21st Century Business Planning series: Eight weeks to a great plan
01/05/2009
Edmonds College's Small Business Development Center presents an eight-week 21st Century Business Planning workshop series 6-9 p.m., Wednesdays, Jan. 14 through March 4 held at the Maltby Building, Edmonds College, 7020 196th Ave., Lynnwood.
Jennifer Shelton, MBA, Certified Business advisor, and director and business development specialist, teaches the courses with guest experts. The cost is $400. Graduate with a completed business plan. Register online at www.the-btc.com or call 425.640.1840 with questions.
The series includes:
Entrepreneurial Mindset-Leadership: Entrepreneurial Mindset, Getting Started, 6-9 p.m., Wed., Jan. 14. Discuss Entrepreneurial Myth Re-visited by Michael Gerber. Learn leadership skills and how to manage with a top-down perspective. Review the seven functions of business. Prepare to write a 21st century business plan.
The Influence of Market Research: Marketing Plan, Market Research, 6-9 p.m., Wed., Jan. 21. Learn how to use research about your customers and competitors to market more effectively. Learn about branding, positioning, pricing and new no cost tools for market research with guests Diane Brown and Roxanna Pandya of Sno-Isle Public Library.
Your Business and the Law: Legal: Business Structure, Risk Management, and HR Issues, 6-9 p.m., Wed., Jan. 28. Choose the best business structure for your stage of business and learn how to manage risk and people. Business structure will be discussed along with employment and human resource law basics and fundamental contract law. Learn about economical online legal and HR resources.
The New Way to Sell: Selling, Customer Relationship Management, Social Media, SEO, 6-9 p.m., Wed., Feb. 4. Learn how to shape your sales messages and low and no-cost tools you can use immediately to manage your contacts and spread the word. Also learn about pricing and sales forecasting techniques with guest speaker Stacy Karacostas of www.success-stream.com.
Wikis and the Web: Introducing Web 2.0, 6-9 p.m., Wed., Feb. 11. Learn new ways to market and manage your business using online media such as blogs, LinkedIn, Facebook, wikis and collaborative websites.
Manage your Numbers: Business Financial Management for Profitability, 6-9 p.m., Wed., Feb. 18. Review basic financial reports and learn what they say about your business and begin to develop cash flow with Travis Snider of BETS Consulting.
Your Business Proposal: Business Proposals. Asking for Financing, 6-9 p.m., Wed., Feb. 25. Learn how to package your business model in a powerful presentation. Discuss SBA financing and what potential investors are looking for when they evaluate your business proposal.
Management Tools for Growth: Management Software Tools. Growing & Exiting your Business 6-9 p.m., Wed., March 4. Review business development activities and learn about open source tools you may use to manage your business. Learn about exit strategies and set short and long term goals for your business with Sven Mogelgaard, President of Byte Slaves, Inc.
No fee technical assistance and follow up business advising will be provided by Washington Small Business Development Center at Edmonds College: www.wsbdc.org.