The LA SBDC Network offers no-cost virtual business workshops for small businesses in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties.
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December 2024
Business Finance Literacy Series (Session 3 of 3)
Business owners struggle with business decisions that affect the financial health of the company. Are we selling at the right price? Are we making money? Can we afford to hire someone? Many times, these decisions are made without a thorough understanding of the financial implications. This does not need to be the case. There are simple mathematical calculations that can be used to answer key business questions. Performance Measurements are simple mathematical calculations that can be used to monitor sales,…
Find out more »Webinar – Say What? Product Advertising and Labeling
This webinar will introduce small business owners to the basics of California and federal advertising and labeling law. Attendees will learn the difference between truthful vs. fraudulent and misleading advertising; business “puffery”; lawful product comparisons; requirements when using terms such as “organic” and “fat free”; required disclosures for certain ingredients such as nuts and other allergens; and liability for violating advertising and labeling laws. REGISTER NOW
Find out more »WEBINAR Mastering Storytelling for Community Building and Sales: Facebook vs. LinkedIn
Optimize storytelling for community building and sales on two prominent social media platforms: Facebook and LinkedIn. In this user-friendly overview, we’ll explore the unique features of both platforms, compare the benefits of sharing text and image updates, and explore real-life examples of personalities, brands, and companies leveraging these platforms to foster engagement and drive sales. Instructor: Chérmelle Edwards (SBDC Advisor) REGISTER NOW
Find out more »WEBINAR The Basics of Starting a Business
Learn the fundamentals of what it takes to get your business started. We will discuss what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and the important steps that need to be taken to begin your business. Topics of discussion will include: -What it takes to be an entrepreneur -Legal requirements and different legal types including sole proprietorship (DBA), and LLC and S-Corp, -Building your team of experts, including CPA’s, Atty, Bank, Web and marketing experts and industry mentor -Office…
Find out more »WEBINAR Improve Your Personal Credit for Lending Opportunities
The “Improve Your Personal Credit for Lending Opportunities” workshop is designed to help individuals and business owners understand the factors that affect their credit scores and learn strategies to improve them. Whether you are looking to apply for a personal loan, business loan, or credit line, having a strong credit score can significantly increase your chances of approval and favorable terms. During this workshop, participants will learn about the different credit bureaus and how they calculate credit scores, the common…
Find out more »IN PERSON EVENT E-Smarts: Get More Free Traffic to Your Website with These Simple SEO Techniques
Is your website getting all of the traffic it should be? Is it pulling in leads and sales? If not, your target audience may not be able to find you. Google search drives the majority of traffic on the internet. Learn the basics of search engine optimization (SEO) and start growing your search presence organically, using tried and true methods that are 100% free! You will Learn: The difference between on-site and off-site SEO How to optimize your pages…
Find out more »Webinar – How To Optimize Your Etsy Store and Product Listings
Please join us for – How To Optimize Your Etsy Store and Product Listings Instructor: Ramin Ramhormozi REGISTER NOW
Find out more »What Is The Best Legal Structure For My Company? What Are The Tax Advantages?
Many entrepreneurs do not fully understand the differences between a Sole Proprietorship, LLC and S-Corporation. This causes many to form a corporation when they may be better operating as a sole prop. Additionally, they are confused about the tax differences for each structure. They often choose a legal structure based on a perceived tax advantage that is incorrect. This webinar provides an overview of the various tax structures. The required documentation for the original filing and annual filings. The requirement for…
Find out more »Webinar – Introduction to the Corporate Transparency Act
As a business owner, you may have heard about the Corporate Transparency Act. Effective 1/1/24, all LLCs and Corporations must file beneficial ownership information reports with the Federal Financial Crimes Network. Failure to comply may result in severe penalties starting at $500 per day. Join us for an introduction to the Corporate Transparency Act to help increase your awareness and move forward with compliance. REGISTER NOW
Find out more »Webinar – Explore Starting Your Home Based Business
This informational Webinar, will give you a good overview of what it takes to Start Your Own Home-Based Business. Having this knowledge will nurture your dream of being self-employed and doing what you want to do in life. From selecting a business and getting it registered to how to balance your home life with our work life, this introduction will help you move forward towards entrepreneurship! REGISTER NOW
Find out more »Developing An Actionable Business Plan
You can’t get there if you don’t know what or where “there” is. This class is intended to assist both startups and expanding or scaling businesses in developing an actionable and measurable plan for the next steps in growing a profitable business. In this class we will actively work on: • Defining your business model • Identifying your place in the market • Identifying your customers and revenue channels • Identifying expansion opportunities • Costing and pricing • Revenue and…
Find out more »Webinar – Looking Ahead: Strategic Goal-Setting for 2025
Prepare for the new year by setting clear, actionable goals for your business. Instructor: Ramin Ramhormozi REGISTER NOW
Find out more »Webinar – Buying and Selling a Business – What You Need to Know
This webinar will teach the basics of buying and selling a business, such as conducting “due diligence”- inspecting the financial records, contracts and business assets; determining the value of the business; preparing contracts and related purchase-and-sale documents; tax considerations; and knowing when to “walk away” from a deal. REGISTER NOW
Find out more »Learn more about the deadline to file: Beneficial Ownership Information Report (BOIR)
As a business owner in the United States, you may be required to report what is called Beneficial Ownership Information (“BOI”) about your business to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN). This is due to Congress passing a law in 2021 called the “Corporate Transparency Act,” in an effort to make it harder for bad actors to hide their ill-gotten gains through shell companies or other questionable ownership structures. To better understand “BOI” and whether or not you should be…
Find out more »January 2025
Business Finance Literacy Series (Session 1 of 3)
How to handle the accounting and financial record keeping is one of the most difficult decisions company owners make. They ask questions such as: Should we use QuickBooks online, QuickBooks desktop or some other program? What records do we need to keep for tax reporting? Should we hire someone to do our bookkeeping? What is the difference between a bookkeeper, accountant and CPA? How do we know we are hiring the right person? Unfortunately, too many small business owners do…
Find out more »Simplify Your Content Creation With AI
Ready to Make 2025 Your Most Organized & Authentic Year Yet? Join us for an exclusive workshop where you’ll learn how to create your 2025 Social Media Content Calendar like a pro—by leveraging AI tools that speak YOUR brand’s language! What You’ll Learn: How to use AI to brainstorm on-brand ideas for every month, week, and day of 2025. Techniques to customize AI outputs to match your tone, values, and voice —whether it’s bold and daring or warm and welcoming. A step-by-step guide to building a year-long strategy…
Find out more »IN PERSON- How To Begin a Successful Social Media Brand in 2025
In this webinar we’ll discuss what Social Media is and is not. We’ll define the difference between social media for personal use and business use. We’ll discuss today’s main platforms including best use cases based upon popular industries. You’ll learn how to select the right social platform(s) for your business including what to post (content); how often to post (frequency), and how to turn content into sales (revenue strategies). THIS IS AN IN-PERSON EVENT. REGISTER NOW
Find out more »Webinar – Introduction to Certifications – State of CA, LA County, City of LA and Federal
This webinar will provide participants with a comprehensive overview of the importance and benefits of certifications. Participants will gain insights into certification programs and understanding the certification process in order to do business with State of California, LA County, City of LA and the Federal Government. REGISTER NOW
Find out more »WEBINAR Legal Corner: Stop the Madness! Getting Control of Time and Organizing Your Business
Kick off 2025 by organizing your business and working smart by using proven techniques to identify challenges. We’ll discuss methods to relieve and/or eliminate them! Learn how you can have a life and a successful business at the same time. By getting your business organized, you’ll set yourself up for a productive and successful year ahead! Join Attorney Ben Martin who loves helping new and small businesses, survive and thrive. With over 20 years of experience working for SBDCs, Non-profit Entrepreneurship Programs,…
Find out more »WEBINAR Preparing for a New Year-How to do an HR Audit
This training is designed to assist California small business owners audit their in-house HR files, HR processes, and prepare for a new year, especially with all of the new HR laws that are coming into reality on January 1, 2025. Instructor: Sara Nicholson REGISTER NOW
Find out more »How To Set Up & Register Your Business
This in-depth webinar addresses a multitude of important topics regarding legal entities and other important decisions you will need to make as a business owner. One of the first decisions will include how the company will be structured. Because of this, we will cover the basics of regulatory filings that permit new owners to properly set up entities in California. Our discussion will cover legal formation for startups, including: • LLC’s, S-Corporations, C-Corporations • DBA’s • Business permits • Resale…
Find out more »Business Finance Literacy Series (Session 2 of 3)
A simple Excel financial model can be created using your company’s financial data (historical and/or forecasted). CFOs and financial analysts use Excel models to determine if/when a company will be profitable, what is the correct selling price, how many “widgets” need to be sold to be cover cost, and how much money is available to pay expenses. Financial models are used for start-ups and for on-going analysis to make sure the company is operating at an optimal financial performance. This…
Find out more »WEBINAR Website E-Smarts Series
1/14/2025 – Website 101 How to Plan Your New Website: This workshop is a starter course for business owners looking to build their first website. We will discuss what makes a good website and look at some things to consider before making an investment in one. We will compare and contrast the various options available in the marketplace for building a website, and cover the basics of search engine optimization, analytics and website security. 1/21/2025 – Website 102 Usability Design Basics…
Find out more »WEBINAR Biz Basics: Lean Business Planning
Lean business planning is not what you think. Not a big formal plan. Not just for startups. Quick and practical tool for managing through a crisis. It’s as quick and easy as a few simple bullet point lists and tables to set down milestones and metrics. Plus powerful tools to manage sales, spending, and cash flow. Make a quick dashboard for getting through a crisis. Join this webinar as Tim Berry, founder of bplans.com and Palo Alto Software, shares the simplicity and ease…
Find out more »Farmers Markets and Pop Ups – Attracting Buyers to Your Booth
Learn how to sell your small food or homemade items at high traffic events through effective booth branding, creative displays, and using the power of social media. Extra! We will introduce how to determine profitability at each even! REGISTER NOW
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