The National Small Business Week 2-day virtual summit is happening Tuesday, May 2 ? Wednesday, May 3, 2023.
This year?s event will include educational presentations by experts, an exhibit hall, networking, and a mentoring lounge where you can get your questions answered. The event is free to attend for both established and aspiring business owners. Have you considered starting a podcast to combine with your other marketing? Are you looking at the tremendous growth in podcasting and trying to figure out a way to use it to grow your business? This program is for you!
Podcasting provides a distinctive, personal connection to your audience, a powerful platform to showcase your expertise and personality, and a unique expression of your all-important personal brand, more important today in small business than ever before.
Course Outline
The Explosive Growth of Podcasting
Why Should Your Business Start a Podcast?
Creating a Podcast ? the Basic Nuts and Bolts
What Equipment and Software do You Need?
How to Distribute Your Podcast
How to Promote Your Podcast
How to Measure Your Success
Learner Outcomes
The first steps in creating your podcast ? where to start
Techniques, processes, and resources to create and produce your podcast
How to list your podcast on all the major podcasting platforms
How to use your podcast to help your business grow SBDC StartSmart was developed by the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center. This year?s program is tailored to being held virtually to facilitate virtual discussion, class engagement, & mastery of content. Participation in StartSmart will also allow access to 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.
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
SBDC StartSmart programs include 16 hours of instruction delivered over a period of four weeks. Sessions will be held twice a week for 2 hours each. Check your preferred location for details on when their 2021 program will be held.
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.
Notes
A Public Service and Outreach Unit of the University of Georgia. Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All programs of the UGA SBDC are open to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance.
Testimonials
''I cannot thank you enough for the stellar StartSmart program. This experience has transformed the way I do business, both now and in the future.?
''I look forward to following up with my SBDC Consultant to build on this program and continue to strengthen my business plan and practices.'' The DeKalb Chamber Membership Committee helps to plan and evaluate the Chamber's overall programs and membership offerings including, but not limited to, workshops, seminars, and networking events. Also works to recruit and retain current and new members by managing and auditing the Member Contact Timeline, offer innovative ideas, and ensure all members are having a valuable experience.
This committee meets monthly on the 1st Wednesday of the month from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Some meetings may have been adjusted from their original schedule due to holidays or Chamber events. How to Price for Profit and Growth
*Smarter Pricing Guidelines for Small Businesses*
Are you one of the 75% of small business owners that:
does not have a simple and effective pricing model and/or
consistently under-prices your work?
If so, this Live Online Workshop is for YOU!
You will be put on the path to a better understanding of:
The difference between mark-ups and actual profit margins
How to calculate and utilize your Cost of Goods Sold in pricing
Pricing models for service businesses, consultants, online and storefront retailers, and manufacturers
Using fixed or variable costs to price for profit
This Workshop will engage the business owner in how to analyze costs to be able to better format various pricing models:
Cost Plus Pricing
Competition-based Pricing
Good / Better/ Best models
Margin-based Pricing
When to utilize Premium vs. Discount strategies
How to calculate a Break-even sales goal The main purpose of restaurants is serving good food, it?s no surprise that many successful restaurants have mastered that mission with their menu, flavors, price, staff, and now safety. But, when it comes to customer experience/service, some restaurants have lagged behind, and what worked in the past is not enough for the future. With intense competition for customers, restaurant need to Reimagine their customer service.
Join us for this course to learn what successful restaurants are doing and how you can build your customer service to become a competitive advantage.
Course Outline
Learning how successful restaurants are excelling in customer service.
The difference between service and hospitality, and why does it matter.
Who is customer service important to?
What do customers/guests want?
Learner Outcomes
Learn the difference between service and hospitality
Successful strategies for customer service
Learning and delivering what customer want Feeling like you have hit a wall with your social media content? Looking for more specific techniques that really enhance your promotional materials and posts? If so, this may be the right course for you! This course will show you different features of Canva and Canva Pro that will benefit your social media platforms. Maybe you use Instagram, Facebook, MailChimp, or your business website. Whatever the platform, you will learn to create engaging content to showcase. Whether you have used Canva for years or you are a beginner, this course will motivate and equip you to design more efficiently. Come discover some new Canva features and take your social media to the next level!
Course Outline
Canva Introduction
Brief Website Overview
Specific Social Media Platform and How to Incorporate Canva
Embed Social Media Posts
Scheduling Posts to Social
Instagram Story Design and Facebook Creator
Learner Outcomes
Attendees will learn how to:
Present their work and ideas in new ways
Advance their current Canva skills
Design more quickly than before
Utilize specific techniques for specific social media platforms The Art of Meaningful Connections: Impactful Strategies for Building Relationships
Connections are the lifeblood of our businesses. However, making and maintaining meaningful connections with prospects, clients, and our network has become more challenging than ever before. In this Power Lunch, we?ll explore marketing, communication, collaboration, diversity, and coaching strategies that can lead you to more meaningful connections that will help your business to continue to thrive.
About Shai Boston:
Shai Boston is a Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) with nearly 25 years of experience in training, facilitation, coaching, and curriculum design. She?s also a designated Master Trainer and a certified Maxwell Leadership Team coach and speaker. As an entrepreneur and owner of Shai Boston, LLC, Shai takes pride in assisting her clients on their path of business and career success by providing training and coaching on a wide variety of skillsets, including communication, leadership, and emotional intelligence skills enhancement.
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Shai made Atlanta her home after living in South Florida for a decade. She?s been married for over 20 years and spends her free time reading, watching Korean dramas, doing volunteer work, and traveling as a global citizen. SBDC StartSmart was developed by the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center. This year?s program is tailored to being held virtually to facilitate virtual discussion, class engagement, & mastery of content. Participation in StartSmart will also allow access to 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.
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
SBDC StartSmart programs include 16 hours of instruction delivered over a period of four weeks. Sessions will be held twice a week for 2 hours each. Check your preferred location for details on when their 2021 program will be held.
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.
Notes
A Public Service and Outreach Unit of the University of Georgia. Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All programs of the UGA SBDC are open to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance.
Testimonials
''I cannot thank you enough for the stellar StartSmart program. This experience has transformed the way I do business, both now and in the future.?
''I look forward to following up with my SBDC Consultant to build on this program and continue to strengthen my business plan and practices.''
National Small Business Week Virtual Summit
Webinar - How You Can Create a Powerful Podcast to Help Your Business Grow
Webinar - StartSmart DeKalb (8-class series)
Membership Committee Meeting
Webinar - Pricing for Profit and Growth
Webinar - Restaurant Customer Service Reimagined
Webinar - Taking Your Social Media to the Next Level with Canva
Power Lunch With Shai Boston - "The Art of Meaningful Connections: Impactful Strategies for Building Relationships"
Webinar - StartSmart DeKalb (8-class series)