SBC Course Schedule

*Face-to-face Small Business Center seminars have been suspended at this time. However, we are offering many seminars online. You can also register online. Please feel free to call us at 252.493.7561 with any concerns or questions. Our Small Business Center counselors are still available by phone and video chat for confidential consulting.

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

February

March

April

Seminar Descriptions

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. 2 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.2 hours. Cost: FREE

Writing a Marketing Plan

Learn to create a marketing plan that focuses on your goals for your business, your target markets, implementation planning and evaluation of results.  You will take home an outline to prepare your plan with. Presenter: Jim Ensor. 2 hours. FREE.

Funding 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. 2 hours. Cost: FREE

How to Get the Loan You Need

When you need a loan, what to lenders look for? In this 3 hour session we will talk about personal credit, cash flow coverage, collateral requirements, capital injection, and character. Presenter: Mitchell Dudley. 3 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. 2 hours. 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. 2 hours. FREE.

Creating Your Online Marketing Strategy

Web sites, email, and social media sites are all part of our e-commerce world.  How do we maximize our use of these marketing tools?  Join us to learn how to streamline your efforts for the best return.  Use your on-line tools to work smarter not harder.  Presenter: Jeanne Eury. 2 hours. FREE.

Creating Your Brand

Your brand is not just a logo. It’s the customer’s overall perception of your business. Small businesses often are competing against big brands with devoted customers and unlimited marketing budgets. It’s important to find ways to stand out with a solid brand-building process of your own. In this seminar, you will learn how to create a successful brand that is consistent in communication and experience across many applications. Presenter: Melanie Diehl. 2 hours. Cost: FREE

Learning to Love LinkedIn

LinkedIn is famous for connecting professionals all over the world. Many people associate it with finding new positions and advancing one’s career, but LinkedIn can also be a valuable space for expanding the network for many types of businesses. In this seminar, you will learn how to effectively use LinkedIn to market yourself and your business. Presenter: Melanie Diehl. 2 hours. Cost: FREE

Tapping into the Power of Pinterest

Pinterest is no longer just a crafts and recipes site. It’s a visual search engine, and a powerful one at that. In this session, you’ll learn best practices for optimizing your Pinterest profile, graphics creation, and how to drive website traffic and generate leads. Presenter: Melanie Diehl. 2 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: Jim Ensor.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. 2 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. 2 hours. Cost: FREE

Pricing Your Products and Services

What are your customers willing to pay for your product or service? Should I be the cheapest in my market, or the most expensive? We will explore pricing strategies that will help you determine what you should charge. Presenter: Jim Ensor. 2 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

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. 2 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: Jeanne Eury. 2 hours. Cost: FREE