By Daily Press staff
Knowledge is power, especially in today’s world of small business ownership. By accessing help with marketing, management, finances and planning, you are positioning your business to succeed in today’s economy and maintain a competitive advantage.
The Small Business Development Center offers workshops and seminars that are intended to provide a solid business foundation of proper practices, procedures and philosophies from which to build your successful business. First, identify your strengths and weaknesses, then access the training that best addresses your needs.
Accounting Tired of juggling paperwork and creating spreadsheets that spread nothing but numbers all over the place? Would you like a better balance? This class introduces and overviews essentials for small business finance and accounting from profit and loss statements, to quarterly financial statements, cost analysis and projections to basic record keeping from the prospective of what bank loans are looking for, accounting audits require and financial projections that allow a business to plan ahead and truly understand the financial status of their business.
Westside SBDC: $25, 3 p.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 24, Nov. 3 All about business loans Do you want to expand, purchase equipment/inventory, or restructure your existing business? Explore various SBA, microloan, minority, veteran and special loan programs. Learn how to apply. Credit, collateral, cash flow and character are discussed, as well as loan packaging options offered.
Westside SBDC: Free class, 3 p.m.-5 p.m. July 26, Aug. 30, Sept. 27, Oct. 25 and Nov. 29.
How to start a new business Are you thinking of starting up a new business? This three-hour class introduces what it takes to start up a new business from home-based to franchise, permits to DBA’s, research to business plans. We overview research solutions, start up resources, strategies and recommendations. The class then discusses loan options for new businesses, where to find money and what the banks are looking for. We review available resources to assist from VEDC, SBDC, SBA, SCORE and local sources.
Westside SBDC: $25, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. July 13, Aug. 10, Aug. 31, Sept. 15, Oct. 19, Nov. 10 and Dec. 16.
If your company is seeking financing or direction and you want to know the basics of how to write a business plan — sign up here. Businesses typically allow their daily operations to steer the direction of their business. Without proper plan-ning, goals, objectives, check-points, and checks and balances in place, businesses veer far from their original courses often into dead-ends. Avoid pitfalls and detours — go directly to success with the hands-on business plan class that will teach you how to best identify goals and objectives in relation to marketing, sales, distribution, management and finance. We review informal and formal business plans and how best to address your company’s needs.
Westside SBDC: $25, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. July 27, Sept. 29, Nov. 30. 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 11 and Oct. 13.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 21, 2005. Read the original PDF.