The Wilkes Community College Small Business Center has a variety of seminars scheduled for September that support the development of new businesses and the growth of existing businesses. These seminars are offered at no charge to participants unless otherwise noted; however, attendees must pre-register to participate.
Excel for Small Business – September 5, 2019, 5:30 p.m.-8:30- p.m. Ashe Campus
Excel is a powerful tool to manage and analyze various types of business data. This tutorial covers basic training points on how to use various Excel formulas, Tables and charts for managing clients, cash flow, bookkeeping, records, bench-marking business and more.
WordPress Seminar Series: Part 3 – September 9, 2019, 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – Wilkes Campus
In the “Advanced” class, the instructor will discuss eCommerce, the themes, plugins, and payment processors which are needed to sell products from a website. The seminar will also cover SSL Certificates (required to make purchasing on their website safe), advance customization tips, security and backup for their website, and SEO for WordPress.
Understanding Bookkeeping for the Clueless Small Business Owner – September 10, 2019, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – Ashe Campus
Bookkeeping is often a scary topic that many business owners prefer to avoid, but it is the first step to reaching higher profitability and more money in the bank. In this class, we will take a very conversational approach to help you understand the basics of recording income and expenses. We’ll also look at the three major financial statements and learn how to use your numbers to help reach your business goals. This seminar is great for both new business owners and seasoned entrepreneurs who want to understand bookkeeping better.
Proactive Grant Writing – September 17, 2019, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Alleghany Center
As funding becomes more difficult to secure, non-profit organizations face significant challenges to fulfill their missions. This seminar reviews the questions non-profits need to answer prior to searching and applying for grant funds, outlines the 7 basic elements of most proposals, and shows participants how to match their needs to funder priorities. Participants focus on the major questions that need to be answered prior to a grant application and incorporate these answers into research and ultimately a competitive proposal.
How to Fully Fund Your Overhead – September 17, 2019 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Alleghany Center
This workshop will identify the building blocks of a strong budget and explain how nonprofits can easily raise the dollars needed to cover overhead costs. We will discuss how proper budgeting will propel grant proposals to success and how to use messaging to raise these much-needed funds. You’ll see how to accurately describe, budget, and properly package your programs and projects to effectively secure funds from diversified funding streams. We will breakdown direct and indirect costs, analyze your special events, and discuss the staff and board role in budget creation.
Effective Fundraising with the Help of Your Board – September 18, 2019 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Ashe Campus
As non-profit development staff are faced with the challenge of engaging board members to assist with development efforts, they are often met with resistance and frustration. As with all fundraising, engaging in conversations and learning about those you work with is key. Learn some of the pitfalls to avoid in beginning to ask for your board’s help in development as well as the steps you can take to have more participation from your board members in all aspects of development work. Join us to discuss board relations, board education, and how to begin to build the foundations for a working board that will help your non-profit grow for good.
Proactive Grant Research-Capitalize on your Time & Energy September 18, 2019, 1:00 p.m.-4:00- p.m. – Ashe Campus
Are you wanting to apply for grant funds to help support your non-profit, but are having a hard time finding the grants? This is the workshop for you! The workshop is designed to help you learn the details needed to begin research, conduct successful grant research, and the skill set to help save you time in your searches, so you can actually begin writing. We will cover the details you will need to begin your research; management of research to make efficient use of your time; how to locate available grants on the local, state and government levels; how to navigate organizational websites to locate funding opportunities, grant databases and other resources that fit your specific needs; as well as pitfalls to avoid that will save you time and cut down on frustration as you work to locate funders whose priorities match your needs.
Using Video to Boost Your Business– September 26, 2019 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – Ashe Campus
For small business owners, video can be a great way to set your business apart from the crowd. Learn how video can be used to engage customers (from introducing your services to providing testimonials), and some of the tools available for small business owners can use.
Visit www.ncsbc.net/center.aspx?center=75570 to pre-register for seminars. To learn more about the Small Business Center and seminars, contact Laurie Brintle-Jarvis, SBC director, at 336-838-6166 or lsbrintle336@wilkescc.edu.
The Small Business Center Network, comprised of 58 small business centers throughout North Carolina, supports the development of new businesses and the growth of existing businesses by being a community-based provider of training, counseling and resource information.