Statewide Training & Event Calendar
All training events are held in Massachusetts unless otherwise noted. 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. We accept credit cards 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 review our
Registration and Cancellation 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. The Export Center
also offers an opportunity to view archived webinars. For further
information, visit www.mass.gov/export. Click on image at right to download the Fall 2018 export training booklet (pdf). |
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 The
Massachusetts Export Center created the
Massachusetts Export Resource Center, a comprehensive, one-stop resource for
accessing a wide range of instructional and practical information on
exporting to help your business grow and take advantage of international
opportunities. Registration is free! |
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 Did you know that the U.S. Small Business Administration offers free online training? Click on the SBA logo to view topics. |
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Program Descriptions
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How to Become a GSA Federal Supply Schedule Holder and Government Contracting 101
This free one-day workshop is typically held monthly in Boston. This workshop, designed to encourage and support small businesses interested in obtaining a GSA Federal Supply Schedule contract; learn more about contracting opportunities, the procurement process and resources available. Not sure which solicitation applies to your product or service? Refer to GSA's Schedules e-Library website in order to view or download solicitations. You can also view and download solicitations by visiting the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website. Before attending the workshop, please review the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program and the GSA Vendor Tool Box. Please direct any questions regarding the GSA MAS Program to the GSA MAS Helpdesk (National Customer Service Center) by phone at 800-488-3111 or by email at mashelpdesk@gsa.gov. Space is limited, so register early! To register, click on a specific date below and you will be transferred to the registration form. Space is limited to the first 25 participants, so register early! Dates:
Wednesday,
November 14, 2018 |
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Introduction to Government Contracting
Presented by Grace Otta of Massachusetts Procurement Technical Assistance Center, Western Massachusetts region. To register for an event, click on a specific date below and you will be transferred to the registration form. Space is limited, so register early! Dates:
Friday,
November 9, 2018 |
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General information will be provided on the following programs and services:
These free two-hour programs are offered frequently at various locations. Click here to visit SBA's website for dates, locations and registration information. Cosponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration and area chambers of commerce |
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Legal Clinics (offered monthly in Southeast Massachusetts)
These free and confidential 30-minute sessions are offered once a month at various locations. Space is limited and registration is required. Registration opens online two weeks prior to each legal clinic's date. If you have questions, please call the MSBDC office at 508-673-9783. As a courtesy to Attorney Cassara, who is volunteering his time for the clinics, please call our office at at least 24 hours in advance if you cannot attend your appointment. Dates: Monthly on Fridays
- see below Register online by clicking on the desired date below:
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Topics will include: introduction and need for planning; basic business plan format; choosing your legal form of organization; marketing, market planning and research; cash flow projections; financial statements; and financing. In addition, there will 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. In addition, Allen Kronick or Anita Eliason, senior business advisors with the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network's Western Regional Office, will speak. There is no charge for these workshops, but pre-registration is required.
To register, click on the appropriate date below. If you have
questions or problems registering online,
please contact Lynn Shedd at
lshedd@msbdc.umass.edu
or 413-577-1768.
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Legal Clinic for Small Business
Participants will receive a general waiver statement prior to the meeting and are eligible to attend a 30-minute legal clinic only once. If you have already taken advantage of this opportunity, please do not register again. Appointments are in 30-minute timeslots with the first appointment starting at 12:30 p.m. Appointments are required and subject to availability. As a courtesy to the attorneys, if you cannot attend your appointment, please contact our office at least 24 hours in advance. To register for a session, please click on a date below and
complete the registration form. If you have
questions or problems registering online, please contact Lynn Shedd at
lshedd@msbdc.umass.edu
or 413-577-1768.
Cosponsored by SCORE and SPARK |
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Video Marketing: A Must-Have For Your Toolbox Discover key strategies, production techniques and release tips to begin using online video as a powerful tool to help customers find and choose your business. The speaker will be Ryan Reed, president of Rewatchable Video and Production. Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State University |
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Starting a Business: What You Need to Know Inspired, "downsized" or just ready to own your own business? Assess your entrepreneurship potential while getting an overview of the marketing, financial and operations issues involved in starting a business. The speaker will be Bruce Share, chief operations officer of Bestonomics, Inc and CEO of its subsidiary Best Business Advisors. Date: Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Cosponsored by Northern Essex Community College |
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10 Tried, True & Trending Tools to Supercharge Site Traffic The two presenters spend countless hours helping businesses figure out who their customers are and how to provoke them to action! In this interactive workshop, they will show you their top 10 tried, true, and trending tools to drive traffic to your website and how to apply them to your business. They will make sure you leave with useful resources and new ways of thinking to supercharge your online marketing! Presented by Silvana Gravini, owner of Silvana.Net Internet Marketing Design and Karen Utgoff, owner of Karen Lauter Utgoff Consulting. Silvana is a life-long marketing consultant with special expertise in website and print design, website coding, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and Social Media Marketing. Karen is a market-oriented business strategist who works at the intersection of market, customer, and business development. In her consulting practice, Karen works with small businesses and startups to identify target markets and other fundamentals that drive business strategy as well as effective marketing and sales. Date: Wednesday, October 17, 2018
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Developing Your Export Compliance Program Registration is closed. Any company that is serious about exporting needs a formal export compliance program in place. Export compliance programs demonstrate a company’s commitment to compliance and outline specific policies and procedures to ensure compliance, taking into account the company’s entire global organization, specific products and technologies, international business activities and more. Developing and managing a truly functional and adaptable export compliance program can be an overwhelming and challenging task for many businesses, however. This webinar will provide practical guidance on developing an export compliance program, including: risk assessment; export compliance team building; integration of export compliance operations; and other critical elements for an effective export compliance program. The program will also touch upon assessing the effectiveness of export compliance operations and maintaining a dynamic compliance program that keeps pace with organizational and regulatory changes. Our speaker will be:
Date: Thursday, October 18,
2018 |
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Starting Your Own Business - How to Build Your Management Team Starting a business is complicated and involves elements of risk and uncertainty. To increase the odds of being successful, the small business owner needs access to the best information and advice that is available. Topics included in this session are:
If you are thinking about starting a business or have a young business, you should attend this seminar to help you identify areas where you need more guidance. Speakers include:
Date: Thursday, October 18, 2018  |
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QuickBooks - In-depth Training for Beginners
If you have never used QuickBooks or don't understand how to leverage this powerful financial management tool, you should not miss this three-evening seminar series. The presenter will be Nancy Burgess, president and owner of Burgess Consulting. Her interactive teaching style will leave you empowered and ready to tackle the financial management of your business. Registration is limited to 15 people, so register early. Dates: October 16, 17 & 18, 2018 |
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Growing Your Business Through State Certification Would your business benefit from State Certification as a Women Business Enterprises (WBE) or linking your business to public purchasers in search of goods and services? Business owners of companies with a principal place of business in Massachusetts must attend a free, mandatory, two-hour pre-certification workshop before submitting an application for certification. This workshop provides an overview of the WBE state certification process and the required documents that must be submitted when applying for certification. The workshop also provides a brief introduction to COMMBUYS (the Commonwealth's procurement platform where bidding opportunities occur), the Small Business Purchasing Program, and the Supplier Diversity Program. The certification application and instructions will be provided at the workshop. The speakers will be announced at a later date. COMMBUYS Vendor Registration assistance is available after the workshop from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Date: Thursday, October 18, 2018
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State University and North Shore Alliance For Economic Development |
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Best Practices for Employee Discipline Proper handling of employee discipline can significantly reduce the risk and cost of legal action. Learn about progressive discipline, the importance of documentation, developing performance improvement plans and legal considerations. The speaker will be Sherri Heller, senior HR advisor at Masspay. Date: Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State University |
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Using Creativity and Innovation to Succeed in Business Using certain parts of the brain can lead to optimal performance and creativity. Learn the top three qualities necessary for prospering in today's marketplace and the two changes you can make today to improve creativity and innovation. The speakers will be Jennifer Carey, Ed.S, LMHC and Dayna Wood, Ed.S, REAT, co-Founders of ic3 Consulting. Date: Thursday, October 25, 2018
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State University |
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How to Grow Your Business With Public Speaking Want to grow your business? Consider public speaking! Learn how to get speaking gigs, showcase your expertise and fill your sales funnel. Straightforward advice from the National Speakers Association. The speaker will be Robin Samora, public relations & small business marketing expert, mentor and speaker. Date: Thursday, November 1, 2018
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State University |
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Employment Law Hot Topics - How to Reduce Risk If you are an employer in Massachusetts, you need clarification on how recent changes in employment law impact your business and how to stay compliant with the new statutes. This will be an informative and important seminar packed with information, including new legislation. Topics to be covered include:
The speaker will be Jack K. Merrill, Esq., Employment Law and Civil Litigation at KSR Law. Date: Thursday, November 1, 2018 |
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Best Practices for Export Control Classification and Licensing
This briefing will feature leading local trade compliance practitioners who will share their thoughts and best practices for export control classification and licensing, with an emphasis on effective preparation of submittals to federal export licensing authorities, including classification requests and license applications. The briefing will also provide insight on self-classification, export license determination, license exception usage, and working with federal authorities to manage the export authorization process. Speakers include:
Date: Thursday, November 1,
2018 |
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Establishing, Managing and Motivating International Distribution Channels Most exporters depend on channel partners, such as distributors or sales reps, to generate sales in overseas markets. In fact, an exporter's success in an overseas market is often directly tied to the effectiveness of the company's channel partner in that market. Effectively negotiating and structuring contracts with these partners is equally critical for achieving profits and growth while minimizing confusion, disputes and poor performance. This seminar will provide tips for finding reliable overseas partners and providing the support and motivation they need in order to effectively generate sales. The seminar will also provide guidance for achieving a win-win agreement and relationship with overseas channel partners. Specific topics to be discussed include identifying, qualifying, managing, supporting and motivating overseas channel partners; effectively managing contract negotiations; sales and performance requirements; exclusivity; essential contract elements; dispute resolution alternatives and more. The program will also include real-world examples and best practices from a panel of exporting firms who will discuss strategies for success. This program will benefit top management, international sales and marketing staff, export operations staff, and in-house counsel. Speakers include:
Date: Friday, November 2,
2018 |
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Tariff Management: Rethinking Your Supply Chain for Today's International Trade Climate With recent, dramatic escalations in U.S. and global tariffs, it has become increasingly important to manage supply chains via tariff management. Tariff management involves a systematic approach to taking advantage of all opportunities provided by the Customs regulations to reduce your total duty burden while remaining compliant with laws and regulations. An effective tariff management program allows your company to profit by reducing costs of doing business in a fiercely competitive global economy. This seminar, which will focus on tariff management, is targeted at importers and exporters that are looking to reduce, eliminate or defer tariffs through mechanisms such as duty drawback and tariff engineering, and using free trade zones, temporary import bonds, and customs bonded warehouses. This interactive program will feature well-known experts in the area of tariff management and will provide an opportunity for the participants to ask specific questions relevant to their global trade operations. Speakers include:
Date: Wednesday, November 7,
2018 |
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Understanding Your Company's Cash Flow Your business runs on cash—cash in and cash out—a very critical aspect to you and your business. Understanding Your Company's Cash Flow will help you understand what cash flow is, why it's so important and how to monitor it. Whether you hire someone to handle your financials or do them yourself, you must understand these fundamentals. This workshop will teach:
Presented by Robb Morton, managing partner with Boiselle, Morton & Associates, LLP CFM, CMA, CPA. Robb has more than 30 years experience in public and management accounting. As both a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Management Accountant, he offers an excellent source for not only technical accounting and tax issues but for management advisory support as well. With over seven years experience as a controller, Robb has a unique perspective when dealing with the challenges faced by his small business clients. He also has extensive experience working with family-owned businesses both as advisor and as a member of their management team. Date: Wednesday, November 7, 2018
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Brown Bag Lunch & Learn: Taking Control of Debt & Common Money Mistakes
Josh Sotolongo, a former mathematics and finance educator, focuses on ensuring that his clients understand the “why” regarding their personal financial strategy. Robert Houle, brings many years of experience in the business market specializing in employee retention, business succession, qualified plan implementation and servicing. Terrell Joyner, a Connecticut native, and Western MA graduate puts his passion at the forefront of his practice. For more information about Unity Financial Group, visit www.uflife.com. Date: Friday, November 9, 2018
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QuickBooks Desktop: Advanced - Getting More Out of QuickBooks
NOTE: Attendees will have the opportunity to ask specific questions, but the session is not intended to provide detailed troubleshooting. Those types of questions are better suited to a one-to-one consulting session. Presented by Don Lesser, president of Pioneer Training, Inc. Don has been a consultant and business owner for over 30 years. He has been using QuickBooks since version 2.0 for MS-DOS. Don has taught QuickBooks for over 20 years, as well as consulted in its use for a wide range of clients. Don is not an accountant and does not provide accounting advice, but focuses on how to use QuickBooks to track your company’s income and expenses. Date: Wednesday, November 14, 2018
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Ways to Finance Your Business - Options and Strategies Locating the proper sources of financing to start or expand a business can be one of the most difficult problems a business owner may encounter. This seminar will explore the range of options and basic requirements for each type of financing. Our speakers will give you their viewpoints and explain what criteria they use when determining whether to provide funding. Whether you are seeking a traditional bank loan, crowd funding, angel investor or looking for other alternatives, please join us for an informative and interactive panel to help sift through the different financing options. Speakers include:
Date: Wednesday, November 14, 2018 |
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Tax Strategies as Part of Your Strategic Planning Not having a tax strategy for your company can put you out of business. To make it more complicated, it has been 30 years since there has been significant tax reform. What does the Tax Cuts and Jobs Bill that recently passed mean to your business? During this informative seminar, S&G will discuss tax considerations that are essential to your strategic planning. This seminar will be important to mature businesses, as well as those just starting out. Speakers include:
Date: Wednesday, November 28, 2018 |
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Sharpen Your Leadership Skills Using Emotional Intelligence In this competitive business world, leaders must learn to embrace emotional intelligence skills and traits to develop successful individuals and teams. Learn how to use EQ to find the positive both in and out of work. The speaker will be Carrie Stack, founder of Say Yes Institute. Date: Thursday, November 29, 2018
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State University |
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HR Headlines For 2018 and Beyond What did you miss in 2018 that is essential to a compliant workplace? This workshop will cover new requirements—including the Massachusetts Equal Pay Act—and hot topics in the ever-changing world of compliance and best practices. Plus, we'll look at upcoming changes to Massachusetts minimum wage and paid family leave laws. The speaker will be Megan Taylor, HR consultant with Taylor HR Group. Date: Thursday, December 6, 2018
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State University |
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Join us for the state’s largest and most important export event of the year that brings together resources, training and information for the local exporting community! 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 export operations. The event will include an exhibit area featuring government, non-profit and private sector service providers serving the export community. Coinciding with the exhibition, the Export Center will convene workshops and roundtable discussions throughout the day on a variety of export-related topics. This year’s Export Expo will focus on the rapidly-changing global trade environment, including recent and anticipated shifts in U.S. trade policy. Hot-button issues such as China and tariff policy, NAFTA and free trade policy, export controls, sanctions, enforcement and more will be addressed, with a focus on helping companies to navigate a dynamic and increasingly complex global trade environment.
We are happy to announce that this year's keynote speaker will be Richard Ashooh, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration [bio]
Erin Ennis, Senior Vice President for the U.S. China Business Council will the the opening speaker for this year's Expo.
The Export Expo will feature influential guest speakers, opportunities to connect with experts to answer your specific export questions, networking and fun! This event regularly sells out. Space is limited, so register early! Exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities are available! For additional information, click here or contact Paula Murphy at paula.murphy@massexport.org. Date: Friday, December 7,
2018 |
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Key Building Blocks of a Winning Company Culture Learn strategies for creating satisfied and engaged employees that will ultimately lower turnover, improve client relations and increase your bottom line. The speaker will be Hannah Ginley, chief people officer at Windover Construction. Date: Thursday, December 13, 2018
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State University |
All services are provided by PSH which is not acting as an agent
and/or representative of the Massachusetts Small Business Development
Center Network. By meeting with PSH you agree to indemnify
and hold harmless the MSBDC from any and all claims and liability
arising from your session with PSH. Participants will receive
a general waiver statement prior to their meeting. 
Learn the whole nine yards of starting a business! This free
workshop will focus on business fundamentals, from start-up
considerations to business plan development and funding sources. It will help entrepreneurs write a business plan and
provide structure to starting/managing their venture. This workshop
is appropriate for anyone who wants to start a business and existing
business owners looking for guidance on creating a business plan and
securing financing to grow their business.
The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center's Western
Regional Office is pleased to announce that we are once again
offering free legal clinics for small business owners. Entrepreneurs
and small business owners can meet one-on-one for 30 minutes with an
attorney to discuss general legal questions such as corporate
structure, leases, contracts, insurance, employment, franchising,
and various other business related issues. 
This
three-night, nine-hour workshop for QuickBooks includes setup, data
entry, and financial reporting. These sessions are open discussion,
non-threatening, not overwhelming and you will be able to ask
specific questions. You will learn:
Accurate
export control classification is essential to
export regulatory compliance. But classification
can be an arduous process for many companies.
Evolving export control definitions, highly
technical specifications and the complex
structure of export control lists all make
classification difficult. Equally as challenging
can be the export licensing process itself,
where even experienced export compliance
practitioners can face an occasional RWA. 
Join
Josh, Robert and Terrell as they share their knowledge and expertise
to help you plan and avoid costly mistakes. This workshop will focus
on helping business owners manage their finances more efficiently by
identifying common mistakes associated with working capital, debt
management and operating cost. 
Please
visit our dedicated Expo page at
