Looking for a way to boost your own knowledge while helping your business? Visit the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center (SBDC) online for the most up-to-date information on classes, workshops and resources. The Pikes Peak SBDC is offering the following workshops in May:

Monday, May 07, 2018 – Introduction to SBDC

  • Time: 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
  • Location: Pikes Peak SBDC, 559 East Pikes Peak Avenue, Ste. 101
  • Fee: No Cost
  • Register: https://clients.coloradosbdc.org/reg.aspx?mode=event&event=70380113
  • An introduction to SBDC consulting, programs, workshops, events, and resources. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to learn more about all the things SBDC has to offer Colorado small businesses!

Tuesday, May 08, 2018 – Connect2DOT: How to be a Successful CDOT Contractor

  • Time: 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
  • Location: Pikes Peak SBDC, 559 East Pikes Peak Avenue, Ste. 101
  • Fee: No Cost
  • Register: https://clients.coloradosbdc.org/reg.aspx?mode=event&event=70380097
  • Do you have what it takes to work on multi-million-dollar CDOT construction projects? Do you want to learn the secrets of making money in a highly competitive low-bid construction environment?
  • Join us for an interactive workshop where you’ll learn about the best practices of the most successful CDOT contractors. We’ll walk you through the top mistakes to avoid and get lessons learned from a former CDOT Region Engineer who is now working as a CDOT prime contractor.

Wednesday, May 09, 2018 – Trademarks, Copyrights and Patents: Intellectual Property 101

  • Time: 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
  • Location: Pikes Peak SBDC, 559 East Pikes Peak Avenue, Ste. 101
  • Fee: $20.00
  • NOTE: Pre-payment for the class is REQUIRED! (If you are unable to attend, you will not receive a refund unless you cancel 24 hours in advance. Thank you for your cooperation!)
  • Register: https://clients.coloradosbdc.org/reg.aspx?mode=event&event=70380114
  • Learn the basics of trademarks, copyrights and patents and why legal protection is important for your business!

Thursday, May 10, 2018 – Boot Camp: Steps to Owning Your Business

  • Time: 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
  • Location: Pikes Peak SBDC, 559 East Pikes Peak Avenue, Ste. 101
  • Fee: $20.00
  • NOTE: Pre-payment for the class is REQUIRED! (If you are unable to attend, you will not receive a refund unless you cancel 24 hours in advance. Thank you for your cooperation!)
  • Register: https://clients.coloradosbdc.org/reg.aspx?mode=event&event=70380107
  • Taking the first step to starting your business can be difficult! This workshop will be a realistic starting point for all budding entrepreneurs. The two-hour workshop will be PACKED and FAST PACED. At the end, you will have a good feel for the level of effort and commitment it will take to make your business successful. If you’re serious about starting a business, you don’t want to miss this workshop. This is a Lunch ‘n Learn…Feel free to bring your lunch!!

Monday, May 14, 2018 – Roundtable: Understanding Financial Statements to Manage Your Business

  • Time: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
  • Location: Pikes Peak SBDC Training Site – Ent Credit Union, 7350 Campus Dr.
  • Fee: No Cost
  • NOTE: Pre-payment for the class is REQUIRED! (If you are unable to attend, you will not receive a refund unless you cancel 24 hours in advance. Thank you for your cooperation!)
  • Register: https://clients.coloradosbdc.org/reg.aspx?mode=event&event=70380105
  • Your small business’s day-to-day operations depend on having accurate financial data, and the success of your business depends on you understanding your business’s financial documents. This interactive roundtable will provide a top-line view and understanding of the key financial statements that need to be understood to be a successful business owner, including: profit and loss (income statement); balance sheet; cash flow; statement; check book; and inventory valuations

Tuesday, May 15, 2018 – Developing Your Online Marketing Strategy

  • Time: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
  • Location: Pikes Peak SBDC, 559 East Pikes Peak Avenue, Ste. 101
  • Fee: $20.00
  • NOTE: Pre-payment for the class is REQUIRED! (If you are unable to attend, you will not receive a refund unless you cancel 24 hours in advance. Thank you for your cooperation!)
  • Register: https://clients.coloradosbdc.org/reg.aspx?mode=event&event=70380102
  • Learn how to increase success in your business specifically through the use of social media. This workshop will get you started amplifying your business through discussing concepts and tools for utilizing social media that are relevant to all platforms.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018 – Where’s The Money?! Funding Options for Starting or Growing Your Business

  • Time: 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM
  • Location: Pikes Peak SBDC – Training Site – Library 21C
  • Facilitated by Pikes Peak SBDC
  • 1175 Chapel Hills Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80920
  • Fee: No Cost
  • NOTE: Pre-payment for the class is REQUIRED! (If you are unable to attend, you will not receive a refund unless you cancel 24 hours in advance. Thank you for your cooperation!)
  • Register: https://clients.coloradosbdc.org/reg.aspx?mode=event&event=70380115
  • Whether you are just starting your business or need more funding for an existing business, finding the money for your venture is one of the most tricky hurdles to overcome. There are a variety of ways you can find funding, and a variety of organizations, people, and resources available to you. What options are right for you? Where should you even start? We designed this course to be an insightful overview of the various options available to you — including traditional bank loans, microlending, SBA loans, venture capital, angel investing, grant-funding, crowd-funding, bootstrapping, etc.

Thursday, May 17, 2018 – Developing a Solid Financial Plan

  • Time: 8:30 AM to 10:30
  • Location: Pikes Peak SBDC, 559 East Pikes Peak Avenue, Ste. 101
  • Fee: $20.00
  • NOTE: Pre-payment for the class is REQUIRED! (If you are unable to attend, you will not receive a refund unless you cancel 24 hours in advance. Thank you for your cooperation!)
  • Register: https://clients.coloradosbdc.org/reg.aspx?mode=event&event=70380104
  • Learn how to increase revenue and lower expenses in order to set your business on a path toward financial soundness. In this workshop we will learn how to calculate break-even, determine an appropriate pricing strategy, determine COGS (cost of goods sold), budget, find industry standards, and more! This is a working session…we strongly encourage you to bring your laptop with Excel or similar financial software if possible. Although it’s not necessary, doing so will allow you to leave with some actual financial calculations completed!

Thursday, May 17, 2018 – Sole Proprietorship, LLC, or Corporation? Choosing an Appropriate Legal Entity

  • Time: 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
  • Location: Pikes Peak SBDC, 559 East Pikes Peak Avenue, Ste. 101
  • Fee: $20.00
  • NOTE: Pre-payment for the class is REQUIRED! (If you are unable to attend, you will not receive a refund unless you cancel 24 hours in advance. Thank you for your cooperation!)
  • Register: https://clients.coloradosbdc.org/reg.aspx?mode=event&event=70380116
  • This workshop is designed to help you make an informed decision about which legal business entity is best for your business. We will discuss the differences between a sole proprietorship, LLC, and S-Corp. This workshop is taught by an attorney with additional experience in taxation, so you will learn the practical legal and tax implications of each type! The workshop also includes Q&A time.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018 – Everyone Sells Something: Basic Techniques for Improving Your Sales Game

  • Time: 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
  • Location: Pikes Peak SBDC, 559 East Pikes Peak Avenue, Ste. 101
  • Fee: $20.00
  • NOTE: Pre-payment for the class is REQUIRED! (If you are unable to attend, you will not receive a refund unless you cancel 24 hours in advance. Thank you for your cooperation!)
  • Register: https://clients.coloradosbdc.org/reg.aspx?mode=event&event=70380117
  • When you take on the challenge of being an entrepreneur, you take on the role of sales person. Cold calling. Lead generation. Overcoming objections. Closing. Most of these things do not come naturally, even if you are passionate about your product or service. It takes preparation and practice. During this interactive session, you’ll be designing a sales strategy, working on your verbiage and role playing a prospect conversation.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018 – Cybersecurity Simplified: What Your Small Business Needs to Know

  • Time: 9:00 AM to 12:00
  • Location: Pikes Peak SBDC, 559 East Pikes Peak Avenue, Ste. 101
  • Fee: $20.00
  • NOTE: Pre-payment for the class is REQUIRED! (If you are unable to attend, you will not receive a refund unless you cancel 24 hours in advance. Thank you for your cooperation!)
  • Register: https://clients.coloradosbdc.org/reg.aspx?mode=event&event=70380118
  • You may think cyber-attacks only happen to the corporate giants. But as a small business owner, you are actually more at risk than all of them! The issue of cyber security has become a central focus of companies, big and small, across all industries. As more individuals and small businesses become increasingly dependent on our networked and interconnected infrastructure, cybercrime and cyber criminals have become much more sophisticated in their techniques for stealing identities and using them to extract funds and make fraudulent purchases. Join us in this session to understand how your small business may be at risk and what you can do to protect your customers and your assets.

Thursday, May 24, 2018 – Southern Colorado Construction Opportunities Forum

  • Time: 8:00 AM to 2:30 PM
  • Location: Pikes Peak SBDC, 559 East Pikes Peak Avenue, Ste. 101
  • Fee: No Cost
  • Register: https://clients.coloradosbdc.org/reg.aspx?mode=event&event=70380095
  • Hear from the movers and shakers of government construction. What are the projects planned for the next year? Which large companies are going to compete for them and how does a smaller company get on the team? You will get all the answers to these questions and more. Agencies represented will be US Army Corps of Engineers, City of Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Connect2Dot and more!

Thursday, May 24, 2018 – Business Plan in a Day

  • Time: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
  • Location: Pikes Peak SBDC, 559 East Pikes Peak Avenue, Ste. 101
  • Fee: $20.00
  • NOTE: Pre-payment for the class is REQUIRED! (If you are unable to attend, you will not receive a refund unless you cancel 24 hours in advance. Thank you for your cooperation!)
  • Register: https://clients.coloradosbdc.org/reg.aspx?mode=event&event=70380119
    During this workshop, we will begin the task of putting together a very basic strategic plan that will act as a road map to building your business plan. Would you begin to build a 43 story skyscraper without a blueprint? Then ask yourself this, what does your business look like three to five years from now? These methodical steps are the beginning of a process that will enable you to move forward with purpose, passion, and precision; profitability will present itself when you have followed your own direction. The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise and is not preceded by a period of worry and depression! Join us to begin the process of strategically mapping your business through a simplified business plan that you can then continue to build upon. This workshop is for both startups and existing businesses!

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 – Telling Your Story

  • Time: 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
  • Location: Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce, 166 Second Street, Monument, CO 80132
  • Fee: No Cost
  • Register: https://www.chamberorganizer.com/members/evr/reg_event.php?evid=39299199&orgcode=TLCC
  • In this seminar you will have to ask yourself: “What makes me relevant?” and “What is the compelling reason for people to buy from me and disrupt their normal habits?” We will discuss the trials and tribulations that every business owner encounters while developing their marketing plan and trying to tell their story. The goal of this workshop is to give you actionable steps to take your marketing campaign and strategy to the next level!

Wednesday, May 30, 2018 – Building A Business To Sell

  • Time: 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM Mountain
  • Location: Pikes Peak SBDC, 559 East Pikes Peak Avenue, Ste. 101
  • Fee: $20.00
  • NOTE: Pre-payment for the class is REQUIRED! (If you are unable to attend, you will not receive a refund unless you cancel 24 hours in advance. Thank you for your cooperation!)
  • Register: https://clients.coloradosbdc.org/reg.aspx?mode=event&event=70380121
  • Whether you’re just starting a new business or actively looking to sell it’s never too early to begin positioning your business for sale. In this workshop you’ll learn the steps you can start taking now to maximize your business value and preparing your exit strategy. We’ll cover topics such as financial records, market valuation, the acquisition team, the pre-sale audit, customer concentration, intangible assets, etc. We’ll also cover current market trends and the economic outlook for small business over the next 5 years.

Thursday, May 31, 2018 – Visually-Based Business Planning: An Introduction to Business Model Canvas

  • Time: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM Mountain
  • Location: Pikes Peak SBDC, 559 East Pikes Peak Avenue, Ste. 101
  • Fee: $20.00
  • NOTE: Pre-payment for the class is REQUIRED! (If you are unable to attend, you will not receive a refund unless you cancel 24 hours in advance. Thank you for your cooperation!)
  • Register: https://clients.coloradosbdc.org/reg.aspx?mode=event&event=70380120
  • Learn how this relatively new and more visually-based business planning methodology allows you to describe, design, challenge, invent and pivot your business model. Great for people writing business plans, strategic plans, or wanting to document/describe existing business models!

In addition to many individual workshops and sessions, the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center (SBDC) offers multiple tracks. Tracks are a tailored series of workshops focused on a particular subject. Although many of these tracks began in January, workshops that are part of the track are available.

The Start-Up Track, offered every other month, is for business owners just getting started of those who are thinking about it: www.pikespeaksbdc.org/startup.

The Financial Track, offered quarterly, is aimed at empowering entrepreneurs to manage business finances: www.pikespeaksbdc.org/financial.

The Marketing Track, also offered quarterly, is focused on determining the relevance of businesses in today’s market: www.pikespeaksbdc.org/marketing.

The Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center is located at the Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation at 559 East Pikes Peak Ave., Suite 101, in downtown Colorado Springs. It offers business consulting and training to assist existing and new small businesses in El Paso, Park and Teller counties. For more information about the SBDC and services it offers, visit www.pikespeaksbdc.org or call 719-667-3803.