Piedmont Community College’s Small Business Center specializes in offering free seminars designed to improve a small business owner’s management or technical skills. From the basics of how to start a business to the complexities of record keeping, taxes, and employee development, the seminars are taught by experts in the field who have years of small business experience.
Mark your calendar with these upcoming free seminars:
August 30 – How to Find Your Customers with instructor Nick Hawks
Customers are the key to building a successful business. This fast-paced class teaches participants where and how to find customers. Traditional methods of marketing will be compared to current methods of social media. Participants will quickly learn how to find, motivate, and keep consumers.
Presenter Nick Hawks will also discuss a variety of market research tools that will provide critical information about various industries and customers, including:
• Google Analytics
• SurveyMonkey
• Facebook Ads
• mPact
• Twitter Ads
• FreeLunch
Hawks has a diverse background in business administration and owns a small business. He has taught over 15,000 small business owners at over 40 different North Carolina Community College. He was voted an eBay Education Specialist in Excellence Award Winner by eBay for all of the U.S.A. and Canada. Hawks is a Power Seller and a Top Rated Seller on eBay with 19 years’ experience selling on eBay. Hawks has been featured on TV, newspapers, and magazines for his special brand of MeCommerce.
September 19 – Licenses, Recordkeeping and Tax Issues for Small Businesses with instructor Ed Ormsby
Many businesses require permits and licenses from local, county, state, and even federal agencies. Federal and state tax requirements are not the only reason to keep good, up-to-date records in your business. Good record keeping habits also allows a business owner to focus on generating revenue rather than worrying about catching up on bookkeeping. Both new and existing business owners will benefit from this seminar.
Presenter Ed Ormsby is an accredited North Carolina Small Business Center Director (SBCN), Certified REAL, REAL Healthcare and Agri-REAL Entrepreneurial Instructor (NC REAL Enterprises), Certified Nonprofit Board Member Trainer (NC State University Institute for Nonprofits), and Certified Micro-Loan Intake Professional (NC Rural Economic Development Center). He is also the author of “Psst – – – – want to start a business?” The book is an introduction to the processes of starting and sustaining a new business.
September 22 – How to Start a Small Business with instructor Mike Collins
Should you start a small business or get another job? The answer depends on what you have in your head, hands, heart, and bank account. The secret is that the bank account matters least. This seminar will help determine if a small business is for you. The program will include:
• How to find a business that fits you
• How to create business ideas
• What’s hot and what’s not
• How to take an overall look at a business opportunity
• How to create low-cost advertising
• Two questions to ask any expert
• How to hire right
• Where to find funding
Mike Collins, president of The Perfect Workday Company, is one of the most frequently featured business seminar presenters in the Southeastern United States. He is the author of four books and hundreds of business articles in publications such as Newsweek, American Banker, BUSINESS: North Carolina and Triangle Business Journal.
October 3, October 10, and October 17 – Results-Driven Social Media Marketing for Small Business Owners – Series #1-3 with instructor Nick Hawks
This three part series is designed to help existing and future business owners with social media and marketing strategies. Many social media sites will be discussed and covered during this series.
November 3 – How to Write a Business Plan with instructor Mike Collins
Whether you have a service, retail, manufacturing, or direct marketing business, you need a plan. In fact, if you try to borrow money for a business the first question asked by the lender will be, “Do you have a business Plan?”
This seminar will help you get started with creating a business plan that fits your business. The program will focus on:
• How to easily create a simple business plan
• How to create a full-length plan that can guide your business
• Which parts of the plan must be done in specific ways
• Which parts of the plan bankers focus on
• How to create the important marketing segment of the plan
• What the plan must look like
To find out more about these free seminars or to register for an upcoming event, call (336) 599-0032 or register online at http://www.piedmontcc.edu/Community/Helping-Business/Small-Business-Center.
Photos: Presenters Nick Hawks, Ed Ormsby, and Mike Collins
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