Upcoming Rhode Island Small Business Training Events

Monday, January 21

Effective Business Plan Writing And Finance Bootcamp (Rhode Island Small Business Recovery Program – 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5 in Warwick from 6:30 – 9:30pm and is free of charge.  To register please visit www.rismallbusinessrecovery.com or call 401-447-8000):

Starting a new business is a daunting task.  Many questions need to be answered.  Where and how will I get financing?  What is my best option?  Should I be registered as an S Corp or a C Corp?  What information should be included in a business plan?  In this FREE boot camp, David Lucier, CPA will help provide answers to these questions and point you in the right direction towards financing your dream business.  David will help guide you through this process and give you the best advantage possible on your new business venture.  This seminar will help you effectively prepare a business plan and figure out the best means of financing.

These topics and more will be covered in depth:

• Business Planning, Strategic Marketing Plan, Managing marketing and sales
• Capital vs. Loans
• Angel, Venture capital, friends and family, SBA, PEDC, CED, RIEDC, Private equity, other
• Entity Choice
• S Corp, LLC, C Corp, Partnership, Sole Proprietor
• Insurance
• Tax
• Legal and other
• How to Read Financial Statements
• Six easy steps to reading financial statements

Each participant will receive a work book to organize your ideas and put them into action.

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Wednesday, January 23

Internet Marketing:  How To Generate And Analyze Website Traffic (Rhode Island Small Business Development Center – TACO Center, Room 405, 10 Abbott Park Place in Providence from 8:00 – 10:00am and is free of charge.  For more information please call 401-598-2702 or visit www.risbdc.org ):

Do you have a website that’s not helping generate new business leads?  Discover how a well-structured internet marketing plan consisting of search engines, email and social media can increase targeted website traffic.  We will take an in depth look at how search engines work as well as review Google Analytics to help understand our websites traffic.

Business Development:  Everybody Sells (Rhode Island Small Business Development Center – East Bay Chamber of Commerce, 16 Cutler Street, Suite 102 in Warren from 12:00 – 1:30pm and is free of charge.  For more information please call 401-598-2702 or visitwww.risbdc.org ):

This Workshop Offers an Opportunity to…
Get the most out of each contact with customers and prospects
Have everyone in your organization believing that “SELLING IS ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE MEET THEIR NEEDS AND SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS”
“SALES IS ABOUT PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY SERVICE AND ONGOING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION”

Audience …
Broadly speaking the program is valuable to anyone in any size organization responsible for any contact with customers and prospects
Inside and outside service providers communicating with clients and prospects
Supervisors and staff who are directly responsible for customer service;
Extremely beneficial for all individuals working for smaller organizations where a variety of skills and multitasking is required;

Course Takeaways…
Provide “all” members of the organization with the knowledge and skills to enhance their ability to:

• Develop rapport; 
• Anticipate and identify needs – solutions; 
• Provide the appropriate service by “recommending / selling” the best solution; 
• Capitalize on this opportunity to create “total customer satisfaction” 
• Expand opportunities for enhanced business referrals and revenue growth

Introduction To The Government Market (RIPTAC – 315 Iron Horse Way, Suite 101 in Providence from 9:00 – 11:00am and is free of charge.  For more information or to register please call 401-278-9173, or email ssundberg@riedc.com or visit www.riptac.org ):

The government is the largest buyer of goods and services in the world. Intro to the Government Market will examine what the government market is, shed light on the differences between the commercial and government market, allow you to assess your company’s readiness for government contracting and what you need to do to enter the government market.

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Friday, January 25

The Economics Of Renewable Energy (Rhode Island Small Business Development Center – Quonset Development Corporation, 95 Cripe Street in North Kingstown from 8:00 – 10:00am.  Fee is $15.00.  For more information please call 401-598-2702 or visitwww.risbdc.org ):
State lawmakers created the Distributed Generation Program in 2011.  What does the new law mean to Rhode Island businesses considering installing renewable energy systems?  Join a panel of experts talking about the impact of this law including the opportunities and risks.  Coffee and muffins will be served.

Who Should Attend

• “C” Level Executives 
• General Managers 
• Facility Engineers
• Energy Managers

What Will Be Covered

•  State Program Overview
• Economics of Ceiling Prices and Incentives
• Examples of Cash Flow Analysis
• Interconnection: National Grid and Local Issues

Speaker(s): Chris Kearns, RI Office of Energy Resources
Craig Huntley, Solect Energy Development
John Kennedy, National Grid
Moderator: Dennis McCarthy, Solect Energy Development

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Monday, January 28

Six Steps To Small Business Success/Pricing For Profits (Rhode Island Small Business Recovery Program – 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5 in Warwick from 6:30 – 8:30pm and is free of charge.  To register please visit www.rismallbusinessrecovery.com or call 401-447-8000):

In this two hour seminar we will discuss starting, running and selling a highly profitable small business. The following will be discussed:
Pre-business planning;  Start-up-Financing, budgets and numbers;  Human resources-Managing people; Operations-Work flow, customers, sales; Building a salable business and the selling it; Transitioning to life after business

Pricing strategy is one of the biggest contributors to the profits of a business.
The following are a few of the concepts we will discuss in this seminar:
Pricing vs. utilization vs. realization; Volume vs. higher billing rates;  Brand differential vs. value creation monopoly to high profits; Pricing new products and services; Pricing vs. competition, pricing against low cost firms; Strategic customer selection, value added pricing; Why customers will be glad to pay you more, law of competitive advantage; Lower pricing can lead to lower profits or higher profits; Selling methods to high pricing, accessories and add-ons; Wholesale vs. retail, product mix, sales people and pricing

You will receive the book “Six Steps to Small Business Success” by David J. Lucier, CPA for free, a $21.95 value.

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Tuesday, January 29

Business Basics:  Ten Steps To Starting A Business (Center for Women & Enterprise – 132 George M. Cohan Boulevard in Providence from 10:00am – 12:00pm.  Workshop fee is $40.  For more information please visit www.cweboston.org or call 401-277-0800 or emailngirard@cweonline.org ):

If you are thinking about owning a business are in the early stages of starting one, then this workshop is for you.  Register for this class to:

* Develop your business ideas and planning
* Consider your legal structure
* Discuss choosing a name and entity
* Learn how to obtain an employer identification number, licenses, permits and insurance
* Leave the session with an A to Z overview and specific tools and tips that will help you get started quickly

Tax Prep Made Easy – Putting Yourself And Your Accountant At Ease (Rhode Island Small Business Development Center – TACO Center, Room 201, 10 Abbott Park Place in Providence from 8:00 – 10:00am and is free of charge.  For more information please call 401-598-2702 or visit www.risbdc.org ):

Does the very thought of tax preparation make your eyes glaze over?  We’ll identify practical steps you can take to make this burden a little lighter and maybe more lucrative as well.
As in:

• How should I keep my books to minimize my accounting bill?
• What is the best way to deduct auto expenses? Is a company car in my future?
• I pay a lot for my employees’ health insurance. Can I get the small business health credit? 
• What about that “domestic production deduction”? I have fathered five sons.
• I have a home and an office. Can I deduct a home office? 
• Can I save money by becoming incorporated or an LLC?
• I keep hearing about a $300 property tax refund from the state. Am I eligible?
• How long do I have to keep records?

Small Business 201:  Improving Financial Performance (Rhode Island Small Business Development Center – TACO Center, Room 219, 10 Abbott Park Place in Providence from 6:00 – 8:00pm and is free of charge.  For more information please call 401-598-2702 or visitwww.risbdc.org ):

Accounting is the language of business. Small business owners need to use this language effectively to succeed in an environment with limited resources and unlimited uncertainty.  In order to succeed in this environment, small business owners must have a basic understanding of:

• Cash flow
• Financial performance
• Financial position
• Components of a financial statement
• How these components communicate cash flow, financial performance and financial position
• What this all means from an accounting standpoint

Branding:  It’s Not Just For Cowboys (Rhode Island Small Business Recovery Program – 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5 in Warwick from 9:00 – 11:00am and is free of charge.  To register please visit www.rismallbusinessrecovery.com or call 401-447-8000):

In order to thrive in the marketplace, your business has to covey its message clearly, create the sense that it is the most credible source for your service or product, make a connection between your company and consumers, and most importantly, motivate your customers.  In this seminar we’ll cover the basics of branding, and discover ways to construct a sound branding experience for your customers.  This is an open-discussion workshop where we will actually begin your branding process by exploring the answers to the following questions and more:

• What is branding and why do I need to invest the time and energy?
• How do I create a great brand, and extend that into a cohesive, attractive, hard-working set of tools to get my business moving?
• Design Basics: How to identify good and bad design?
• What branded materials do I need to start my business?

The 7 Secrets To Overnight Success Stories:  How To Get Your Business Featured In The News (Rhode Island Small Business Recovery Program – 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5 in Warwick from 6:30 – 8:30pm and is free of charge.  To register please visitwww.rismallbusinessrecovery.com or call 401-447-8000):

Are you a small business owner who is struggling to find customers?  Have you poured hundreds or thousands of dollars into ads and direct mail marketing that didn’t cause more than a tiny “blip” in your sales figures?  Are you frustrated with the sluggish, time-consuming process of person-to-person sales that go nowhere… and would love to reach hundreds of “hot and ready-to-buy” customers all at once?  If so, you are going to love what we are going to share with you!
REVEALED: THE “SECRETS” OF OVERNIGHT SUCCESS STORIES

We’ve all seen it before.  A small business receives a glowing feature story in the newspaper, on TV, the radio or the Web, and the next day it is flooded with customers, ready to buy!  But what if I told you I have discovered a way to duplicate the process, step-by-step, and transform your business into a success story too?  Now you can learn the closely guarded secrets of these overnight successes and know precisely how to mine your business for news “gold” that will get you featured prominently in the media and drive customers to your door.  NO, YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE AN INVENTOR OR A GENIUS TO BE FEATURED IN THE NEWS!

For 10 years, I have been helping average, “boring” businesses capture a journalist’s attention and get their stories published, over and over again!  In this one-of-kind introductory seminar, you will learn my proven step-by-step techniques for how to reveal the type of stories already hiding in your business, which will make journalists salivate… enticing them to feature you in their next BIG story!

These methods are proven to work for almost ANY small business, even if you are in a highly competitive market and have the same menu of products and services as everyone else.  And here’s a little known benefit…When you are featured in the news and become famous in your industry, your advertising and marketing work even better!  So you can SPEND LESS MONEY on paid placements and direct mail and enjoy MORE new customers.

In this rare seminar, you will learn:
*The 5 Keys to a “newsworthy” story that will grab the attention of local reporters and get them calling you for more information!
*The 7 Success Secrets that you can use to mine your business for news “gold” that will earn you thousands of dollars-worth of free publicity and drive customers to your door!
*A secret tool that only the publicity experts know (and that a PR agency won’t dare tell you about!) that acts like a “fortune-telling crystal ball,” which reveals to you exactly what stories journalists are looking for so that you can swoop in with your pitch at precisely the right time!

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Wednesday, January 30

The SBA Advantage (Rhode Island Small Business Development Center – Larry Friedman International Center for Entrepreneurship, TACO Center, 10 Abbott Park Place in Providence from 10:00am – 12:00pm and is free of charge.  For more information or to register please call 401-528-4561 or visit email matthew.spoehr@sba.gov ):

This workshop will help you gain a better understanding of the various U.S. Small Business Administration programs and services that are available to prospective or current entrepreneurs who need assistance in starting or expanding their businesses.  General information will be provided on the following programs and services:

SCORE – Counselors to America’s Small Business
RISBDC – Rhode Island Small Business Development Center Network
CWE – Center for Women & Enterprise
SBA Guaranty Loan Programs: 7(a), Micro Loans, Patriot and SBA Express Loans, and CDC/504 Loan
Government Contracting Opportunities: 8(a) Business Development, HUBZones (Historically Underutilized Business Zones), and Women Owned Small Business
International Trade Assistance
Disaster Assistance

Business Development:  Develop People You Can Rely On (Rhode Island Small Business Development Center – East Bay Chamber of Commerce, 16 Cutler Street, Suite 102 in Warren from 12:00 – 1:30pm and is free of charge.  For more information or to register please call 401-598-2702 or visit www.risbdc.org ):

• Develop a willingness and ability to share responsibilities 
• Delegate duties to individuals who work for you directly
• Redirect your energies and talents into areas which only you can handle, those which have potential for providing higher returns
• Valuable for …

Business Owners, Senior Managers or those individuals who maintain the role of “Principle Person” (PP) in their organization and have the ultimate responsibility for most if not all functions and outcomes.  Like all (PPs) you are generally stretched thin with limited time for managing, planning and a personal life… the only means of leveraging your previous experiences and successes is –

1) Through the professional development of assistants, team members, staff and employees
2) With delegation and hands-on management of those team members

Program “Takeaways”…

• Identify which of your hands-on work should be delegated
• Learn that you send the wrong message by not delegating and how to change that message 
• Profile the successful assistant; who in the organization is best suited and what prep they’ll need to do the job right
• Learn to coach and share talents, knowledge and skills
• Decide how and when to let go of some important customers
• Delegate “direct responsibility” without “ultimate responsibility” 
• Develop techniques to increase time for effective planning and more successful managing, then Profit from the Benefits

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Thursday, January 31

Speed Mentoring (Rhode Island Small Business Recovery Program – 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5 in Warwick from 8:30 – 11:00am and is free of charge.  To register please visit www.rismallbusinessrecovery.com or call 401-447-8000):

Would you like an opportunity to have one-on-one appointments with eight of the most knowledgeable business consultants in the area?  Would you like to have the opportunity to sit with experts who normally charge well over one-hundred dollars per hour?  Would you like to receive their valuable advice at no charge?  You’ll have just that opportunity when you participate in our new premium “speed mentoring” program.

But, because this is a rare opportunity, we have designed some strict rules:

• Eight people will be invited to participate.
• You must arrive by 8:30 am on the morning of the program. Late arrivals will not be permitted to participate.
• No shows will not be allowed to participate in the program for a minimum of eight months.
• You must come to the event well prepared with one or more questions for the consultants.
• You will spend 15-minutes with each consultant….eight 15-minute discussions in the course of two hours.

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Friday, February 1

HOW TO:  Explore Entrepreneurship (Center for Women & Enterprise – 132 George M. Cohan Boulevard in Providence from 9:00 – 10:30am and is free of charge.  For more information please visit www.cweboston.org or call 401-277-0800 or emailngirard@cweonline.org ):

Attend this workshop and decide whether starting your own business is right for you.  As part of this workshop, you will:

* Explore the process and learn about the risks and rewards of starting up your own business
* Discuss your specific business ideas and needs with a program manager
* Get an overview of various resources at CWE and elsewhere to help you succeed
* Hear success stories of women who have worked with CWE and are now thriving in the business world

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