Jenovelle cafe and gift shop Features Europe In Summer 2025 Starting a business in uncertain economic times is crazy, right? In reality, it?s financially advantageous. History tells us that the biggest opportunities await in hard times.
As you evaluate your entrepreneurial options, there are many compelling reasons to consider buying a franchise. Franchised businesses are historically proven to enjoy greater success, less risk, and significant competitive advantages compared to independent startups.
In this Live Online Workshop a successful franchise expert serving in multiple roles will share her experiences about choosing, starting and growing franchised businesses in all economic seasons.
Topics to be covered:
Why a franchise vs. buying a business or starting your own?
Five (5) Franchised industries to investigate now (and why)
How to find a franchise that is for you
Costs & funding
Timing & exit strategies
Resources to help you
About Our Instructor
Jenny Sutter is a franchise consultant with FranNet as well as a business broker. Prior to joining FranNet, Jenny spent more than 15 years in the Corporate arena. During her corporate career, Jenny worked for two national franchise brands in a marketing role to help them grow and thrive.
As a FranNet Franchise Consultant, Jenny works with individuals who are looking to become a business owner to jointly learn if purchasing a franchise is a good next step for their career. She works with clients to help them determine their business strengths and how to hone in on their career, personal, and financial goals. As part of the process, she helps to clarify the pros and cons of franchising, identifying the types of franchises that are available, the costs of owning a franchise, and the most effective techniques to research franchises. 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
Course Outline
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
Learner Outcomes
Owning your own business is the American dream. Building it to withstand the test of time requires a unique set of tools. SBDC StartSmart? provides the resources, support, and motivation to put your dream within reach.
SBDC StartSmart provides the tools 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. The DeKalb Chamber Executive Committee meets to discuss the important issues impacting the Chamber and the business community as well as approve upcoming business. Network with DeKalb business owners and representatives, exchange ideas, and make new business contacts at Coffee & Connections.
Come prepared to hand out your business cards!
Coffee & Connections is FREE for DeKalb Chamber members to attend and $25 for non-members. Light refreshments and coffee will be provided. What if your customer list was your most powerful marketing asset?
It?s not just possible?it?s proven. Businesses that understand and act on customer lifetime value often see up to 30% higher returns on their marketing efforts. Join Phillip Scroggin, founder of Sol Insights and host of the Good Morning, Market podcast, for a dynamic one-hour session that will reveal how small businesses can harness their own customer records to forecast lifetime value, personalize marketing, and unlock explosive growth. Phillip will walk participants through the same data-driven strategies trusted by million-dollar brands?no expensive tools or massive teams required.
LEARN HOW TO:
- Identify future VIPs the moment they interact with your business
- Stop wasting time and spend on low ROI relationships
- Build campaigns that get smarter (and more profitable) over time This course is designed for businesses ready to move from the proposal stage to successful execution and fulfillment.
It focuses on the crucial post-award phase, where participants will learn how to effectively manage and deliver on government contracts. The course emphasizes ensuring compliance, achieving profitability, and fostering long-term success. Participants will gain the tools and insights necessary to optimize contract performance and maximize profitability in the federal marketplace.
LEARN HOW TO:
- Research and identify contract opportunities that align with your business capabilities
- Develop skills to effectively manage government contracts
- Master the art of crafting winning proposals and navigating the competitive bidding process
- Understand the regulatory landscape and ensure your business stays compliant with federal contracting rules
- Improve cost control, maximize profit margins, and leverage successful contracts as a foundation for scaling your business 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
Course Outline
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
Learner Outcomes
Owning your own business is the American dream. Building it to withstand the test of time requires a unique set of tools. SBDC StartSmart? provides the resources, support, and motivation to put your dream within reach.
SBDC StartSmart provides the tools 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. According to the Data and Marketing Association (DMA), email generates $42 for every $1 spent, which is an astounding 4,200% ROI, making it one of the most effective options available for small business marketing.
As a small business, email communications can be instrumental in bringing in sales and building and maintaining relationships with clients.
During this webinar, marketing expert Laura Thompson will explore options for launching an email program, ways to optimize an existing program and also opportunities for leveraging automation to support your business goals. Key concepts include: launching a new email marketing program, vendor options, and leveraging automation to bring more sales.
LEARN HOW TO:
- Understand the importance of an email marketing program
- Create an email marketing program
- Automate an email marketing program
- Optimize an existing email marketing program
- Use email marketing to bring in revenues Imagine you could improve your marketing content while also reducing the amount of time it took to create it.
Today's AI tools are helping businesses do just that. Both large marketing agencies and small business owners are leveraging the power of AI to brainstorm, plan, and craft marketing content in a fraction of the time it once took them. Learn best practices in utilizing AI to help define and refine target markets, develop buyer personas, create social media content, and craft SEO-friendly web pages.
LEARN HOW TO:
- Use AI Responsibly
- Write Effective Prompts for AI
- Improve Results from AI Search Queries
- Leverage AI Results to Develop Social Media Posts
- Develop Social Media Content Calendars with AI Assistance
- Utilize AI to Better Understand and Speak to Your Target Market
- Create SEO-friendly Website Content with AI Support
European Passport at Jenovelle
Webinar - Best Franchises to Buy and Why
Webinar - StartSmart
DeKalb Chamber Executive Committee Meeting
Coffee & Connections Networking Event at Panel Systems Unlimited
Webinar - Thursday Takeaways : Finding Your Best Future Customers
Webinar - From Proposal to Profits: Fulfilling Your Government Contracts
Webinar - StartSmart
Webinar - Marketing Monday: Making the Most of Email Marketing + Automation
Webinar - AI for Marketing: A Small Business Superpower
