Training Seminars & Events
The Western Regional Office offers a full calendar of business training. Seminars are offered at no charge or for a nominal fee and held at locations throughout Western Massachusetts. This calendar is subject to change. Pre-registration is required for all events. If you do not register, we cannot notify you in the case of changes and/or cancellations. Please review our payment and cancellation policies.
For information on other MSBDC seminars offered throughout the state, visit the MSBDC's statewide training calendar at www.msbdc.org/training.
We would like to thank the following agencies for cosponsoring
our training events.
Premier Sponsors:
Sponsors:
Berkshire Bank |
Easthampton
Savings Bank |
Florence Savings Bank
|
Greenfield Cooperative Bank |
Greenfield Savings Bank
| Karoun Yoga
|
People's United
Bank
|
2017 Training Calendar |
|
|---|---|
| October | |
| 23 | Beating Small Business Blunders: Tipped Employees, Overtime Rules, State Regulations, and More! (Springfield) |
| November | |
| 6 | Basics of Starting a Business (Holyoke) |
| 8 | Understanding Your Company's Cash Flow (Springfield) |
| 9 | What’s Hot for 2018! New Business Ideas & Trends (Springfield) |
| 10 | Small Business Lending: Are you Really Ready for a Loan? (Springfield) |
| 13 | Business Legal Primer (Springfield) |
| December | |
| 4 | Basics of Starting a Business (Springfield Area) |
| 5 | Legal Clinic (Springfield) |
| 7 | Basics of Starting a Business (Greenfield) |
Program Descriptions
|
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
|
|---|
|
Participants are eligible to attend one 30-minute legal clinic. Individual appointments are subject to availability. As a courtesy to the attorneys, 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, December 5, 2017 |
|
Beating Small Business Blunders: Tipped Employees, Overtime Rules, State Regulations, and More! 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
|
|
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
|
|
What’s Hot for 2018! New Business Ideas & Trends
The speaker will be Rieva Lesonsky, cofounder and CEO of GrowBiz Media, a custom content creation company focusing on small business and entrepreneurship, and the blog SmallBizDaily.com. Ms. Lesonsky has appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, The Martha Stewart Show and Oprah, and can often be seen on MSNBC’s Your Business. She is a best-selling author and authority on entrepreneurship. Ms. Lesonsky has been covering America’s entrepreneurs for more than 30 years. Previously, she was the long-time editorial director of Entrepreneur magazine. Date: Thursday, November 9, 2017
|
|
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? Please join us at this workshop as the speaker addresses these questions and much more. The speaker will lead an interactive and personalized workshop to help you prepare for the loan application process. As he tailors this 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 are:
The speaker will be Tom Cebula, Vice President/Commerical Loan Officer at Westfield Bank. Tom has 20+ years of Commercial and Retail banking experience. He has presented this workshop in the past and always receives rave reviews from attendees. Westfield Bank is proud to offer this workshop through MSBDC as both organizations share a strong commitment to the growth of small businesses in our region. Date: Friday, November 10, 2017
|
|
Presented by Attorney Sarah K. Willey, Esq. with WMASSBIZLAW. Date: Monday, November 13, 2017
|
| Payment/Cancellation/Refunds/Materials Policy: The MSBDC reserves the right to cancel or reschedule a training session. Registration fees will be returned or credited towards future programs. Payment in the form of a personal or company check is due in full prior to the workshop and must accompany the registration form. We do not accept credit cards or purchase orders. We cannot guarantee your place in a workshop without full payment in advance. Cancellations received by noon the day prior to the workshop will be entitled to a refund. No refund will be given on notifications received after that time or in any no-show situation. Seminar materials are for attendees only. |
What businesses are likely to boom next year? Are there specific
trends you should be aware of in order to position your small
business for growth? Join us and learn what types of businesses are
going strong today, how to take advantage of consumer purchasing
behaviors, which demographic groups have extra purchasing power,
what customers want from small businesses and much more. All the way
from California! 