Simple Steps for Starting Your Business 

A four-part series, the Simple Steps for Starting Your Business will help you avoid costly mistakes, provide you with a solid foundation in pursuing your business idea and simplify the startup process. It’s all about helping you live your dream!

Dates: Wednesdays, October 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 6:00-8:30 pm Location: Tioga County Office Building 56 Main Street, Owego, NY Presented by: SCORE and Tioga County Economic Development & Planning

Register: www.GreaterBinghamton.SCORE.org

Cost: $20 to cover workbook and materials. Veterans attend FREE!

Program Objectives:

• To provide Essential Business Startup Basics
• To Help Define Your Business Concept and Strategy.
• To Identify a Marketing, Sales and Pricing Strategy
• To identify and create a financial plan

Intended Audience: Aspiring entrepreneurs; Anyone wanting to test a business idea, Small Business Owners

You Will Learn:

Class 1: Startup Basics Starting a business can be a daunting task, but SCORE is here to help simplify it for you. There are a number of factors to keep in mind before starting your own business. This module will introduce you to key business considerations such as the myths and realities of entrepreneurship, different business options to pursue, the components of business ownership, legal and financial considerations, and the business plan basics. If you’re thinking about starting your own business, this module will give you the understanding you need to be well informed and confident when you evaluate your ideas.

Class 2: Defining Your Business Concept In this second module of the Simple Steps for Starting Your Business course, you will learn how to evaluate your business concept. You'll also research industry profile data, customer data, financial projections, and other information. This module will show you how to evaluate your business ideas in order to decide whether or not you should move forward with your business concept or go back to the drawing board.

Class 3: Marketing Plan In this module, you will learn how to market your business by doing a competitive comparison, creating a product and services description, developing a pricing strategy, identifying your target markets and channels, outlining a marketing message and learning sales basics.

Class 4: Financial Projections All business is risk vs. reward, and the financial planning process will help you assess both. Having a financial plan will not only help guide business development decisions and monitor results, but it will also help you match your business concept with personal income goals. You'll learn the importance of financial planning, how to build your financial model, and how to understand financial statements, including an income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet. In addition, the financial plan can be used as a budget, and can be compared to actual results in the future. You will also learn about accounting and bookkeeping systems, sources of capital, the six C’s of credit, and banking relations.

Register Now!