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eLearning Library: All Recorded Webinars

eLearning Library: All Recorded Webinars

Many On-Demand Learning Options for You

Welcome to the WBDC eLearning Classroom –
The Full Catalog

All Entrepreneurs

Here you will find all of our available eLearning webinars, organized by subject matter.
Need help finding what’s best for you? Give us a call at
(203) 353-1750 x111.

EIDL Loan Recipients

Watch this recording to understand the necessary steps to take to repay your EIDL Loan. Catherine Marx, SBA Connecticut District Director guides you through the online process.

Accounting & Finance

Accessing Capital for Your Business

Early-stage companies to occasionally need capital assistance to stay afloat and finance their day-to-day operations. Despite this, many small businesses and startups find it difficult to get access to capital.
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Business Grant Info Session: 7 Steps to Write a Business Grant

Interested in applying for a grant for your small business, but unsure how to get started? Join us for an information session to answer your questions about the grant application process. In addition, participants will have access to a free resource guide compiled by Chelsea Groton Bank to regional and national grants that are available.
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Discovering Capital for Your Small Business

Learn about opportunities for attaining the funds you need for your business.  Gain an understanding of traditional and non-traditional lenders, alternative loan sources, and the requirements you need to qualify. 
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Introduction to the CT Small Business Boost Fund

Learn about this new opportunity, how to get your business prepared to accept investments, access low interest loans, and invest in your success!
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Introduction to QuickBooks Online

Join Sherry Konwerski, WBDC Business Advisor and QuickBooks Pro Advisor, for a general overview of QuickBooks Online. Learn the basic features and functionality of this tool and determine if it is the best solution for your needs. This class is recommended for those who aren’t familiar with bookkeeping or accounting.
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Money Tips to Help Women Thrive

The “M” word doesn’t have to raise fears every time you hear it. While you may feel you have a good grasp on the basics, more refined skills are helpful in learning to build a secure financial future. Join us for an interactive discussion and leave with an action plan that will help guide your financial future.
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Pricing, Profitability, Projections for Product Business

Pricing your products is a very important part of being a small business owner. Improper pricing can lead to no profits, fewer customers and lower potential for your business to succeed. 
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Retirement Plan Options for Sole Proprietors (Spanish)

“Trabajar porque quiero y no porque tengo que hacerlo” es una de las razones más comunes por las que un emprendedor inicia su propio negocio. Pero las actividades cotidianas desvían el enfoque de la planificación para el futuro. Conozca las diferentes opciones y estrategias al planificar para la jubilación.
Regístrese >>
 

What You Need to Know About Business Lending

Thinking of applying for a business loan? Discover what lenders are looking for and get tips about what you should know before applying. 
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Building Your B.A.I.L. Team - A is for Accountant

Accountants evaluate your financial statements and tax position to help further your company’s progress towards its goals. Explore how you can implement accounting practices for your business. This session will cover ways to build a relationship with your accounting professionals, provide the accountant’s view on working with your business, and engage tools for you to take action on improving your business story by the numbers
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Credit Score 101

Explore personal credit scores and the steps you can take to get your financial house in order. Whether you’re starting a business or already operating one, this session will help you understand the effects of personal finances on business finances, and give you practical tips for improving your credit score.
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Grant Money for CT Manufacturers

Are you a manufacturer?  Learn about the different programs and the application process from Paul Lavoie, Chief Manufacturing Officer, DECD.
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Know Your Numbers

Learn common types and important considerations for financing a new business. This series of short videos, averaging five to 10 minutes each, covers topics such as Financing Options and Preparation, Accounting Applications, Revenue Models, Calculating Costs, Pricing and Profitability, Personal Credit, and QuickBooks Basics. Check back regularly for new additions.
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Personal Property Tax

Every October, every town in Connecticut sends a personal property declaration to all registered business owners in their town. You are required to submit the form to the town by November 1 to avoid a 25% penalty.  
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Pricing, Profitability, Projections for Service Business

Learn to evaluate your pricing and set projections to help you grow your profits.
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SBA: Ways to Fund Your Business

It costs money to start a business. Funding your business is one of the first — and most important — financial choices most business owners make. How you choose to fund your business could affect how you structure and run your business. 
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What You Need to Know About EIDL Payments

The Covid-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) deferment periods are approacching an end. Business owners that received an EIDL need to start setting up and making payments on their loans. Learn what you need to know about the process.
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Building Your B.A.I.L. Team - B is for Banker

Bankers supply cash management, merchant processing, and other valuable services — not just someone you talk to when you need financing. Explore how you can implement best banking practices for your business.
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Credit Scores: How this Impacts your Financial Planning

Explore personal credit scores and the steps you can take to get your financial house in order. Whether you’re starting a business or already operating one, this session will help you understand the effects of personal finances on business finances and give you practical tips for improving your credit score
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Helpful Tips in Preparing Your Business Taxes

Learn some quick tips to help you prepare and stay on top of the paperwork that comes in fast and furious in the early part of the year.
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Money Confidence

Learn six steps that will make you feel confident advocating for yourself and your business and help you learn how to strengthen your financial confidence.
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Prepare to Apply for Grants

Explore the tools you’ll need to prepare and learn about the types of questions often asked in grant applications, what data your answers need to include, and provide you some tips along the way.
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Retirement Plan Options for Sole Proprietors (English)

“To work because I want to and not because I have to” is one of the most common reasons why an entrepreneur starts their own business. But day-to-day activities shift the focus away from planning for the future. Learn about different options and strategies when planning for retirement.
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Tax Types: What Every Business Owner Needs to Know

Whether you’re a new business owner or seasoned entrepreneur, it’s important to understand your federal, state, and local tax requirements. Learn about the difference between all tax types to help you file your taxes accurately and make payments on time. 
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Business Basics

Business Entity Types

Designed for aspiring entrepreneurs and early stage start-up businesses, this quick module delves into the top three considerations to evaluate as you set about determining your legal business structure.  Learn about the differences between a sole proprietorship, partnership, and corporation, and decide which is the best fit.
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Monetize Your Passion

Refine your ideas for side projects and passions, explore how to monetize these ventures and grow passion to profit and professional aims.
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SBA: Turn Your Hobby Into a Business

Have you ever thought about turning your hobby into a business, but have come up with all the reasons why it wouldn’t work? With a little business education, the question, instead, becomes, why wouldn’t it work? Join WBDC and the SBA to learn how you CAN turn a hobby you love into a business.
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So You Want to Start a Food Business?

Looking to start a cottage business, food truck, restaurant, brewery, catering or other retail food business but don’t know where to start? Learn what you will need to have a successful food business. Start here to learn the basics on becoming a food entrepreneur.Sign-up >>

Tech Made Easy: Navigating Online Safely

An important session on cybersecurity best practices.  Learn how to authenticate the website you are on and send your information securely; get tips for better password management; and how to download and save documents safely on public computers.
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Business Plan Basics

Explore business Plan writing and the benefits of having a business plan.
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Ready to Grow: Taking Your Business to the Next Level

You’ve been running a business for a while now. You’re profitable, but you feel like your capacity is maxed out. You need a new strategy to take your business to the next level. Explore whether you should expand into new markets, new products or offerings or both. Consider the timing, investment needed, and risk invovled.
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SMART Tips in Setting Business Goals

Learn how to turn vague goals into actionable ones by making them SMART. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound.
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Tech Made Easy: Digitizing Your Receipts

Learn how to take the first step in managing your personal and business receipts, and get ready for tax season by organizing your receipts for yourself or your bookkeeper.  Explore tools and applications to effectively capture your receipts and other important financial documents.
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Tech Made Easy: Organizing Your Files

Participants will learn valuable techniques and tools to categorize, store, and access files efficiently and effortlessly. Simply your business processes and boost productivity with the tips you will take away from this class.
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International Expansion for Every Business Type

International sales are not just for large manufacturers.  If you are an artist, jewelry designer, beauty care producer, candle maker, etc. then international expansion may be a great way for you to increase sales. If you are a service provider in the fields of website design, accounting, law, or travel services, just to name a few, you are a part of some of the fastest growing export industries!
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SBA: 10 Steps to Keeping Your Resolution to Start a Business

Starting a business involves planning, making key financial decisions, and completing a series of legal activities. Join WBDC and the SBA as we discuss how to get your business started in 10 Steps.
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So You Want to Buy a Business?

Have you been approached about buying someone’s business? Considering purchasing a franchise? Exploring shifting from the role of employee to the role of owner?
This workshop is geared towards evaluating whether these opportunities are a good match and what considerations can help you gain confidence in your decisions.
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Tech Made Easy: Excel 101

Learn how to fill in an existing Excel workbook, create a table, create basic formulas, adjust worksheet formatting, using forms and more. NOTE: this class is for beginners not very familiar with Excel.
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Tech Made Easy: PDF's and Email Attachments

Have you ever struggled with using Adobe Acrobat, saving documents to PDF, combining multiple documents into one PDF, or signing documents? Or perhaps you need a refresher on how to attach those documents to an email.  Then join us for this session to go over all these features, ask your questions, and walk away feeling more confident about how you engage in business.
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eLearning en español

Aprenda QuickBooks Self-employed (en español)

Únase a Zayed Rodríguez, asesor de negocios de WBDC para una sesión práctica para aprender a administrar las finanzas de su empresa con QuickBooks Self-Employed. Esta versión de QuickBooks funciona mejor para empresas muy pequeñas que no tienen empleados, y procesan todos los ingresos y gastos a través de sus cuentas comerciales o de tarjetas de crédito. Viene con una aplicación móvil para un fácil acceso.
Sign-up >>

Retirement Plan Options for Sole Proprietors (Spanish)

“Trabajar porque quiero y no porque tengo que hacerlo” es una de las razones más comunes por las que un emprendedor inicia su propio negocio. Pero las actividades cotidianas desvían el enfoque de la planificación para el futuro. Conozca las diferentes opciones y estrategias al planificar para la jubilación.
Regístrese >>
 

Tecnología simplificada: PDF y archivos adjuntos de correo electrónico

¿Alguna vez ha tenido problemas para usar Adobe Acrobat, guardar documentos en PDF, combinar varios documentos en un PDF o firmar documentos? O quizás necesite un repaso sobre cómo adjuntar esos documentos a un correo electrónico. Luego, únase a nosotros en esta sesión para repasar todas estas funciones, hacer sus preguntas y salir sintiéndose más seguro de cómo se involucra en los negocios.
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Sesión informativa sobre subvenciones para proveedores de cuidado infantil

Vea esta sesión informativa para conocer las oportunidades de subvenciones para empresas de cuidado infantil del Consejo de Desarrollo Empresarial de Mujeres. Este programa ofrece cuatro (4) subvenciones de hasta $ 25,000 a empresas de cuidado infantil aspirantes y con licencia OEC en el estado de Connecticut. La sesión de información cubrirá los requisitos de elegibilidad, para qué se puede utilizar la subvención y el proceso de solicitud y el cronograma. Compartiremos las preguntas de la solicitud y la documentación de respaldo requerida. También habrá tiempo para preguntas.
El período de solicitud de subvención será del 1 al 21 de noviembre, y alentamos a todos los solicitantes interesados a que asistan a una sesión informativa para comprender qué se requiere para la solicitud. La sesión de información está diseñada para ayudarlo a preparar su solicitud. Solo necesita asistir a una sesión, aunque puede asistir a las dos si lo desea.
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Consejos útiles para preparar sus impuestos comerciales

Get some quick tips to help you prepare and stay on top of the paperwork that comes in fast and furious in the early part of the year.
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Tecnología fácil: Navegar en línea de forma segura

¡Únase a nosotros para una sesión importante sobre las mejores prácticas de ciberseguridad. Aprenda a autenticar el sitio web en el que se encuentra y envíe su información de forma segura; obtener consejos para una mejor gestión de contraseñas; y cómo descargar y guardar documentos de forma segura en computadoras públicas.
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Marketing & Sales

5 Website Must Haves To Grow Your Business

Does your website really reflect who you are and what you do? Is it communicating the right message? Take advantage of this discussion led by Michelle Blais to learn how your website can help you grow your business.
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Activate Your Voice

Learn the art of effective communication. Whether you’re giving speeches, doing interviews, or making deal-closing pitches, activating your voice is the first step in becoming an effective communicator.
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Branding for Your Small Business

Take a close look at what branding means for small businesses and how you can create a brand strategy that will set you apart from the competition.
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Email Marketing 101

This comprehensive class is designed for beginners, providing you with a solid foundation in email marketing essentials. 
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Grow Your Business with Shopify or Etsy

Whether you are newly formed or an established business, your company can thrive on either platform. Gain insight into the world of eCommerce and whether Shopify or Etsy are right for you.
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How to Make Your Brand Powerful

The perception of your brand exists whether you control it or not. Learn tips on how to create a brand strategy, learn what brand is, what factors to consider when creating visual and verbal communications, and how to write a positioning statement.
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Intro to TikTok

Walk through the process of setting up a profile and the basics of getting started on TikTok.
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The Personal Branding Advantage

Personal branding gives you a leg up from the competition, creating trust when your appearance and actions are in alignment.
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The Social Media Formula for Creating Content

Learn how to optimize your social media accounts to maximize your success with an easy formula to communicate your brand’s message across multiple platforms.
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Website Content Made Easy

Create website content your visitors will actually read with easy step-by-step online tools to help savvy entrepreneurs and small business owners create the words, images and plan the layout for your website, before even trying to tackle the techy stuff!
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21 Easy Types of Content

Learn from a marketing strategy expert, certified copywriter, and content creator 21 easy and different types of content you can create to reach the right clients for your business.
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B2B Marketing - Reaching & Connecting with Business Clients

Learn how to target your business marketing strategies and channels to reach key decision-makers, create meaningful lead generation tools and develop content that will support your goals.
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Demystifying Sales: A Guide to Building a Simple Sales System

This course provides a simple strategy for individuals and businesses looking to create an effective sales system. 
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Etsy or Shopify: Which is Right for Your Business?

Whether you are newly formed or an established business, your company can thrive on either platform. Get insight into the world of eCommerce and learn whether Shopify or Etsy are right for you.
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How to Confidently Pitch Your Product or Service

Communicating your product or service is a key skill for every entrepreneur. You have to be able to talk about what you do or sell, concisely, clearly, and with confidence to capture the attention and interest of potential buyers or recommenders.
This one-hour session will cover best practices and techniques for pitching.
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How PR Can Help Your Business

Do you understand the difference between public relations, marketing, and advertising? Wonder how you can use public relations to grow your small business?
Join us to learn exactly what public relations is and how it can help your business.
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LinkedIn Personal Branding

LinkedIn – the world’s largest professional network – is an incredibly  powerful tool for networking and career development. Learn how to showcase your personal brand on LinkedIn. Follow along and update your profile!
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SEO Basics - Get Found on Google

Search Engine Optimitzation (SEO) is a mandatory marketing tactic if you want your wbesite to be found on Google. SEO is complex and ever-changing, but you can easily understand the basics, and even a small amount of SEO knowledge can make a big difference. Learn proven, repeatable best practices to help you drive targeted traffic to your website.
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Understanding and Using Instagram Reels

This session will provide an overview of what Intagram reels are and how you can use them as a marketing tool to promote your business.
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Website Development: DIY or Hire a Pro?

Thinking of creating a website for your business and wondering if you should do it yourself or hire a professional? Explore the pros and cons of both options.
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The ABC's of SEO

Learn about SEO, Keywords, SEO Ranking Factors, Google and Analytics and Google My Business.
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Branding, Logos, and Taglines

As a small business owner, having a unique brand that differentiates you from your competition is very important, but how do you develop yours into one that tells the story of your company?  Learn the difference between a logo and a brand, and how taglines can help you communicate your promise to your customers.
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Do You Know Your Competition?

Learn how to do a simple competitive analysis so you can stand out from the crowd.
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Finding Your Customers

Learn how to reach your customers more effectively. Guidance on defining your target market, identifying your ideal client, and building marketing and segmentation strategies to attract and retain these customers.
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How to Create a Google Business Profile

Google Business is an underrated and important marketing tool! It is free and easy to set up and manage.  Learn the easy steop to set up your Google Business Lising.
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How to Rock Your Social Content

Learn tips on how regular scheduling, concepts, templates, and posting can lead to a major increase in people noticing your business across different social media platforms.
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Marketing Foundations - Your Company's Story

Dive into the foundational aspects of developing a successful marketing approach for your business. Explore the importance of understanding your market, competitive analysis, telling your unique story and how to reach your target market. This series of short videos, averaging five to 10 minutes each, will lay the foundation for your marketing plan.
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Social Selling - Converting Followers to Customers

Building a strong community isn’t just about getting people to follow you on social media — it’s about creating a presence that keeps them intrigued and invested in you and your brand.
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Unleashing the Potential of Google Analytics

In this course, you will dive into GA4 to harness its capabilities and learn how to leverage various reports to enhance your business strategies and reporting.
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Operations, HR, and Organization

Business Entity Types

Designed for aspiring entrepreneurs and early stage start-up businesses, this quick module delves into the top three considerations to evaluate as you set about determining your legal business structure.  Learn about the differences between a sole proprietorship, partnership, and corporation, and decide which is the best fit.
Sign-up >>
 

Cyber Security

Think your business is too small to be concerned about cyber security? Think again! Typically, we only hear about data breaches at huge corporations, but the truth is most businesses that are hacked are small. Find out how you can tell if your business is vulnerable and get tips on how to make it more secure.
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Employee Compliance

Learn best practices for hiring, retaining, and supervising staff.   
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MyCTSavings Retirement Savings Program

MyCTSavings is a new retirement savings program, overseen by the Connecticut Office of the State Comptroller. Join WBDC and the State Comptroller’s office to learn how more about this program, how it works, and what employers need to do to sign up.
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What the New CT Retirement Savings Law Means for Your Business

Employers with five or more employees in Connecticut are required by law to join MyCTSavings if they don’t already offer a retirement plan for their employees. MyCTSavings is a new retirement savings program, sponsored by the State of Connecticut’s Retirement Security Authority to help Connecticut employees save and plan for the future. Learn more about this program and how it affects your business.
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CT Paid Leave: What You Need to Know

Wondering how the CT Paid Leave Act affects your business? Join WBDC CEO Fran Pastore along with CT Paid Leave CEO Andrea Reeves for a Town Hall on what small businesses need to know about the differences between FMLA and the CT Paid Leave Act including responsibilities as the employer, job-protected leave, income replacement, and the resources available to help businesses successfully navigate the two worlds of CT Paid Leave and CT FMLA.
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Effective Delegation

Explore how you can delegate effectively to empower your team and increase productivity. Learn ways to communicate expectation, engage your staff for growth, and tools for taking action.
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Finding & Attracting Job Candidates

This session will equip you with creative strategies and insights to attract great job candidates for your growing company. Discover how to craft an irresistible employer brand, leverage technology for optimal outreach, and spot the right fit beyond qualifications.
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Why It Still Feels So Hard

Your business is healthy, but there’s still not enough time in the day to get everything done. Does it feel like areas of your business are suffering? Learn how to pinpoint and fix the issue, allowing you to build a business with staying power.
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CT Paid Leave: Sole Proprietors

Sole Proprietors & Self-Employed individuals are not required to enroll in CT Paid Leave. However, it could provide many with peace of mind and financial security. Due to increased demand and newly approved policies, we now have more information to share surrounding the details of what it means to be a Sole Proprietor enrolled in the Paid Leave program.
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Effective Interviewing for Hiring with Confidence

Confidently select the best candidates for your business by mastering the art of effective interviewing.
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Getting Your Company Handbook Ready for 2023

Employee handbooks are key to ensuring compliance and reducing legal risk. Have you updated your company handbook recently? Or, is your company getting ready to create an employee handbook?
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Who's On Your B.A.I.L. Team?

Learn why you need to have a Banker, Accountant, Insurer, and Legal team to help support you and your small business.
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Child Care Business

Business Essentials: Benefits of Child Care Management Software
CCMS helps providers to implement business practices, supports efficient operations, budgeting, fee collection and financial reporting.
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Calculating Your Time-Space Percentage
Calculating your time-space percentage is an essential part of managing your family childcare home. Learn why this percentage is important and how to calculate it. 
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Grant Prep - Financial Statements & Projections
If you are a Connecticut OEC-licensed or aspiring child care provider interested in applying for WBDC’s Child Care Start-up, Expansion, or Emergency Facilities Grant programs, we invite you to join this session to get guidance on preparing your use of funds worksheet, historical & current financial statements, as well as your financial projections.
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Iniciar un centro de cuidado infantil: lo que necesita saber

¿Estás pensando en crecer desde una casa familiar a un centro? ¿O ha abierto recientemente un centro? Únase a WBDC Business Advisor y experta en la primera infancia, Linda Fecteau, para aprender sobre artículos importantes a considerar antes de dar el salto para expandirse. Obtenga consejos prácticos sobre presupuestar, ensamblar su equipo de la primera infancia, administrar la inscripción y más.
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Business Essentials: Creating Effective Payment Policies
Discussion of drafting payment policies that will increase your cash flow and improve your ability to budget.   
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Child Care Grant Information Session (English) 9.2.23

 

WBDC is AGAIN offering grants to qualified child care businesses in Connecticut through its Child Care Business Opportunity Fund.  The Opportunity Fund is designed to help licensed and aspiring child care businesses grow!  The Fund has grant programs targeting different stages of business, from start-ups to those ready to expand their business.
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Child Care Staff Compensation Plan
Geared toward eligible child care providers with program staff that are planning to apply for OEC’s Childcare Stabilization Funding.
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Starting a Child Care Center - What You Need to Know
Learn about important items to consider before taking the leap to expand.  Get practical tips on budgeting, assembling your early childhood team, managing enrollment, and more.
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Calculating Your Cost of Care for Family Homes
Discuss how to calculate your cost of care by examining your pricing, profit , and projections. Learn how to find your break-even point to better set prices and work towards increasing your profit. Leave with practical guidance to create your annual budget.
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Child Care Grant Information Session (Spanish) 9.2.23

 

El Fondo de Oportunidades está diseñado para ayudar a que crezcan las empresas de cuidado infantil con licencia y aspirantes. El Fondo tiene programas de subvenciones dirigidos a diferentes etapas de la empresa, desde la puesta en marcha hasta las que están listas para expandir su negocio.
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Employee Compliance

Learn best practices for hiring, retaining, and supervising staff.   
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Strategies to Manage Your OEC Funds

Be prepared to leverage OEC stabilization funding in the most effective way for your business.
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Tracking Grants / Funding Expenses
Learn the best way to track your grant expenses, classify them correctly and have access to up-to-date financial information. 
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