Training Events
The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center - Berkshire Region conducts free and low-cost workshops and conferences addressing a wide range of concerns for both start-up and existing businesses. Many of these programs are cosponsored with local chambers of commerce, colleges and universities, community development organizations, trade associations, banks and corporate sponsors.
For a complete listing of Massachusetts SBDC seminars offered throughout the state, please visit the statewide calendar at www.msbdc.org. Visit our video page for past trainings and helpful videos.
Small Business Open House
Join
the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC), in
partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), for a
Small Business Open House designed to connect businesses and
entrepreneurs directly with lenders, resource partners, and business
advisors from across the region.
The Open House will provide attendees with the opportunity to network, ask questions, explore financing options, and learn more about resources available to support business growth and success. Whether you are starting a business, seeking capital, planning for expansion, or simply looking to make valuable connections, this event is an excellent opportunity to engage with experts and organizations dedicated to helping Massachusetts small businesses thrive.
We encourage all small businesses, entrepreneurs, and community partners to attend. Click here to visit our dedicated Open House page.
Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
Location:
Berkshire Innovation Center, 45 Woodlawn Avenue, Pittsfield
Cost: No charge
Contact: Jayne Bellora at 413-545-8070 or
jmbellora@msbdc.umass.edu
Cosponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Beacon Bank and 44 Business Capital
Tech Talks with Rob: Incident Response for Small Business — What to Do When Something Goes Wrong
You have been hacked. Now what?
We spend a lot of time talking about how to prevent cyberattacks. But what happens when prevention is not enough? When you open your laptop and something is clearly, terrifyingly wrong? Most small business owners have no idea what to do in the first 60 minutes of a cyber incident and that is when decisions matter most.
In this special Cybersecurity Awareness Month edition of Tech Talks with Rob, we will cover:
- The first 5 things to do when you think you have been breached
- Who to call and in what order - IT support, your bank, law enforcement, your customers
- How to contain the damage before it spreads
- What to say to your clients and what NOT to say
- Free resources from the FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and Massachusetts that exist specifically for businesses like yours
- Why cyber insurance matters and what it actually covers
You have already learned how to lock the doors. This session is your fire escape plan.
Speakers include:
- Rob DelMastro, Director of Berkshire and Western Regional Offices — Massachusetts SBDC
- Gene Kingsley, Cyber Range Manager — The Richard E. Neal Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (guest speaker)
Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Time: 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. ET
Location: Online
Cost: No charge
Contact: Massachusetts SBDC Berkshire
Region at 413-545-0932
Cybersecurity Workshop (bring your laptop)
What
would you do if today was the day? This event is a live,
high-stakes cybersecurity exercise for small business
owners. No tech background needed. No jargon. Just real
talk.
It starts with something that looks completely ordinary. Meet Hilltown Trading Co. — a small shop with a laptop at the counter, a Facebook page, and an app that takes payments. Sound familiar? It's an average Tuesday morning...until it isn't. By lunchtime, the owner is facing a set of decisions no one saw coming, with a customer standing at the counter waiting for an answer.
What happens next is up to you. This could be your Tuesday. If your business runs on a phone, has email, a Facebook page, a website or an app that takes payments — you already have everything that a cybercriminal needs. You don't have to be a tech company to be a target. You just need to be open for business.
Join us for a live tabletop exercise: "The Tuesday Everything Went Sideways"...a fast-moving incident response exercise for small business owners.
This event is for you if…
- You use email, Facebook, Instagram, Square, Venmo, QuickBooks, or any app to run your business.
- You ever thought, "I'm too small to be a target".
- You don't have an IT person (you are the IT person).
- You can't answer right now: “Who would I call if my business got hacked?”
- Pizza shops. Contractors. Home-based businesses. Hair salons. Junk haulers. Consultants. Flower shops. If you run a business, this workshop is for you.
What to expect: This is not a lecture. There are no slides full of technical terms, and no one will make you feel behind.
What it is: You and a table of fellow business owners live through a small business's worst day in real time — reading the story round-robin, hitting the same split-second decisions the owner faces, and working it out at the table as the stakes get higher.
You will leave with:
- The ability to spot the warning signs most owners miss until it's already costly.
- A clear picture of the 2–3 actions that matter most in the first ten minutes.
- One practical change you can make this week that significantly reduces your risk.
- A simple written action plan to take back to your business.
Please bring your laptop. Space is limited, so register today!
Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Berkshire Innovation Center,
45 Woodlawn Avenue, Pittsfield
Cost: No charge
Contact: Massachusetts SBDC Berkshire
Region at 413-545-0932
Cosponsored and hosted by The Richard E. Neal Cybersecurity Center of Excellence
Click on icon below to listen to recordings from our recent podcasts, Conversations That Matter.
Massachusetts SBDC training events are supported by federal taxpayer funds. By registering, you certify that you are legally authorized to receive services funded by U.S. taxpayer dollars, in accordance with applicable federal law and regulations.