The DeKalb Chamber Governmental Affairs Committee speaks on behalf of the business interests of DeKalb County industry ensuring that DeKalb County remains a place that is competitive locally and statewide.
This committee meets monthly on the 1st Thursday of each month from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Imagine having a team of enthusiastic brand advocates promoting your business for free. It?s possible with growth marketing, a proven strategy that transforms customers into loyal brand ambassadors. In this class, you?ll learn how to harness the power of data-driven customer-centric marketing to acquire and retain customers, set marketing goals that make sense for your business, create engaging marketing collateral tailored to each stage of the buyer?s journey, and track and optimize your marketing campaigns for maximum impact. If you're ready to transform your customers into true brand ambassadors and boost your word-of-mouth referrals, this class is for you!
Course Outline
What is growth marketing?
The importance of your brand
Understanding how people decide what to buy
Setting realistic and measurable marketing goals
Creating content that connects with your customers
Evaluating the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns
Learner Outcomes
Attendees will learn how to:
Leverage the fundamentals of growth marketing
Understand their customers
Set realistic marketing goals
Determine key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with marketing goals
Optimize digital content for increased traffic and conversions
Evaluate the effectiveness of marketing campaigns The DeKalb Chamber Finance Committee meets to provide monthly oversight of financial transactions to help ensure transparency and accountability in safeguarding all funds and resources of the Chamber. A business plan is more than just a document ? it?s your roadmap to success.
A strong business plan helps keep you focused, reach your goals and is critical if you plan to seek financing for your business. Many business owners don?t have a business plan because they just don?t know where to start. This class breaks down each section of the business plan, from the executive summary to financial projections, with tools and resources to guide you along the way. Whether you?re just starting a business, need funding, or just finally have time to focus, this class will help you create an effective business plan to guide your business for years to come.
LEARN HOW TO:
Use the business plan tool or template that works for you
Understand and explain who your target customer is
Start with your company description and proceed step-by-step to finish your business plan
Strategically position your business using a written plan
Incorporate a strong financial foundation into your business plan Starting a business can be overwhelming, especially when you don?t know what you don?t know.
Whether you?re just starting to brainstorm your idea or ready to turn your passion into a profitable venture, this class will give you a roadmap to success. You?ll learn what you need to start a business in Georgia, from assessing the feasibility of your idea to marketing, finding financing, building a team, and operating legally. You?ll leave with actionable steps, essential tools, and resources to start your business on a strong foundation. Small businesses are the backbone of America; this class will help you start yours.
LEARN HOW TO:
Determine the feasibility of your business idea using market research and competitive analysis
Estimate start-up expenses for your business and identify requirements for pursuing start-up financing options
Differentiate between different legal structure options for business formation
Identify who you should include on your team when making plans and executing business formation
Navigate the steps to start your business in the State of Georgia How Small Business Owners Are Using AI to Save Hours Every Week
Small business owners wear many hats. You?re the CEO, the marketer, and the customer service representative ?all at the same time.
Because of this, many entrepreneurs spend more time working in their business instead of on it, losing valuable hours each week to tasks like writing emails, creating social media posts, researching competitors, and searching for new customers.
What if you could do it all faster?
In this Live Online Workshop, you'll discover how small business owners are using free and low-cost AI tools to work faster, market smarter, and grow their business without hiring a team.
During this workshop, you'll receive instruction on how to:
Research competitors, identify market opportunities, and target customers in less than 10 minutes using AI
Quickly find and build a list of potential leads instead of hours of manual searching
Turn one idea into a full week of social media posts, complete with captions and hashtags
Write emails, follow-ups, and sales messages that sound natural and engaging
Train AI to sound like your brand and voice
No technical background required?just bring your business idea and leave with practical tools you can use immediately.
You'll also receive a ready-to-use AI Prompt Guide so you can continue using these tools long after the workshop ends. SBDC StartSmart provides the resources, support, and motivation to put your dream within reach.
StartSmart is tailored to be held virtually to facilitate virtual discussion, class engagement, & mastery of content. Participation in StartSmart will also allow access to LivePlan, an online business planning software. The program is facilitated by specially trained SBDC consultants and a long-term relationship with the SBDC and follow-up consulting is available and encouraged following the program.
Whether you are a new business (in business 2 years or less), or are still in the planning phase, building a business takes the right tools?and a lot of hard work. SBDC StartSmart will equip you to be successful!
SBDC StartSmart helps attendees to:
Evaluate & refine your business concept
Improve your knowledge of business concepts
Research markets and competition
Develop a financial forecast to improve chances of success
Develop a thorough, practical business plan
SBDC StartSmart includes 16 hours of instruction delivered over a period of 4 weeks. Sessions will be held twice a week for 2 hours.
LEARN HOW TO:
Evaluate your concept and develop plans to move forward.
Improve knowledge of business fundamentals.
Build an infrastructure for business operations and processes.
SBDC StartSmart graduates acquire:
An actionable business plan and access to business planning software
Access to financial and business resources.
A network of entrepreneurial peers and professionals
Eight modules cover critical issues for new businesses:
MODULE 1: Business Success ? How do we get there?
MODULE 2: Opportunity & Solutions
MODULE 3: Marketing for Success
MODULE 4: Digital Marketing & Online Strategies
MODULE 5: Navigating Human Resources
MODULE 6: Operations & Managing by the Numbers
MODULE 7: Management with a Plan
MODULE 8: Plan, Run, Review, Revise This webinar dives deep into the higher-level mechanics that separate thriving businesses from those simply surviving.
We will explore how to build true financial resilience by strategically applying The Vault, Drip and other advanced allocation tools that fine-tune your system and create steady, predictable results. Through practical explanations and real-world examples, you will learn how to manage timing, control cash velocity and make the Profit First framework work even harder for you. By the end of this session, you?ll walk away with a customized approach to your own cash flow habit builder. Your approach will support consistent profitability, relieve money stress and achieve financial success.
LEARN HOW TO:
Apply The Vault strategy to safeguard reserves and eliminate temptation spending.
Use Drip Accounts to smooth out cash flow and support consistent owner?s pay.
Strengthen your bank accounts and allocation habits to anticipate needs and prevent cash crunches.
Optimize your Profit First system for sustainable growth and peace of mind.
Governmental Affairs Committee Meeting
Workshop - Convert Customers to Cheerleaders
Finance Committee Meeting
Workshop - Writing a Business Plan
Workshop - How to Start a Business in Georgia
Workshop - How Small Business Owners Are Using AI to Get Their Time Back
Workshop - StartSmart (8-class series)
Workshop - Profit First - Advanced Cash Flow Techniques
