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 |
Country Bank
for Savings |
Easthampton
Savings Bank |
Florence Savings Bank
|
Greenfield Co-operative Bank |
Greenfield Savings Bank |
Holyoke
Credit Union |
Key Bank |
People's United
Bank
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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The MSBDC Western Regional Office is pleased to announce that we are offering free legal clinics for small business owners. Entrepreneurs and small business owners can meet one-on-one with an attorney to discuss general legal questions such as corporate structure, leases, contracts, insurance, employment, franchising, and various other business-related issues. Appointments are 30 minutes. The attorney donating her time and legal expertise is Sarah K. Willey, Esq. with WMASSBIZLAW.
All services are provided by the attorneys which are not acting as agents and/or representatives of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network. By meeting with an attorney, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless the MSBDC from any and all claims and liability arising from your session. Participants will receive a general waiver statement prior to their meeting. 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. Date:
TBA
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Email Fraud & Information Security Awareness Email is an essential method of communication for most businesses, yet email can also open the door to fraud and thousands of dollars in losses. Learn the latest techniques that fraudsters are using to trick your employees in to installing malware and how you can best protect your business from these financial crimes. The speaker will be Karen Cartier, CBAP, CBCCO, Fraud Prevention Officer at Greenfield Saving Bank. Karen has over 25 years of experience in the fields of finance and banking. She is currently employed as the Compliance & BSA Officer at Greenfield Savings Bank and is an online course instructor for the Center for Financial Training, where she teaches Fraud Examination and Accounting Forensics. Karen is certified in Compliance, Bank Secrecy, and Fraud Analytics, and has completed studies at Holyoke Community College, Elms College, and the New England School of Financial Studies through the Babson Executive College. Date: Friday, August 4, 2017
Sponsored by Greenfield Savings Bank |
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Google Marketing Series - 5 Workshops
People are searching online for businesses like yours every day. Make sure they can find and connect with you by adding your business information to Google Search and Maps. This does not replace your website. This workshop can help people find your website. Start a fire under your business—get better results from your existing web presence by claiming your own Google business page. In this series of workshops you will:
Space is limited and you must register in advance.
Sponsored by MSBDC & SCORE |
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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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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 and Jeff Lomma, Branch Manager/Business Specialist for Tower Square. Tom and Jeff have presented this workshop in the past and always receive rave reviews from the attendees. Tom has 18 years of commercial and retail banking experience. Jeff has been with Westfield Bank since 2007 and currently develops new and existing relationships with small business and consumer customers. 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: Wednesday, September 27, 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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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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| 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. |
Are you intimidated by
social media? You paid all that money and
invested all that time to create your website, but you're not getting
the return? Explore with us how you can improve your results. We're here to help, beginning with these educational workshops.
We want to help every business in our communities to get found on
the web—starting with yours! 
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.