If your business is ready for growth, SBDC GrowSmart gives you the tools and strategies to reach your goals. GrowSmart was developed by the UGA SBDC to meet the needs of growing businesses. Combining the latest ideas with timeless principles, GrowSmart will propel your business forward! UGA SBDC training has helped thousands of business owners build a foundation for growth. GrowSmart is the product of our experience and commitment to Georgia?s small businesses.
This program gets results! In full or half day weekly sessions, learn to analyze and manage your business like a seasoned CEO.
35 hours of class time covering all areas of business operation Evaluate your business, competition, and target markets
Hands-on, interactive program promotes sharing of best practices Expert speakers add insights to the topic of the day
Step-by-step development of your company?s strategies for growth
Combined with long term one-on-one consulting with SBDC professionals, learn to apply course principles and build a business for today?s challenging times. SBDC GrowSmart is a dynamic program for owners and senior managers of growing businesses.
Course Outline
Module 1: Planning for Growth
Making strategic decisions requires careful consideration of internal and external factors. You will examine your operating environment, document company vision and goals, and develop growth strategies based on a thorough assessment of your company?s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Module 2: Marketing: Research, Planning and Implementation
Thoroughly analyze your core competencies and competitive advantages?matching them to needs in the marketplace. Learn to protect your business from competition and develop strategies for effective, profitable pricing. Connect with customers using the latest marketing and communication tools.
Module 3: Leadership & Management
Focus on your changing role as the leader of your company. Identify people resources and leadership strategies that will be necessary to achieve your growth plan. Explore proven methods for hiring, compensating, and motivating your team.
Module 4: Financial Analysis, Tools & Resources
Learn how to analyze your company?s financial condition and develop strategies to improve profits and cash flow. Create a financial plan that quantifies the results of your marketing and management strategies. Determine how much money it will take to grow the business as well as how to fund it.
Module 5: Operations & Implementing Your Plan
Documented, consistent processes are a key to building a scalable, well managed company that has lasting, transferrable value. Assess your current operations and learn methods to document and streamline processes. The program concludes with a short presentation of your one page plan?and a challenge to put the program?s lessons to work in your business!
Learner Outcomes
Whether you?ve been in business for twenty years or two years, SBDC GrowSmart? can align your vision for your business with the steps to get you there. Create a framework to improve the performance of your business and shape the success of your business for years to come. Work ON your business, not just IN your business!
A step-by-step evaluation of your business and markets.
A hands-on, interactive forum that promotes sharing of best practices. Tools to build your business, both now and for the future.
SBDC GrowSmart? graduates gain:
A strategic business plan with a long-term vision and strategies. A mastery of key business concepts.
A network of entrepreneurial peers and professional resources.
Learn to analyze, plan and manage your business like a seasoned CEO. Branding is a crucial part of making your business a success. It provides a way to differentiate your business from competition. Branding is designed to allow viewers of your website to immediately identify your business. It ensures your social media advertising will present a consistent message.
This Live Online Workshop will explore the various aspects of Branding:
What is Branding
The Importance of Branding
Examples of Successful Company Branding
Key Steps in Building your Brand
How to and Where to Implement Your Brand
DURATION: 2 Hours
FEE: $20
About Our Instructor
Joy Thompson is Founder and Creative Master Mind behind the Fuel Creative Boutique, a branding agency that specializes in helping women owned businesses build brands from the inside out so they can compete at the commercial, national and/or international level.
Joy has been working in branding and marketing for more than 15 years. She started her first business when she was 27 and shortly thereafter landed her initial contract as Creative Director for a non-profit organization in Phoenix, AZ.
Joy's passion is to help women present a professional look in the marketplace so they can ''Compete With Confidence''. Are you thinking about becoming your own boss? Our Starting a Business Course covers all areas that are involved in starting your own business. This class will cover important tools and resources a business owner needs to establish a solid foundation during its early formative years. Often, new business owners ''don't know what they don't know''. This class will equip you to be able to ask all the right questions as you are planning and forming your brand new business.
Course Outline
Getting Started
Is your Business Idea Feasible?
Financing Your Business
Building Your Team
Operating Your Business Legally
Putting it all Together
Learner Outcomes
Detailed understanding of how to determine the feasibility of your business idea or framework using market research and competitive analysis
Basic knowledge of how to estimate start-up expenses for your business and overview of options for start-up financing, and requirements to pursue financing options
Ability to differentiate between different legal structure options for business formation
Overview of important individuals to include on your team when making plans and executing business formation
GrowSmart DeKalb
Webinar - How to Create Successful Branding
Webinar - Starting a Business