Sept. 9—HUDSON — Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Small Business Center offers free workshops, one-on-one assistance, and many more services to help local small businesses. To reserve a seat at one of the free workshops, call 828-726-3065 or visit www.cccti.edu/smallbusiness to register.
Upcoming Free Online and In-Person Workshops:
Creating a Winning Business Plan
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Small Business Center will offer a free online workshop titled “Creating a Winning Business Plan” from 2 pm to 3 pm, and again from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm on Thursday, Sept. 15. This webinar offers simple, easy-to-follow steps for creating a business plan.
Strategic Planning: Getting Started
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Small Business Center will offer a free in-person workshop at the HUB Station titled “Strategic Planning: Getting Started” from 8 am to 10 am on Wednesday, Sept. 21. Statistics confirm that implementing a strategic plan nearly doubles a business’s chance of success. This session is designed to simplify the planning process and provide participants with actionable steps at all stages of strategic plan development. Experts will highlight key components of a successful plan and share a variety of strategies to effectively capture the voices of the board, staff and community in the final product. The HUB Station Business Center is located at 143 Cedar Valley Rd., Hudson.
Strategic Plan in Action: How to Keep it Current and Relevant
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Small Business Center will offer a free in-person workshop at the HUB Station titled “Strategic Plan in Action: How to Keep it Current and Relevant” from 10:15 am to 12:15 pm on Wednesday, Sept . 21. This session is designed to help nonprofit leaders plan beyond the document creation process. Participants will learn to identify and overcome common barriers that stall strategic actions, implement practical strategies to keep the team engaged, and position the organization for on-going success. This workshop is ideal for organizations needing to take an existing plan off the shelf and organizations ready to implement a new strategic plan. The HUB Station Business Center is located at 143 Cedar Valley Rd., Hudson.
Cybersecurity Introduction
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Small Business Center will offer a free online workshop titled “Cybersecurity Introduction” from 12 pm to 1 pm on Thursday, Sept. 22. Cybersecurity topics, threats, and the general field of cybersecurity are explained in a way that is relevant to small businesses.
Grant Writing 101: What the Pros Know
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Small Business Center will offer a free online workshop titled “Grant Writing 101: What the Pros Know” from 9 am to 10:30 am on Tuesday, Sept. 27. 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.
Show Me the Money: Effective Grant Research
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Small Business Center will offer a free online workshop titled “Show Me the Money: Effective Grant Research” from 11 am to 12:30 pm on Tuesday, Sept. 27. Participants 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 time and expedite research and writing processes.
Five Things You Should Know Before Starting Your Business
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Small Business Center will offer a free online workshop titled “Five Things You Should Know Before Starting Your Business” from 12 pm to 1 pm on Wednesday, Oct. 5. Making the decision to become an entrepreneur and start a small business is not for everyone. It takes hard work, grit, and determination. This session will discuss five important steps to consider when turning a passion into a business.
Want to Start Your Own Business?
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Small Business Center will offer a free online workshop titled “Want to Start Your Own Business?” from 12 pm to 1 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 11. This webinar outlines a step-by-step process of assessment, customer discovery, and business plans to get started, as well as tools to help assess “will this business be successful?” Each attendee will receive a 51-page business start-up guide that provides links to many resources needed to register a business, get legal advice, patent advice, etc.
Ask for the Money — Best Practices for Raising Capital for Your Company from any Source
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Small Business Center will offer a free online workshop titled “Ask for the Money — Best Practices for Raising Capital for Your Company from any Source” from 12 pm to 1 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Participants will learn how to put together a compelling financial plan that attracts investment from multiple sources.
ABCs of Starting a Small Business on a Limited Budget
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Small Business Center will offer a free online workshop titled “ABCs of Starting a Small Business on a Limited Budget” from 2 pm to 3 pm, and again from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 18. These are the ABCs of how to start a small business, combined with winning strategies from low-cost startups. Starting a small business on a limited budget is easier now than it has ever been.
Selling Online: A Beginner’s Guide
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Small Business Center will offer a free online workshop titled “Selling Online: A Beginner’s Guide” from 9 am to 11 am on Monday, Oct. 24. One way for a small business to expand its market is to sell products online. This webinar will discuss several options to help determine whether there is a need to sell online, explore online platforms, how to setup an online store and how to develop an online marketing plan.
eCommerce: Building a Business on Shopify
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Small Business Center will offer a free online workshop titled “eCommerce: Building a Business on Shopify” from 12 pm to 2 pm on Monday, Oct. 24. This webinar will explore the features of well-known e-commerce host Shopify and compare it to other options for creating an online store. PayPal and other payment gateways will also be discussed, as well as shipping and inventory control.
Finding Your Customer and Creating a Marketing Plan
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Small Business Center will offer a free online workshop titled “Finding Your Customer and Creating a Marketing Plan” from 2 pm to 3 pm, and again from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 25. Participants will learn the four types of customers, sources that are available to discover customers in a particular market area, and five ways to create a winning plan to target them.
Selling Products with Amazon and Etsy
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Small Business Center will offer a free online workshop titled “Selling Products on Amazon and Etsy” from 9 am to 11 am on Wednesday, Oct. 26. This class will explore the popular platforms of Amazon and Etsy and how to sell products on both. Participants will learn how to start an online e-commerce business quickly and work toward becoming an online entrepreneur.
Finding Traffic for Your Business Online with Paid Ads
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Small Business Center will offer a free online workshop titled “Finding Traffic for Your Business Online with Paid Ads” from 12 pm to 2 pm on Wednesday, Oct. 26. In this webinar, participants will learn about different options to advertise a business using online resources. These options are often easier and much less expensive than traditional advertising. Topics to be discussed include social media advertising through major platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, as well as Google Ads and other options.