The Oakland County One Stop Shop Business Center is closing out the year with three workshops scheduled for the month of December. Each teaches valuable business skills to entrepreneurs, whether they’re just starting out or already well-established.
Each workshop is free. All that’s required is that entrepreneurs plan to start their business in Oakland County or have already done so.
And it’s a robust community to join, says Greg Doyle, Manager of the One Stop Shop Business Center.
"In Oakland County, we know that we have a huge number of small businesses, around 40,000 of them," he says.
"There are a lot of people that want to start, so to be able to have someone to lean on, so you know that you’re not alone, I think it’s crucial."
December’s workshops include:
- Starting a Business: An intro to small business, examining entrepreneurs’ leadership abilities, target markets, sales potentials, start-up costs, financing options, and business plans. 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at Michigan Works! Southfield.
- Market Research Basics: An overview of market research, both in terms of potential customers as well as competitors. 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 5 at the Oakland County Executive Office Building in Waterford.
- Starting a Business: The same course as that on Dec. 4 but at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13 at the Oakland County Executive Office Building in Waterford.
Registration for the workshops is available online.
Doyle estimates that anywhere between 600 and 800 entrepreneurs attend the workshops each year. Yet that’s just a portion of what the One Stop Shop Business Center provides. Other services include face-to-face consulting, both at the county offices and on-site, and programs and initiatives like Tech248, the IT and technology business accelerator program.
Often the programs, like the face-to-face consultations, are as valuable for an established entrepreneur as they would be for those wanting to become one.
"If it’s an Oakland County-based business, there are no cost for the consultations," Doyle says.
"Private consulting firms can charge up to $300 per hour. To get us is a huge advantage."
Learn more about the One Stop Shop Business Center, its services, and its registration opportunities online.
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