up shop on recognized selling websites can boost your bottom line. This approach compliments your business website by creating more customers who, in turn, become loyal customers. Learn from Nick Hawks how you can benefit from these selling options, which will enable you to best position your products. ONLINE 2/8 TH 6:00 7:30 p.m. Google Adwords Express Everyone wants to be at the top of Google Search results, but getting there takes some time and work. The good news is with some wise investment, you can be found by your prospective customers on Google quickly using Google Adwords Express. Join online guru Martin Brossman as he shows you how to set up successful, efficient, targeted campaigns on Google Adwords Express. ONLINE 3/20 T 9:00-10:30 a.m. How to Market Your Website Learn creative ways to increase visitors to your business website and entice customers to buy. This seminar helps you understand important techniques such as where to place keywords, how to link to local businesses and how to benefit from testimonials and influencers. Join online marketing specialist Jennifer Lee in this insightful session on ways to boost website views. ONLINE 3/22 TH 9:00-10:30 a.m. YouTube for Your Business Video is a great way to promote your business. Learn how to capture compelling video and stories that get customers to buy and to share with their friends. This seminar, with online expert Martin Brossman, shows you free and low cost ways to create video content that keeps you top-of-mind with customers. ONLINE 4/18 W 9:00-10:30 a.m. Podcasting for Your Business Podcasts are experiencing a surge in popularity! Find out how to take advantage of this powerful medium for your business. Join podcasting coach Andres Quintana as he teaches you how to set up a recording studio, what to record, including doing interviews with guests and how to share your podcasts with the world. ONLINE 5/10 TH 9:00-10:30 a.m. Thinking About Selling Your Business? In today s economy, more people are looking to buy and sell businesses than ever. As with many decisions, timing is everything and that is especially true when determining the sale of a business. Join Hank Alston as he guides you through questions to consider. Also get information about the importance of creating a successful, strategic exit plan to make the transaction as profitable for you as possible. You ll also receive tools and resources should you make the decision to sell. ONLINE 5/31 TH 6:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Need business counseling? Confidential one-on-one counseling is available at no cost. Schedule an appointment at (Click SBC Resources) Small Business SPOTLIGHT Dawn Evans is living her dream. Six months ago she opened Editions Coffee Shop & Used Bookstore in Downtown Kannapolis, a business that has turned out to be everything she had hoped. I ve always been interested in books, I m an avid reader. Owning the bookstore is like having my own private library where I have books around me all the time. But it s not just the hundreds of books and inviting atmosphere that has made Editions so popular. Customers also frequent the shop for the full espresso bar and unique gourmet coffees made with beans, ground onsite, from around the world. What pleases Dawn most is the shop has become a community hub, a gathering place, where groups meet, parents relax, teens socialize, authors and artists share their works and classes are held. Dawn credits the Small Business Center for helping make her dream a reality. I worked with the counselor in Kannapolis who gave me the focus and information I needed. She really was an integral part in getting my business plan put together which ultimately led to funding for the business. Dawn has already hired nine part-time workers. Keep up with what s happening at Editions on their Facebook business page.

4 Enjoy networking, discussions, and hands-on activities at these on-location free seminars! NEW! Basics of Bookkeeping Gain a workable knowledge of how to properly record financial transactions for your business. Discover the three most important financial reports and how to use them to make the best-informed business decisions. If you re a new business owner or need a refresher on the basics of accounting, this seminar is designed for you. 1/30 T 2:00 4:00 p.m. North Campus, Rm Your Small Business Taxes Gain a solid understanding of taxes required for small business owners and develop the best tax strategy for your business. Become familiar with the latest tax forms and procedures. Discover how everyday business decisions can have tax implications that can affect your bottom line. This seminar is important for both new and experienced business owners. 2/22 TH 9:00 11:00 a.m. North Campus Rm How to Write a Business Plan A business plan can be the most important tool a small business owner has. Learn how to turn your ideas into a solid plan for financing and long-term success. This seminar teaches you the important components of a business plan and helps you lay the foundation for a winning plan. Find out how marketing, operations, and finance are interrelated. Discover how a business plan is used by potential lenders, the dos and don ts of writing a plan and steps for making the process easy. This seminar is designed for new and established business owners. 4/4 W 9:00-11:00 a.m. NC Research Campus, Rm. 236 How to Start a Business Understand the basics of starting a business in this seminar that takes you from idea to opportunity. Meet with SBC Director Barbara Hall to discuss key strategies for start-up, financing and marketing as well as important information about legal issues, licensing, zoning, operations and more. Discover the resources available to help you start and successfully operate your business. 4/26 TH 10:00 a.m.-12:00p.m. Rowan Public Library - Salisbury QuickBooks Online Edition: An Overview QuickBooks remains a popular accounting software for small business owners. And being able to access its functions from anywhere is making QuickBooks Online preferred by many. Attend this hand-on session in a computer lab to see how the online edition works. Explore the functions and get your questions answered about what it will and won t do. Find out what to do if you already have the desktop version. This seminar will give you a good understanding of QuickBooks Online so you can decide if it s right for you. 5/17 TH 2:00 4:00 p.m. NC Research Campus, Rm. 336 Interest continues to grow nationwide in agriculture and locallysourced food products. With our area s strong history and presence in agriculture, we re pleased to launch the Agripreneur Academy. Designed to be a single educational resource for new and established agriculture-related businesses. A collaboration between education, business, economic development and other agriculture entities. Educational sessions offered throughout the year at various locations. The Agripreneur Academy will address several phases of sustainable agriculture from planting seeds to reaping a profit! To learn more: Join us for an AGRIPRENEUR NETWORKING EVENT! Thursday, Feb. 15, :00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Kannapolis Train Station 201 S. Main St. Kannapolis, N.C Enjoy meeting others who have a passion for local foods and playing in the dirt! FREE FUN FOOD FRIENDS Please RSVP to: deborah.carter@rccc.edu by Feb. 9 Please reserve a seat at to receive event reminders and any location updates.

5 FREE Agripreneur WORKSHOP SERIES Tuesdays, Feb Mar. 27 6:00-9:00 p.m. Class 1 - Exploring Agriculture Entrepreneurship and Business Planning (Self-Assessment Community Analysis Feasibility) Class 2 Market Research and the Marketing Plan Class 3 Business Operations (Legal Structure Operating Procedures Taxes, Licenses & Insurance Key People Roles and Responsibilities) Class 4 Business Financials (Breakeven Analysis Cash Flow Enterprise Budget) Turn your interest in growing vegetables, fruit, herbs and other crops into a sustainable agriculturalbased business. This four-part series will use the REAL (Rural Entrepreneurship Through Action Learning) Ag-Entrepreneurship curriculum to teach you how to make money from your harvest. Gain insights on the marketing of your product. Hear about current issues facing small agribusinesses. Understand rules and regulations and learn about funding options and other resources. The series will include real-world scenarios and hands-on activities, along with guest speakers. CABARRUS BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY CTR. (CBTC) RM Concord Parkway North, Concord In partnership with the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Agripreneur series registration at or call