Upcoming Seminars and Events - January through March 2006

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
January 4, February 1, or March 1, 2006

6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
January 18, February 15, March 15, or March 29, 2006

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 them to complete the plan on their own.

$40 per person
9:30am - 12:30pm
January 11, March 8, 2006

6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
February 8, 2006

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.

$40 per person
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
January 19, 2006

QuickBooks®: Basics 2004: A Fast Start to Setting up Your Accounting System

QuickBooks: Basic 2004 gives you fast and easy tools to help save time, organize information in one place and manage business finances with confidence. The seminar is designed to give participants hands-on learning experience in setting-up and utilizing QuickBooks®.

$60 per person
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
January 12, 2006

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.
9:00 - 11:00 am
Date TBD

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. To register, please call CEED at (734) 677-1444.

$25 per person
9:00 am - 11:00 am
April 19, 2006

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 PTAC of Schoolcraft College has available to help your company with the contracting process.

$40 per person
January 12, February 9, or March 9, 2006
9:00 am - Noon

Registration Assistance for Government Contractors

PTAC clients who are looking for assistance completing their Central Contractor Registration (CCR), SBA’s Small Business Dynamic Search, the State of Michigan Vendor Registration, or any other online registration are invited to attend this workshop. Counselors will be available to assist clients in understanding and finishing the steps required for their online registrations. In addition, clients will have the opportunity to complete their registrations, using our computer lab. Companies are required to come prepared with information vital to the completion of their registrations, contact the PTAC for details on this vital information!

$15 per person
January 26, February 16, or March 23, 2006
9:00 am - 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 is a GSA expert who 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.

$40 per person
January 17, 2006
9:00 am - Noon

Wide Area WorkFlow Training

Defense Contract Management Agency employee, Phil Barker, will explain the requirements of Wide Area WorkFlow (WAWF) and walk you through the process of registering and using the system for submission of appropriate reports to the Department of Defense. Required by DOD, WAWF is a Web-based software application that allows DOD vendors to submit and track their invoices, as well as receipt and accept documents electronically.
As a result of WAWF, vendors will:

$40 per person
January 31, 2006
9:00 am - Noon

Meeting the DOD RFID Mandate

Effective November 14, 2005, the Department of Defense mandates that contractors affix passive RFID tags when shipping packaged operational rations, clothing, individual equipment, tools, personal demand items or weapon system repair parts. This is just the beginning of DOD mandated RFID. Understanding DFAR requirements and becoming knowledgeable with RFID technology is critical for DOD suppliers.

The PTACs of Michigan have partnered with the RFID Technology Center to offer a just-in-time RFID workshop at six Michigan locations:

$59 per person
February 21, 2006 - Kalamazoo
February 23, 2006 - Grand Rapids
March 14, 2006 - Flint
March 16, 2006 - Livonia
March 22, 2006 - Gaylord
March 23, 2006 - Marquette
8:00 am - Noon

To register online, go to: http://www.mteckvcc.com