Statewide Training & Event Calendar
All training events are held in Massachusetts unless otherwise noted. Preregistration is required. 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 only accept credit cards 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.
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 the specific date below and you will be transferred to a registration form. Space is limited to the first 25 participants, so register early! Dates:
September
20, 2017
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October 18,
2017 |
November 15,
2017 |
December 13,
2017 |
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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. Please click here 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
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Learn the whole nine yards of starting a business. This free workshop, presented by Allen Kronick, senior business advisor with the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network Western Regional Office, will focus on business fundamentals, from start-up considerations to business plan development and funding sources. It is designed for owners of existing businesses as well as those who are planning to start one. The workshop will help entrepreneurs write a business plan and provide structure to starting/managing their venture. Topics will include:
Oreste Varela, Springfield branch manager of the U.S. Small Business Administration will also present, The SBA Advantage: An Overview of SBA’s Programs and Services. This 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. This free workshop is typically held on the first Monday of the month in Springfield and the first Thursday of the month in Greenfield (unless otherwise noted, due to holiday or other conflict). See chart below for dates, times, locations and registration links. The Greenfield workshops are cosponsored by the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce. Cost: No charge
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Legal Clinic (offered in Western Massachusetts)
Participants are eligible to attend one 30-minute legal clinic. Individual appointments are subject to availability. As a courtesy to the attorney, if you cannot attend your appointment, please contact our office at 413-577-1768 or msbdc@msbdc.umass.edu at least 24 hours in advance. Select a date below to go to the appropriate registration form. Date:
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
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Presented by Attorney Sarah K. Willey, Esq. with WMASSBIZLAW. Date: Tuesday, September 19, 2017
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Starting or Growing a
Veteran-Owned Business Date: Wednesday, September 20, 2017 Time: 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Location: Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield > Click here for details & registration |
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Small Business Lending: Are You Really Ready for a Loan? Searching for ways to fund your start-up business? Are you a current business owner in need of working capital or new equipment? Not quite sure how to approach the bank for help? If so, please join us for a workshop that addresses these questions and much more! The speakers will lead an interactive and personalized workshop to help you prepare for the loan application process. As they tailor the workshop to your business, you will learn how preparation can make all the difference in ensuring a smooth and successful credit experience. You will discover the importance of good credit and a strong business plan. Topics to be discussed include:
This workshop is presented by Tom Cebula, Vice President/Commercial Loan Officer at Westfield Bank. He has over 20 years of commercial and retail banking experience. Tom has presented this workshop in the past and always receives great reviews from attendees. Westfield Bank is proud to offer this workshop through the MSBDC as both organizations share a strong commitment to the growth of small businesses in our region. Date: Monday, September 25, 2017
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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 Walter Manninen, senior business advisor and financial specialist with the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center's Northeast Regional Office. Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Cosponsored by Northern Essex Community College |
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Understanding VAT & GST for U.S. Exporters Many exporters struggle to understand multi-jurisdictional VAT & GST regulations in the foreign markets where they do business. Companies exporting to Canada, for example, may have difficulty determining if they meet the definition of a non-resident business, requiring GST registration. Moreover, with many VAT regimes in the EU and India’s new GST rollout, navigating VAT/GST laws is becoming increasingly complex. Join us for this webinar where we will hear from on-the-ground VAT/GST experts in Canada, India and Europe. Our speakers will provide the information needed to determine requirements and navigate laws for VAT/GST in these markets, and discuss the registration, recovery reporting processes from the perspective of the U.S. exporter. Our speakers will also discuss strategies for negotiating VAT/GST obligations with foreign buyers. Speakers include:
Date: Friday, September 29, 2017
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The "River Restaurant" is a new, 150-seat restaurant in an historic city whose absentee owner spared no expense in equipping the kitchen and decorating the restaurant. The restaurant is open for dinner seven days a week and serves Sunday brunch. They host private events in the evenings. When Wheelwright Consultants were called, the restaurant was grossing in excess of $3.2M per year. They had the following operating costs: food costs of 49.92%; beverage costs of 31.36%; and labor costs of 40.96%. Using the procedures and methods demonstrated and taught in this seminar, Wheelwright Consultants dropped the food cost by more than 12% in a matter of weeks, saving the restaurant more than $260,000! Savings in beverage and labor contributed to increased profitability by more than $90,000 a year. Learn how to control your costs, so you control your restaurant; rather than having your restaurant control you. Your instructor will be Eric Nusbaum, owner of Wheelwright Consultants. Eric has worked full time in the hospitality industry since 1971. During that time, he has worked in almost every position in restaurants. He has managed independent and chain restaurants, private clubs, and hotels, many of which won national recognition for quality and performance (profitability). Eric also taught Hospitality Management at the University of Massachusetts where he earned five awards for teaching and advising excellence. Date: Monday, October 2, 2017
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Financing a For Profit Business 101 Do-It-Yourself or Hire a Finance Professional. Can I start a business myself or do I need to hire professionals? What are my options? This seminar will help you go over the pros and cons of financing options and how they relate to your personal situation and expected business model and plans. Speakers include:
Date: Wednesday, October 4, 2017  |
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Developing Your Export Compliance Program
Join us for this workshop for 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 workshop 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. Participants are also encouraged to join us for our follow-up program on Best Practices for Export Compliance Auditing & Oversight on October 26 in Burlington. The speaker will be Jennifer Saak, Managing Director of Traliance LLC. Date: Friday, October 6, 2017
Cosponsored by Harvard Innovation Lab |
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QuickBooks Online Version for Beginners
The session will use QuickBooks Pro Online, but will be useful for all versions of QuickBooks. This session is suitable for those who have recently started using QuickBooks Online and those planning to use it. It is not required, but if you have a laptop or tablet and have QuickBooks Online loaded, feel free to bring it and follow along. NOTE: This workshop is designed for training on the basics of QuickBooks Online and is not intended to troubleshoot problems individuals may currently be experiencing. Those types of questions are better suited to a one-one consulting session. The presenter will be 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. He has taught QuickBooks for 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 October 18, 2017
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Business Structure and Insurance 101 Do-It-Yourself or Hire a Lawyer and Insurance Professional. What legal structure should I have? How does your legal structure effect your insurance? Both business structure and insurance help protect you. Learn how working with someone who understands your industry makes a big difference to your legal exposure and your bottom line. Speakers include:
Date: Wednesday, October 18, 2017 |
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This seminar will cover the types of documentation that are needed for new hires, choosing a pay period, and the importance of accurately tracking employee’s hours. It will also look at setting up registrations with the state of Massachusetts for income withholding tax and unemployment. We’ll answer questions you may have on what payroll taxes are paid by the employer, the difference between a W2 employee and a 1099 employee, and how overtime will be calculated with different rates in play. Massachusetts Earned Sick Time, tipped employee protocols, and out-of-state residencies will also be included. Presented by Lisa VanderVliet, account executive and Carly Fallon, director of human resources, with CheckWriters. Lisa has been an account executive at CheckWriters for over eight years, helping more than 500 companies with their payroll needs. Carly has been a strategic partner in human resources for over 10 years, joining CheckWriters in 2015. Carly specializes in all areas of human resources, including employee relations, training & development, comp & benefits, recruitment, and compliance. Please bring your questions! Date: Monday, October 23, 2017
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20+ Ways to Promote Your Business — Even Without a PR Budget Discover innovative ways small business owners and entrepreneurs can use free PR, social media and publicity tools to build their business, gain visibility, credibility and leadership position. You will also explore 20+ ways entrepreneurs can market their brand and get results— without breaking the bank! The speaker will be Robin Samora, PR and business marketing expert, mentor, and speaker. Date: Thursday, October 25, 2017
Cosponsored by Northern Essex Community College |
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Best Practices for Export Compliance Auditing and Oversight
During this briefing, you will hear directly from export compliance practitioners about procedures and best practices for export compliance auditing and oversight. This program will provide guidance on various auditing options, development of audit modules and techniques, audit follow-up strategies and handling of violations that might be uncovered in the process. Join us for the tools and tips that you need to tighten up your export compliance operations! Speakers to be announced shortly. Date: Thursday, October 26, 2017
Cosponsored by Avid Technology |
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Export Classification, Valuation and Documentation
Even for experienced exporters, documentary requirements for international trade can be a confusing and ever-changing tangle of papers, forms and regulations. Moreover, in today’s heightened regulatory trade environment, errors on export valuation and documentation can lead to penalties, customs problems and shipping delays. Join us for this hands-on, practical program which will walk participants through the process of completing major export documents, such as the AES, Certificates of Origin, Commercial Invoices and others. The seminar will also focus on correctly classifying and documenting the value of export shipments, including special cases such as warranty or repair shipments. Finally, the seminar will provide guidance on proper usage of Incoterms. Participants are encouraged to bring real-world examples and plenty of questions. Speakers:
Date: Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Cosponsored by the UMass Dartmouth Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, SouthCoast Chamber of Commerce, and Bristol County Chamber of Commerce |
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Human Resource Law and Employees 101 Do-It-Yourself or Try to Stay up to Date with Human Resource Laws that Change Each Year. If you have employees or are hiring your first one, what should you know about Massachusetts and federal laws regarding proper classification of workers? What is the difference between an employee and an independent contractor, and what are the different tests used by the Commonwealth and federal agencies? Learn how to stay compliant and up-to-date. Speakers include:
Date: Wednesday, November 1, 2017 |
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Understanding the New China Export Control Law In an effort to strengthen its export control regime, China drafted a new Export Control Law which, if enacted, will align its export control system more closely to those of other countries, including the U.S. If passed, the ECL is due to take effect in 2018. While the proposed law would bring China closer to fulfilling its international obligations under the UN Security Council, many U.S. exporters have questions about how it will affect their operations and sales in the country if enacted as drafted. Some of the key points of concern include newly created re-export regulations that will place tighter controls on the re-export of goods with a certain percentage of foreign content; deemed export controls affecting non-Chinese citizens, including residents of Taiwan and Hong Kong; on-site inspections of end-users, and a strict licensing review process. Affected U.S. companies will be those with customers, manufacturing operations, subsidiaries or business travel in China. Join us for this webinar to learn about how to prepare your business for possible changes under this new landmark Export Control Law. Our speaker will be Anne H.Y. Peng, Special Counsel with Baker McKenzie (Hong Kong). Date: Thursday, November 2, 2017
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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. Cash flow refers to the revenues a business generates and collects compared to expenses it pays out over a fixed period of time. It is one of the most critical components of success for a small business. This workshop will teach:
The presenter will be Robb Morton, a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Management Accountant with 28 years of experience. Robb's experience in management accounting includes work with a major government contractor that required him to obtain knowledge of cost accounting standards and rate calculations. He has many years of experience dealing with manufacturers and has worked with a variety of computer packages. His seven years experience as a controller has given him a unique perspective that serves as a tremendous benefit 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. Robb works with many area banks and finance companies to assist clients with their working capital and equipment financing needs. Date: Wednesday, November 8, 2017
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Advanced International Letters of Credit and Export Financing
The seminar will also review letter of credit documents, common discrepancies, Incoterms and shipping documents. Hands-on, interactive format and case studies based on real-life situations will offer participants an opportunity to bring up their own questions and concerns. In the final part of the program, we will focus on export financing programs. The following programs will be discussed: export working capital financing under the ExIm Bank Guaranty Program, export working capital financing through the SBA Guaranty Program, as well as various types of medium-term financing beneficial for exporters. Company personnel who handle letter of credit transactions and personnel at the accounting and finance level are encouraged to attend. This program will also be of benefit to marketing and sales staff who need to be thoroughly versed in payment options in order to properly arrange international payment terms. Speakers include:
Date: Thursday, November 9, 2017
Cosponsored by The Provident Bank and PNC Bank |
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Presented by Attorney Sarah K. Willey, Esq. with WMASSBIZLAW. Date: Monday, November 13, 2017
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Pricing Your Products and Services Learn about pricing concepts, the role of pricing in a company’s strategy and an easy four-step process to determine pricing for your services or products on the basis of costs, customer goals, trends and competition. The speaker will be Bruce Share, owner of Share Business Growth Strategies, LLC. Date: Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State University and the North Shore Alliance for Economic Development |
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Do-It-Yourself of Hire an Accounting Expert. The SBDC works with new businesses on a daily basis who need guidance in understanding their numbers whether it be for the purpose of applying for a loan, or to manage their business efficiently. Being able to know and understand what your business numbers are at any point in time is essential to running your business effectively. Speakers include Joshua LaPan, CPA with Shepherd & Goldstein LLP of Worcester and Boston. Date: Wednesday, November 15, 2017 |
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How to Define Your Business Through Marketing Research 101 Do-It-Yourself of Hire a Professional. This i a hands-on seminar that will help you define your business by utilizing marketing research. By conducting research, you will be able to determine your identity in the market and be able to reach the consumers who will purchase your product or service. Speakers include Cheryl Miller, senior business advisor and training director with the MSBDC in Worcester. Date: Wednesday, November 29, 2017 |
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Export Expo - Save the Date!
The Massachusetts Export Center’s Export Expo provides a forum for exporters to connect with the wide variety 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 wide variety of export-related topics. This year’s Export Expo will focus on uncertainty in the current global trade landscape, including possible upcoming shifts in U.S. trade policy. Hot-button issues such as NAFTA renegotiation, free trade policy, export controls, sanctions, enforcement and more will be addressed. Worldwide international trade trends and related topics will also be discussed, with a focus on helping companies to navigate a dynamic and increasingly complex global trade environment. 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! Date: Friday, December 8, 2017
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20+ Ways to Promote Your Business — Even Without a PR Budget Discover innovative ways small business owners and entrepreneurs can use free PR, social media and publicity tools to build their business, gain visibility, credibility and leadership position. You will also explore 20+ ways entrepreneurs can market their brand and get results— without breaking the bank! The speaker will be Robin Samora, PR and business marketing expert, mentor, and speaker. Date: Thursday, December 14, 2017
Cosponsored by the Enterprise Center at Salem State University |
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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. 
This
is an interactive seminar using a real case study to teach the
principles of restaurant management. The story you will hear is
true, only the names and location have been changed to protect those
involved. 
This
is an introduction to the online version of the popular accounting
program QuickBooks. This session will cover setting up a new
company, invoicing and receiving payments, writing checks and paying
bills. The session will end with a brief introduction and overview
of reports. The differences between QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks
Desktop will be noted. 
Even
the best export compliance program requires ongoing oversight and
periodic auditing in order to expose weaknesses, address
deficiencies and ultimately improve the efficacy of the program. The
practice of export compliance auditing is particularly important in
today’s dynamic regulatory environment in order to minimize
compliance vulnerabilities. 
Have
you ever been unsure about how to classify your exports or what
value to declare in AES or on your commercial invoice? Are you
sometimes uncertain when completing export documentation? Are you
unclear on how to value and document export shipments for repairs,
returns or warranties? 
This
seminar will review the entire letter of credit process, from the
initial proforma invoice or quote to the actual shipment and
payment. The program will discuss real-world letter of credit
mechanics with an extensive look at how letters of credit can be
structured to meet the specific needs of the buyer and the seller.
Different types and uses of letters of credit will be reviewed,
including transferable letters of credit, standby letters of credit,
assignment of proceeds and banker’s acceptances. 
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!