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Event Notices From January 4

BBC Offers SBIR/STTR Classes: Ann Arbor-based Biotechnology Business Consultants will offer a half-day workshop on the federal government's Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs on Jan. 11, Feb. 1, March 1 and March 8. The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon and is held at the BBC office, 803 N. Main St., Ann Arbor. The cost is $50 for companies based in Michigan and $100 for others. The workshop covers the SBIR/STTR program basics, including: program purpose; eligibility; and sources of funding. It is designed to provide enough information for attendees to determine if they would like to seriously pursue proposal development. Register by emailing kris@bioconsultants.com.

Technical Communicators To Hear From User Assistance Writer: The Society for Technical Communication Southeastern Michigan Chapter will host Joe Welinski, president of WritersUA, www.writersua.com, at its next meeting Saturday, Feb. 4 at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield. Registration and networking begin at 9 a.m. with the program running from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The program is free to students, $10 for STC members and $25 for nonmembers. Register online through Eventbrite at http://stc-sm.eventbrite.com/ or by email to jmoney@stc-sm.org and pay at the door. Welinske is president of WritersUA, a company devoted to providing training and information for user assistance professionals. The WritersUA/WinWriters Conference draws hundreds of attendees each year from around the world to share the latest in user assistance design and  implementation. He will provide an overview of trends, tools and technologies in software user assistance.

February Business Workshops Offered by Oakland County

WATERFORD TOWNSHIP -- Business owners and entrepreneurs who need assistance are invited to attend seminars in February offered by the Oakland County Business Center. Business Basics workshops are now offered in the evenings on alternating months.

Wednesday, Feb. 1: Fundamentals of Marketing Your Business -- Marketing is an essential of business success. All products/services must be sold to well-targeted audiences with a wide-ranging marketing mix. Our staff/SCORE counselors can guide you through successful techniques and marketing principles helping you to promote your products and services to the most promising customers-your target audience. Presented by The Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center (MI-SBTDC). The program runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford Township. For pre-registration and location specifics, visit www.oakgov.com/peds/calendar, or call (248) 858-0783. The fee is $40. No refunds.

Wednesday, Feb. 8: CEED Microloan Orientation -- Many small business owners face obstacles when trying to obtain a business loan. The recognition of the serious need for working capital for existing businesses, start-up or expansion, equipment purchases, and job creation is not the priority it once was. If you have a need for alternative financing consider the MicroLoan Program. Discover the requirements and process necessary to apply and obtain a microloan. Program presented by the Center for Empowerment & Economic Development (C.E.E.D.). The program runs from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford Township. For pre-registration and location specifics, visit www.oakgov.com/peds/calendar or call (248) 858-0783. This workshop is free but pre-registration is required.

Wednesday, Feb. 8: Pre-Business Research -- Are you thinking of starting your own business and want to research your business idea? Are you a business owner who wants to understand which research sources to use for your business plan and where to find the information you need? Presented by The Oakland County Business Center, The Entrepreneur's Source, Oakland County Market Research division, and a business reference librarian. The program runs from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford Township. For pre-registration and location specifics, visit www.oakgov.com/peds/calendar or call (248) 858-0783. This workshop is free but pre-registration is required.

Wednesday, Feb. 15: Twitter for Business Beginner -- Introduction to Social Media Marketing and using Twitter for Business -- Millions of people are using Twitter and social media for fun, but it is also a powerful business tool that can connect you with your customers, potential customers and the world. Social media is a two-way marketing channel -- a conversation with your customers. With social media marketing and Twitter you can leverage these conversations and relationships to: increase brand visibility and reach, be established as a thought leader and expert in your field, give real time customer service, stay on top of industry trends and conduct competitive research, build brand advocates, and yes -- you can see a measurable ROI -- even sales! But before you jump in to Twitter and start using social media, learn how to get these results with an introduction to social media marketing and Twitter for business. You will learn how to sign yourself and your business up for Twitter, set up your account and profile and choose the best Handle (user name), navigate Twitter, Twitter lingo, how to find (the right) people and business to follow, use lists to manage who you follow as well as your followers, how to Tweet, ReTweet, Mention, and Direct Message other users, use of Hashtags, Twitter Privacy, how to protect yourself and your brand on Twitter, establish and  track your digital footprint, and how to stay on top of social media and Twitter trends. The program runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford Township. For pre-registration and location specifics, visit www.oakgov.com/peds/calendar or call (248) 858-0783. The fee is $40. No refunds.

Wednesday, Feb. 15: Fundamentals of Starting a Business is a seminar for anyone thinking about going into business. Participants examine their entrepreneurial skills, learn how to implement their ideas and receive a list of pitfalls to avoid when starting a business. The program runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford Township. For pre-registration and location specifics, visit www.oakgov.com/peds/calendar, or call (248) 858-0783. The fee is $30. No refunds.

Thursday, Feb. 16: Team SBA Financing Roundtable -- This session is best suited to those who have good credit, a solid business idea, and some money to invest in their business. Before you apply for a business loan, we recommend that you first attend a Financing Roundtable. The roundtables are a free loan orientation conducted by a business banker, a business consultant from the SBA's network of Small Business Development Centers, and an SBA representative. During the roundtable, we'll debunk the myths and demystify the process of small business financing. You'll learn how the lending process works and what is expected of you and you'll understand how the SBA can assist with our SBA Guaranteed Loan Program. Because the SBA does not provide loan guarantees to real estate investment firms, including purchasing and rehabbing houses for sale, this type of financing is not discussed at the roundtables. Presenters will come from the federal Small Business Administration, the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center and a commercial bank. The program runs from 9 a.m. to noon at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford Township. For pre-registration and location specifics, visit www.oakgov.com/peds/calendar, or call (248) 858-0783. This workshop is free, but pre-registration is required.

Wednesday, Feb. 22: Twitter for Business Intermediate -- Create your Twitter Strategy -- In this Intermediate session of Twitter for Business you will establish your social media objectives and goals for Twitter, create your Twitter social media marketing strategy and schedule, integrate Twitter into your marketing strategy. You will learn core strategies and tactics businesses are using to get customers talking through Twitter, how to use social media management tools, schedule tweets in advance, use social media search tools for optimizing the timing and reach of your tweets, use social media monitoring tools and leverage them for your Twitter strategy, use social media search tools to find and track people talking about your company/product/industry, respond ethically and effectively to brand supporters and detractors, and manage your digital footprint-connecting Twitter with your website and other social media platforms. Prerequisite for this class is Twitter for Business Beginner. The program runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford Township. For pre-registration and location specifics, visit www.oakgov.com/peds/calendar or call (248) 858-0783. The fee is $40. No refunds.

Wednesday, Feb. 22: Women's Business Certification (WBE) Orientation -- Learn about the benefits and process of becoming a Women's Business Enterprise. Benefits include certification to private sector WBE's and access to procurement opportunities with major national companies. For additional information visit miceed.org. Presented by the Michigan Women's Business Council. The program runs from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford Township. For pre-registration and location specifics, visit www.oakgov.com/peds/calendar, or call (248) 858-0783. The fee is $25 (Please make checks payable to WBEC-GL). No refunds.

Wednesday, Feb. 22: Fundamentals of Writing a Business Plan -- A workshop for small business owners who are developing a plan to serve as their road map to success. Workshop participants learn what elements are commonly found in effective plans and work on developing each of these for their own business. Assistance in the process as well as information on resources is provided. The program runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford Township. For pre-registration and location specifics, visit www.oakgov.com/peds/calendar or call (248) 858-0783. Fee: $30. No refunds

Wednesday, Feb. 29: Twitter for Business Advanced -- Create and Launch your Twitter Campaign -- In this Advanced Session of Twitter for Business you will establish your objectives and goals for a Twitter campaign, create and launch a Twitter campaign, learn advanced strategies for reaching influencers and building a long-lasting online community and explore ways to take Twitter beyond social media marketing. You will also build a complete multi-channel, social media-enabled marketing strategy, integrate Twitter and traditional marketing channels to deliver a competitive advantage, establish a social media Twitter timeline, grow your base of followers and engage participants, learn how to advertise with Twitter-Promoted Tweets, ensure a reasonable rate of return on your social media investment and acquire the tools you need to deputize your employees for organization-wide Twitter engagement. *Prerequisites for this class are Twitter for Business Beginner and Twitter for Business Intermediate. The program runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford Township. For pre-registration and location specifics, visit www.oakgov.com/peds/calendar or call (248) 858-0783. The fee is $40. No refunds.

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