SCORE Chicago North/Northwest Suburban Seminars Winter-Spring, 2015 ( )

Transcription

1 SCORE Chicago North/Northwest Suburban Seminars Winter-Spring, 2015 ( ) Please contact, SCORE Chicago North Area Seminar Co-Coordinator Michael Yublosky for more details or to arrange a presentation. myublosky@sbcglobal.net or Newly Added 1. Going into Business: Evaluate Yourself and Take the First Steps. This workshop helps you assess your prospects, will give you the initial direction needed and inspire you to move forward to realize your dream. 2. Mastering Cash Management: Key to Survival and Success. This workshop shows how to improve results by the effective use of financial tools for forward planning, analysis and cash management. Success is never running out of cash. 3. Business Plan: A Road Map to You, Necessary for Loans. Good planning increases the odds of success. This workshop covers the essential elements of business plan development including setting goals and objectives, preparing marketing and financial plans and defining action steps to attain your goals. 4. Buying a Profitable Business: Find, Evaluate and Negotiate. Dominic Renaldi, President/Managing Partner Chicagoland Sunbelt. Learn about buying a business as an alternative to starting up a new business. Also learn how to analyze a business opportunity and negotiate a business purchase. 5. Human Resource (HR) Issues that can Make or Break Your Business. Note: This presentation focuses on in-business companies with employees. Jim Austgen, SCORE Mentor. This workshop covers the importance of good HR practices, when to use employment agreements, employee screening and other relevant topics.

2 6. Exploring Business Ownership and Franchise Opportunities for New Entrepreneurs. John McLellan of Frannet. Explore the advantages and disadvantages of starting your own business. Buy an existing one or buy a franchise? The workshop will also highlight emerging concepts and businesses, demographic trends, how to find the right business as well as review the various financial options that are available in the market place Steps to Develop a Steady Stream of New and Repeat Business in 90 Days. (Available only for presentations after 6:00 PM.) Sasha Berson, CEO/founder of Berson Business Development. Explore the reasons why most business owners struggle to attract new customers and grow revenues. Learn an 8-step systematic process that generates a steady flow of new and repeat business and how to create your action plan. Interactive, lively and entertaining. 8. You've Been Hacked! Why Didn't You Know About It? Grant Hoover, founder Symphony Systems, Inc. Learn how to always get into your data and ensure hackers can not. Security for your network, systems, mobile devices, etc. as well as the things viruses do and how to defend against them. Learn some surprising aspects of computer security and the one thing that ensures you have your data even when all else fails! 9. Selecting Computer Equipment for Your Small Business. Grant Hoover, founder Symphony Systems, Inc. How to choose the right equipment and avoid overspending and obsolescence as well as minimizing your long term overall costs. We ll talk workstations, servers, peripherals, mobile devices, etc. Learn what the specs mean without getting too technical. We ll cover warranties, service offerings and hopefully answer your other questions. 10. Market Research: What it is? How it works. Why it s essential and economical. (Available only April Decenber.) Bob Kaden, President of The Kaden Company Your business decisions should be based on the needs and wants of customers and prospects. Learn how to tap into the mind-set of your target market to help you make the right marketing, operational and financial decisions that can strengthen your opportunity for business success and lead to greater profitability. 11. Creating Your Introductory Elevator Speech Be Prepared for Opportunity! Ronnis Oher, Owner of LifeMaps and Former Educator Stop struggling to describe the key points about your business at networking events and meetings, be succinct and to the point. Learn how to craft your second introduction. You will also receive tips on how to expand your comments in situations where you are given more time (up to 2 minutes) to describe your business.

3 12. The Keys to "Trusted Relationships" - The One Thing That Changes Everything! Bob Lambert, founding partner of Samurai Business Group LLC Create credibility and trust to change customer's perception of you to a valuable resource and trusted asset. The six keys to Trusted Relationships : What is trust? Current state of trust. How and why of trust. Four cores of trusted relationships. Thirteen key behaviors to building trust. How to demonstrate trustworthiness. 13. The Keys to "Sales Mastery" - Understanding How and Why People Buy Bob Lambert, founding partner of Samurai Business Group LLC Six keys to sustained business development success": Building Trust Relationships. Greatest influences on prospect and customer buying. How networks and connections create unlimited prospect opportunities. How to leverage the buying decision model. Why creating customer evangelists will be your best source of new business. What is a Competitive Advantage. Legal Matters 1. Intellectual Property Protection -- Trademarks and Copyrights. Learn how to effectively protect your trademarks, service marks, copyrights and other intellectual property. What is involved with the registration processes? How much does it cost? How long does protection last? And more Legal Concerns Surrounding Internet Web Sites and Social Media Issues surrounding user privacy and publishing content from your Web site. The pros and cons of having a detailed company social media policy. FTC disclosure guidelines regulating endorsements on social media. Defending your brand and more Legal Considerations For Start Ups And Existing Businesses Seeking To Reorganize You need to choose your business structure very carefully. Your choice can have huge implications on decision-making, taxation, and legal liability whether it be a partnership, corporation, LLC or some other entity. Drafting general business contracts and licensing agreements. Non-Disclosure/Confidentiality Agreements and more.

4 WEB Marketing for Small Businesses (alone or as a series) 1. Launching Your Business Website. David Beasley, SCORE Volunteer. This internet workshop is for business owners looking to venture out onto the web for the first time or who want a more effective presence. Key concepts and concerns faced by business owners are addressed. The importance of social media will also be discussed. 2. LinkedIn Marketing and Prospecting for Small Business. Stop Cold Calling! LinkedIn is the biggest networking platform on the Web today and it's growing fast. No longer merely for job search, it can be used to market your small business, whether it is B2B or B2C. We will present an overview of the top benefits, the best tools available for your use and 10 action steps you can immediately take to build your brand, expand your network, increase your visibility and find more qualified prospects. 3. Basics Steps to Get Onto the First Page of Google for Small Business Web Sites. Most people don't go past the first page of Google search results. In fact if you're not in the top three, chances are your Web site will not be found and you missed out on FREE advertising. Learn the facts and secrets top internet marketers use to dominate page one of search engines. Leverage these lessons into attracting qualified prospects and sales long term without pay-perclick advertising. 4. Content Marketing: Today's Key to Getting Found on the Internet and Google Current marketing techniques depend heavily on influencing clients and prospects by creating and sharing relevant information they are interested in rather than turning them off with direct advertising. Learn some of the whys and how to's of developing and presenting information to solve people's problems and answer their questions. 5. Take Control: Self-Administered Small Business WordPress Websites/Blogs WordPress is a free content management publishing program for WEB sites and blogs. You'll learn the benefits of using WordPress, WordPress.com vs WordPress.org, basic WordPress jargon, navigation tips and other things you need to know about such as themes, widgets, plugins, etc. Taught from an administrative viewpoint; coding will not be covered. 6. The Power of Marketing: Learn How to Make it Work for You. Tricks-of-the-trade and other relevant best practices. This session is designed to give you the information you need but never knew where to find it. Gain insight on how to build your lists and use subject lines to get your s opened. Learn how to grow your business and establish lasting relationships with customers and prospects.

5 7. Social Media 101: The Basics of Social Media for Small Businesses Have you been thinking about marketing your business with social media? Feel overwhelmed? Not sure how to get started? Not convinced that it works? We ll take a look at the 5 most popular social media networks Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest and help you decide what is right for your business. 8. Campaigns That Drive Action Feedback through Surveys, Polls and Reviews Marketing activities help a small business or organization to achieve its goals and objectives. This session will reveal some simple but effective best practices and considerations for the small business seeking to gather information that allows them to gain valuable insights from their audiences that will allow them to move their organization forward. 9. How To Use YouTube To Market Your Business (Limited availability.) Mark Goodman, SCORE Volunteer. Video is a powerful tool to help you build relationships with prospects and customers and enable them to learn about your company s solution. Learn about integrating YouTube content into your marketing and selling process. You don t even have to produce video to use YouTube to grow your business. Please note: These seminars are offered subject to availability of the SCORE volunteer presenters listed, as well as the requested time, date and location of the event. It is always best to select more than one seminar and offer alternate dates to ensure we can meet all interests in these popular seminars. SCORE Chicago North/Northwest Suburban Seminars Winter-Spring, 2015 ( ) Rev. 02