LEWISTON, Idaho – The North Central Idaho Small Business Development Center at Lewis-Clark State College has scheduled five workshop offerings in Lewiston for February, including how to easily start a business, how to build customer loyalty, and how to enhance your digital media presence.
Pre-registration is required for all workshops. To pre-register or for more information for any of the workshops call 208-792-2465 or email [email protected]. All workshops will be held at the North Central Idaho SBDC offices, located at 406 Main St. in Lewiston.
The first workshop is on cash flow predictions and feasibility analysis, and it will be held on Feb. 1 at 9-11:30 a.m. The instructor is Barbara Leachman, Region II director of the SBDC. There is a $20 registration fee. Participants will learn how to do research, make sales predictions, and analyze cash vs. profit, capital needs, what it takes to break even, and feasibility.
The next workshop will be a two-part series on the basics of QuickBooks. This will be held Feb. 12 and 19 at 5:30-8 p.m. The instructor is Judy Schumacher and there is a $90 fee. The two-part series will show how to keep accurate and timely accounting records, which can be critical to a businesses’ success. The classes will teach the basics of QuickBooks and show how to add customers, vendors, and products and services, as well as manage and reconcile bank accounts and credit cards. The hands-on course will be held in the computer lab for both sessions.
A workshop on “Easy Business Start” will be held on Feb. 15 at 9-11:30 a.m. Leachman will be the instructor and the course has a $20 fee. The course will cover getting the right information up front, including checklists, plans, value proposition, licensing, taxes, and capital. It will show how to get important links, steps, and resources before investing time or money.
The next workshop will show how to stop guesswork and build customer loyalty. The workshop runs 9-11:30 a.m. on Feb. 22 with a $20 fee. The instructor is Todd Broadman. The course will show how small business owners often fall into a trap of planning their business on unproven guesswork. The course explores what it takes to have a distinctive advantage, which compels the customers to keep coming back. A participant can bring their business model to be tested and rebuilt for strength in this interactive course.
The final workshop will show how to enhance a presence on digital platforms through Google, Bing, and social media. The workshop is Feb. 28 at 5:30-7:30 p.m. and has a fee of $20. Aziz Makhani with the Washington State University SBDC will provide valuable tips on how to make a business presence known on those digital platforms.