The Small Business Webinar Series: Steering Your Business Through Change
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This webinar will be a concise reflection of moments of crisis that could have stopped operations at Bernice's Bakery during presenter Christine Littig's tenure. But more importantly did not. The take-a-ways from these experiences will highlight and solidify an adaptive approach that allowed for successful operations and the sale of Bernice's Bakery in 2017. Christine will stimulate your imagination and restart your engine when it comes to your own business by sharing stories yet to be heard of crisis management during her 13 years as owner of Bernice's Bakery. Hear experts provide an overview of small business development topics and phone in or type/chat questions or comments. We will follow-up with requests for additional information. All webinars are free and open the public at 11 a.m. and will be recorded and archived.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Engineering Growth in the Wake of COVID
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This webinar will step through three considerations for growing a business in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: acquiring talent, market share, and assets. Hear experts provide an overview of small business development topics and phone in or type/chat questions or comments.
Business Model Canvas: Presented by the Billings SBDC
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A one-page, visual, strategic management tool to quickly and easily define and communicate a business idea or concept in a focused but flexible way. Join the Billings SBDC as they walk you through the Business Model Canvas.
Legal & Tax Do's and Don'ts for Businesses: Presented by the Billings SBDC
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Join the Billings SBDC as they talk about what you need to be aware of for your business, both legal and tax. Choosing the right legal structure, business registry, contracts, zoning regulation, business taxaction, payroll taxes, withholding, employer/independent Contractors.
Patent Webinar: Presented by the Billings SBDC featuring Billings Based Patent Attorney and Patent Examiner, David Stoltenberg
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Join the Billings SBDC as the talk with Billings based Patent Attorney and Patent Examiner, David Stoltenberg.
Human Relations: Presented by the Billings SBDC
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Join the Billings SBDC as they help business owners learn about skills such as communication and handling conflict, how leadership styles can affect workplace culture, and how engagement and interaction directly affect work performance, happiness, and success.
Buying a Business: Presented by the Billings SBDC
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Join the Billings SBDC for their presentation about Buying a Business. Learn what to look for in a business purchase, what is an asset sale vs. business purchase, valuations, appraisals, mergers, and acquisitions.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Understanding Credit Card Processing
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This webinar will cover the fundamentals of understanding credit card processing and how this complex industry can be kept SIMPLE! Stephanie Cummings from CardConnect will cover the basics of interchange, the roles the card associations, banks and processors play, and the importance of doing business with people you TRUST! Hear experts provide an overview of small business development topics and phone in or type/chat questions or comments. We will follow-up with requests for additional information. All webinars are free and open the public at 11 a.m. and will be recorded and archived.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Tackling Unemployment Insurance
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In this webinar we will discuss understanding traditional unemployment insurance, pandemic unemployment assistance and the role employers play when employees are collecting unemployment insurance. Hear experts provide an overview of small business development topics and phone in or type/chat questions or comments.
The Small Business Webinar Series: What It Means to be Open and Safe During Recovery
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In this webinar, we'll discuss addressing the challenges, barriers, team-building, resources, and mindset it will take for entrepreneurs to navigate reopening a business during Covid-19. Presenters Dena Johnson and Kevin Scharfe will discuss how the right state of mind and pivoting your business model can help build consumer confidence and employee buy-in during this challenging time. Hear experts provide an overview of small business development topics.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Protecting Your Business From Legal Liability During Reopening
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In this brief 30-minute webinar, we will step business owners through the liability concerns when reopening following the COVID-19 shutdown. Employment and labor law attorney with Church, Harris, Johnson, Williams P.C. in Great Falls, Bobbi Berkhof, will inform entrepreneurs why following local, state, and federal recommendations may help protect the business from lawsuits potentially stemming from employees and customers. Hear experts provide an overview of small business development topics and phone in or type/chat questions or comments.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Reopening Best Practices During COVID-19
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In this brief 30-minute webinar, we will provide some of the basics business owners will need to take into account as they reopen their business during the COVID-19 crisis. Hear experts provide an overview of small business development topics and phone in or type/chat questions or comments. We will follow-up with requests for additional information.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Hibernating Your Business During COVID-19
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In this brief, 30-minute webinar we are hoping to give business owners guidance on how to put a business to bed during COVID-19 crisis. For some, taking the time to hibernate a business properly is an opportunity to start strategic planning to come out the other end. Hear experts provide an overview of small business development topics and phone in or type/chat questions or comments. If you're not able to make it live, please register and we'll distribute the recording once posted.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Prepare for Government Contracting During COVID-19
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In this brief, 30-minute webinar we are hoping to give business owners guidance on how to prepare to do business with government agencies during COVID-19 crisis. Topics will focus primarily on the federal government, but we'll also touch on state and local procedures and opportunities. Our goal is to get businesses not currently set up into the appropriate systems and then search for solicitations. Hear experts provide an overview of small business development topics and phone in or type/chat questions or comments.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Using Opportunity Zones to Start or Grow Your Business
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Opportunity Zones were created as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to help stimulate long-term, private sector investment into economic activity in all 50 states and U.S. Territories. Governor Steve Bullock designated 25 Opportunity Zones in metropolitan and rural areas of Montana as targeted areas to stimulate business investment. In this webinar, Ben Hobbs will discuss what Opportunity Zones are, how simple it is for investors and entrepreneurs to create funds and the tax incentives of investing in businesses in qualifying zones. Hear experts provide an overview of small business development topics and phone in or type/chat questions or comments.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Marketing, Communication, and Sales During the COVID-19 Crisis
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In this brief, 30-minute webinar we are hoping to give business owners some guidance on marketing, communication, and sales during the COVID-19 crisis. Evaluating a company's human and fixed assets and then being creative in how to utilize them in an alternative way will be discussed. Focus will be given to innovating by solving customer-facing problems. Hear experts provide an overview of small business development topics and phone in or type/chat questions or comments.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Business Crisis Toolkit: Control What You Can
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In this brief, 30-minute webinar we are hoping to give business owners some guidance on steps to take during the initial stages of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak throughout the country. We'll provide guidance for entrepreneurs, financing options, scam alerts, and resources available to assist through this crisis. Hear experts provide an overview of small business development topics and phone in or type/chat questions or comments.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Three Steps to Get Your Business on a Path to Profitable Growth
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The urgent need to stay afloat financially leads to "strategic moves" that are a waste of energy, focus, money, and time. Get your business out of the Survival Prap, headed toward its Sweet Spot and on a path toward profitable growth. Hear experts provide an overview of small business development topics and phone in or type/chat questions or comments.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Quick Cybersecurity Tips to Keep Your Company Safe
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This webinar will give actionable tips to better protect your business from cyberattack. Hear experts provide an overview of small business development topics and phone in or type/chat questions or comments.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Business Valuation: More Art Than Science
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This webinar will explore how there is no cookie-cutter approach to valuing a private business. It often involves a multi-faceted approach using different valuation processes and techniques, which will be discussed. Hear experts provide an overview of small business development topics and phone in or type/chat questions or comments.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Rethinking Innovation in Montana
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This webinar will provide an overview of how small business owners can innovate in small businesses to create customer experiences that attract and retain customers. Hear experts provide an overview of small business development topics and phone in or type/chat questions or comments.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Insurance for Small Business
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As one of the most important ways to protect a business, insurance often goes overlooked. This webinar provides an overview of general and professional liability insurance, employer practice liability insurance, worker's compensation requirements, the difference between insurance and bonding, and a variety of other insurance-specific topics. Hear experts provide an overview of small business development topics and phone in or type/chat questions or comments.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Creative Labor Solutions
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This webinar detailed the benefits of creating apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and internship opportunities to attract and retain potential employees. Also discussed is the military's Career Skills Program (CSP) to tap into the labor force soon to be leaving the military service. Experts, like Apprenticeship Specialist Kari Woods, provide an overview of small business development topics and phone in or type or chat questions or comments.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Strategy Sells Businesses and Buys Them Too
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This webinar discusses buying and selling an established business. We discussed the time it takes and the financial planning needed to successfully sell a business for top dollar. Buyers were also be guided on the types of questions to ask and documents to request on the other side of a business acquisition.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Crowdfunding Isn't Just Free Money
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This webinar discusses the regulatory impacts of equity crowdfunding. How crowdfunds are gathered, the amount of the investment and the law determines what you can use the money on and the legal implications required.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Hire for Your Peak Season & Don't Lose Money Doing it
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This webinar features ratios to assist business owners or managers in justifying a new or seasonal hire and to ensure that the additional cost of a new employee will do more than break even with increases in sales volume. Performance metrics related to the new hire were also addressed.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Five Critical Customer Service
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This webinar focuses on five critical skills that will almost guarantee a rewarding customer service or client interaction. Understand why these skills can make or break your service results. If you are a supervisor, use these skills as a checklist to ensure you are providing training, coaching, evaluation, and support for these skills throughout your organization.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Keys to Hiring the Right Employee
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This webinar discusses how company culture should be a factor in your employee search, the best questions to ask during interviews, best practices in the search process, and takeaways you can implement now.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Introduction to Government Contracting
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Does the Government buy what you sell? Learn how to find out and the initial steps for becoming a vendor for governmental contracting. This webinar discussed best practices in doing business with government entities, appropriate procedures when getting into the system, and winning contracts.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Food Manufacturing 101: Get Rich and Don't GO TO JAIL!
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This webinar discusses the most important rules, regulations, and best practices for food manufacturers to follow in order to be successful. You may not get rich and taking this class in no way guarantees you won't GO TO JAIL. At least that's what our presenter, Claude Smith says. Please note - this is very tongue in cheek. :)
The Small Business Webinar Series: Employee Retention, Creating a Positive Company Culture
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Happy employees make for thriving businesses. In this webinar, learn how to create a positive corporate culture by identifying larger business goals. Get tips on hiring smarter, keeping employees engaged, and handling employees' concerns.
The Small Business Webinar Series: Understanding Credit Card Processing
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This webinar covers the fundamentals of understanding credit card processing and how this complex industry can be kept SIMPLE! Stephanie Cummings from Heartland Payment Systems will cover the basics of interchange, the roles the card associations, banks and processors play, and the importance of doing business with people you TRUST!