$25 / per session

Networking is an essential skill for most business people, especially for entrepreneurs. The association between the entrepreneur as a person and his or her business demands that entrepreneurs get out into the world and create and maintain strong relationships.

Topics featured:
Local Networking
Social Media Networking
Promoting Your Business in the Region

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QuickBooks® Mini Sessions
$50 / per session Single one-hour sessions

Step-by-step topic-based sessions, that break down some of the most frequently asked questions about QuickBooks. Students should be actively using QuickBooks® before attending these sessions.

Session topics include:
QuickBooks Shortcuts
Customizing Forms
Memorized Transactions
Customizing Reports,
Excel: Importing/Exporting and more.

QuickBooks® Users: Problems & Solutions
$15 / per session Single one-hour sessions

Topic-based Q&A sessions for QuickBooks users. This is not a hands-on course. Students should be actively using QuickBooks® before attending these sessions.

Session topics include:
Solutions for Customer & Vendor problems
Solutions for Report Problems
Solutions for Company File & Banking Problems

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$25 / per session   (1) two-hour session

Finding financing to start and expand a company has been an age-old problem, but in the current economic climate, most entrepreneurs find it to be one of the greatest struggles they face. While the process can be time consuming, frustrating and intimidating, being informed and well prepared greatly increases the chances of securing the capital that you need.

Topics to be covered include:

· How to prepare a comprehensive loan application package for a lender
· How lenders will evaluate your loan request
· Resources that can continue to assist you in preparing your loan request

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The ABCs of Bookkeeping: Just the Basics
(3) two-hour sessions, $135 / $40 text

The ABCs of Bookkeeping: Beyond the Basics
(3) two-hour sessions, $135 / $40 text

In these workshops we cover using the double-entry bookkeeping when business transactions become more complex or when a Balance Sheet is required in addition to Profit and Loss (Income/Expense) statement.

We review the balance sheets and income statements transactions and how they are recorded with double entry bookkeeping. The series of steps in recording several transactions under double entry bookkeeping will be examined with hands on practices in the class. In addition, we review the concept of making a journal entry to reconcile an account and cash and accrual concept of accounting.

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$99 / per session   (2) two-hour session

Financial assistance available to qualified students, contact the QVCDC for additional details. After completing this workshop, businesses will be able to create a better marketing plan that will:

· Understand and attract more customers

· Understand the options your customers have (your competition)

· Identify and use the best communications tools and media to reach potential customers

· Create a marketing calendar that will guide business marketing and advertising efforts.

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$10 / per session   (1) 90 min. session

A series of monthly Question & Answer sessions on topics concerning small businesses like: Accounting, Legal, Insurance, Marketing, Finance, Employees, and Management. Get the information you want and hear answers to topics that may pertain to you as your business grows. These sessions are open to established businesses in and around the Quaboag Valley.
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$50 / per session  (1) 2 hour session     handout included.

Using Publisher’s templates and design basics to create professional documents and marketing materials like Business Cards, flyers, brochures and Newsletters. Students must be familiar with Windows/Internet & Word Basic
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$50 / per session   (1) 2 hour class   handout included

This class will introduce “web logs” or online diaries. Blogs have been identified as an increasingly popular source of online publication, especially regarding political information, opinion publication and alternative news coverage.  Students must be familiar with Windows/Internet & Word Basic.
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$50 / per session   (1) 2 hour class   handout included

This class will introduce the code language of web design. Using HTML you will be able to change colors, adjust text size, add pictures, links and animated text to your Web site. These are just a few of the things you can do when you learn basic HTML.  Students must be familiar with Windows/Internet & Word Basic.
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$50 / per session   (1) 2 hour class   handout included

Learn what is needed to create a successful Facebook Business page and engage your customers online. Communicate with your customers, listen to them & measure the impact. Students must be familiar with Windows/Internet & Word Basic.
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$75 / per session   (1) 3 hour class   handout included

This is a class for the author, the artisan, the merchant or the entrepreneur. The class covers the basics of eCommerce. It will save you time and hundreds or even thousands of dollars. You will learn the basic concepts required to make informed decisions as whether an Internet based business is for you. Topics start with selecting a domain name to accepting online payments, and everything in between. You will learn about search engines, merchant accounts and shopping carts. Students must be familiar with Windows/Internet & Word Basic.
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$25 / per session   (1) 2 hour session

Knowing how to read your financial statements can help you to understand what happened last year in your business and what's likely to happen in the upcoming year.
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$ please call / per session   (1) 2 hour session

Be your own boss! But do you have what it takes? Sit down and explore your potential for independent business ownership with assistance from the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corporation (QVCDC). Attendees will get practical condensed information and tools in two-hour sessions held around the region. Contact the QVCDC for additional details
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$25 / per session   (3) 2 hour sessions

Participants will determine the financial health of their business; discover areas where financial improvements can be made; learn how to set realistic financial goals, how to understand and improve credit, become familiar with the tools and products of financial planning; make a Financial Plan; and how to develop their small businesses and how and when to seek funding.

Topics to be covered include:

· Assessment and Record Keeping
· Improving the Financial Health of your Business
· Understanding and Improving Credit
· Financial Planning
· Developing the Business

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$99 / per session   (1) 3 hour session

This hands-on, interactive 3-hour workshop will show you no-nonsense, cost-effective ways to improve your advertising and promotional efforts and increase sales in this difficult and competitive marketplace. You will leave this workshop with a custom designed action plan that you can immediately start to use to get the word out about your business, attract and retain new customers, and fuel business growth.

Topics to be covered include:

· Focusing on your Ideal Customers
· Identifying your Key and Unique Points of Difference
· Setting SMART Marketing Goals that will drive your business
· Choosing the best Advertising, PR and Referral Marketing Tactics to reach your goals
· Setting a realistic and affordable Marketing Budget
· Creating a simple Marketing Calendar to chart your progress

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$50 / per session   (1) 1 hour session    handout included 

For the small business using Microsoft Access to create and maintain databases we feature sessions on Maintenance, Creating Reports & Working with Queries. Students must be familiar with Windows/Internet & Word Basic.
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$799 / per course   (10) 3 hour classes   **$99 non-refundable deposit required

(Total tuition is $799 with several forms of financial aid available)

The QVCDC Business Planning course is an intensive 10-session training program designed to foster successful new and existing businesses in the Quaboag Valley. It’s been proven that the entrepreneur who plans is the entrepreneur who succeeds. This multi-session course focuses on teaching the art of using the best available small business practices in critical areas, including:

· Entrepreneurial Essentials - Personal traits and planning skills of successful entrepreneurs

· Organizational Considerations - Understanding important legal, accounting, insurance issues

· Marketing “Behind the Scenes” - Finding, reaching and keeping customers

· Marketing “On Stage” – Strategies, tactics and implementation of successful marketing plans

· Financial Overview: Books, record-keeping and controls, understanding financial statements, budgets &   financing options

In this course, students will work on developing their own business plan on a week-by-week basis, using the workbook and other handouts provided. Guest speakers who are area experts in their specialty areas provide real world advice and industry-specific information. The final product is a comprehensive business plan and resource guide that will guide business growth and survival in this tough economic climate.

This course lasts for 10 weeks stretched over a three month period. Financial assistance is available to offset some to most of the cost of this comprehensive business program.
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