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SCORE Chapter 115
Educational Programs for Small Business
The following educational programs have been developed specifically for the small business entrepreneur. They are intended to establish a foundation and meet the special needs of both start-ups as well as existing business clients of SCORE at
“10 Steps to Start a Successful Small Business”
“Planning for Your Business”
“Make Your Business Thrive not Just Survive”
“An Approach to Buying a Business”
“Business Use of Your Computer”
“Quick-Books (QB) Basics – Pt. 1”
“Quick-Books (QB) Basics – Pt. 2”
“Advertising – How to make it Work for You”
“Employee vs. Independent Contractor”
“Search Engine Optimization (SEO)”
“Website 101”
“Blogging & Social Media”
These programs are offered at venues of several alliances located throughout Pinellas County:
ü City of St. Petersburg,
ü Largo Public Library, 120 Central Park Ave, Largo
ü Oldsmar Public Library, 400 St. Petersburg Dr., Oldsmar
ü Tarpon Springs Library, 138 East Lemon St., Tarpon Springs
We offer approximately 75 workshops annually with an estimated attendance of 900. Attendees may receive a subject matter, comprehensive take-home text, copy of presentation slides as well as several other useful informational brochures and handouts. Unless otherwise note our workshops are typically of two hour duration with ample opportunity for questions.
Summary of Educational Programs
“10 Steps to Starting a Small Business”
A basic but comprehensive review of the steps deemed critical in getting a new business started smoothly. The steps are summarized as follows:
Are you an entrepreneur?
What is the product or service you want to sell?
Identify your market and your customers,
Develop a business plan,
Understanding your financial needs,
Select a legal structure for your business,
Create a market and sales plan,
Obtain occupational licenses & permits,
Manage and control your business.
Appendixes:
Comparison of business structures
Seven bear traps
Sources of capital
Attendees receive a manual bearing course content.
“Planning for Your Business”
This is a very comprehensive “how to” course that includes the major components of an effective business plan. At the completion of this workshop, you should be able to:
ü Describe the importance of a BP
ü Identify its elements
ü Write one.
Attendees receive a course manual, a business plan outline and a glossary of business terms.
“Make Your Business Thrive, Not Just Survive”
A detailed presentation of the essential business disciplines of Money, Marketing and Management needed if a small business is to achieve success. Workshop contains great tips, practical advice, unique and valuable hints for building a better business.
Attendees receive the course content in one handout.
“An Approach to Buying a Business”
This interactive workshop is intended for anyone contemplating buying a business. This program includes discussion of business valuations, loan proposals, and the process of research and analysis necessary before making an investment.
Attendees receive the course content in one handout.
“Effective Use of the Computer in Your Business”
This is not technical computer course. The objective of the workshop is highlight the tools available on the computer to facilitate businesses in the area of planning, marketing, sales, management, accounting, and training resources. Software available in support of the above functions is discussed along with what can be found on the Internet. Attendees are requested to share their experiences.
“Quick-Books (QB) Basics – Pt. 1”
Learn why financial management is so important, the pros of computerizing your bookkeeping system and how to choose the right QB program for your business. There will be some hands-on-computer-training for setting up business books. Computer knowledge is advisable.
“Quick-Books (QB) Basics – Pt. 2”
This is a hands-on seminar where participants will learn to record/prepare invoices, deposit funds, reconcile bank accounts, write checks and record expenses. Computer knowledge is a must.
“Advertising- How to Make it Work for You”
Effective advertising is critical to accelerating business success, but small business advertising plays by different rules than national advertising. This workshop answers some of the how’s and why’s of local advertising and takes the mystery out of how to make it work for you. It covers mass media advertising and basic internet marketing.
“Employee vs. Independent Contractor”
This workshop deals with the question of who is an employee or who is an independent contractor, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service. It outlines the conditions which determine status for taxation, social security, and benefits. It explains the importance of determining status prior to receiving payment for employment.
Duration: 45 minutes
“Search Engine Optimization (SEO)”
The internet is a confusing place for the small business. This class is to help you understand the basics of what you can do yourself to get found on the web, and what you should hire someone else to do. It will be a high level view of how the search engines rank websites and the steps to getting your site ranked higher.
“Website 101”
The definition of a good website is: “One that works.” Learn what consumers look for on websites, how to create a call to action, how to collect visitor info to build your marketing database, what to look for in a web hosting company, and questions to ask a web designer before you hire them.
“Blogging & Social Media”
Can all this “blogging” and “tweeting” really help your business? It can when managed effectively and used properly. This class is about the basics of how to set up and use a blog and social media pages, and developing a strategy to market your business.
 SCORE
is a Resource Partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration |
SCORE CLEARWATER
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