San Francisco: SBA Classes April 13-23
TRAINING AT SBA The Small Business Administration offers a variety of classes for business owners in our Entrepreneur Center, located at 455 Market St., 6th Floor in downtown San Francisco.
The SBA training program is made possible by the generous support of our volunteer teachers and presenters. We appreciate their time and expertise; however, these presentations do not represent an endorsement of their views, opinions, products, or services by SBA. All SBA programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made, if requested at least 2 weeks in advance. Contact: Gary Marshall at 415 744-6771.
To register for classes, go to http://www.acteva.com/go/sba For more information, please contact Gary Marshall at (415) 744 6771 or
What is the Buzz about Blogging and How is It Important for My Business? 4/13 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM Learn the ABCs to optimally match your business plan’s objectives to the power of social media networking. We will focus on demystifying the terminology so you can be transformed to a “passionate adopter” and learn how to target your market, reach more customers but most of all be seen as an “Influencer”, not just a salesperson or marketer.
Import/Export Essentials 4/14 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM An absolute must for anyone considering entry into an importing or exporting business today. Subjects covered include Importing and Exporting Success Essentials; Role of a Freight Forwarder/Customs Broker; Bank Assistance in International Trade. $35 registration fee in advance; or $40 day of event. For information, contact SCORE at (415) 744-6827, register at www.acteva.com/go/sfscore
The Art of Plastic – The Smart Way to Accept Credit Cards 4/14 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM This course will explore who should be looking into opening a merchant account, methods of accepting payments from your customers, current trends, how you can turn a merchant account into greater profits for your business, where you can go to set up a merchant account, how the entire process flows and works, what you should consider before signing on the dotted line, merchant account terminology, and how you can save yourself money.
Get More Clients in the Next 30 Days Than You Did In the Past 90 4/15 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM Learn the basics of how to market your service business; how it differs from marketing products, why it is important to have a niche, how to create a compelling message about your services and various ways to achieve the critical function of networking and following up.
Basic Bookkeeping, Part Three 4/16 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM Learn how to find out where all your cash has gone and how to forecast how much cash you will have in the bank. Topics include developing a budget, statement of cash flow analysis, and developing a cash forecast. Participants should have complete Basic Bookkeeping Part I or be familiar with the concepts covered in that seminar. $30 registration fee. Presented by the SF SBDC.
Building and Marketing Effective Web Sites 4/16 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM This class gets behind what makes a business web site successful in drawing repeat visitors and converting visits into sales. Learn the key aspects of good business Web design: what makes sites appealing; how to architect a site to allow easy navigation; technical requirements for proper search engine recognition and placement; what to look for in a Web host; how much you should expect to pay; information on enabling your site for ecommerce; and tips on how to build a site that encourages multiple purchases from your clients. Presented by the SF SBDC. Registration fee $35 in advance, $40 at the door.
Restaurant Series: Understanding Food Costs 4/20 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM A fun and upbeat approach to one of the most daunting challenges for restaurant owners…Food Costing. This class will teach you how to cost your product, packaging on take-out items and catering menus. And examine margins of cost and profitability. You will receive a costing package that you can immediately use to help track cost and profit on a daily basis. Please bring to class several vendor invoices. $30 registration fee; Sponsored by the SF SBDC.
Collateral Line of Credit: An Alternative to Bank Financing 4/20 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM Collateral lending, which includes factoring, purchase order finance, and inventory finance, will be introduced, defined, and compared to mainstream bank financing. With a couple of case studies to demonstrate how collateral lending works and by itemizing its benefits and costs, the business owner or prospective business owner will learn of more financial tools available to manage business growth.
Attorneys: How to Pick Them and Pay Them
4/21 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM When the economy dumps, businesses are more likely to get sued. Join us to gain risk management tips on how to avoid lawsuits and if needed, how to find the right attorney for the right price. Bring your questions and your sense of humor.
How to Build a Fearless Brand: How Your Brand Can Help You Sell 4/21 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM This highly interactive workshop gives you new tools that will teach you to sell (and market) more effectively. Learn new ways to differentiate your business from the competition; your business’s strengths and unique value (that you might be overlooking); identify your ideal clients and learn what they really need; segment your market to make prospecting and selling more efficient; create a powerful selling message that speaks to the head and the heart.
State Labor Law and Payroll Tax 4/22 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Jointly conduced by the Employment Development Department and the California state Department of Labor Standards Enforcement, this class will cover California recordkeeping and reporting requirements including employer obligations and payment requirements; common wage and hour laws; employer and employee rights and responsibilities. More information at (866) 873-6083, register at www.edd.ca.gov/taxsem
Commercial Insurance Buying; First Time Policies 4/22 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM What is a typical experience a business should have the first time it buys insurance policies? This class explores the basics of the initial information exchange with the agent/broker, what happens during the policy marketing phase, how to evaluate multiple quotes, and internal financial considerations of different types of policies.
Hi-Tech, Low Cost: Using the Computer to Manage Your Business Cheaply and Effectively 4/22 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM Low costs and good management are essential to any small business—and the computer has become the only way to operate efficiently. Learn how to set up spreadsheets, accounting systems, websites, payments, and other basic computer practices at low or no cost. $20 registration fee in advance; or $25 day of event. For information, contact SCORE at (415) 744-6827, register at www.acteva.com/go/sfscore.
SBA Certification Workshop 4/23 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM This workshop is for small firms owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals interested in being certified for SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program.
QuickBooks Introduction 4/23 1:00 PM – 5:30 PM This overview will discuss setting-up, updating and maintaining customer, vendor, account, and other lists, running financial reports, and efficient procedures for entering your accounting data. This is a hands-on workshop. Participants should have completed Basic Bookkeeping Part I or be familiar with the concepts covered in that workshop. $60 Registration fee. Presented by the SF SBDC.
Running and Operating a Green Business 4/23 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM This class will explore combining a social change with environmental actions by defining sustainability and helping you to re-think your business model allowing you to be green and be successful at the same time. We will discuss strategies to propel you to greatness by helping you deal with issues like energy, water, waste and procurement. $20 registration fee. Presented by the SF Small Business Development Center.
OUR PARTNERS PRESENT: a weekly feature of events offered by organizations and groups outside SBA. These events are not sponsored by SBA and are not held at our Entrepreneur Center.
East Bay Small Business Training The East Bay SBDC offers more than 20 different seminars that teach entrepreneurs and business leaders how to implement new strategies, skills and ideas across varied business disciplines; workshops tailored to fit entrepreneurs in any stage of the business development process.
Check out the SBDC training in a city near you