2020 Global Entrepreneurship Month Schedule
Nov. 1 – 7
Funding your Business: An Introduction to Capital Sources for Entrepreneurs
Presenter: Megan Hulsey, Business Lender, Craft3
About the Course: If you are wondering where to get the money to start your business or help you get a great idea off the group, this Webinar is a great place to start. Megan Hulsey, a business lender at regional CDFI, Craft3 will walk you through the wide array of financing options available to you! From self-funding options to debt financing and investment, this presentation will provide a place for you to start!
About the Presenter: A former small business owner herself, Megan Hulsey has been working with entrepreneurs and small business owners for nearly a decade. As the Program Manager at StartUp Spokane, Megan helped invigorate the entrepreneurial network in Spokane through educational seminars, networking events and managing a co-working facility in downtown Spokane. She has worked with would-be entrepreneurs and innovators to hone their business ideas, with small business owners to refine their business plans and secure debt financing and has helped entrepreneurs prepare pitch decks for angel and seed round funding. Currently, Megan is a Business Lender at Craft3, where she helps early-stage companies secure and learn to manage debt financing.
Megan is also an instructor in our new Entrepreneur Academy, teaching Access to Capital in Lesson 4.
Unlocking Woocommerce - Part 1
Presenter: Stacy Clements, SNAP Financial Services, Women’s Business Center
Sponsor: SNAP, Women’s Business Center
About the Course: In this a two-part session, Learn how to use WooCommerce, a popular software which runs on WordPress, to set up your online store. In this course, you’ll learn what to consider when planning your online store, how to implement WooCommerce by setting up products and payment options, how to connect your site with Google Analytics to evaluate your traffic, and how to sustain your site by doing basic maintenance and security.
About the Presenter: Stacy Clements is the owner of Milepost 42, a partner for small business owners who want to work on their business, and let someone else handle the “web stuff.” Before starting her business, Stacy spent 23 years in the United States Air Force, working in communications, cyber operations, and project management. Dubbed “a fixer, a problem solver, and a pitbull”, she now focuses on fixing (and creating) websites, solving technical problems for small business owners, and relentlessly promoting cybersecurity practices.
Unlocking Woocommerce – Part 2
Presenter: Stacy Clements, SNAP Financial Services, Women’s Business Center
Sponsor: SNAP, Women’s Business Center
About the Course: In this a two-part session, Learn how to use WooCommerce, a popular software which runs on WordPress, to set up your online store. In this course, you’ll learn what to consider when planning your online store, how to implement WooCommerce by setting up products and payment options, how to connect your site with Google Analytics to evaluate your traffic, and how to sustain your site by doing basic maintenance and security.
About the Presenter: Stacy Clements is the owner of Milepost 42, a partner for small business owners who want to work on their business, and let someone else handle the “web stuff.” Before starting her business, Stacy spent 23 years in the United States Air Force, working in communications, cyber operations, and project management. Dubbed “a fixer, a problem solver, and a pitbull”, she now focuses on fixing (and creating) websites, solving technical problems for small business owners, and relentlessly promoting cybersecurity practices.
Year-End Tax Planning for Your Business for 2020
Presenter: Barbara Weltman
Sponsor: SCORE
About the Course: In the final quarter of this most unusual and challenging year, there is still time to take actions that can favorably impact your bottom line and your tax bill for 2020. These measures relate to your employees, your customers, your equipment, and your operations and reflect big changes made by the SECURE Act, the CARES Act, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and other legislation (including extension of the Paycheck Protection Program), as well IRS pronouncements. Whether you work with a CPA or go it alone, attorney and prolific author Barbara Weltman will discuss which tax breaks apply to you and how to nail them down now before times runs out.
In this webinar you’ll learn:
- Year-end actions to reduce your 2020 tax bill
- Refund opportunities to recoup taxes paid in prior years
- Strategies for potential tax changes to come
- Necessary actions to get ready for 2021
About the Presenter: Barbara Weltman is an attorney and a prolific author with such titles as J.K. Lasser’s Small Business Taxes, J.K. Lasser’s Guide to Self-Employment, Home Business Magazine’s Home-Based Business Start-up Guide, and Smooth Failing. She is a trusted advocate for small businesses and entrepreneurs who serves on the advisory board of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. She works with Fortune 500 companies that want to share their message with the small business community. Barbara is also the publisher of Idea of the Day® and Big Ideas for Small Business® at BigIdeasForSmallBusiness.com.
Starting a Business First Steps
Presenter: Mia Johnstone
Sponsor: Washington SBDC
About the Course: Are you looking to start up a business but have no experience running one? Do you have an idea you are excited about and want insight into how to get started? Join Certified Business Advisor, Mia Johnstone, to hear about the basics of starting a business.
Topics that will be covered:
- Identify reasons for starting a business
- Self analyze your readiness for running a business
- Understand the conditions of running a business (ie possible long hours, stress management…)
- Brick and mortar business vs consulting/online business and their different levels of risk.
- Financial basics for starting a business
Export Compliance Webinar
Presenter: Mike Allocca, Allocca Enterprises Inc.
Sponsor: Export Finance Assistance Center of Washington
About the Course: This webinar will help you be aware of the new export compliance requirements for all exporters. You will leave the program with a better understanding of the regulations and with specific tools and instructions on how to begin building a secure and compliant department and company.
About the Presenter: Mike is a nationally recognized expert and speaker that specializes in import and export procedures, regulations, documentation, classification and compliance audits.
Export Expert Virtual Connect
Presenters: Washington Export Outreach Team
Sponsor: Washington Export Outreach Team (WEOT)
About the Course: Do you run a small to medium-sized business? Are you looking for ways to grow your business? Join the Washington Export Outreach Team (WEOT) for this interactive online workshop where you will:
- Meet the local, state, regional and federal export agency reps who will help you on your journey
- Learn about resources to develop an export plan
- See how to identify and validate international markets
- Identify services to find qualified buyers, agents and distributors to grow foreign sales
- Learn about services to finance for international growth and mitigate shipping risk
- – Hear real life success stories
Bootstrap Business Plan Course
Presenter: Rick Dickinson, Business Advisor, Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship
Sponsor: The Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship
About the Course:
This four-part course will help you quickly “kick the tires” on your new business idea. In just four 2-hour virtual classroom sessions you will learn to apply basic business concepts to know if your business goal is realistic and achievable. Rick Dickinson, CIE’s Business Advisor provides one-on-one homework support during the course, and after, free one-on-one business consulting. Learn the basics to take your business idea from dream to reality.
Nov 4 – Session 1 – The Foundation: Program Orientation, Readiness Mindset and Personal Finance
Nov 11 – Session 2 – Opportunity Discovery: How You Bring Value to Your Target Market
Nov 18 – Session 3 – Money In and Money Out: Projecting Sales and Costs
Nov 25 – Session 4 – The Bottom Line: Projecting Cash Flow and Break Even
Course Requirements:
- Must live in Clallam, Jefferson or Skagit County
How to Make a Successful Business Pivot
Presenter: Andrew Ballard, Marketing Solutions
Sponsor: Washington SBDC
About the Course: If your business is experiencing major disruption and a challenge making ends meet, a pivot may be the right move. The question is, how do you make a successful pivot? The Strategic Pivot Formula™ is a proven pathway that significantly increases your odds of success. This new seven-step formula melds the best of New Product Development and Scenario Planning processes to guide the process of making a successful pivot.
Learning Objectives:
- The definition and origins of a business pivot
- How to determine if a pivot is a right move
- The seven-steps of the Strategic Pivot Formula™
- How the “Formula” works and details of each step
- How to implement a successful business pivot
About the Presenter: Andrew Ballard is a respected author, educator and growth strategist. Through his company, Marketing Solutions, he has helped hundreds of public, private and nonprofit organizations (from startups through Fortune 500 Companies) achieve breakthrough growth. His book, entitled Your Opinion Doesn’t Matter, has been endorsed in both corporate and academic circles as being “innovative and insightful.” Andrew is also a part-time faculty member of the University of Washington School of Business.
Re-Strategize Your Business Planning to Prevail
Presenter: George Slook
Sponsor: SCORE
About the Course: Entrepreneurs and small business owners are most vulnerable to failure in a global pandemic. They rely on a sustainable supply chain, whereby products and services flow from their suppliers, through their company, and on to their customers. The pandemic virus destroyed this self-sustaining business model, making strategic and tactical plans no longer relevant.
Join this webinar, presented by seasoned business educator George Slook, and learn how to re-strategize your business planning to maintain an adequate level of cash on hand, and get suppliers and vendors to make their payments when due.
Attendees will learn:
- How to determine the “Strategic Intent” of your company based on strategic planning sessions
- In-depth details of “Strategic Integration” approaches, such as Forwards, Backwards, Horizontal, Vertical, and Balanced
- Why the teachings of the renowned Sun Tzu are important to your business, who profoundly said ”Knowing the enemy enables you to take the offensive; Knowing yourself enables you to stand on the defensive.”
About the Presenter: George Slook is a seasoned business educator with practical experience in academic and corporate environments. Actively engaged in delivering accounting and finance courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. George is adept at one-on-one consulting, with a particular focus on enabling entrepreneurs to start a business and small business owners to strategically grow their business. He designs and directs business planning seminars for adult education programs, and develops and delivers business education programs for current military who desire to reenter the workforce.
SBA Programs & PPP Loan Forgiveness Updates
Presenter: Janie Sacco, Marketing and Outreach Specialist, Seattle District Office, U.S. Small Business Administration & Mark Costello, Deputy District Director, Seattle District Office, U.S. Small Business Administration
Sponsor: Washington SBDC
About the Course: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Treasury Department, has released a simpler loan forgiveness application for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $50,000 or less. This action streamlines the PPP forgiveness process to provide financial and administrative relief to America’s smallest businesses. Representatives from the SBA and the Washington State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will review the PPP Loan Forgiveness regulations and related applications.
Topics Covered:
- PPP Loan Forgiveness Forms
- Changes from to PPP forgiveness application
- Definitions of Payroll Use, Costs, Covered Period & Time Frame
- Definitions of Covered Period
- Self Employed Individuals/Sole Proprietors
- Lender Process for Loan Forgiveness & Safe Harbors
- Documents needed to prove loan eligibility and forgiveness
- Deduction of EIDL Advance from Loan Forgiveness
- Representations, Certifications, Audits, Appeals
- Step by Step Examples of the Loan Forgiveness Applications
DIY Marketing your Business Using Tools from your Public Library
Presenter: Mark Pond, MLIS, Business Research Librarian, Spokane Public Library
About the Course: Tracking down essential pieces of business information such as detailed demographic information, consumer spending patterns, sales lead lists, etc., can be both expensive and time consuming. It doesn’t have to be if you’re leaning on your local public library for assistance. Come learn how to give yourself a significant head start on your marketing efforts.
Digital Marketing in an Age of COVID
Presenters: Maureen Jann, NeoLuxe Marketing; Eugenie Jones-Laughridge, Kitsap County MarCom; Rianna Hill, Pancake Digital
About the Course: Marketing experts will share tools, tips and advice businesses can use to survive and thrive in COVID economy. Rep. Derek Kilmer will also be on hand to discuss the elections, legislative priorities, and answer your questions.
Creating Social Media Content That Converts
Sponsor: Washington SBDC
About the Course: In today’s world, social media content is essential for connecting with potential customers. Content marketing is a proven strategy to generate ongoing traffic, build trust, and increase sales. However, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach for every business. Join us for this interactive webinar on creating digital content that will help you convert your audience into paying customers.
After this webinar, you’ll be able to develop a strategic and achievable plan to stay connected to your audience, attract new fans, and promote your offerings — based on your unique strengths. This session is for any business that can use strategies to communicate with their audience and create messaging that converts to sales…in other words, any business model will benefit!
Topics will include:
- Identifying which social media platforms you should be using based on your goals
- Strategies for re-purposing content you create
- Why videos, images, and copy are all critical components in your conversion strategy
- Tools and resources for helping you execute your plan
The Power of Visual Storytelling on Social Media
Presenter: Andrea Rohr, Washington State Department of Commerce
About the Course: Social media platforms have captured the attention of 4.57 billion users worldwide. With people now more than ever reaching for their phones to stay connected to the outside world, a social media presence for small businesses is vital to stay afloat in a turbulent economy. But how do we keep the attention of weary and savvy users who are already agitated from the bombardment of constant advertisements? Storytelling. Storytelling harnessed with compelling and creative visuals not only keeps the users from scrolling past but forms a lasting memory. In this Global Entrepreneur Month presentation learn how to construct engaging content to enhance your small business’ social media presence and build lasting relationships with your customers.
About the Presenter: As Design & Production Manager for the team, Andrea helps create effective digital and print media to further the presence of the clients of the Choose Washington brand. Andrea first got a taste for graphic design when she entered a contest in high school to design the official Carnation, Washington Fourth of July T-shirt and was selected as one of the winners. She went on to graduate from the University of Washington with a BA in sociology. With her passion for design still present, she earned two continuing education certifications, one in web design and the other in interaction design. She loves to blend her sociological knowledge of human behavior with her design experience to help brand local companies in creating a unique voice that speaks to their clientele. Andrea is an avid baker and can often be seen running around Lake Union.