Getting Started in Business
Have a business idea but don’t know how to get it off the ground?
This workshop is for you! Learn about:
- Requirements for Business Organizations
- Risks and Rewards of Starting a Business
- Marketing and Promotion
- Beginning the Business Planning Process
- Tax issues and Financing Options
Leave the workshop equipped with the information and resources you need to turn your idea into reality.
The next program date is Saturday, April 27th, 9am-12:30pm, at 494 Massachusetts Ave., Suite 4, in Cambridge. The workshop is FREE to individuals meeting the HUD low-moderate income guidelines; for others, the fee is $35. Contact CBDC with questions or to register: (617) 349-4690 or info@cbdc.org.
Business Planning Guide
The process of creating a business plan can be as important as the final outcome. In this workshop, entrepreneurs will take a critical look at their business idea, work through the pieces of a business plan, and come away with an important tool to ensure their business’ success.
A series of four workshops that guide aspiring entrepreneurs through the preparation of a simple business plan. Topics such as analyzing the market for a product or service, understanding the competiton, and simple financial projections to assess whether the business could be viable will be covered. Emphasis is more on whether the proposed business can be feasible than on developing a polished written document. People who have an idea and want to test whether it can be a viable business will find these workshops invaluable.
Our next Business Planning series will be held on four consecutive Wednesdays, May 15th, May 22nd, May 29th, and June 5th, from 6-8pm. Contact CBDC with questions or to register: (617) 349-4690 or info@cbdc.org.
Branding Workshop
An effective brand can be the reason customers choose one product or company over another! Join us for this informative workshop on branding for small business owners. Topics will include corporate identity and image, the logo design or redesign, and designing marketing materials. Please bring along your creative ideas and copies of current marketing materials, as well as a brown-bag lunch!
This workshop will be held on Thursday, April 11th, 12-1:30pm. The workshop will be taught by Jennifer Proia of Fire Creative.
Creating a Personalized Internet Strategy for Your Small Business
Would you like to learn how to use the internet as a tool for marketing your products or services? Have you wondered whether a website is appropriate for your type of business? At our brown-bag lunch seminar you will have the opportunity to create a personalized internet strategy for your business which will help you determine what kind of e-presence is right for you. Topics will include website design and hosting, email marketing, synching on-line and off-line marketing, how to get listed on search engines, and on-line resources for small businesses.
This workshop will be held on Thursday, April 25th, 12-1:30pm. The workshop will be taught by Neil Fennessey of Four Mangos.
Legal Clinic for New Businesses
This workshop will provide an overview of key legal concepts that all new businesses must address. A brief presentation on topics including: types of legal entities, stock and capital structure, minimizing liability risks, employee issues and tax planning will be followed by a question and answer session.
This workshop will be held on Thursday, May 9th, 12-1:30pm. The workshop will be conducted by Chris Dahl, partner at Lucash, Gesmer & Updegrove LLP, and CBDC board member.
Understanding Your Numbers
The Understanding Your Numbers series consists of an 8-week class for people in small businesses. Taught by Suffolk University professor, Lew Shaw, this class distills the academic principles of bookkeeping and accounting into practical lessons for participants to learn how to run their businesses more profitably.
The next class will begin on Wednesday, May 15th, 2002, and will run for eight consecutive Wednesdays, 8:30-10:30am. Contact CBDC with questions or to register: (617) 349-4690 or info@cbdc.org
Mentored Growth Groups
CBDC’s mentored growth groups bring together successful entrepreneurs acting as mentors, professional facilitators and a panel of CEOs seeking to bring their companies to the next level of growth. The process combines discussion of participating CEOs’ critical issues with feedback from experienced mentors and CEO peers. Outcomes are based on goals established for revenue and employment growth, raising capital and increasing organizational capacity.
CBDC is currently offering mentored growth groups for: