Listing of SBC classes & seminars
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Small Business Center Classes & Seminars
Spring Semester 2012 Classes
The Small Business Center (SBC) at Mayland Community College helps to increase the number of businesses and their success rate in Avery, Mitchell Campus, and Yancey Counties by providing business owners and prospective owners with information, training, counseling, and/or referral for service. Call 828-765-7351 x 249 to preregister for classes or extension 227 for information about our services. You may also preregister online at www.mayland.edu continuinged/SBCDesc.html. There is no cost to attend.
The Small Business Center offers classes on topics of interest to the small business community in our service area. If you have an idea for a class or have a special need for business training, please call the SBC Director at (828) 765-7351 x 227 and let him know.
Do you have an idea for a business, but do not know where to begin? Take one class, two classes, or all five classes, all at no cost, and learn how to start your business.The classes are held at the Avery Campus in Newland, the Mitchell Campus in Spruce Pine, and Town Center in Burnsville. See the schedule below for date and location information.
Steps to Start a Business (3 Hours)
Learn the basic steps for starting a business in Avery, Mitchell, or Yancey counties. Learn how to research a business idea, secure permits and licenses, evaluate forms of ownership, find sources of capital, and deal with taxes. A copy of Getting Started: Starting a Small Business in Avery, Mitchell, or Yancey County will be provided.
1/23, M, 6:00-9:00 PM
Branch No Charge
Town Center, Burnsville
2/21, T, 6:00-9:00 PM
Branch No Charge
MCC Avery Campus
4/3, T, 6:00-9:00 PM
Branch No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
Financing Your Business (3 Hours)
Learn how to access capital, and discuss the differences between traditional and non-traditional lenders, equity vs. debt financing, as well as how forms of business ownership affect financing possibilities, and many other topics of interest.
1/30, M, 6:00-9:00 PM
Branch No Charge
Town Center, Burnsville
2/28, T, 6:00-9:00 PM
Branch No Charge
MCC Avery Campus, Rm. 114
4/10, T, 6:00-9:00 PM
Branch No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus, PG 014
How to Write a Business Plan (3 Hours)
A business plan has two purposes: it serves as a business roadmap and a tool to secure financing for your business. Come and discover how easy it is to create an effective business plan. Students will also receive a copy of The Business Plan Workbook and How to Write a Business Plan as well as examples of business plans and other useful handouts.
2/6, M, 6:00-9:00 PM
Branch No Charge
Town Center, Burnsville
3/13, T, 6:00-9:00 PM
Branch No Charge
MCC Avery Campus
4/17, T, 6:00-9:00 PM
Branch No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
Marketing and Advertising Basics (3 Hours)
How do I advertise my business on a limited budget? This class will provide detailed information on the local market. We will also look at planning your advertising, creating newspaper ads, how to buy advertising, media cost, and availability in the Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey County markets.
2/13, M, 6:00-9:00 PM
Branch No Charge
Town Center, Burnsville
3/20, T, 6:00-9:00 PM
Branch No Charge
MCC Avery Campus
4/24, T, 6:00-9:00 PM
Branch No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
GENERAL BUSINESS TOPICS
Bookkeeping & Income Taxes (For Small Businesses) (3 Hours)
How do you set up a bookkeeping system and organize your records for tax purposes? Learn a simple, effective way to set up a bookkeeping system, organize your records, and use them to complete your federal income tax forms.
2/20, M, 6:00-9:00 PM
Branch No Charge
Town Center, Burnsville
3/27, T, 6:00-9:00 PM
Branch No Charge
MCC Avery Campus
5/1, T, 6:00-9:00 PM
Branch No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
Meet with a Business Counselor (3 Hours)New!
The Small Business Center will have a business counselor available for hour-long meetings. Get the opportunity to discuss issues or problems and find solutions for business. Meetings are by appointment only. Co-sponsored by the Yancey County Chamber of Commerce and Yancey County EDC. (Lunch from 12:00-1:00 PM)
1/24, T, 9:00 AM-4:00 PM
Ponder No Charge
Yancey County Chamber of Commerce
Planning for Growth (3 Hours)New!
The new bypass will create many challenges for Burnsville businesses. The most difficult to deal with can be growth. The class will discuss how a highway expansion creates opportunity for existing businesses to expand and new businesses to come into a community. Also learn how to modify your marketing and advertising, operating schedule, and personnel.
2/16, TH, 6:00-9:00 PM
Ponder No Charge
Town Center, Burnsville
Understanding Financing for the Non-Financial Business Owner (3 Hours) New!
This seminar is designed to help a business owner understand the sources and uses of cash within his business, evaluate cash flow and cost of operations, use historical records to prepare budgets, and understand the 'bankability' of his business.
3/1, TH, 6:00-9:00 PM
Ponder No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
Entrepreneurship Self-Assessment & Community Analysis (3 Hours)New!
Participants will identify personal qualities and skills of successful business owners and other factors that contribute to the success of small businesses. Participants will: Identify the personal qualities and skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur; Build knowledge of factors that contribute to the success of small businesses; Evaluate their ability to be successful entrepreneurs; Understand the purpose and uses of the business plan; and, Identify their personal learning needs; Create a list of strengths and weaknesses for your community; and evaluate the community's opportunities and threats.
3/15, TH, 6:00-9:00 PM
Childers No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
How to Incorporate Your Business (3 Hours)
Incorporation is an essential tool to protect your personal assets. Learn the steps to incorporate your business in North Carolina. We will cover the incorporation process and costs and what happens after your charter is approved. Class will focus on the corporate types most commonly used by small businesses including single-member Limited Liability Companies and Subchapter S Corporations.
3/29, TH, 6:00- 9:00 PM
Branch No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
Marketing Your Business (3 Hours)
Marketing is the "engineering and maintenance of long-term, mutually beneficial business relationships". It helps you to understand who your customers are, what they want from you, and how to reach them. This class will help you understand marketing and develop a marketing plan for your business.
4/12, TH, 6:00-9:00 PM
Berdeen No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
Excel for Non-Profits (3 Hours)
The EXCEL spreadsheet is a powerful tool for financial planning. This class is designed to meet the needs of non-profit organizations by showing them common uses of the software and providing them with hands-on experience in using it. Familiarity with Microsoft Office 2010 is recommended. Co-Sponsored by MAINPro.
4/13-27, F, 9:00 AM-12:00 PM
Pike No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (3 Hours)New!
Once again, sexual harassment has become a hot topic on the news. How do you, as a business owner, guard yourself against a sexual harassment lawsuit? What are the steps you need to take if an employee or former employee files a charge of sexual harassment against you? How do you train your employees about sexual harassment? These and many other topics will be covered in this class.
4/26, TH, 6:00-9:00 PM
Ponder No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
Starting a Home-Based Business (Revised) (3 Hours)
Many people would love to start a business in their home. What kinds of business work best in a home environment? How does zoning, tax law, and other legal issues affect a home-based business? Also learn what expenses in your home are legally deductible for your business activities.
5/3, TH, 6:00-9:00 PM
Ponder No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
E-Commerce
Internet-based e-commerce allows individuals and small businesses to market their products and services throughout the world at low cost. Our e-commerce classes are designed to teach you what e-commerce is and how to use it to access this market and position your business to compete successfully.
Planning a Business Website (Revised) (3 Hours)
Websites provide information about your product or service, and serve as a method of contact for your business. Websites allow you to provide product support, and sales. How you design your site is driven by what you want it to do. Discuss design issues, development and hosting costs, domain name purchase, intellectual property issues, and much more.
2/7, T, 6:00-9:00 PM
McKinney No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
Using Social Networking for Sales and Service (Revised) (3 Hours)
Social networking is hot right now! Large companies (like Dell Computers) use and monitor social networking sites to identify sales prospects or customer service issues. We will show you how Twitter ™, facebook ™, LinkIn ™, Google+™, and other sites can be used to enhance your business.
2/28, T, 6:00-9:00 PM
McKinney No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
Technology Issues for a Small Business (3 Hours)New!
How does a business owner know what technology is useful and appropriate for is business? We will discuss hardware and software needs, what kinds of computer network will work best for your needs, functions of various kinds of hardware and software, and cost and capability of various systems.
4/3, T, 6:00-9:00 PM
McKinney No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
Introduction to Selling on E-Bay™ (Revised) (3 Hours)
E-Bay is the best-known internet marketplace in the world. Many people have launched successful businesses on e-Bay™ while many more people use it to supplement their income. This class is designed for the beginner who would like to use e-Bay™, but does not know how to begin.
4/24, T, 6:00-9:00 PM
McKinney No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
AGRI-BUSINESS
Farming has long been an important part of the regional economy. This partnership between the Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey County Cooperative Extension Services and Mayland's Small Business Center is designed to provide information on the business aspects of farming for local farmers.
Note: the next three classes will be offered twice a day in the morning (9:30 AM-12:00 PM) and the evening (6:00-8:30 PM)
Fresh Produce Safety Basics & GAPs Field Practices (2.5 Hours)
This session will establish a foundational knowledge of the microbes and chemicals associated with produce contamination as well as how those agents might be introduced throughout the food supply chain. The instructor will also identify potential areas of pathogen contamination during the growth and harvest of fresh produce. Water use, fertilization, animal hazards, worker hygiene and harvest operations are the five areas addressed, including specific examples and recommendations to avoid contamination. Two separate sessions.
1/24, T, 9:30 AM-12:00 PM, 6:00-8:30 PM
DeLisle No Charge
Yancey County Cooperative Extension Office
Packing Facility Sanitation & Employee Health and Hygiene (2.5 Hours)
Maintaining sanitation at the produce packing facility is detailed through the food safety guidelines known as Good Handling Practices (GHPs). GHPs address environmental controls to minimize risk of pathogen contamination at the stages of postharvest handling and packaging. The primary areas of concern are packing house water, pest management, worker hygiene and facility sanitation. This module also includes a review of common food-borne pathogens and diseases and the importance of supervising farm worker health and workplace safety. Two separate sessions.
1/31, T, 9:30 AM-12:00 PM, 6:00-8:30 PM
DeLisle No Charge
Bakersville Historic Courthouse
Animals, Animal Byproducts, Bio-solids, Site Selection, & Water Quality (2.5 Hours)
Though fresh produce can become microbiologically contaminated at any point from field to table, contamination from animal or human waste represents the greatest health hazard to humans. This module covers Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) as they relate to domestic and wild animals in or near production areas, the use of animal byproducts and bio-solids for nutrient enrichment of produce fields, and evaluation of a site prior to produce cultivation. Examine water quality, handling, and safety as it relates to cleaning and preserving produce through Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to keep produce clean and safe. Two separate sessions.
2/7, T, 9:30 AM-12:00 PM, 6:00-8:30 PM
DeLisle No Charge
MCC Avery CampusSmall Business Center
Organic Certification Standards & Processes (3 Hours)
The market for local and organic products continues to expand. Organic certification provides full access to this market. This class, taught by Tony Kleese of The EarthWise Company™, a recognized expert in organic farming and certification, will cover the USDA's National Organic
Standards, the organic certification process, and ways to mitigate the costs involved.
2/28, T, 6:00-9:00 PM
Kleese No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
Wholesale Organic Market Opportunities (3 Hours)
The High County region presents a unique opportunity to capitalize on the demand for local and organic produce due to its relatively cool climate compared to the rest of the southeast. Through his work with Eastern Carolina Organics, Kleese has identified multiple crops that High Country farmers could grow during the summer months. This class will help you understand what it takes to operate in the wholesale market, what crops are needed with clear volume and price data, and the multiple wholesale systems that are in place to support distribution from the region.
3/27, T, 6:00-9:00 PM
Kleese No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
R.E.A.L. Business Planning for Farming (3 Hours)New!
Farming is a business and businesses need business plans to organize their business activities. However, a farm business plan is different from one for a 'brick and mortar' store.This three-session class will lead you through the steps of developing your plan using R.E.A.L. Enterprises'™ Agricultural Entrepreneurship Curriculum.
4/19-5/3, TH, 6:00-9:00 PM
Branch No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
Resources for Farmers (3 Hours)New!
Economic and social forces are driving a rebirth of the family farm. Because of this, there are more resources available to assist the farmer than exist for most businesses. Learn about what resources are available, where to apply, and how to take advantage of them.
4/26, TH, 6:00-9:00 PM
DeLisle No Charge
MCC Mitchell Campus
