Statewide Training & Event Calendar
Preregistration is required for all events. Each registration link is program-specific. If no link is listed, online registration is not available or registration has closed.
Training registrations are booked on a first-come, first-served basis. To reserve your space for fee-based events, mail your payment to the appropriate office with a copy of the completed registration form. Credit cards are accepted ONLY for the Massachusetts Export Center's events. Your spot is reserved once payment is received by the appropriate office. Training programs may be added or cancelled; the training schedule is subject to change.
Please note: Training confirmations are sent from
centeric@clients.msbdc.org. We use this email frequently, so
please add it to your approved sender list. A verification code will be sent from this
email address allowing your to register for training. If you have
problems signing in, do not create a new account with a
different email in order to register. For help registering, send an
email to the contact in the seminar description. Please review our
cancellation and refund
policies.
  The Massachusetts Export Center organizes seminars, webinars
and events throughout the year under Partners for Trade—the
official export training initiative of the Commonwealth.
Click here or on the image at
right to download the Fall 2022 Partners for Trade export training booklet
(pdf).On the calendar below, 
indicates an exporting training event. |
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2022 Training Calendar |
= export training |
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| Until further notice, most in-person training is suspended. | |||
| NOVEMBER | |||
| 30 | NAICS, PSC, FSC and Forecasts | ||
| 30 | Writing a Business Plan Part 4 - Market Research | ||
| DECEMBER | |||
| 1 |
Using Non-Traditional International Trade Finance
Tools to Manage Cash Flow |
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| 5 | Basics of Starting Your Business | ||
| 7 | Federal Marketing & Outreach | ||
| 7 | Writing a Business Plan Part 5 - Management and Personnel | ||
| 8 | If You Received Funding From The Federal Government During COVID, Don't Miss This Webinar! | ||
| 13 | Capabilities Statements - Best of Both Worlds (Part 1 - also Dec. 20) | ||
| 13 | Commonwealth of MA (State) Government Contracting | ||
| 14 | Writing a Business Plan Part 6 - Financial Information | ||
| 14 | If You Received Funding From The Federal Government During COVID, Don't Miss This Webinar! | ||
| 15 | Basics of Starting Your Business | ||
| 20 | Capabilities Statements - Best of Both Worlds (Part 2) | ||
| JANUARY 2023 | |||
| 26 |
Pre-Expo Workshops |
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| 27 |
Export Expo |
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Program Descriptions
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Basics of Starting Your Business
There will also be an overview of the U.S. Small Business Administration's programs and services. The presentation will help you gain a better understanding of the various SBA programs and services available to prospective or current entrepreneurs who need assistance in starting or expanding their businesses, and will include capital, counseling and contracting information. Oreste Varela, branch manager of the U.S. Small Business Administration in Springfield, will be a speaker. Also presenting from the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center, Western Regional Office will be Allen Kronick, senior business advisor or Anita Eliason, senior business advisor. There is no charge for these workshops, but pre-registration is required. This workshop is offered on several convenient dates. If a date is not listed below, the class is full or registration is closed. A Zoom link for the webinar will be emailed to you after registration from centeric@clients.msbdc.org. Please add this email to your safe sender list.
Dates & Times: Typically held on the first Monday (1:00 - 4:00
p.m. EDT) and third Thursday (9:00 a.m. - 12 noon EDT) of the month - click on your date selection below to register
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How to Open a Business in Massachusetts Legally A basic webinar covering topics such as:
The speaker will be Richard Cheney, regional director with the MSBDC Central Regional Office at Clark University. Date: Typically the second Tuesday of the month
- click on your date selection below to register
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Using Non-Traditional International Trade Finance Tools to Improve Cash Flow Successful international traders understand the importance of having immediate access to cash. Because international business transactions require longer periods of time to complete, global companies must be even more certain of their ongoing levels of available working capital, making cash flow management techniques essential for all aspects of global trade activity. This program will discuss non-traditional/alternative finance tools for cash flow and working capital management. We will cover export factoring, which involves selling a company’s foreign accounts receivable (invoices) to a factor, and combines working capital financing, credit protection, foreign accounts receivable bookkeeping and collections. We will also discuss multi-jurisdictional financing using asset-based lending, which involves leveraging assets located outside of the U.S. (typically, accounts receivable, inventory, equipment and real estate) that are owned by the borrower’s foreign subsidiaries. Finally, we will touch upon how letters of credit can be used to help generate cash flow, including discounting and usage of standby letters of credit to help facilitate pre-payment. Speakers:
Date: Thursday, December 1, 2022
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If You Received Funding from the Federal Government During COVID, Don't Miss This Webinar! If your business received funds from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, loan payments are becoming due ASAP! During COVID the federal government, via the SBA, provided $230 billion in funds to keep businesses in business, and to protect the jobs in those small businesses. There were grants, loans, and forgivable loans. If you have questions about the funds you received, this webinar will provide answers. Learn the rules about the COVID funds you may have received. We are offering this webinar now as the EIDL repayments are becoming due. The speaker will be Diane Darling, lender relations specialist with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Date: Thursday, December 8, 2022
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If You Received Funding from the Federal Government During COVID, Don't Miss This Webinar! If your business received funds from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, loan payments are becoming due ASAP! During COVID the federal government, via the SBA, provided $230 billion in funds to keep businesses in business, and to protect the jobs in those small businesses. There were grants, loans, and forgivable loans. If you have questions about the funds you received, this webinar will provide answers. Learn the rules about the COVID funds you may have received. We are offering this webinar now as the EIDL repayments are becoming due. The speaker will be Diane Darling, lender relations specialist with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Date: Wednesday, December 14, 2022
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Writing a Business Plan Series Join us for this free Writing a Business Plan webinar series. Attend one, two or all six sessions! You must register individually for each session. The Zoom link will be included in your confirmation email sent immediately after registration from centeric@clients.msbdc.org. The presenter for all sessions will be Nancy Gerardi, regional director of the MSBDC Northeast Regional Office. Dates: Six Wednesdays, November 2 -
December 14, 2022 Cosponsored by Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation Writing a Business Plan Part 1 - Legal Formation There are numerous legal decisions you must make when opening your business. Will it be a sole proprietorship? Or a Partnership? Will you need to set up a Business Certificate, an LLC, an S-Corp, a C-Corp or even a B-Corp? Your funding opportunities will depend on your business formation decision. How will your business be taxed? Can you protect your personal assets? Do you want to receive an income or a dividend? We will discuss these factors and more in this workshop. Writing a Business Plan Part 2 - The Business Description Having a business plan is imperative to a successful business. It is a living document that guides your business. It grows and adapts to your business needs and goals. Writing is business description is the first step in a well-organized business plan. Your business description should be able to express what you are trying to accomplish, who will benefit from your goods or service, how you will make life easier, better, etc. for those who use your goods or services. Writing a Business Plan Part 3 - Location and Facilities An important consideration in starting and running any business is its location and facilities. Selection criteria are typically dictated by the type of business (manufacturing, wholesale, retail, online, distribution) and industry. There are many influencing factors, each to be considered according to its importance and cost. Writing a Business Plan Part 4 - Market Research Market research is essential for your Business Plan, both existing business owners and new business owners. Market research helps to recognize and understand the potential customers/clients for the business product/service. Market research will identify the best place for the business: online, brick & mortar, and delivery. This workshop will discuss all of these topics.
Writing a Business Plan Part 5 - Management and Personnel A big business obstacle is how to manage a business so that you can maximize your energy to grow your business and increase your revenues. Your leadership skills and how you manage is a direct link to your business success. This workshop will explore employee recruitment and retention, as well as understanding your customers, and sales.
Writing a Business Plan Part 6 - Financial Information A financial business plan is created by gathering all the components of the business and expressing them in numbers – both revenue and startup expenses. Every business plan needs a cash flow projection. The rest of the plan tells the story of the business and how the company will execute that plan. This workshop will discuss everything that goes into the Financial Information section of the Business Plan.
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Capabilities Statements - Best of Both Worlds (2-part miniseries) Sharpen your capabilities statements to successfully market your small business to commercial and government entities! Differentiate your business in a competitive virtual marketplace and effectively utilize a capability statement as a multi-functional tool. In the 1st session on December 13, participants will learn what makes a good capability statement and how to maximize viewing and response. In the 2nd session on December 20, you will receive quality constructive feedback, and if you’re up for it, sharpen your virtual skills with your company pitch (not required)! Speakers:
Commentators:
To get the most benefit out of this training, attending both sessions is recommended, but is not mandatory. Space is limited, so register early! Dates: Tuesday, December 13 & December 20, 2022
Cosponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration |
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The Massachusetts Export Center’s Export Expo provides a forum for exporters to connect with the wide range of export resources available in Massachusetts while learning about issues that impact their day-to-day operations. This year’s Export Expo will again be a virtual event that will include an exhibit area featuring government, non-profit and private sector service providers serving the export community. The Export Expo will also feature a lineup of workshops, panel discussions and special addresses on a wide variety of export-related topics. This year’s Export Expo will focus on important developments in our international trade environment, including the continued impact of global threats, policy and regulation on global trade operations. Critical issues such as fundamental changes in the drivers behind export control policy, recent export control and enforcement policy actions, shifts in use of list-based sanctions, outbound and inbound foreign investment screening initiatives, impacts of policies involving China and Russia and more will be addressed, with a focus on helping companies to navigate a dynamic and increasingly complex global trade environment. The Export Expo will feature influential guest speakers and opportunities to connect with experts to answer your specific export questions. We hope that you will join us for the same timely and important international trade content in a convenient and safe virtual format! Our virtual platform will provide opportunities for networking and allow participants to view all of the conference’s content, so you won’t miss a thing! Speakers and content to be announced soon. > Sponsorship opportunities are available. Click here for further information. Date: Friday,
January 27, 2023
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Join
us for the Export Expo – the state’s largest and most important
export event of the year that brings together resources, training
and information for the local exporting community!