April 2013 Business Workshops offered

Business owners and entrepreneurs who need assistance are encouraged to attend seminars offered by the Oakland County Business Center. Unless otherwise noted, all programs take place at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph in Waterford. For pre-registration and location map, visit www.AdvantageOakland.com/expand or call 248-858-0783. Marketing Your Business Wednesday, April 3, 6 to 9 p.m. The course presents practical applications of marketing concepts designed to help small businesses grow. It covers basic marketing tools including market analysis and research, target marketing, assessing competitors, and key marketing implementation tools. A strategic, well planned approach to marketing is demonstrated with several examples of effective hands-on marketing techniques. Fee: $40 per person. Small Business Loan Workshop Thursday, April 4, 9 a.m. to noon. Getting a small business loan can be a challenging process. Learn the "5 C's of Credit," how to develop a winning loan proposal and what you need to know to position your business to be "bankable" before you meet with a lender. Fee: $20 per person. Business Research - Feasibility to Expansion Tuesday, April 9, 9 a.m. to noon. Thinking of starting a business and want to research your business idea? Do you want to identify market trends and opportunities to grow your sales? Are you looking for new customers or to diversify your market base? Business Research shows you ways to find your ideal customers, your competitors, perform competitive analysis and more. Presented by Oakland County Market Research and an Oakland County Public Library business reference librarian. Location: Rochester Public Library, 500 Olde Towne Road, Rochester. Fee: This workshop is free, but pre-registration is required. CEED Microloan Orientation Wednesday, April 10, 9 to 11 a.m. Many small businesses face obstacles when trying to obtain a business loan. The recognition of the serious need for working capital for existing businesses, start-up or expansion, equipment purchases, and job creation is not the priority it once was. If you have a need for alternative financing consider the Microloan Program. Discover the requirements and process necessary to apply and obtain a microloan. Fee: This workshop is free, but pre-registration is required. Starting a Business Wednesday, April 10, 6 to 9 p.m. An introductory session delivered in a workshop format, the course helps aspiring entrepreneurs assess their abilities to lead and manage a company, as well as evaluate market and sales potential for their products. The basics of business ownership are introduced, along with resources available to help launch new ventures in Michigan. Fee: $30 per person. Writing a Business Plan Wednesday, April 17, 6 to 9 p.m. Designed for individuals who want to increase their chances for successful self-employment, the course, covers business planning in detail. Specifics of marketing and finance, legal and regulatory issues, operations, and information based planning and management are key components of the workshop. The first steps for creating a business plan draft will be included along with a demonstration of the MI-SBTDC online business plan tool. Fee: $40 per person. Legal and Financial Basics for Small Business Tuesday, April 23, 9 a.m. to noon. This workshop provides new and existing Michigan entrepreneurs an understanding of the "key" legal and financial considerations when starting and operating a business in Michigan. The program addresses "how to" select the best legal entity for your business, "how to" protect your business interests when dealing with customers, suppliers or independent contractors and important information and guidelines for establishing short and long term succession plans for your business. Fee: This workshop is free, but pre-registration is required. Published: Thu, Mar 7, 2013