eLearning Library: All Recorded Webinars

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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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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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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Session 1 – Your relationship with Money- Budgeting
Examine how your thinking about money affects your relationship with money. Learn to set a budget that works for you!
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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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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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“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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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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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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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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Are you a manufacturer?  Learn about the different programs and the application process from Paul Lavoie, Chief Manufacturing Officer, DECD.
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Session 2 – Understanding Credit reports & scores
Credit score, debt and risk management
Learn how these topics connect and what you need to do to improve your finances.
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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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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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“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.
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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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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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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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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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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 >>

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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Explore business Plan writing and the benefits of having a business plan.
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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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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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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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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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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.
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Fundamentos financieros: Introducción a las finanzas personales (curso de 3 partes)
Parte 1: Presupuesto 101
Tu relación con el dinero, el presupuesto
     Examine cómo lo que piensa sobre el dinero afecta su relación con el dinero. ¡Aprenda a establecer un presupuesto que funcione para usted!
En esta grabación, Monica Martinez Hess repasa la importancia de tener un presupuesto y cómo crearlo. Esta grabación también incluye preguntas y respuestas de personas que asistieron a la sesión.
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“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.
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¿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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     Vea la grabacion de esta sesión de una hora para explorar cómo puede implementar las mejores prácticas bancarias para su negocio.
     Los banqueros brindan administración de efectivo, procesamiento comercial y otros servicios valiosos, no solo a alguien con quien habla cuando necesita financiamiento.
     Esta sesión cubrirá formas de construir una relación con su banquero, brindará la visión del banquero sobre cómo trabajar con su empresa y utilizará herramientas para que pueda tomar medidas para mejorar su banca comercial. Obtenga información sobre cómo puede prepararse para implementar su mejor estrategia comercial.
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Fundamentos financieros: Introducción a las finanzas personales (curso de 3 partes)
Parte 2: Crédito y deuda
Puntaje de crédito, deudas y gestión de riesgos
Aprenda cómo se conectan estos temas y qué debe hacer para mejorar sus finanzas.
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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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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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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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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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Forever stuck on subject lines? Don’t know how to grow or segment your audience? Missing calls to action?
Learn the best practices you need for your email marketing strategy to succeed.
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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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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 – 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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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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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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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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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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This course provides a simple strategy for individuals and businesses looking to create an effective sales system. 
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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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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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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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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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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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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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Have you thought about your business becoming Small and Minority Business (SBE/MBE) certified? Join Meg Yetishefsky, the Program Manager for the Procurement Services/Supplier Diversity Unit as she explains the certification process. This webinar will walk you thru the certification application process and guide you to resources available to you for state procurement opportunities. 
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Are you considering insuring your business, but don’t know where to start? Join Operations and Risk Management Consultant Meredith Messenger to talk about how to minimize risk to your business by choosing the right insurance program. 
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Understanding intellectual property (IP) is an important skill for anyone starting or growing a business. Discuss IP protection for the various parts of your business and how IP helps you create and maintain a competitive advantage over your competition, which is essential for your long-term success.  
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Learn the differences between Trademark, Registered, and Copyright while protecting your brand online and in the “real world” to minimize the chance of a legal dispute and tarnishment of your brand.
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Insurance protects your most valuable asset . . . you! Everyone believes the bad things happen to other people but, as a business owner, you have to plan for the things that no one wants to think about. 
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Think your business is too small to be concerned about cyber security? Think again! 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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The Government works to make sure small businesses get at least 23% of all federal contracting dollars. But, do you know how to get one? Learn tips and resources from this informationsal session led by WBDC and the SBA on how to get a federal contract.
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Understanding how to become certified as a women-owned small business can be confusing. Learn how to understand the process.
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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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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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Learn best practices for hiring, retaining, and supervising staff.   
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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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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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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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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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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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Doing all your HR yourself and ready to onboard new hires?  Learn about state and federal requirements, employee contracts and policies, onboarding training, and more. Leave with the confidence to successfully onboard your next hire. 
This program is ideal for those looking to hire their first or second employee, or those that have employees and want to strengthen their best practices. 
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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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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 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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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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¿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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Discussion of drafting payment policies that will increase your cash flow and improve your ability to budget.   
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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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Geared toward eligible child care providers with program staff that are planning to apply for OEC’s Childcare Stabilization Funding.
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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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