San Francisco: SBA Classes Sept 21-Oct 2
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
Contracts 101: Understanding Contract Terms and Putting Them To Work For You 9/21 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. Restaurant Series: Smart Management – People, Risk and the Law 9/21 6:00 PM – 8:30 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.
Small Business Taxes 9/22 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM Save money on your taxes by learning the IRS rules and regulations that apply to small business owners, and ask your tax questions in this informative, interactive, live seminar covering tax deductions, incorporations, LLC’s, and commonly used tax strategies. $20 registration fee in advance; or $25 day of event. For information, contact (415) 744-6827, presented by SCORE.
Restaurant Series: The Green Restaurant: Incentives & Resources 9/22 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM We will look at going green with foodservice. Learn how to design your new restaurant or evolve your existing restaurant to incorporate sustainability advantages and rewards. We will also look at the social, economic and moral incentives in buying fair trade products and utilizing green design. Registration $30. Presented by the SF SBDC.
Maintaining Tax Records for Small Business 9/22 6:00–8:00 pm Learn how to effectively create the tax records necessary for proper IRS reporting. Receive a valuable overview of how to use Technology to Better Manage Business; Online Banking; QuickBooks; Incorporation or LLC as a Tax-Planning Tool. $20 registration fee in advance; or $25 day of event. For information, contact (415) 744-6827, presented by SCORE.
Boosting Your Business with Publicity 9/23 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM If you are a small business owner or independent contractor, you can benefit tremendously from improved publicity efforts. In fact, everyone can, but not everyone knows how. In this workshop you will learn the fundamentals of publicity and how to design a publicity campaign that can help position you as an authority, increase visibility for your business, and create a demand for your services and/or products. Those with entertainment industry aspirations encouraged to attend.
SBA Certification Workshop 9/24 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 9/24 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.
Branding and Marketing for Service Firms: Create a Strong Brand and Messages that Attract Your Ideal Clients 9/24 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.
Marketing Plans That Work 9/24 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM In this class you will learn practical techniques to properly identify your target markets and how to develop a strategic marketing plan to reach those target markets. Understanding these critical elements of business will prepare you for maximizing your productivity and profitability. $30 registration fee. Presented by the SF SBDC.
Credit Repair 9/24 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM Learn what the credit bureaus look for when it comes to Credit Scores. What are the key factors of credit scores and why do scores change so quickly? We’ll discuss how this real estate economy affects your credit and how to recover from bad credit when you file for bankruptcy.. How to Start and Manage a Small Business 9/28 8:30 AM – 5 PM This is a comprehensive and unique one-day seminar for both prospective and current business owners who want to gain a better understanding of what they need to know and do to succeed in their business. Learn best practices and insider tips as a moderator and six experts guide you through the basics of Business Plans; Insuring Against Risk; Accounting; Legal Structures; Sales & Marketing; Financing. $50 registration fee in advance; or $60 on day of event. For information, contact SCORE at (415) 744-6827, register at www.acteva.com/go/sfscore
Restaurant Series: Customer Service – Good is Minimum 9/28 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM To make your restaurant a success you need employees who deliver great customer service. Learn how to hire, motivate and train your employees to meet the service demands of the industry. Also learn how to define and share responsibilities between owners, managers and employees to achieve your service objectives and run a successful restaurant. Presented by the SF SBDC. $30 registration fee.
Federal Government Contracts and Compliance Requirements 9/29 8:00 AM – 9:30 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.
Know Your Clients and Prospects: Find the Insights that Lead to Sales 9/29 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM How well do you understand the needs, motivations and decision-making drivers of the people who are responsible for your revenue? In this workshop you will learn an approach to interviewing (and just having conversations with) your clients and prospects to uncover what they really need and how they make decisions. We’ll look at how to segment your market based on demographics as well as psychographics, how to set objectives for the interviews, the right questions to ask, the structure and format of the interviews, and what to do with the information and insight once you get it.
Federal and State Basics of Payroll Tax 9/30 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.
Basic Bookkeeping, Part One 10/1 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM Learn basic accounting and bookkeeping terms and processes. Topics include cash versus accrual accounting, proper accounting data flow processes, the importance of budgeting, the purpose of different financial reports, the differences in computer accounting systems, cash management, and more. $30 registration fee. Presented by the SF SBDC.
How to Build a Fearless Brand: How Your Brand Can Help You Sell 10/1 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.
Selling Savvy, Sell Smarter Not Harder! 10/1 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM Are you frustrated on where to begin in selling your product or service? Do you want to feel like the pros? Come to this workshop and learn tips and techniques from a seasoned veteran in sales and marketing. Find out how the professional salesperson uses positioning, network, referrals and cold calling for success. $25 Registration Fee. Presented by the SF SBDC.
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.
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.
LGBT Business Plan Loan Factory The program is free, but space is limited! 5-week series begins on Tuesday, September 22, 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM RSVP to or 415-865-5611
The LGBT Business Plan Loan Factory is a 5-week workshop series on Tuesday mornings and is for business owners and motivated entrepreneurs who need financing to start or grow their businesses. The Loan Factory will help entrepreneurs understand what is involved in the loan application process, and will feature leading experts who will review all of the elements of the loan package. Two Loan Factory graduates recently secured $25,000 microloans for their businesses.
To register or for more information, please contact Tracey Williams at 415.865.5611 or
The San Francisco LGBT Community Center is located at 1800 Market Street (@ Octavia). Visit www.sfcenter.org for directions.
The Artist’s Business Plan for Getting into Galleries Free Workshop at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center Wednesday, September 30, 2009 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Join us for this dynamic and informative workshop designed to empower both emerging and mid-career artist entrepreneurs to create and grow their businesses. You’ll learn to master the five action steps an artist must take to successfully gain gallery representation and thereby create the most favorable and advantageous combination of circumstances in which to be nurtured, protected, and rewarded.
Hiring an Ex-Offender The United States Probation Office and United States Pretrial Services will host a networking workshop to discuss the benefits of hiring an ex-offender.
In this workshop, you will learn how you can gain a financial advantage in these uncertain times. We will present solutions to some of your staffing concerns, how you can eliminate unnecessary business expenses, and provide valuable information on hiring the ex-offender population. Additionally, you will have an opportunity to make new contacts and expand your business network.
Location: Philip E. Burton Federal Building, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, 2nd Floor, California/Nevada rooms
September 30, 2009, 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM Continental Breakfast will be served. Please bring valid photo ID for entry to the Courthouse building.
For more information please contact Michelle Nero (510) 637-3628, Bobby Love (415) 436-7588. Please reply by September 28, 2009
Fax to (415) 436-7572 attention: Michelle Nero or Bobby Love or e-mail us at or
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.
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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.