Business owners and entrepreneurs who need assistance are invited to attend seminars offered by the Oakland County Business Center. The workshops are held in the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford.
For more information and to
register, please visit our
website, or call (248) 858-0783.
Social Media Marketing - Part 1
March 2 - 9:00 a.m. to Noon
Millions of people use social media for fun, but they are also powerful business tools that encourage communication and collaboration. Before you start using social-media tools, learn how they work and what they offer. They can enable internal collaboration, allow information-sharing with external partners, exchange information with your customers, and harness the collective ingenuity of the public to build brand advocates. Learn what it means to be engaged in social networking, which social networks are the most effective for conducting business, how to select the right tools for the job, how to protect yourself and your business and what you need before you get started. Part I of a three part series. The fee is $40.
Pre-Business Research
March 3 - 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Are you thinking of starting your own business and want to research your business idea? Are you a business owner who wants to understand which research sources to use for your business plan and where to find the information you need? Presented by The Oakland County Business Center, The Entrepreneur's Source, Oakland County Market Research Department, and a Business Reference Librarian. This workshop is free, but pre-registration is required.
FastTrac® Growth Venture (Venture Forward)
March 4 through May 6 - 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
This is an intensive, 10-week program designed for owners, CEOs and top management team members of businesses with at least two years of operating experience. Focused on issues most important to business health and growth, attendees gain knowledge to make critical decisions about their business and strategy, investigate next-stage growth and opportunity, plan for strategic growth, build and maintain a competitive advantage and maximize cash flow for profitability. The fee is $140. Admission is not automatic as all applicants need to be pre-qualified.
CEED Microloan Orientation
March 9 - 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Many small businesses face obstacles when trying to obtain a business loan. The recognition of the serious need for working capital for existing businesses, start-up or expansion, equipment purchases, and job creation is not the priority it once was. If you have a need for alternative financing consider the MicroLoan Program. Discover the requirements and process necessary to apply and obtain a microloan. Program Presented by Center for Empowerment & Economic Development (C.E.E.D.) This workshop is free, but pre-registration is required.
Fundamentals of Starting a Business
March 10 - 9:00 a.m. to Noon
This is a seminar for anyone thinking about going into business. Participants examine their entrepreneurial skills, learn how to implement their ideas and receive a list of pitfalls to avoid when starting a business. The fee is $30.
5 Keys to Successful Financial Management for Small Business - Fiscal Management Tools for the Non-Financial Manager
March 16 - 8:00 a.m. to Noon
This workshop provides the business owner an in-depth look at the essentials of using financial information to make effective decisions about improving their business performance. Topics include Ways to improve your company's cash flow, How to use the balance sheet and income statement to diagnose business problems and opportunities, how breakeven analysis helps you make better pricing and business decisions and How to insure you have enough working capital to support growth. The fee is $25.
Fundamentals of Writing a Business Plan
March 17 - 9:00 a.m. to Noon
This is a workshop for small business owners who are developing a plan to serve as their road map to success. Workshop participants will learn what elements are commonly found in effective plans and will work on developing each of these for their own business. Assistance in the process as well as information on resources will be provided. The fee is $40, which includes all materials.
QuickBooks® Essentials
March 24
This introduction to small business financial management provides an overview of accurate recordkeeping, report interpretation and utilization, and management of the variety of tools provided in this system. Laptop highly recommended.
Session I - 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.
• Basic accounting terminology
• New company file setup
• Customizing forms and letters
• Working with bank accounts
Session II - 12:30 to 3:00 p.m.
• Invoicing customers
• Receiving payments & making deposits
• Entering vendor bills/paying vendor bills
• Using credit card accounts
QuickBooks® Essentials is presented by Kildal Services, LLC. The fees for each session is $40; or attends both for $75, and includes a 30 day QuickBooks® software demo.
Future Workshops
April
5: Pre-Business Research Workshop
6: Fundamentals of Marketing Your Business
7: Small Business Loan Workshop
12: Fundamentals of Starting a Business
13: CEED Microloan Orientation
13: Social Media Marketing Part 2
15: Oakland County CRA Association Small Business Money Smart Forum
19: Fundamentals of Writing a Business Plan
26: Legal and Financial Business Basics for Small Business
May
4: CEED Microloan Orientation
5: Pre-Business Research Workshop
10: Working for Yourself: The Ins and Outs of Becoming a Consultant, Contactor or Service Provider
11: SBA Forum on Small Business Lending
12: Fundamentals of Starting a Business
17: Social Media Marketing Part 2
18: WBE Certification Orientation
19: Fundamentals of Writing a Business Plan