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eLearning Library: Aspiring Entrepreneurs

eLearning Library: Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Many On-Demand Learning Options for You

WBDC eLearning Classroom for
Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Aspiring Entrenpreneurs

Do you have an amazing idea for a business, but aren’t sure how it will work or what you need to do to start your business.

These classes are your first step toward understanding the viability of your business and how to get started.

Business Start-up

Managing a Business

Accounting, Budgeting, and Cash Flow

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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Business Plan Basics

Explore business Plan writing and the benefits of having a business plan. 
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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: 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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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 >>

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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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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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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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 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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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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Pricing, Profitability, Projections for Service Business

Learn to evaluate your pricing and set projections to help you grow your profits.
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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 Financing

Marketing, Sales, and, Social Media

HR and Legal Issues

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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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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Credit Score 101

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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 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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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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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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Choosing the Right Insurance for Your Business

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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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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How CT's New Cyber Law Affects Your Business

The new law affects individual or sole proprietorships, partnerships, firms, corporations, trusts, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships, joint stock companies, and joint ventures. This webinar is especially relevant for businesses that collect sensitive and personal information from their employees and clients.
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Technology

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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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: 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: 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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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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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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What’s next?
Meet with a WBDC Advisor

Personal Financial Counseling: watch “Credit Score 101” and then request an appointment with Samantha Cross.

Business Counseling: watch “Business Entity Types” and “Business Plan Basics” and request an appointment with Sherry Konwerski or Kenyetta Banks