These two- to three-hour seminars are held on one evening and cover a wide range of small business topics. Most of these seminars are held at the Small Business Center, located at the SOUTHBank Building in downtown Durham, the Orange County Skills Development Center in downtown Chapel Hill, or at the Orange County Campus in Hillsborough.

Important Note: Our Small Business seminars are now free, and there is no preregistration. However, we strongly encourage you to come early to secure your seat!

In this introductory seminar, learn how to make Internet tools work for you. Topics include what kind of web site you should build, the language of the World Wide Web, blogs, networking sites, search engines, pay per click, email newsletters, and more! Taught by David Mooring of CrossComm, Inc.

How do you sell? Learn everything you need to know to get and keep a customer for your business, whether you’re opening a boutique shop or producing the newest techno gadget. Even with the greatest product in the world, if you can’t sell it, your business can’t succeed. Selling can be taught, and this is the class where you will learn! Taught by Sarah Levitt of “Cracking the Code of Selling.”

Learn how marketing on the Internet through social networks can increase visibility, strengthen branding, and generate more sales for your business. Build a list of valuable social networking sites for use in the future, explore Facebook tools and how to use them, learn how social networks complement a web site, and understand the options for producing and distributing online audio and video. Taught by Lee White of Decision 3D, LLC.

Discover how to build or identify something exceptional about your product or service. In a crowded field where everything looks the same, this seminar will show you “how to raise a purple cow.” Taught by Katie Gailes of SmartMoves Int’l.

With more and more companies competing each year, it is harder to maintain a number one spot on the search engines. For web-savvy businesses that have already developed a web presence, come learn about determining your target audiences, creating a prospecting plan, keeping current clients happy, and finding the right new clients. Taught by David Mooring of CrossComm, Inc.

Your financial health must begin with an understanding of who you are. Whether you are a budding entrepreneur or an individual looking to improve your personal financial picture, learn to design your personal financial management strategies. Understand techniques to improve your credit worthiness, assess your credit capacity, and leverage your assets. Taught by Devin Brown of Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Durham.

Starting your own business may seem like a daunting task, but it’s not so hard if you take it step by step. Learn an overall understanding of the steps you need to take to make your dream become a reality. Our consultant has trained hundreds of entrepreneurs across the state in starting, marketing, and managing a business. Taught by Jess McLamb of the Roper Group.

Green creates business advantage when it goes beyond being a label to delivering a better result in the way we live, work, and do business. Entrepreneurs and existing businesses can discover sustainable green business advantages that can increase their revenues and profits. Learn the best tools anyone can use to guide the "green business value" discovery process. Taught by Jane Norton of ReSourcing Natural Solutions and Al Huntoon of GreenWorks Initiative.

A well-prepared business plan is the roadmap to and foundation of success in any venture. It opens bank doors even in an uncertain economy. This how-to course covers new techniques for market research, converting competition to a benefit, smart financial forecasting, effective marketing strategies, and secrets to building business credibility. A comprehensive workbook is included. Taught by George Krassner, G.K. Limited.

Small business leaders struggle to find ways to continuously improve their business, to remain competitive and, quite frankly, to survive. Come learn select (Lean) improvement processes and techniques to enhance your efficiency and profits. Your competition is already using them. One "change-good" technique is also examined for enabling changes and monitoring results. Taught by Ken Berger of DTCC Corporate Education and Merville Forrester of Kuehne + Nagel, Inc.

Learn more about renewable energy, energy efficiency, and programs and incentives that can create significant savings for small businesses. This seminar reviews how small businesses can take advantage of new tax credits and other financial incentives provided by the federal government, state government, and electric utilities. Taught by Brian Lips of NC Solar Center.

When times are tight, don’t make the mistake of slowing down your marketing efforts. Increase your marketing, but do it for low or no dollars! Learn how to do cheap marketing research, save marketing dollars, use mini-media marketing, and create Guerrilla Marketing tools for any marketplace while positioning your business to grow dramatically. Taught by Mike Collins of The Perfect Workday Company.

The senior area manager for the U.S. Small Business Administration discusses current economic issues facing small businesses today and how you can use the SBA’s resources to jump start or grow your business successfully. Learn about the SBA’s Stimulus Bill funding to encourage lending with banks and credit unions. Taught by Ivan Hankins of SBA.

Do you know your products or services? Do numbers scare you? What about accounting terms like cash versus accrual, debits and credits, depreciation, assets and liabilities, owner’s equity, liquidity, and more? Get hand-son experience in preparing a financial statement, including cash flow, income statements, and balance sheet. Taught by Jess McLamb, the Roper Group.

Green businesses have special challenges when it comes to marketing. The approach your business takes can have an enormous impact on your ability to connect with customers and translate interest into sales. Learn how to use the 4 E’s — Environment, Efficiency, Education, and Economics — to ensure that your green business will be well positioned for success. Taught by Al Huntoon of GreenWorks Initiative.

This free monthly session is the perfect place to bring all your start-up questions concerning local licenses and permits, business legal forms, taxes and insurance, marketing, and sources of capital. Get answers to your specific needs and learn about resources from a veteran business instructor as well as from fellow entrepreneurs’ questions.

Don’t miss Nancy Tuttle May’s follow-up seminar that examines in-depth goal setting for artists, finding your muse, and following your vision. Learn to take the fear out of the IRS and taxes, keep track of deductible expenses and receipts, understand copyright issues, and protect your work. Learn about self-promotion and how to 'brand' your vision. Taught by Nancy Tuttle May, award-winning local artist.

Where are you headed? How will you know when you've arrived? In today's economy, most of us can't afford
a lot of missed turns and detours. We need to get there quickly and directly. Learn a seven-step process to take
your business from point A to point B, and you can still enjoy the scenery along the way. Taught by Jan Bolick
of Business Class, Inc.

Learn the advantages and costs of the different business entities, including proprietorship, partnership, "C" Corp, "S" Corp, and "LLC." Get answers to your questions about commercial leases, business formation, supplier and customer contracts, and employment issues, as well as practical advice on minimizing business risks. Taught by Donna Ray Chmura J.D., of Sands Anderson Marks & Miller, P.C.

In “tuff times,” you must be more productive, more efficient, and more flexible. Succeeding is all about setting and meeting goals, working more effectively with the people around you, digging out from under the paperwork and email avalanche, and dealing with the stress of a tighter economy. Learn to find an extra hour a day, deal with difficult people, do three things at once, and go home on time. Taught by Mike Collins of The Perfect Workday, Inc.

Want to join the green wave sweeping the business world, but not sure where to start? Learn principles and practices to start your business on the path to becoming more sustainable by adopting a triple bottom line approach that addresses people, the planet, and profit. Discover assessment tools, hear about local businesses successfully embracing this approach, and develop an action plan. Taught by Jane Norton of ReSourcing Natural Solutions.

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