Simple Steps for Starting Your Business: Session 1 Start Up Basics 

Is Starting a Business Right for You?

The SCORE Simple Steps for Starting Your Business Workshops can help you make a smart start. Successful and experienced executives will help you reach a "go or no-go" decision for starting a business. This series will help you:

• Define and evaluate your ideas.
• Develop a marketing strategy.
• Identify the best ways to fund your startup.
• Turn your idea into action with tools and templates.
• Get useful and helpful mentoring sessions.
• Connect with other entrepreneurs.

The Simple Steps for Starting Your Business Series provides 5 three-hour workshops with action steps. The first of the series is:

Session 1: Start Up Basics

This introductory workshop focuses on the basics of testing your business idea and identifying the key factors that influence start-up success. Start-up Basics provides you with an overview of the skills and tools you need when deciding to start a business. In this session, you learn about: the advantages and disadvantages of owning a business, the most profitable form for your business, and the fundamentals of formation, organization, marketing, cash flow and funding sources.

Start Up Basics: Thursday May 16, 2013

8:30am to 12:30pm (includes lunch)

*check in from 8:00 - 8:30 am

Copper Rock Coffee Shop, 210 W College Avenue, Appleton WI

$25 per person  

Register online or call 920-734-7101.

   Session 1: Start Up Basics

Register Now!

 

 See below for more info on Sessions 2 through 5 recommended after Start Up Basics.

  

Sessions 2 thru 5 of the Simple Steps Series will be held on Wednesday evenings from 6-9pm at the SCORE Office - 125 North Superior Street - Appleton WI

• Session 2 - Business Concepts - June 5
• Session 3 - Marketing Plan - June 12
• Session 4 - Financial Projections - June 19
• Session 5 - Funding Sources - June 26

The cost for Sessions 2 thru 5 is $100 per person for all four sessions. Call 920-734-7101.

Session 2: Business Concept

The second workshop focuses on your business concept and step-by-step guidance in researching your idea, your market, and your competition. At the end of the Business Concept workshop, you are able to: identify your target markets, describe your products and services, and collect key competitive information to support your feasibility plan.

Session 3: Marketing Plan

The third workshop provides you with an introduction to marketing communication methods and tools to maximize your customer reach. The discussion in the Marketing Plan workshop covers pricing strategies, positioning, the difference between features and benefits, and different marketing strategies. At the end of this session, you will know how to: outline your marketing strategy, test your marketing message, choose the right sales channel, and exercise your marketing strategy.

Session 4: Financial Projections

The fourth workshop uses exercises to help you better understand financial concepts. This session reviews sales and prices, financial risks and rewards, true start-up costs, ongoing operating expenses, setting benchmarks for tracking progress and the organization of all your financial information. Using a hands-on approach, you learn how to use our financial model to forecast sales revenue and build solid pro-forma financial forecasts.

Session 5: Funding Sources

The final workshop offers information on how to finance your small business. In this session, discussions include sources of funds, the six C's of credit, banking relations, ratio analysis, and monthly preparation and review of financial statements. A bank loan officer will give an inside view of how a banker assesses the merits of business plans and loan application. At the end of the series, you have all of the tools necessary to decide whether or not to launch your small business.

Online Registration Notice:

Online registrations will be accepted up to 48 hours prior to the presentation. SCORE may cancel any program due to a lack of sufficient registrations, or for other unforseen emergencies. Every effort will be made to notify registrants by email and/or by phone, and a notice will be posted on the foxcities.score.org website. All fees paid in advance will be refunded as quickly as possible unless a cancellation fee is noted in the registration information.