Small Business: The Fundamentals
Starting a business? Success in small business depends on hard work, good fortune, and business knowledge. Attend this eight-session course to develop your management skills. Experts in law, accounting, banking, insurance, management, and marketing cover the fundamentals of small business management. Gain knowledge about growth stages and problems, marketing, promotion and advertising, legal issues and requirements, record-keeping, accounting and financial management, financing, insurance and risk management, and business plans.
Session One
Small business and the owner/manager
Look at critical issues for small business managers; Examine the growth stages of a business; Focus your efforts with a business plan; Prepare for the future of your business.
Instructor: Neil Lerner, director, UW-Madison Small Business Development Center
Session Two
Marketing: developing your overall strategy
Determine the 4 P's of marketing for your business: Product, Price, Placement and Promotion. Examine external factors crucial to your business success; Understand your customers needs and wants.
Instructor: Kelly Nowicki, marketing consultant.
Session Three
Promoting your product or service
Determine the best methods of promoting your business; Measure the success of your promotional efforts; Develop a promotional budget; Develop a promotional message that works for your business.
Instructor: Vicky Jones, president, Victoria Jones Strategic Marketing Communications
Session Four
Record Keeping, Accounting & Taxes
Understand basic concepts of accounting; Learn the accounting and tax records you must maintain; Maximize business deductions.
Instructors: Justin Johnson, Robert Porter or Janet Hartung Renfert, Partners with Porter & Sack, CPAs
Session Five
Legal issues and requirements
Determine the best legal entity for your business and how your choice affects your liability and taxes; Review unemployment compensation, independent contractors, intellectual property; discrimination; vicarious liability and deceptive advertising.
Instructor: Jennifer Knudson or Craig B. Miller of Neider & Boucher, S.C.
Session Six
Human Resources side of Business
Hiring your first employee and other human resource issues and resources.
Instructor: Karen Bender, HR Consultant.
Using the Web for Your Business
Determine the best way to use the Web for your business and review best practices and resources for developing a successful web presence.
Instructor: Barry Roberts , program manager, Small Business Development Center
Session Seven
Finance your business
Learn about sources of financing for your business and meeting the requirements of financing sources; Reduce your financial risk; Selecting and working with a bank.
Instructor: Mike Caruso, BMO Harris Bank
Session Eight
Insurance and risk management
Determine your insurance and risk management needs; Evaluate the insurance counseling you receive.
Instructor: Rollie Boeding, State risk manager, WI Department of Administration
The Real Story: Testimonial from a small business owner
Discussion Leader: Rena Gelman , Business AnswerLine coordinator, Small Business Development Center
Location
Grainger Hall
Schedule
6:30-9:00 pm
