The Wilkes Community College Small Business Center has a variety of seminars scheduled for October 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.
Introduction to Facebook Ads – October 5, 2021, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Online
Participants will learn the difference in types of Facebook ads, WHY you might want (or might NOT want) to run them, and how to set up the back end of Facebook to get started. The presenter will also share the key metrics you need to monitor the effectiveness of your ads. Facebook is a pay-to-play platform, and you can have massive success with paid advertising, so if you’re looking to grow your brand, this is a don’t miss workshop.
Organizational Culture: The Imperative Key to Success – October 6, 2021, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Online
Every business has a culture – either through thoughtful design and implementation or through organic development. Research shows that businesses with a well-developed culture in line with its vision show greater revenue growth, stronger profits, and less attrition. Learn how Organizational Culture can provide your business with a competitive advantage and help you reach your financial goals.
Introduction to Fundraising – Grant Writing – October 7, 2021, 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. – Online
As funding becomes more difficult to secure, nonprofit organizations face significant challenges to fulfill their missions. This webinar reviews the questions nonprofits need to answer prior to searching and applying for grant funds, outlines the seven 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 writing a proposal and incorporating these answers into research and ultimately a competitive proposal.
Show Me the Money – Effective Grant Research – October 7, 2021, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Online
This webinar will explore the details needed to conduct successful grant research and expedite your grant writing process. You will learn the details needed to begin prospect research, how to locate available grants, how to navigate organizational websites to locate funding opportunities, and identify pitfalls to avoid that will save you time and expedite your research and writing processes.
Getting Started – Instagram – October 12, 2021, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Online
Find out what business opportunities await you on this platform! Look at how other businesses are using this platform to boost their business and sales. Set up your business account, learn how to share goods, services, skills, and your personality. Get tips on how to promote your business using pictures and videos. Learn to choose the correct photos, videos, and hashtags to get your message out there.
Budgeting for Your Non-profit – October 21, 2021, 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. – Online
The presenter will walk participants through the budget deconstruction process so they can identify gaps and craft realistic projections at the program and organization levels. Participants will be able to identify the most common line-items in a nonprofit budget; discover the three items most often missing in nonprofit budgets; learn how to avoid common budgeting pitfalls; gain tips for crafting budget assumptions to justify the math and explore different budget formats to improve functional use.
Creating a Written Fundraising Plan – October 21, 2021, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Online
This session replaces fundraising fantasies with fact-driven processes. Participants will be able to complete a historical review of their organization’s fundraising data; use data to develop an action-oriented and viable fundraising plan; explore options to evaluate and diversify revenue streams and determine where and if grants fit into the equation.
Blogging in a Social & Mobile World – October 25, 2021, 12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. – Online
Octavia Spencer once wrote, “The hardest thing about writing, for me, is facing the blank page.” Nowhere is that quote more relevant than in the world of online marketing when it comes to blogging yet blogging remains one of the most powerful tools available in a small business owner’s digital toolkit. This seminar will cover both the science and art of blogging: why it is important, how and when to blog, how to get the most bang out of each blog, and, of course, how to get started when staring at a blank page.
Using Social Media to Promote Your Business – October 25, 2021, 5:00 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. – Online
This webinar examines the tactical aspects of social marketing including the when, where, and how to post for maximum effect and result. We’ll also answer that age-old question “to respond, or not to respond” to online comments. Attendees will leave the session ready to expand their social power and presence in this increasingly social world.
Instagram Stories – What, Why, and How? October 26, 2021, 6:00 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. – Online
Stories are top of mind with your customers. Create content that tells a “story” for a 24-hour period. Learn what to post, apps to create engaging content, stickers, and polls. Use stories to engage with your customers.
New CORE Series
The Wilkes Community College Small Business Center has a new offering for aspiring small business owners called the CORE Series that consists of 5 core seminars that will help small business owners prepare for their entrepreneurial journey. Each seminar will be offered twice, once during the day and then a repeat in the evening. Participants who attend all five will be awarded a completion certificate from the Small Business Center. These seminars are offered at no charge to participants unless otherwise noted; however, attendees must pre-register to participate.
ABCs of Starting a Small Business – October 6, 2021, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Online & 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
These are the ABCs of how to start a small business combined with winning strategies from low-cost startups. ABCs Starting a Small Business on a Limited Budget is easier now than it has ever been. In these challenging times, everyone from the government to your local banker is trying to help you succeed.
Finding Your Customer & Creating a Marketing Plan – October 13, 2021, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Online & 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Just because you have an idea doesn’t mean anyone will buy it. In Finding Your Customer and Creating a Marketing Plan there are four ways to describe your customer and sources to find out how many there are in your market area. The program features five ways to create a winning plan to target them.
Dynamite Marketing for Small Business – October 20, 2021, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Online & 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
There has never been a time that is as easy and economical to do great marketing! In Dynamite Marketing for Small Businesses, you will discover 50+ successful ways to market your business and easily reach customers.
Financing Your Small Business – October 27, 2021, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Online & 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
How to find the funds to create your business? If you have a great idea, the money is out there somewhere. From coins-in-the-couch to loans, grants and Go Fund Me pages, Financing Your Small Business shows the rainbow of funding sources.
Creating a Winning Business Plan – November 3, 2021, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Online & 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
You can’t reach your goal—or get a loan—without the map that is your business plan. Creating a Winning Business Plan offers simple, easy-to-follow steps for creating a business plan that fits your small business.
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.