SBC Course Schedule

You may register for our seminars up to 30 days in advance.
To learn more about the Small Business Center click here. 

November

January

February

March

April

May

How to Start a Small Business

Learn key strategies for start-up, financing, and marketing as well as important information about legal issues, licensing, zoning, operations, and more. Discover the resources available to help you start and successfully operate your business. Presenter: Jim Ensor. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Writing a Business Plan

Success in business begins with a plan. By committing your idea to paper, you face tough questions and identify strengths and weaknesses. Business plans are not just for financing purposes; they are working documents to guide your business. For new and established small business owners, this seminar will start you down the path of small business success. Presenter: Jim Ensor. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Financing Your Business

We will explore finding and securing funding for small businesses including: loans, venture and angel capital, grants, and crowdfunding. You will learn which sources of funding are the best fit for your business and the next steps to secure funding. Presenter: David Mayo. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Is Your Marketing Money Well Spent?

There is no shortage of advertising and marketing options; TV, radio, print, direct mail, social media, digital ads, SEO, video, and the list goes on. How does your business determine which is best for you? What do the terms the ad reps throw around really mean? And how do you set KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) to actually know if your marketing is accomplishing its goal? We will answer these questions and more! Presenter: Jeanne Eury. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Tax Essentials for Small Business

This seminar will provide an overview of important topics that new business owners should consider including choosing the correct business entity, employee vs. independent contractor, and basic record keeping requirements. Presenter: Karen Spruill. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Sales Tax – Tips for Compliance

We will examine key aspects of the NC sales tax laws including which businesses must collect taxes, how much to collect, how to remit the funds to the State, nonprofits, and out of state sales. Presenter: Karen Spruill. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Evaluating Business Opportunities

Join us as we focus on evaluating an idea’s potential. You will learn to find and use market and industry research, compare an idea’s potential to market competitors, recognize target markets, and build the right team for success. Presenter: David Mayo. 2 hours. Cost: FREE

Creating and Finding New Business Ideas

Join us for an interactive session that will explore creativity and the creation of ideas for new businesses. There will be hands-on activities for enhancing creativity, exploring big problems, and generating new high-value ideas that will lead you to at least three new ideas. Topics covered will include using customer feedback, design thinking, and mindful observations to design solutions to big problems. Presenter: David Mayo. 2 hours. Cost: FREE

Creating a Business Model

Learn to use the Business Model Canvas to create new business models for an idea. We will explore creating and delivering value to customers, cost structures, and revenue streams for new ventures. Presenter: David Mayo. 2 hours. Cost: FREE

Launching and Managing Your New Business

Learn to outline meaningful next steps for your venture based on your unique business model. Topics will include goal setting, measurement, and planning for growth. You will leave with an action plan and timeline for success. Presenter: David Mayo. 2 hours. Cost: FREE

Email Marketing

With the amount of email being delivered to your target market, it’s crucial to design an email that stands out from the rest. Make sure when your audience opens your email, they have a memorable experience and want to open again in the future! Presenter: Melanie Diehl. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Digital Marketing for Your Business

Learn about the various forms of digital marketing including: Websites, social media, and paid options. Discover how different digital media options can be used to launch and grow your business. Presenter: Guiseppe Getto. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online is a new version of the popular accounting software. This seminar will guide new users through the setup of a QuickBooks Online account and teach experienced users how to resolve common issues and avoid common mistakes. Learn tips and tricks to make bookkeeping easy! Presenter: Anne Dorsey. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Introduction to QuickBooks Cloud Accounting

Interested in using QuickBooks software to help manage your business finances? Before you buy, come learn if QuickBooks is the right software for you! We will walk you through the setup of a QuickBooks Online account and prepare you for additional training in the day-to-day use of QuickBooks. Learn tips and tricks to make bookkeeping easy! Presenter: Anne Dorsey. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Introduction to Business Bookkeeping

Join us for an overview of basic bookkeeping essentials. Learn the basic fundamentals so you can move forward with confidence keeping your books or asking the right questions to your accountant. Presenter: Anne Dorsey. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Branding Your Business

Explore the root of what makes a brand and learn how to differentiate between marketing and advertising. We will discuss and analyze examples of brands and brand creation. You will examine your business for key components of your marketing strategy and begin to develop a marketing plan of your own. Presenter: Marc Morriston. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Creating Social Media Content for the Artist

Learn how to document and create content on social media platforms to promote your arts based business. We will explore photo and video content development methods and assess the most effective ways to share your content on your website, blog, and social media accounts. Co-sponsored by the Pitt County Arts Council. Presenter: E. Letchworth. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Tax Essentials for Artists

We will provide a review of revenue streams and expenses unique to all Artists, including visual and performing artists.  We will review basic record keeping requirements, including choosing a bookkeeping/accounting method and tracking income and expenses. We will also discuss sales tax issues:  When is collection required; How to calculate the correct amount of tax; How and when to remit those funds to the State; and Sales tax regulations for sales outside North Carolina. Co-sponsored by the Pitt County Arts Council. Presenter:  K. Spruill. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Creating a Marketing Plan for the Artist

Learn how to create an inclusive, multi-step plan that will allow you to monetize your Art.  We will discuss choosing the correct media, setting measurable goals for sales, finding and reaching out to target markets. Co-sponsored by the Pitt County Arts Council.  Presenter:  Jim Ensor. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Social Media Marketing Tools for Artists

We will teach you how to develop an integrated social media marketing effort for your arts based business.   We will explore effective posting strategies, content selection for each platform, and creating a system for consistent posting. Co-sponsored by the Pitt County Arts Council.  Presenter: E. Letchworth. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Grant Writing I

Learn to write Grant proposals that get funded!  Our expert instructor will prepare you for the special needs of the nonprofit industry and help you develop relationships with corporate, foundation, and government funding sources. Presenter: Dawn Morriston. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Grant Writing II

If you have already taken the basic Grant Writing class but need a more in-depth look into the subject, then this class is for you! Presenter: Dawn Morriston. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Media Relations

What are the best ways to share news about your business with the media? How do you get the word out to media outlets, such as TV, radio, and newspapers about your upcoming events? Join us to learn the secrets of getting free media coverage from an experienced “insider” in the industry. Presenter: Marc Morriston. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Improving Your Credit Score

If you want your business to grow to its full potential, you are going to need to borrow money. In order to get that business loan, you will need a good credit score. Come join us to learn: How to read and interpret your credit report; What factors are used in computing your score; and Legal ways to raise your credit score. Using this information, you could increase your credit score by 50-100 points or more within 60 days. Presenter: Bob Moore. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

How to Create a Website for Your Business

We will cover the fundamentals of building websites using WordPress including setup, launch, and maintenance. You will also be introduced to popular tools for helping you build a great-looking website. Presenter: Guiseppe Getto. 3 hours. Cost: FREE

Lunch-N-Learn: Clarify Your Message

Explore the basic framework of how brands are built around purpose and the importance of developing, and telling your story properly to engage and align your customers. You will leave prepared to clarify your message, connect with customers and grow your company. Presenters: Will Daugherty, president and Jeff Daigle, Creative Director, of Evolve Inc. Jeff is the only Presenter certified guide for the Story Brand approach to messaging in eastern NC.
Co-sponsored by the Pitt-Greenville Chamber of Commerce and Evolve, Inc. 1.5 hours. Cost: FREE

Lunch-N-Learn: What You See is What You Get

Have you ever noticed how some products catch our eye and peak our curiosity? Using high tech solutions for eye tracking, marketers can now anticipate how customers will react and receive our marketing efforts before we release them to the market. The use of eye tracking software has ushered in a new era of user experience design in web development and package design for retail environments. We will showcase the technology that is now available and how to take advantage of the experience and science to boost your competitive edge against even the largest of brands. Presenters: Will Daugherty, president and Jon Carico, lead developer of Evolve, Inc. Co-sponsored by the Pitt-Greenville Chamber of Commerce and Evolve, Inc. 1.5 hours. Cost: FREE

Lunch-N-Learn: Artificial Intelligence for the Small Business

The age of information has brought a need to figure out what to do with all of the data. That’s where artificial intelligence and machine learning are helping businesses develop deeper insight into the information they may not know they have or can collect. We will expose you to several easy to apply uses for AI and machine learning that you use to create a powerful advantage in 2020. Evolve President Will Daugherty and lead developer Jon Carico will leave you ready to investigate options for harnessing the power of these amazing technologies.
Co-sponsored by the Pitt-Greenville Chamber of Commerce and Evolve, Inc. 1.5 hours. Cost: FREE

Lunch-N-Learn: The Hype about Hemp

These days you can’t seem to talk about what’s new without talking about hemp. Hemp Industry expert and consultant Will Daugherty from Evolve, Inc. and Tyler J. Russell with Ward and Smith, P.A. will explain the industry, the pitfalls and the opportunities for farmers, product makers and retailers wishing to break into an emerging market. We will reveal national research on trends, pricing, legislation and forecasts as they relate to the fast moving hemp market. Co-sponsored by the Pitt-Greenville Chamber of Commerce and Evolve, Inc.  1.5 hours. Cost: FREE