Monday, June 11, 2012

Rhode Island Small Business Training Events For The Weeks Of June 11 - June 24

Rhode Island Small Business Training Events For The Weeks Of June 11 - June 24


Monday, June 11
Get Your Business Online with Google (Center for Women & Enterprise, Rhode Island Small Business Development Center, and SCORE in partnership with Google):  If you don’t have a website or Google business listing, you’ll find everything you need to get started.  Web professionals at your side every step of the way.  If your business is already online, you’ll find tools and resources to help your business succeed online. 
At this event you will receive a free website and business listing, as well as one-on-one advice and tips.  You will learn more about online marketing through workshops, and be able to network with other small business owners. 
This event will be held from 7:30am – 5:30pm at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence and is free of charge.  All attendees must pre-register.  To register, please visit http://www.rhodeislandgetonline.com/rsvp or call (800) 985-3417.
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Tuesday, June 12
International Trade Webinar:  Dominican Republic and Panama, Best Prospects and Marketing Opportunities (Rhode Island Small Business Development Center):  Panama and the Dominican Republic present exciting opportunities for U.S. exporters and will be the destinations for an upcoming Trade Mission in September 2012!  Please join us in this interactive webinar to learn more about these countries and how your company could take advantage of all they have to offer, including:
• Free Trade Agreements: The US has signed FTAs with both Panama and the Dominican Republic, providing numerous benefits to US exporters.
• Commercial Partnering: The Caribbean Region is a natural commercial partner of the U.S., tied closely together by geography, history and culture.
• The Region: The Caribbean Region as a whole represents a market of about 23.5 million people who collectively imported over $18.5 billion of U.S. goods in 2007.  As a result, the region is the 3rd largest export market for U.S. manufactured goods in Latin America, behind only Mexico and Brazil.
This fall the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation in conjunction with the Chafee Center for International Business will lead a trade mission to Panama and the Dominican Republic. This webinar will include an opportunity to speak with the U.S. officials responsible for matching mission participants with potential customers.
Speaker(s):  Senior Commercial Officers, US Department of Commerce, Daniel Crocker and Robert Jones, Jr.
Fee for the webinar is $35.  Dial in information will be provided upon registration.  The webinar will be held 2:00 – 3:30pm.  For more information or to register, please contact the RISBDC at (401) 598-2702 or visit www.risbdc.org
Starting A Business?  You Must Build A Foundation (Rhode Island Small Business Recovery Program):  Starting a business is exciting and scary; of course you want to make it work, but there is so much to do and so much to think about.  Before you line up the stationery, web site and business cards, there are few things you should consider.  It might surprise you to know that many small businesses fail as a result of too much enthusiasm and too little patience.  Think of it this way, would you build a house without a foundation?  No way, and the same is true of building a business.
Join us as we reveal the steps to create a sound foundation on which to build your business.  This practical presentation will help you develop the insight and will provide the tools necessary to ensure your business is built on solid ground.
This workshop is presented free of charge and all attendees must pre-register.  Workshop will be held at the Centerville Seminar Center, 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5, in Warwick from 6:30 – 8:30pm.  For more information or to register, please visit www.rismallbusinessrecovery.com
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Wednesday, June 13
How To Start Or Run A Profitable Small Business (Rhode Island Small Business Recovery Program):  There are many advantages to running a small business: independence, satisfaction, sheltering income and profits.  Did you know that 89% of incomes over $50,000 a year are earned by owners of small businesses?  However, four out of five businesses don’t last five years and few ever earn the profits they should.  What is the difference between success and failure?  Knowledge!
Who should not attend?  Anyone who is truly happy working for somebody else.
What will you learn? Ten hottest businesses of 2010…How to slash hundreds off your taxes…Why most businesses waste 90% of their advertising dollars…Twenty biggest pitfalls in starting and running a small business…How to price your product or service…How to start with very little cash…How to differentiate or business from the competition…and much more!
Seminar Leaders: David Lucier, CPA & David Nash, President, Engage Marketing, Inc.
This workshop is presented free of charge and all attendees must pre-register.  Workshop will be held at the Centerville Seminar Center, 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5, in Warwick from 6:30 – 9:00pm.  For more information or to register, please visit www.rismallbusinessrecovery.com
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Thursday, June 14
Intro To QuickBooks (Center for Women & Enterprise):  Keeping track of your business’s finances can be complicated but a systematic approach with QuickBooks can make a world of difference.  The introductory-level course will cover:
* Set up and maintain a financial and bookkeeping system using QuickBooks
* Enter and send invoices (for professional services businesses)
* Enter data from non QuickBooks point of sale systems (for retailers with already installed systems)
* Enter data from merchant service payment processors
* Enter and pay bills
* Enter and manage loans
* Enter credit card transactions
* Reconcile bank and credit card statements
* Basic financial statements and terms
* Basic reporting features of QuickBooks that are needed to make day to day financial decisions
This workshop will consist of 5 classes that will meet on Tuesday and Thursday nights starting on June 14th and ending June 28th from 5:30 – 8:00pm.  The workshop fee is $195 for the 5 classes (partial scholarships are available for those who qualify), and will meet at the Center for Women & Enterprise, 132 George M. Cohan Boulevard in Providence.  For more information or to register, please contact the Center for Women & Enterprise at (401) 277-0800 or email info.providence@cweonline.org
Workforce Assistance For Local Businesses (Rhode Island Department of Labor Training):  Business Workforce Center representatives will orient employers to free recruitment and assessment services, explore subsidized training opportunities for new and existing workers and review available tax credits related to hiring. Representatives will also discuss Rapid Response services available to the employees of businesses experiencing layoffs.
The RI Department of Labor and Training offers employment services, educational services and economic opportunity to both individuals and employers. DLT protects Rhode Island's workforce by enforcing labor laws, prevailing wage rates and workplace health and safety standards. The department also provides temporary income support to unemployed and temporarily disabled workers.
This workshop will be held at the Rhode Island DLT, 1511 Pontiac Avenue in Cranston from 9:00am – noon.  For more information on the programs and services available to all Rhode Islanders, please call the RI Department of Labor and Training at (401) 462-8000 or visit the web site at www.dlt.ri.gov
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Friday, June 15
Exploring Self Employment: Pre-Venture Clinic (Rhode Island Small Business Development Center):  Have you been over your checklists multiple times, and everything seems to be in place?  Then it is time to take that big step and open your doors for business.  Entrepreneurs can often overlook critical steps in the startup process, so to ensure they position their businesses efficiently, legally, and soundly, the RISBDC is offering this comprehensive clinic.
Participants will learn:
• How to register your business
• Market research & analysis
• Legal structures for your business
• Estimating start-up costs and cash flow projection
• Failure factors and business planning
Since lack of planning is one of the top reasons new businesses fail, attending this workshop may be one of the most important decisions you make prior to opening your doors.
This workshop is free of charge and all attendees must pre-register.  Workshop will be held at the Central Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce’s Slade’s Business Center, 3280 Post Road in Warwick from 8:30 – 10:00am.  For more information or to register, please contact the RISBDC at (401) 598-2702 or visit www.risbdc.org
BYB:  Help!  My Friend Designed My Webpage (Center for Women & Enterprise):  Was your website designed by your friend, your neighbor’s son or your 3rd cousin on your mother’s side of the family?  Or is your website just plain awful?  Then this workshop is for you!  In this workshop we will: 
* Address those who need direction on how to make their site look and function better.
* Individually analyze each site in the workshop
* Point out the DO’s and DON’T’s as well as any adjustments that should be made
* Review your search engine visibility as well as understanding the importance of website analytics.
The fee for this workshop is $35 (partial scholarships may be available to those who qualify) and pre-registration is required for all attendees.  The workshop will be held at the Center for Women & Enterprise, 132 George M. Cohan Boulevard in Providence from 10:00am – noon.  For more information or to register, please call (401) 277-0800 or email info.providence@cweonline.org
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Tuesday, June 19
Do-It-Yourself Website Workshop (Rhode Island Small Business Recovery Program):  WordPress is a powerful personal publishing platform, and it comes with a great set of features designed to make creating your own website (or blog) as easy, pleasant and appealing as possible.  In this two-part, comprehensive, hands-on WordPress training class, you’ll learn to use WordPress to set-up and manage your website.  You’ll discover how to organize and manage your content, install themes, and add functionality through the use of important plugins.
No experience with computer graphics or coding is required!  At the completion of the course, you will have a fully functioning three-page website and the skills required to run it!
Session 1 (free) — Overview, Installation & Setup
You will leave this 1½ hour class with a thorough understanding of WordPress’s powerful capability. And, you’ll learn how to:  Acquire a web host, install WordPress, choose a WordPress theme (there are thousands to choose from), understand the WordPress dashboard, configure basic settings, write powerful, attention grabbing content.
This workshop is presented free of charge and all attendees must pre-register.  Workshop will be held at the Centerville Seminar Center, 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5, in Warwick from 6:30 – 8:00pm.  For more information or to register, please visit www.rismallbusinessrecovery.com

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Wednesday, June 20
Introduction to Government Contracting (Rhode Island Procurement Technical Assistance Center):  This workshop will provide a basic overview of federal and state government contracting practices and procedures.  Topics covered include vendor registration and business certification processes, the federal acquisition process, basic regulatory issues, and market strategies.  Time will be available to answer individual questions and concerns.
Who should attend this seminar?  Companies or individuals new to government contracting or those firms who are currently considering or are new entrants into the government marketplace.  PTAC clients or small businesses wishing to develop or improve their understanding of government purchasing.
This workshop is presented free of charge and will be held at the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, 315 Iron Horse Way in Providence from 8:30-1:30am.  All attendees must pre-register.  To register for the event or for more information, please visit www.riptac.org or email lfrancis@riptac.org or call Lou Francis or Dorothy Reynolds at (401) 278-9100.
SBA Loans 101 (U.S. Small Business Administration):  Participants will learn the basics of SBA loan programs, as well as some helpful tips from a banker's perspective about successful loan applications.  This webinar is offered at no cost, and is ideal for those considering starting a business, as well as entrepreneurs interested in securing new financing.  Webinar will run from 10:00 - 11:00am.  For more information or for login access information, please contact Matthew Spoehr at the SBA by calling (401) 528-4561 or email matthew.spoehr@sba.gov
Speed Mentoring (Rhode Island Small Business Recovery Program):  Would you like to an opportunity to have one-on-one appointments with eight of the most knowledgeable business consultants in the area?  Would you like to have the opportunity to sit with experts who normally charge well over one-hundred dollars per hour?  Would you like to receive their valuable advice at no charge?  You’ll have just that opportunity when you participate in our new premium “speed mentoring” program.  But, because this is a rare opportunity, we have designed some strict rules:
• Eight people will be invited to participate each month. You’ll be placed on a waiting list in the order of registration.
• You will be notified weeks in advance of the event and asked to confirm your participation.
• If you have a schedule conflict with your assigned day and time, you can ask to participate in the next scheduled event.
• You must arrive at 8:30 am. Late arrivals will not be permitted to participate.
• No shows will not be allowed to participate in the program for a minimum of eight months.
• You must come to the event well prepared with one or more questions for the consultants.
• You will spend 15-minutes with each consultant….eight 15-minute discussions in the course of two hours.
• You will be permitted to record your one-on-one discussions for future review.
The speed mentoring event will take place from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at the Centerville Seminar Center 875 Centerville Road, Warwick, Building 2, Suite 5
Please register at www.rismallbusinessrecovery.com   You will be notified if you are among the first eight to register. If you have questions, please call Dave Nash at 401-447-8000.
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Thursday, June 21
Turn Your Website From An Expense Into An Asset (Rhode Island Small Business Recovery Program):  You’re thinking of starting a business and need to promote and manage it with a well optimized website?  You already have a business but your website is providing little or none of its potential value?  You’re a job hunter and want to “be found” by hiring managers and hunt hunters?
It’s time to turn your website from just a forgettable expense into your most powerful asset.
Using our 4-Keys to Success approach, you will soon discover the “hidden” secret weapon you may already have but not using to a fraction of its potential: your website.  Learn how to drive highly targeted traffic to your website and then, most importantly, covert that traffic to sales.
This workshop is presented free of charge and all attendees must pre-register.  Workshop will be held at the Centerville Seminar Center, 875 Centerville Road, Building 2, Suite 5, in Warwick from 9:00 – 11:00am.  For more information or to register, please visit www.rismallbusinessrecovery.com

SBA’s participation or support of this event is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any co-sponsor or other person or entity.  All SBA programs or cosponsored programs are extended to the public on a non -discriminatory basis.
Date: 6/6/2012