Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network

 

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.


 
export
PFT bookletThe Massachusetts Export Center organizes seminars, webinars and events throughout the year under Partners for Trade—the official export training initiative of the Commonwealth. Click on image at right to dowload the Spring 2023 Partners for Trade training booklet.
 
On the calendar below, globe indicates an exporting training event.

      
 

          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~~~ 2023 Training Calendar 

Training is held online unless otherwise noted              globe = export training
 JUNE
5 Basics of Starting Your Business
6 Tech Talk with Rob Series: How Secure Are Your Passwords?
7 Export Open House (Newton) globe
9 Importing Food Products into the U.S.: FDA Regulations and Best Practices for Customs Clearance globe
13 Setting Up Your Business for Financial Success: Strategic Use of Lines of Credit and Loans
14 Starting a Business 101
15 China Export Controls: A Look Back and a Look Ahead globe
29 Basics of Starting Your Business
 
 JULY
11 Tech Talk with Rob Series: Making Better Marketing Decisions with Analytics
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  
 

  

  

  

  

 
Program Descriptions


Basics of Starting Your Business

biz startupThis free presentation will help entrepreneurs start a business plan and provide structure to starting and managing their venture. 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
  • Financing

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 immediately 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.) and third Thursday (9:00 a.m. - 12 noon) of the month - click on your date selection below to register
Location: Online
Cost:
No charge
Contact:  MSBDC Western Regional Office at 413-577-1768 or ppawlosk@umass.edu 

   

Starting a Business 101

Are you looking to start a business but don’t know where to begin? This workshop will focus on business fundamentals, from start-up considerations to business plan development including marketing strategies and funding sources.

The speaker will be either Nancy Gerardi, regional director or Rosa Taormina, business advisor and Social Media Marketing Professional with the MSBDC Northeast Regional Office.

Date: Typically held on the second Wednesday of the month - click on your date selection below to register
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Online
Cost: No charge
Contact: Kaitlin Muldoon at kmuldoon@salemstate.edu or 978-542-7369

 

Basic Entrepreneurial Workshop: Business Fundamentals

SEED CorporationJoin us for a virtual entrepreneurial workshop in which participants will learn the fundamentals of planning, preparing for and financing a small business. The workshop is open to anyone currently in business, starting a business, or thinking about someday owning a business, as well as business assistance professionals who would like to learn more about SEED's technical assistance programming.

Attendees will be provided with a free business plan guide and other materials and will be introduced to free and confidential business assistance resources available to them locally and regionally. 

Date: TBA
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Online
Cost: No charge
Contact:  Jessica Mello at jmello@seedcorp.com

Sponsored by SEED Corporation in cooperation with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Massachusetts Small Business Development Center, and SCORE

Basic Entrepreneurial Workshop: Understanding Business Financials

SEED CorporationJoin us for an entrepreneurial workshop in which participants will learn how to read and a balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement, and keep on top of their business finances. The workshop also explains how a small business owner can anticipate financial needs in order to operate the business more efficiently through a deeper understanding of their financial picture. 

The workshop is open to anyone currently in business, starting a business, or thinking about someday owning a business, as well as business assistance professionals who would like to learn more about SEED's technical assistance programming.

Attendees will be provided with a free business plan guide that includes financial templates and will be introduced to free and confidential business assistance resources available to them locally and regionally. 

Date: TBA
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Online
Cost: No charge
Contact:  Jessica Mello at jmello@seedcorp.com

Sponsored by SEED Corporation in cooperation with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Massachusetts Small Business Development Center, and SCORE

Tech Talk with Rob Series: How Secure Are Your Passwords?

Secure your online accounts, money, and reputation with the top password managers. Cybersecurity begins with a strong password. Learn more about password strategy and how to manage all your business and personal passwords. The presenter will be Rob DelMastro, senior business advisor with the MSBDC Central Regional Office.

Date: Tuesday, June 6, 2023
Time: 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. EDT
Location: Online
Cost: No charge
Contact: Sarah Doran at the MSBDC Central Regional Office at sadoran@clarku.edu

Export Open House

Charles River Regional ChamberThere is a broad range of resources available to help companies with their international business endeavors. Many of these resources are government-funded and offered to businesses at little or no cost. Services are provided at every stage of the export development process from export market assessment, to day-to-day export operational assistance, to complex export regulatory compliance support, to global sales and marketing development, to financing of global trade transactions.  

This event will feature brief presentations by government-funded export assistance organizations and agencies. Following the briefing, participants will have the opportunity to network and meet one-on-one with government official experts to address specific export questions and challenges.

Join us and take advantage of having export resources at your fingertips!  

Speakers include:

  • Melissa Clary, Business Development Manager — MA Office of International Trade & Investment
  • Katherine Herer, Vice President, Operations — Charles River Regional Chamber of Commerce
  • Paula Murphy, Director — Massachusetts Export Center, MSBDC Network
  • James Paul, Director, Boston Office — U.S. Department of Commerce, Commercial Service
  • Joseph Raycraft, Export Finance Manager — U.S. Small Business Administration  

Date: Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Time: Registration 9:30 a.m.; Program 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Shaw Hall, Mount Ida Campus of UMass Amherst, 100 Carlson Avenue, Newton 
Cost: No charge, but pre-registration is required
Contact: Massachusetts Export Center at 617-973-6610

Cosponsored by the Charles River Regional Chamber of Commerce

Importing Food Products into the U.S.: FDA Regulations and Best Practices for Customs Clearance

Are you importing food or perishables? Or, are you interested in starting a food import business? Navigating FDA regulations and Customs requirements for bringing food and perishables into the United States and maintaining a secure supply chain can be overwhelming, even for experienced importers.

Join us to learn the basics about the requirements for U.S. import of food products, maintaining compliance and best practices for smooth Customs clearance. This program will feature an import specialist from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who will provide an overview of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), enforcement of the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP), registration of food facilities, Prior Notice and food security best practices.

This program will also feature a Customs attorney specializing in FDA regulations, who will discuss the logistics of shipping food and perishables, U.S. Customs requirements for formal and informal entries, and working with your Customs Broker to avoid issues with clearing your goods. We hope you will join us to hear from these experts - bring your questions!

Our speakers will be:

  • Jennifer Diaz, President Diaz Trade Law
  • Selina Mata, Supervisory Consumer Safety Officer Office of Enforcement and Import Operations U. S. Food and Drug Administration

Date: Friday, June 9, 2023
Time: 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. EDT
Location: Online
Cost: No charge 
Contact: Massachusetts Export Center at 617-973-6610

Setting Up Your Business for Financial Success: Strategic Use of Lines of Credit and Loans

This workshop will discuss the strategic uses of lines of credit and the necessary steps to obtain a business loan. This workshop is geared towards participants who have been in business for one year or longer and have a credit score of 690 or better.

The speakers will be:

  •  Gina Flynn, Vice President and Branch Manager Eastern Bank
  • Representative Massachusetts Small Business Development Center, Northeast Regional Office

If you would like to schedule a no cost to you consultation with Gina Flynn, you can reach out to her at g.flynn@easternbank.com.

Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2023
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Online
Cost: No charge
Contact: Kaitlin Muldoon at kmuldoon@salemstate.edu or 978-542-7369

China Export Controls: A Look Back and a Look Ahead

NFTCChina has been the target of some of the most aggressive and complex U.S. export controls and sanctions in recent history. China is repeatedly identified by federal authorities as a U.S. strategic adversary, and restrictions on cross-border trade and investment between the U.S. and China have rapidly escalated.

Examples of recent U.S. actions include:

  • Heavy reliance on the Entity List to sanction Chinese parties
  • Expansion of the Foreign Produced Direct Product Rule to target China’s advanced computing and semiconductor manufacturing capabilities
  • Implementation of end-use and end-user restrictions against China’s military and military intelligence operations
  • Restrictions against Chinese access to and investment in U.S. advanced technologies; and more

The outlook for 2023 and beyond indicates that these restrictions are expected to escalate even further – Biden Administration officials and congressional policymakers regularly cite the intent to impose further controls on trade and investment with China, with major enforcement initiatives and imminent outbound foreign investment controls targeting emerging and foundational technologies anticipated.

Join us to hear about the state of U.S. export controls, sanctions and foreign investment controls targeting China, with an outlook for anticipated developments in 2023 and beyond. Expert speakers will provide a view from “inside the beltway” on the drivers behind U.S. trade policy with China as well as a review of regulatory developments and their impact on global trade operations for U.S. businesses. You will also gain insight into China’s response to U.S. regulatory actions, along with tips for navigating the complex Chinese business landscape to support your compliance efforts.

Speakers include:

  • Jeannette Chu, Vice President, National Security Policy National Foreign Trade Council [bio]
  • Kevin Cuddy, Government & Regulatory Affairs Executive in the Export Regulation Office IBM [bio]
  • Dr. Scott Kennedy, Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics Center for Strategic and International Studies [bio]
  • Other speakers TBA  

Date: Thursday, June 15, 2023
Time: 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Online
Cost:
No charge
Contact: Massachusetts Export Center at 617-973-6610

 

Cosponsored by the National Foreign Trade Council

Tech Talk with Rob Series: Making Better Marketing Decisions with Analytics

Learn best practices and analyze trends for customers engaging online with your business. Covered topics will include an introduction to Google Analytics, creating and understanding reports, setting goals, and using analytics with other Google tools. The presenter will be Rob DelMastro, senior business advisor with the MSBDC Central Regional Office.

Date: Tuesday, July 11, 2023
Time: 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. EDT
Location: Online
Cost: No charge
Contact: Sarah Doran at the MSBDC Central Regional Office at sadoran@clarku.edu