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 |
Chicopee Savings
Charitable Foundation |
Country Bank
for Savings |
Easthampton
Savings Bank |
Florence Savings Bank
|
Greenfield Cooperative Bank |
Greenfield Savings Bank
| Karoun Yoga
|
People's United
Bank
|
2017 Training Calendar |
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| September | |
| 11 | Basics of Starting a Business (Springfield) |
| 13 | QuickBooks Desktop Version for Beginners (Springfield) |
| 19 | Business Legal Primer (Springfield) |
| 25 | Small Business Lending: Are You Really Ready for a Loan? (Springfield) |
| October | |
| 2 | Re$taurant Profitable (West Springfield) |
| 2 | Basics of Starting a Business (Northampton) |
| 5 | Basics of Starting a Business (Greenfield) |
| 17 | Legal Clinic (Springfield) |
| 18 | QuickBooks Online Version for Beginners (Springfield) |
| 23 | Setting Up Your First Payroll (Springfield) |
| November | |
| 6 | Basics of Starting a Business (Holyoke) |
| 8 | Understanding Your Company's Cash Flow (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
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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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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, October 17, 2017
| Tuesday, December 5, 2017 |
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QuickBooks Desktop Version for Beginners
This session is suitable for those who have recently started using QuickBooks and those who plan to use it. The basic principles of QuickBooks remain the same for the Windows, Macintosh, and online versions of the program, although specific details of how to accomplish a task may differ slightly. It is not required, but if you have a laptop or tablet and have QuickBooks loaded, feel free to bring it and follow along. NOTE: This workshop is designed for training on the basics of QuickBooks 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 September 13, 2017
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Presented by Attorney Sarah K. Willey, Esq. with WMASSBIZLAW. Date: Tuesday, September 19, 2017
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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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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 is 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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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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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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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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Presented by Attorney Sarah K. Willey, Esq. with WMASSBIZLAW. Date: Monday, November 13, 2017
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| 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. |
This
is an introduction to the popular accounting program QuickBooks.
This will cover the desktop version only. The 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 to and overview of reports. 
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.