Leasing Commercial Retail & Industrial Space

What makes a good website? How can I afford to create a web presence for my business? During this 2 hour workshop Jennifer Shaheen – Technology Therapist® will provide the following:

• The items that make up an effective website
• Resources to do it yourself
• Questions to ask when hiring a firm
• An overview of how to create your web budget

Be prepared to have additional funds to cover at least 10 to 20% more than your expected costs, since most start-ups lose money during the first months business.

It is necessary to keep records to monitor the progress of your business and to prepare your financial statements and tax returns.

Make sure you stay up-to-date by reconciling your accounts on a regular basis.

Advertising and PR

The Advertising and PR workshop is designed to review the variety of ways a business can get its message across to potential customers, and also focuses on what that message should be. Each workshop is tailored to the people attending so as to make it most relevant.  Opportunity for networking is also provided.

Discussion Includes:

Personal Considerations including necessary skilss and experience, countless hours owner must devote, risks that must be assumed - both financial and personal.

Business Considerations including the products and/or services you plan to sell, marketing and competitive challenges, money needed for successful start-up and where it is coming form, various legal structure options to consider, and introduction to preparing essential elements of a business plan with emphasis on marketing and finance.

Note: the two hours provides for open discussion by participants.

Setting Up Your Business

One of the first things you have to consider is a name for you business.  You  can use your own name or a name that describes a benefit of your product or service without getting too cute.

For legal and financial purposes, you should have a formal structure for your business.

When you start a business you may come under regulations by several government entities, therefore you should consider the services of an accountant to help set-up yor books and continue to monitor your performance.  This approach will give you more time to concentrate to develop new business.

• Gives you goals and directions
• Helps you develope as a manager
• Show banker or investor your business goals
• Informs your employees, suppliers and others of your goals
• Measures actual performance against your goals

Covers the importance of establishing a Unique Competitive Edge as a first step in developing a sales strategy discussion of the basic elements for creating a sales approach follows, including designing a customer profile, performing market research, and determining a process for targeting the market, including the selection of media for lead generation(cold call, advertising, direct mail, e-mail, etc). Examination of sales presentation techniques and identifying sales resistances are then considered.

An interactive workshop where attendees learn how to shamelessly promote their business. The focus is on communications using the words that consumer think about when they are ready to purchase a product or service. All media are discussed: how to have an effective business card, how to develop a unique selling proposition, a web site that works, and use direct mail for great effect.

Note:  The two hour session will be conducted in an “open” discussion format.

What We Will Discuss:

• Overveiw of going into buisness
• Determining how much money is needed
• Getting ready to finance your business
• Important of key business plan information
• Types of capital and their significance
• Personal credit consideration
• Meeting with the bank or other lender on types of loans and terms
• The role of the SBA in helping you get the money (Note: an SBA representative will discuss this final item.)