San Francisco: SBA Classes Nov. 9-20
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.
Registration for all our classes is required.
To register for classes, go to http://sbatraining.eventbrite.com/
For more information, please contact Gary Marshall at (415) 744 6771 or
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.
Writing Effective Business Plans
11/10
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Whether you are planning to start a new business or developing the potential of your existing company, a business plan is a critical foundation. In this hands-on workshop, we will demystify the process using case studies and exercises. You will also develop a template for your own business that covers Products/Services; Organization; Marketing; Customers; Finances. $50 registration fee in advance; or $60 on day of event. For information, contact SCORE at (415) 744-6827.
Change the Way You Think About Your Website!
11/10
6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Most prospective customers head straight to your website to assess your capabilities. It’s often their first impression of your firm. Make sure it isn’t their last. Discover how to create a positive visitor experience, keep visitors coming back, persuade them to send an inquiry or pick up the phone, and find out what people really think about your site. In this fun and interactive seminar, we’ll look at websites from attendees who volunteered to have them evaluated― live. Combining professional perspective with candid feedback from the audience we identify specific steps you can take to optimize your site for lead generation. Even if your website isn’t selected for an evaluation, you can apply the ideas, strategies and tips we discuss to improve your site’s ability to connect with your prospects.
Secrets to Buying a Business or Franchise
11/10
6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Learn how to reduce your risk and improve your chances of success in buying a franchise or existing business. Topics include Options for Financing; Choosing an Existing Business vs. a Franchise; Where to Find a Business or Franchise; Working with Brokers. $20 registration fee in advance; or $25 day of event. For information, contact SCORE at (415) 744-6827.
Basic Bookkeeping, Part Two
11/12
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Designed for entrepreneurs intimidated by financial records, this course will cover balance sheets, incomes statements, cash flow and working capital. Participants should have completed Basic Bookkeeping, Part One, or be familiar with the concepts covered in that seminar. $30 registration fee. Presented by the SF SBDC.
Branding and Marketing for Service Firms: Create a Strong Brand and Messages that Attract Your Ideal Clients
11/12
6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
For owners, partners and business development executives of established service firms (e.g., law, real estate, mortgage, construction, design, consulting, etc.). In this interactive workshop you will learn to define your service business brand in powerful and differentiated ways. You will learn new tools to: Better understand your clients so that you can effectively segment your market; Develop clarity about your real competitive advantages; Create simple, strong messages that communicate your unique value to the clients that want it most.
OFCCP/ARRA Subcontractors Compliance Requirements
11/16
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs is conducting more full-desk audits and onsite reviews for businesses receiving ARRA funds. We’ll discuss how you can deal with OFCCP requirements concerning fair employment laws and company policy; writing and using job descriptions; composing unbiased job advertisements; conducting nondiscriminatory interviews; choosing appropriate pre-employment tests; checking and documenting references.
Hire Smart with Less Risk
11/16
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
We’ll provide an overview of employment law and the relationship between employment law and applicable regulations such as ADEA, ADA, COBRA, ERISA, and many more. Trainees will learn hiring best practices including best use practices of employment firms for EEO/AA compliance.
Restaurant Series: Smart Management – People, Risk and the Law
11/16
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
We’ll examine employment law, insurance protection and other legal matters. Based on real restaurant experiences, this class can help you avoid disaster and get the most out of your people and your location.$30 Registration Fee. Sponsored by the SF SBDC.
Creating New Life and Work Performances
11/16
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
People live, learn, work and play with others – often with difficulty. In this workshop we’ll introduce you to a unique performance-based approach to professional and personal development. There is growing recognition in the business community that improvisational performance is key to adult creativity, and, in these hard times, more important than ever. In this workshop we will work with you on learning how to “set the stage” for important client meetings and challenging interactions with employers, employees, business partners and clients.
How to Quickly Attract Your Prospect’s Attention
11/17
1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
What is your prospect most interested in? Whatever it is, this should be the first thing you address in all of your marketing communication (i.e. print, online and in-person). You need to come right to the key point. Then, explain further. In a world of short attention spans, you need to assume you will only have a few seconds to catch someone’s interest before they move on.
Making the Most of Green
11/17
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Presented in partnership with SF Department of Environment’s Energy Watch program. Learn how to save money through energy efficiency upgrades, rebate programs and incentives. Discover ways to get free expert assistance, energy assessments and guidance throughout the energy and water retrofit processes, ways to finance your green initiatives as well as help your business effectively communicate these changes to your stakeholders. This class also teaches ways to develop marketing strategies for your green initiatives. $20 registration fee. Offered by the SF SBDC.
Getting Your To-Do List Done
11/17
6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Do you have a To-Do list that never gets done? Do you have items on your To-Do list that have been on there for days, weeks, even months? Do you stress out thinking about how you’re going to get it all done? In this course you will learn how to organize, prioritize and analyze your to-do list so that you actually get it done.
Federal and State Basics of Payroll Tax
11/18
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
This class guides participants through the basics of that preparation. Subjects include determining independent contractor versus employee, withholding taxes, deposits and completing the proper forms. Presented by the IRS and the California EDD Tax office.
Contracts 101: Understanding Contract Terms and Putting Them To Work For You
11/18
6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Although lots of contracts seem to be filled with mind-bending legalese, there’s no reason why this has to be true. Learn how to decode contract language, separate the critical from the trivial and focus on keeping the contract cart from getting in front of your horse of a deal.
Basic Bookkeeping, Part Three
11/19
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.
Starting a Consulting Business
11/19
6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Our panel of experienced consultants will discuss the insider story of opening and running your business as a consultant. Topics will include finding clients, pricing your services, establishing a business identity, legal requirements, and maintaining customer loyalty. $30 registration fee. Presented by the SF SBDC.
Taxes and Your Business, How to Prepare Schedule C
11/19
6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Prepare your business taxes for ’08 and get ready for ‘09. Review what the IRS wants to know from you and how to report it on the Schedule C for your business. This is a class for business owners who need a basic understanding of their 1040 Schedule C tax forms. We’ll also talk about what to do with the numbers once you have them. We don’t guarantee you won’t get audited, but this class will make it less likely.
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.
Inc. Magazine Event Nov. 18
Inc. Magazine and Alibaba.com are now extending a special invitation to be their guest at the 2010 Newpreneur Final, where one of five finalists will be named Newpreneur of the Year, and win the grand prize of $50,000; other prizes include second place=$25,000, third place=$15,000 and two fourth place prizes=$5,000..
This can’t miss event will take place at the historic Bentley Reserve, the epitome of San Francisco on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 5:30pm. There you will enjoy tasty hors d’oeuvres, delicious cocktails and meet author of In Search of Excellence, Tom Peters, one of the most influential business leaders of all time. Listen to Peters offer invaluable insight on being an entrepreneur and what it takes to succeed in today’s marketplace.
Cheer the finalists on as they compete for a total of $100,000 in business grants and are honored for representing a new breed of entrepreneurs, who are using the recession as a catalyst to start a business or develop an idea. Using an innovative approach, they seize each opportunity with passion and ambition. By relying on emerging technologies, trusted resources and successful mentors, they take their business to the next level
The event is complimentary, but space is limited so please click on the link to register: https://secure.lenos.com/lenos/inc/pre/AliBaba/oreg3.htm.asp
Stimulus Opportunities for Small Business The Stimulus Opportunities for Small Business program is a FREE half-day session featuring buyers for state and federal government projects, as well as buyers from large corporations. It will also feature local panelists able to offer insight into the latest developments in surety bonding and local workforce investment initiatives.
San Francisco Workshop scheduled for November 19. For more information and to register go to: ">http://californiasbdc.org/stimulus.
MEDIA MATTERS:
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Claim or create your business listing on Google, for free
More people are now looking to online search engines for local information, than to any other source. Google offers a free service, the Local Business Center, which allows you to take control of your business listing on Google or to add listings that aren’t already appearing. Google also recently launched a dashboard in the Local Business Center, which shows you how people found your business on Google, including what they searched for before finding your listings and how many looked for driving directions to your business.
To get started, visit the Google Local Business Center. If you have any questions along the way, you can use this handy user guide.