Small Business Development Center

Workshop Schedule Spring 2013

Click for information on location, directions/parking, cost and registration.

Title Date Location
Creating A Tactical Marketing Action Plan
 Thursday
March 7, 2013		 Grace Conference Room

Using Online Social Networking
(To Boost Sales & Marketing Success)

Thursday
March 14, 2013		 Grace Conference Room
The Cloud, Smartphones & Tablets
(Make Your Business More Profitable)
 Thursday
April 11, 2013		 Grace Conference Room
Online Sales & Lead Generation
(Using Search, Advertising & Social Media)		 Thursday
April 25, 2013		 Grace Conference Room
Navigating Health Care Requirements Thursday
May 5, 2013		 Grace Conference Room

Creating A Tactical Marketing Action Plan

Thursday, March 7, 2013
8:45 – 12 noon
Grace Conference Room, Higgins University Center

It’s critical to ensure you’re moving in the right direction and driving revenue and profit to your top line. This workshop will get your business in shape and give you the tools required to achieve breakthrough levels of growth.

We’ll show you simple yet critical steps needed to launch or grow your business, even on a shoestring budget, including how to:
• Determine which marketing strategies best for you
• Connect you with your customers
• Avoid the common mistakes many expanding businesses make attracting the right customers
• Take advantage of on- and offline tools to enhance your business presence

You will leave the session with a scorecard of your business identifying key problem areas and opportunities for growth. The session will also be very interactive so that the participants will also be able to pick up some great ideas from each other. Beth has presented and several sessions previously and always gets rave reviews.

Speaker:

Beth Goldstein, Founder
Marketing Edge Consulting Group, Holliston, MA

Sponsored by:

Fidelity Bank and The Harbor Law Group

Using Online Social Networking (To Boost Sales & Marketing Success)

Thursday, March 14, 2013
8:45 – 12 noon
Grace Conference Room, Higgins University Center

There are two portions to this presentation. In the first portion Shari Worthington, a marketing specialist will explain Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Social networking has taken the internet by storm and is once again changing the face of communications. Nearly 4 out of 5 internet users visit a social networking site each month. But how does this translate into success for your company...whether your goal is more traffic to your web site, enhanced awareness of your company and product brands, or increased sales? Is social networking entertainment or business? Learn how to integrate social media into your company’s marketing and sales program.

Some of the topics that will be covered include:
• Social networking tools and technologies
• Where people are spending their time
• Specific ways to drive more customers to your web site using social networking
• Tips on how to construct an effective social media program
• Examples of companies who have successfully put social media to work for them
• The role of mobile devises and what you need to take into account when building your marketing program

In the second portion of the program Melissa Fetterhoff will explain how businesses and service organizations can ultilize these techniques on an inexpensive and practical level to help them improve customer relations and increase sales for their businesses.

Speakers:

Shari Worthington, President, Telesion Technology, Worcester , MA
Melissa Fetterhoff, Executive Director, Nashoba valley Cahmber of Commerce, Devens, MA

Sponsored by:

Middlesex Savings Bank, People's United Bank and Shepherd & Goldstein

The Cloud, Smartphones & Tablets (Make Your Business More Profitable)

Thursday, April 11, 2013
8:45 – 12 noon
Grace Conference Room, Higgins University Center

Did you know that you can use the latest technologies for your business needs?

Learn how today’s innovative technologies can help your business become more efficient, productive and profitable. The session will begin be demystifying Cloud computing, explain the basics and then cover a few advanced topics. Next, the presenter will inform the audience about the features and capabilities that smartphones and tablets offer for your daily lives; and learn how to gain the most value for your business.

Samplings of some of the applications that we will cover are:
• Cloud Accounting & Scheduling
• Cloud Document Storage
• Mobile Payment & Recovery
• Sugar Sync
• Evernote
• Fuze Meeting
• Cortado Workplace
• Field Force Manager
• Splashtop

No matter what industry you are in, we can show you how to make the most use of the technologies you may already have, and what other solutions are out there to help you get a leg up on your competition.

The speakers for this session bring over 30 years’ experience in business technology, operations and management, social media, and strategic planning with both retail and B2B partners.

Speakers:

Greg Charland, ESQ, Owner/Lead Consultant, Charland Technology, Hubbardston, MA
Mark Amadio, President and Francesco Froio, Regional Sales Manager; Amcomm Wireless Inc/Amcomm Proservices Inc, Charlton, MA

Sponsored by:

Commerce Bank, Mirick O'Connell and Southbridge Savings Bank

Online Sales & Lead Generation (Using Search, Advertising & Social Media)

Thursday, April 25, 2013
8:45 – 12 noon
Grace Conference Room, Higgins University Center

The online sales and lead generation opportunity continues to expand with the evolution of viral social media, social media advertising, local search optimization (SEO) and local advertising networks (LAN). This session explores where online sales and lead generation is going and what steps businesses and online marketers can take to boost their results and gain an edge over the competition.

Some of the topics that will be covered include:
- Effective use of social media marketing sales funnel from engagement to lead conversion
- Facebook advertising campaigns: When and how to use promoted posts, sponsored results, page posts ads, sponsored stories and marketplace ads
- Simplified local online advertising using Local Ad Networks (LAN)
- Local search engine optimization (SEO)
- Tips on monitoring, measuring and campaign optimization

This seminar has been designed to help you effectively use social media, online advertising and local search engine optimization to generate leads and sales for your business.

The speakers for this session are online marketing consultants helping businesses with internet business planning and online marketing campaign development.

Speakers:

Louise Rijk, Sales Executive, Thoughtwire Media, LLC, Westborough, MA
Joop Rijk, Marketing Consultant, LR Communications, Wayland, MA

Sponsored by:

Bay State Savings Bank and United Bank

Navigating Health Care Requirments

Thursday, May 9, 2013
8:45 – 12 noon
Grace Conference Room, Higgins University Center


Starting in April 2006 the requirements for small businesses to contribute to employees’ health care insurance changed dramatically. There are many details and requirements to comply with the legislation. In addition with major tax law changes anticipated in 2013, it’s critical that small business owners are aware of how these will impact their bottom lines.

The following topics will be included in this presentation to illustrate the requirements and also the variety of options that are available to small businesses: • Mass Health Care Reform for small businesses
• Mass Health Care Reform for small businesses
• Affordability Care Act
• National Health Care Reform
• The Health Connector
• Employer Fair Share Contribution
• Tax Credits & Consequences
• Business Express
• Wellness Programs
• The Role of an Insurance Broker
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Savings Accounts & Reimbursement Accounts

If you own a small business that has a few employees and you offer some health care benefits, this session will be helpful and informative. If you own a small business that has eleven (11) full time equivalent employees you are required to make a fair share contribution or pay a fine. This session will provide extremely helpful and important information to you.

The speakers will each present the information from their organizations. There will be approximately 45 minutes to meet with the speakers and ask individual questions after the conclusion of the presentations.

Speakers:

William Karger, Manager Sales & Client Services, The Health Commector, Boston, MA
Claire Cheevers, Employee Benefits Manager, The Feingold Companies, Worcester, MA
Anthony H. Librot, CPA, MSF, Shareholder, Waldron H. Rand & Company P.C., Needham. MA

Sponsored by:

The Feingold Companies, Savers Bank, TD Bank and Webster Five Cent Savings Bank

LOCATION

All programs are held in the Grace Conference Room, Higgins University Center, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610

DIRECTIONS/PARKING

Take Exit 11 (College Square/Federal Square) off 290. Go straight, following sign for Federal Square/Downtown. At second traffic light take a left onto Cambridge Street (St. Matthew's Church on left and Culpeppers Bakery on right). Go one mile to the end of Cambridge Street. Take a sharp right onto Main Street. Drive down Main Street (the campus is on your left) thru your first set of traffic lights. Take the second street on your right. This is a one way called Grand Street. There are two parking lots owned by St. Peter's Church that we have permission to park in. Once parked it is just a short walk back down to Main Street, where you cross over, head to the main gate of campus and towards the Higgins University Center on your left. Download the parking and campus map in PDF format.

TIME

For all programs, registration begin at 8:45AM, and all programs run from 9AM until 12PM.

COST

$39 for the first seminar
$30 for each additional seminar or registrant (from same company)

Special - $150 for all 5 seminars

PAYMENT

To reserve your space, please mail your check made out to Clark University to:

Clark University SBDC
950 Main Street,
Worcester, MA 01610-1477

Be sure to list attendees names and which seminars you are paying for. You can also REGISTER ONLINE but we cannot process credit cards - sorry.

Space is limited. Advanced registration required. Registration fees include materials and refreshments. The Clark SBDC reserves the right to cancel or reschedule a seminar due to insufficient enrollment. Registration fees will be returned or credited towards future programs only if the Clark SBDC cancels or reschedules a seminar. Sorry, no refunds will be given to individuals who cancel or do not show up for a seminar they have registered for.

Please contact the Clark University SBDC for more information at 508-793-7615 or via email at sbdc@clarku.edu

Corporate Sponsors

The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network Central Regional Office at Clark University would like to extend thanks to the following institutions for their financial support, thus allowing us to provide quality and educational workshops at a nominal fee to the small business community.