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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2018 Training Calendar |
= export training |
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| NOVEMBER | |||
| 14 | How to Become a GSA Federal Supply Schedule Holder and Government Contracting 101 (Boston) | ||
| 14 | QuickBooks Desktop: Advanced - Getting More Out of QuickBooks (Springfield) | ||
| 14 | Ways to Finance Your Business - Options and Strategies (Worcester) | ||
| 28 | Tax Strategies as Part of Your Strategic Planning (Worcester) | ||
| 29 | Sharpen Your Leadership Skills Using Emotional Intelligence (Salem) | ||
| 29 | Govology Live: Process To Evaluate If You Need A GSA Schedule–Fact, Myth, Process, And Risks (webinar) | ||
| DECEMBER | |||
| 4 | Basics of Starting a Business (Springfield) | ||
| 6 | Basics of Starting a Business (Greenfield) | ||
| 6 | How to Become a GSA Federal Supply Schedule Holder and Government Contracting 101 (Boston) | ||
| 6 | HR Headlines For 2018 and Beyond (Salem) | ||
| 7 |
Export Expo (Boston) |
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| 13 | Key Building Blocks of a Winning Company Culture (Salem) | ||
| 14 | Introduction to Government Contracting (Springfield) | ||
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 |
Thursday,
December 6, 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,
December 14, 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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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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Govology Live Webinar: Process To Evaluate If You Need A GSA Schedule–Fact, Myth, Process, And Risks
Date: Thursday, November 29, 2018 |
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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, tightening foreign investment 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.
Click here to see what Governor Baker says about the Export 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
workshop is designed for users who have been using QuickBooks in
their business and who want to get more out of it. The session will
cover reporting, advanced invoicing and billing, and the
customization of QuickBooks for specific requirements. The session
will provide a brief introduction to the payroll and
inventory functions. 
In
this webinar, we dispel the myths surrounding GSA Schedule and arm
you with the right questions to ask when deciding whether it’s the
right contract vehicle for your company. Specifically, we walk you
through the complete process for evaluating whether or not you need
a GSA Schedule and discuss the most common reasons companies fail to
use their schedule successfully and win contracts. 
>> Please
visit our dedicated Export Expo page at