Waterford, Michigan - January 26, 2009 - Business owners and
entrepreneurs who need assistance are invited to attend seminars in
February, 2009 offered by the Oakland County Business Center. Business
Basics workshops are now offered in the evenings on alternating months.
Pre-Business Research - Are you thinking of starting your own
business and want to research your business idea? Are you a business
owner who wants to understand which research sources to use for your
business plan and where to find the information you need? The class is
held on Wednesday, February 11, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the
Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100
Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford. For location specifics
and pre-registration, call (248) 858-0783. Presented by The
Entrepreneur's Source, Oakland County's Business Center, Market
Research Department, and Research Librarian. This workshop is free, but
pre-registration is required.
Start a Business is a seminar for anyone thinking about going
into business. Participants examine their entrepreneurial skills, learn
how to implement their ideas and receive a list of pitfalls to avoid
when starting a business. The class runs from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on
Wednesday, February 18, at the Oakland County Executive Office Building
Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph,
Waterford. For location and pre-registration, call (248) 858-0783. The
fee is $30. No refunds.
Before you apply for a business loan, attend a
Team SBA Financing Roundtable.
The roundtables are a free loan orientation conducted by a business
banker, a business consultant from the SBA's network of Small Business
Development Centers, and an SBA representative. During the roundtable,
we'll debunk the myths and demystify the process of small business
financing. You'll learn how the lending process works and what is
expected of you and you'll understand how SBA can assist with our SBA
Guaranteed Loan Program. This session is best suited to those who have
good credit, a solid business idea, and some money to invest in their
business. Because SBA does not provide loan guarantees to real estate
investment firms, including purchasing and rehabbing houses for sale,
this type of financing is not discussed at the roundtables. The class
is held on Thursday, February 19, from 9:00 a.m. to Noon at the Oakland
County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake
Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford. For location specifics and
pre-registration, call (248) 858-0783. This workshop is free of charge,
but pre-registration is required.
The day-to-day responsibilities of running your own business leave
little time to focus on long-term vision, goals, and strategies. Find
time in your schedule to spend it with
Listening to Your Business,
a half-day workshop from FastTrac. No one knows your business better
than you. Listening to Your Business gives you the tools you need to
take a closer look at where your business is today, what you want it to
look like in three years, and the steps to get there. The class is held
on Friday, February 20, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Oakland County
Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road,
west of Telegraph, Waterford. For location specifics and
pre-registration, call (248) 858-0783. The fee is $95.
Write a Business Plan is a workshop for small business owners who
are developing a plan to serve as their road map to success. The class
is held on Wednesday, February 25, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the
Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100
Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford. For location specifics
and pre-registration, call (248) 858-0783. The fee is $40, which
includes all materials. No refunds.
Women's Business Certification Orientation (WBE) - Increase profits
through opportunities available through the Michigan Women's Business
Council certification. Learn about the benefits and process to take
advantage through the national network. The class is held on Thursday,
February 26, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Oakland County Executive
Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of
Telegraph, Waterford. For location specifics and pre-registration, call
(248) 858-0783. The fee is $25, which includes all materials. No
refunds.
Future Workshops
(AM) Morning Class 9 a.m. to 12/12:30 p.m.
(PM) Evening Class 6 p.m. to 9/9:30 p.m.
March 2009
05: Pre-Business Research Workshop (AM)
06: Venture Forward Spring Session Begins (thru May 8)
12: How to Start a Business Workshop (AM)
18: How to Increase Your Sales & Grow Your Business
19: How to Write a Business Plan Workshop (AM)
26: QuickBooks Essentials
April 2009
02: Small Business Loan Workshop
09: Marketing Your Business
16: Pre-Business Research Workshop (PM)
22: Listening to Your Business
23: How to Start a Business Workshop (PM)
28: Legal & Financial Basics
30: How to Write a Business Plan Workshop (PM)
The Web site address for Oakland County Planning & Economic Development Services Workshops is
www.oakgov.com/peds/calendar.