Massachusetts SBDC Statewide Training & Event Calendar
Preregistration is required for all events. If no link is listed on the registration page, online registration is not available or registration is closed. Please read important training and registration information by clicking here.
 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 the Compliance Alliance—a special initiative designed to help the state’s businesses enhance their export compliance and global trade competitiveness. On the calendar below, 
indicates an exporting training event. |
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~~~ 2026 Training Calendar |
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Unless otherwise
noted, training is offered online.
= export training |
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| NOVEMBER | |
| 10 | Finding Government Solicitations and Opportunities to Bid |
| 10 | Conversations That Matter: Credit Ready: Building Business Credit to Secure Financing |
| 12 |
Asia Trade Talk: Ask the Expert |
| 17 | Understanding Cash Flow and How It Affects Your Business |
| 17 | How to Get AI to Quote Your Business |
| 18 | AI for Small Business Finance: Understand Your Numbers, Make Smarter Decisions (Pittsfield) |
| 19 |
Selling in China: Navigating CCC Mark, China RoHS and
Product Certifications |
| DECEMBER | |
| 2 | Tech Talks with Rob: Protecting Customer Data - Privacy, Trust and What Small Businesses Actually Need to Know |
| 3 | Compliance Clinic (Compliance Alliance members only) |
| 8 | Need Funding? Everything You Need to Know to Secure a Business Loan |
| JANUARY 2027 | |
| 13 | Need Funding? Everything You Need to Know to Secure a Business Loan |
| 28-29 |
Export Expo |
Program Descriptions
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Various topics that we will cover:
Whether you are tech-savvy or just getting started, "Tech Talks with Rob" will provide you with the knowledge and tools to leverage technology for your business’s success. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn, grow, and secure your business in the digital marketplace. During each session, Rob will present a brief 15–20-minute introduction to the topic at hand, followed by an interactive discussion and Q&A period. This series aims to create a welcoming environment where participants are encouraged to ask questions. Remember, there are no bad questions. Date: Typically held on the first Wednesday of
the month - click on date(s) below to register
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Your small business is "bankable" if a commercial bank or lending institution is willing to offer you financing, such as a loan or line of credit. Small business owners often seek financing to buy equipment or inventory, launch a new product line, open or expand retail or manufacturing operations, further grow an existing business and more. Contrary to popular belief, banks are eager to lend to small businesses. However, in order to be bankable, you need to understand your business' numbers, how to organize them for a commercial loan, and how to present your personal and business story in a compelling manner. This workshop will be led by Karen Baldeschwieler, small business consultant with Zenagos. We may be joined by additional guest speakers. Learn how to:
Date: See dates below
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Finding Government Solicitations and Opportunities to Bid
The speaker will be Sandra Ledbetter, Director of Government Sales with the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center. Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Cosponsored by the Center for Women & Enterprise |
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Conversations That Matter: Credit Ready: Building Business Credit to Secure Financing
Participants will learn how lenders evaluate creditworthiness, how to establish and build business credit, how to address credit challenges, and practical steps to strengthen their financial profile before applying for a loan. Join us to gain valuable insights and actionable strategies to help you prepare for financing, improve your loan readiness, and build a strong financial foundation for your business. This session is ideal for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners throughout Berkshire County who want to better understand credit and prepare for future financing opportunities. Special guest speakers:
Ready to take the next step toward business financing? Register today to reserve your spot! Date: Tuesday,
November 10, 2026
Cosponsored by Greylock Federal Credit Union |
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Asia Trade Talk: Ask the Expert (for Compliance Alliance members only) Demystify the evolving trade landscape in Asia with this virtual, expert-led session designed for U.S. businesses navigating the region. U.S. companies doing business in Asia are encountering increasingly different approaches to trade regulation, enforcement, and supply chain controls, making the region’s markets more challenging to navigate. Our speaker is a Singapore-based Asia trade expert who will provide a high-level overview of the different regulatory approaches emerging across the region, with a focus on China, Singapore, and Malaysia, and what U.S. companies should be watching—from increasing scrutiny of transshipment and diversion to evolving product-origin requirements and China’s expanding extraterritorial trade rules. The session will begin with a brief overview of key trade developments in these markets before opening up for Q&A and conversation with attendees. This interactive Ask the Expert format will be conducted in Zoom Meeting to facilitate interaction between the expert and attendees, providing an opportunity to explore current issues, ask questions, and gain practical insight into navigating trade compliance across these important Asian markets. Our speaker will be Eugene Lim, Founding Principal with WTS Taxise. Date: Thursday, November 12, 2026
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Understanding Cash Flow and How It Affects Your Business Many a new business owner has asked, "What is cash flow and why is it so important?" The short answer is cash flow is the amount of money coming in to a business and the amount of money going out. Think of it as a water tank...water comes in at the top and drains out the bottom. So to keep your tank nice and full, you want more coming in than going out. Your business runs on cash — cash in and cash out — a very critical aspect to you and your business. This webinar 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:
Our speakers include:
Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2026
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How to Get AI to Quote Your Business Google’s AI Summaries (and chatbots like Gemini and ChatGPT) are now providing instant answers, but if your website isn’t structured correctly, the AI skips your brand entirely and quotes a competitor. This new form of visibility is called Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). You will learn the simple content secrets to becoming the AI’s preferred source. In this workshop you will also learn to:
Live Demo: Watch us use Gemini and ChatGPT to instantly critique a website, showing you how to find quotable facts and easy-to-fix visibility issues. The speaker will be Dr. Karen Baldeschwieler, co-founder of Zenagos LLC. Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2026
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AI for Small Business Finance: Understand Your Numbers, Make Smarter Decisions Do you know what your numbers are really telling you? Most small business owners are so busy running their business that they rarely stop to read the financial story it's telling — the strengths, the warning signs, and the decisions hiding in plain sight. In this hands-on workshop, we will show you how to use AI as your personal financial thinking partner — no accountant required, no spreadsheets to prepare, and no financial background needed. You will work through real financial scenarios using a fictional company similar to your own, learning how to ask AI the right questions to uncover insights that most business owners never see until it's too late. And the best part? Everything you learn in the workshop goes home with you. After the event, you can take the same prompts that we used in class and apply them to your own real numbers — in the privacy of your own office, at your own pace, with complete confidence. You will learn:
What to bring:
This workshop is open to all small business owners in Western Massachusetts. The AI prompts are based on having access to a Profit and Loss Statement, a Cashflow Statement, and a Balance Sheet. These reports are available through any accounting software, or you can build them yourself. The speaker will be Rob DelMastro, regional director of the Massachusetts SBDC - Berkshire and Western Regions. Space is limited to 12 attendees, so register soon to secure your spot! Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026
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Selling in China: Navigating CCC Mark, China RoHS and Product Certifications U.S. businesses selling in China or planning to enter the Chinese market face mandatory certifications, product standards, labeling requirements, environmental restrictions, testing and conformity-assessment requirements before their products can be placed on the market. This practical webinar will provide an overview of China’s product-compliance landscape, with a focus on China Compulsory Certification (CCC), China RoHS and other key product certifications. The session will examine when CCC applies, how the certification process works, and how to determine whether a product falls within its scope. It also will explore China RoHS, including its expanding product scope, hazardous-substance restrictions, conformity-assessment options, marking and information-disclosure requirements, as well as important updates to the 2026 framework. The webinar will also address other product-specific requirements, including the China Energy Label, SRRC radio certification and the Network Access License for telecommunications equipment. It will focus on how exporters can identify the requirements that apply to their products, determine when self-declaration is possible, and understand when Chinese testing or third-party certification is mandated. Our speaker will be Tiffany Wong, Product Manager, Market Access Services, US with TÜV Rheinland of North America, Inc.
Date: Thursday, November 19, 2026
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You are collecting more customer data than you think. Do you know where it all lives? Every time someone fills out your contact form, buys from your website, books an appointment, or even emails you - you are collecting personal data. Names, emails, phone numbers, payment information, maybe even health details or dates of birth. But here is the question nobody asks small business owners...What are you actually required to do with that information? In this month's Tech Talks with Rob, we will cut through the legal jargon and cover:
Your customers trust you with their information. This session helps you deserve that trust. Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2026
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Compliance Clinic (Compliance Alliance members only) Calling all Compliance Alliance members! Join us for a discussion between exporters that will allow participants to "compare notes" on export compliance practices that have been effective in addressing some of the challenges in today’s ever-changing regulatory environment. All topics are on the table. No agenda, no PowerPoints – just a give-and-take discussion between trade compliance professionals. This will be conducted in a Zoom Meeting format. So, bring your compliance questions and concerns and be prepared to participate in what we hope to be a lively discussion. Joining us will be fellow Compliance Alliance member Sarah Oliai, Partner at the law firm of Foley Hoag, who will be on-hand to field questions on trade controls needing legal expertise. Date: Thursday,
December 3, 2026
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Need Funding? Everything You Need to Know to Secure a Business Loan Contrary to popular belief, banks are eager to lend to small businesses. However, in order to be prepared to secure a commercial loan, you need to understand your business's numbers, how to organize them for a commercial loan, and how to present your personal and business story in a compelling manner. Small business owners often seek financing to buy equipment or inventory, launch a new product line, open or expand retail or manufacturing operations, further grow an existing business and more. This workshop will be led by Dr. Karen Baldeschwieler, co-founder of Zenagos LLC, and local commercial bankers who will answer your questions and share how to:
This workshop is offered on two convenient dates. Dates: Thursday, December 8, 2026 or Wednesday,
January 13, 2027
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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 global trade community! The Massachusetts Export Center’s Export Expo provides a forum for exporters to connect with the wide range of trade resources available in Massachusetts while learning about issues that impact their day-to-day operations. The Export Expo is a virtual event that will include an exhibit area showcasing government, non-profit and private sector service providers serving the international trade community. The event will also feature a lineup of workshops, panel discussions and special addresses on a wide variety of trade-related topics. This year's Export Expo will be highlighted by influential guest speakers and opportunities to connect with experts to answer your specific export questions. We hope that you will join us for this timely and important international trade content in a convenient 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! Sponsorship opportunities are available. View details on the 2027 Export Expo Sponsorship Package (pdf). Click here to watch a short video recap of last year's Expo. If you would like to access last year's Expo, please click here. Dates: Thursday and Friday, January 28-29, 2027
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Massachusetts SBDC training events are supported by federal taxpayer funds. By registering, you certify that you are legally authorized to receive services funded by U.S. taxpayer dollars, in accordance with applicable federal law and regulations. 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 Massachusetts Export Center's events. Your spot is reserved once payment is received by the appropriate office. Training events may be added or cancelled; the training schedule is subject to change. Training confirmations are sent from centeric@clients.msbdc.org. We use this email address frequently, so please add it to your approved sender list. A verification code will be sent from this email address allowing you to register for training. If you have problems signing in, please 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. |
Join
us for "Tech Talks with Rob" an enlightening webinar series designed
specifically for small business owners looking to navigate the
complex world of technology. Each session, hosted by tech expert Rob
DelMastro, will delve into critical topics that are essential for
running a modern business in the digital age. 
