Check the calendar for current listings of dates and times of all courses. Registration closes the last Monday of every month. Most classes have a minimum of three students and a maximum that varies based on the course.

If you need a class and cannot find it on our schedule please contact us about the possibility of arranging something for you.

**Download a printed copy of our latest
Computer & Business Training Schedule.*

Small Business Development Courses
These seminars are open to existing small businesses and soon-to-be entrepreneurs. Fee Waivers may be available to students who qualify*.  
Contact the QVCDC for details.
 

How to Prepare a Loan Package for Your Business
(1) three-hour session, $99
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

REGISTER  TODAY!

Creating Financial Budgets & Projections
for Your Business
(1) three-hour session, $99
Financial projections are  tools that businesses can use to evaluate and forecast business plans, estimate future financing needs, and establish internal operating budgets. The goal of preparing good financial projections has always been to understand and project the financial future of your business.  However, being able to prepare financial projections has become even more critical in this economy, as businesses need to be able to adjust their financial projections in order to predict short-term and long-term impact on business financial performance based on changes in market conditions.

Topics to be covered include:

In this 3-hour workshop, you will learn the nuts-and-bolts of developing the standard financial projections that you should prepare for your business, including balance sheets, income statements, and cash flows. We will walk through templates for each of these statements in class that you will use to start building your own projections, and that you can continue to work on after class to complete the financial projections for your business

REGISTER  TODAY! 

Financial Planning for Small Business Owners
(3) three-hour class sessions $25

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

 REGISTER  TODAY!   

Bookkeeping: Just the Basics
(3) two-hour sessions, $135   handout included
In this three weeks 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.

REGISTER  TODAY! 

Growing Your Business through Marketing
and Advertising
(2) two-hour sessions, $99
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.

REGISTER  TODAY! 
 

Advertising & Promoting Your Business
on a Shoestring Budget
(1) three-hour session, $99

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

REGISTER TODAY!

DIY Marketing Materials
(1) two hour class, $50 per 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.
REGISTER TODAY!
 

Basic HTML
(1) two hour class, $50  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.
REGISTER TODAY!

Design Basics
(1) two hour class, $50  handout included
Although a bit different than print design, the basic elements of what makes a good webpage layout or design is equally important. This class will introduce you to good and not-so-good web design. Design techniques and basic elements of a web page will be covered. Students must be familiar with Windows/Internet & Word.
REGISTER TODAY!

eCommerce
(1) three-hour class session, $75
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.
REGISTER  TODAY! 

The Fundamentals of eMail Marketing
(1) three-hour class session, $75
This class focuses on how to grow your business with permission based emails. Print advertising takes weeks, and is very costly! On a small business monthly budget you can have the same email marketing strategy as Barnes & Nobles, JC Pennys, Target and the rest of the big guys! And you do not have to be a techie to pull it off!  Students must be familiar with Windows/Internet & Word Basic.
REGISTER TODAY!

Blogging
(1) two hour class, $50  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.
REGISTER TODAY!

Working with Databases (access)
(1) two hour class, $50  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.
REGISTER TODAY!

Ask the Experts
(1) 90 minute session, $10, The 3^rd Wednesday of Every month.
A series of monthly Question & Answer sessions on topics concerning small businesses like: Accounting, Legal, Insurance, Marketing, Finance, Employees, and Management. Each attendee can submit up to three questions with paid pre-registration to have answered, as time allows. 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.
REGISTER TODAY!

Be Your Own Boss: Business Assessments
(1) two hour session, FREE with pre-registration
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.

Business Planning for the Small Business
(10) three hour classes,  $99 non-refundable deposit
(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.

Contact the QVCDC for additional details. 
See the training calendar for scheduled dates & locations.
REGISTER TODAY!
 

*Fee Waivers must not exceed $300 per person for Small Business Development courses.

Please call the Quaboag Valley CDC @
(413) 967-3001
for more information on these and other programs.

The Quaboag Valley CDC is an Equal Opportunity provider