Upcoming Seminars and Events

Reservations required for all seminars

For more information on any of these seminars, contact the Business Development Center at (734) 462-4438.

Watch your mailbox for additional seminar details or log onto our website

Please note: During inclement weather, seminars will be cancelled if Schoolcraft College closes. Tune to your local news station for information on college closings.

SBTDC

How to Start a Small Business: From Vision to Reality

This three-hour seminar is designed for those interested in learning a practical step-by-step process for starting a new business. The session will provide participants with a network and resources to use when questions arise.

$25 per person
9:30am - Noon
June 1, July 13, or August 10, 2005

6:00pm - 8:30pm
June 15, June 29, July 27, or August 24, 2005

How to Write a Business Plan: Your Roadmap to Success

This one-time seminar provides an overview of what is included in a dynamic business plan. It is designed for new and existing business owners who currently do not have a business plan in place. Attendees will receive worksheets that outline the basic items in a business plan, allowing you to complete the plan on your own.

$40 per person
9:30am - 12:30pm
July 20 or September 14, 2005

6:00pm - 9:00pm
June 8 or August 17, 2005

How to Grow Your Business: Effective Marketing Techniques for Small Businesses

This three-hour, one-time seminar provides a comprehensive guide to re-evaluating your product or service and effectively pricing, promoting and distributing it. The seminar is designed for new and existing business owners who want to get an edge on the competition and successfully compete in the marketplace. Participants will learn how to identify and retain the right customers, and how to develop a winning annual marketing plan with supporting budget.

6:00pm - 9:00pm
June 23, 2005

Financing Growth Roundtable

TEAM SBA will debunk the myths and demystify the process of bank financing—in plain English. You will learn how your loan application will be analyzed, what underwriting criteria are used, and how banking regulations affect the decision. We will answer your questions based upon your business model. Over the last five years, TEAM SBA has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs gain a better understanding of the financing process. In order to help you, we require you to have good credit, a solid business idea, and some money to invest in your business.

No admission charge
June 22, 2005
9:00am - 11:00am

Certified: Woman Business Enterprise

The Michigan Women’s Business Council invites women business owners to learn what it means to be certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise. If you have a product of service that you would like to market to American corporations, here is your chance to explore certification. The Michigan Women’s Business Council is a program of the Center for Empowerment and Economic Development, an SBA Women’s Business Center.

$25 per person
August 17, 2005
9:00am - 11:00am
To register, please call CEED at (734) 677-1444.

PTAC

How to Become a Government Contractor

Did you know the federal government purchases more than $200 billion of goods and services a year? Find out what it takes to successfully sell your goods and services to the federal government and the State of Michigan. In addition, learn about the services and resources the Procurement Technical Assistance Center has available to help your company with the contracting process.

$40 per person
July 14, August 18, or September 22, 2005
9:00am - Noon

Registration Assistance for Government Contractors

Procurement Technical Assistance Center clients looking for assistance completing their Central Contractor Registration, SBA’s Procurement Marketing and Access Network, the State of Michigan Vendor Registration, or any other online registration are invited to the PTAC for this seminar. Counselors will be available to help clients understand and complete their registrations, using the PTAC’s computer lab.

$15 per person
July 21, August 25, or September 29, 2005
9:00am - Noon

Federal Supply Schedules: Finding Your Way to GSA

General Service Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedules are contracts that allow federal customers to acquire more than 4 million products and services directly from more than 8,600 commercial suppliers.

Mike Klewicki, a GSA expert, will educate clients on the many mysteries regarding the GSA procurement arena and Federal Supply Schedules. This class is intended for businesses that would like to learn about Supply Schedules, buying potential and marketing through a GSA Schedule.

September 13, 2005
9:00am - Noon

Marketing within the Military Community

Our country needs creative and innovate businesses to enhance our security, but selling a new idea can be hard. This program will give you techniques that are beyond the standard contracting process. This class will focus on selling to military facilities; it will help you understand the culture of the military, and how to present your ideas/products in a way that would be meaningful to this audience. This class will be of interest to a wide range of businesses. Examples might include surveillance, detection, IT, barriers, and many others. An instructor team from OnBase Marketing led by Colonel (retired) Dale Kissinger brings first hand experience to the topic. Dale Kissinger retired from the Air Force in 2002 after 30+ years of service as the Vice Wing Commander at McChord Air Force Base where he helped lead the unit’s conversion to the C-17, a highly capable airlift aircraft with the newest technology. He was responsible for 6,000 Air Force and Air Force civilian personnel with over 20,000 family members.

$99 per person
July 28 & 29, 2005
Eberhard Center in Grand Rapids, MI
8:30am - 3:30pm

- or -

$99 per person
August 9 & 10, 2005
Schoolcraft College in Livonia, MI
8:30am - 3:30pm

International Trade Management

Export Compliance and Supply Chain Security

Export compliance and supply chain security are major issues affecting the way in which U.S. exporters and importers are doing business. During this program we will be looking at export compliance issues such as export licenses and screening for exports, in addition to documentation issues.

In-bound management and security are also a national priority and this program will review C-TPAT, SCI, FAST-Canada and Mexico, smart containers, and advanced manifest regulation as it relates to our importers.

This course will help your company gain a competitive advantage by ensuring quick and compliant shipment to and from our shores. This seminar is presented by the Van Andel Global Trade Center (VAGTC) an international consulting, training, and education entity that focuses on small and medium sized companies in Michigan. The VAGTC assists Michigan companies to export, import and develop business around the world, while also creating competency within your organization so that your company can take a proactive strategy to international business development.

$50 per person
August 23, 2005
8:30am - 12:30pm