Join us for a discussion about what all entrepreneurs, small businesses, and start-ups should know about trademarks. We’ll discuss what trademarks are, the benefits of federal trademark registration, and the basics of the registration process. We’ll also talk about why it’s so important for any new business to select a trademark that is both federally registrable and legally protectable.
We’ll direct you to free resources from the USPTO and close out the discussion with a question-and-answer session.
Speaker: Mariessa Terrell, Attorney Advisor, Trademarks Customer Outreach, USPTO
Webinar presented in collaboration with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A confirmation email with the Zoom login information will be sent after registration – a day before before the event – please be on the lookout for it.
A sales funnel is a marketing term describing where your customers are in their purchasing journey and what marketing tools you can use to guide potential customers from interest to purchase.
In this webinar, you’ll learn how to use sales funnels to grow your business, automate your marketing tasks, create a complete customer journey map and determine your business KPIs so you can easily track what’s working and what’s not.
You’ll learn:
- What is a sales funnel and how to use it in your business
- How to create a complete customer journey map from discovery to purchase
- Automation tools you can use to streamline marketing processes
- How to establish and measure KPIs
Live attendees will receive free business resources and a link to this webinar recording.
Promotional Video HERE
Overview of This Live Webinar
The following essential steps for government contracting will be covered:
- The government customer
- Readiness to be a government contractor
- Marketing to the customer
- Government jargon
- Steps to get started
- Small business set-asides
- Targeting the government customer
- What the buyer wants to know
- What should go into a capability statement
Speakers: Timm Johnson – Director, Mason SBDC
Co-sponsor(s) & Partner(s): Prince William County Department of Economic Development & Prince William Chamber of Commerce
Cancellation Policy: Contact the Center regarding cancellation earlier than 24 business hours prior to event. Kindly email – help@masonsbdc.org (preferred) or call 703-261-4105 to notify the team.
Special Instruction: This live webinar will be presented via Zoom. Webinar access details (Zoom invitation) will be provided after registration.
Grab your lunch and join us the first Thursday of each month to learn more about SBA programs and network with other small business owners.
Topic: Service Disable Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)
The federal government aims to award at least 3% of all federal contracting dollars to Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) each year. Joining the SDVOSB program makes your business eligible to compete for the program’s set-aside contracts. You can still compete for contract awards under other socio-economic programs you qualify for.
Key Takeaways:
- What is a SDVOSB?
- Who is eligible for the program?
- What to expect with the recent changes to the program?
Speaker(s): Joey Pocan, Economic Development Specialist Mr. Pocan assists in the design and implementation of economic development strategies and programs related to Start-ups, business attraction, business expansion, and retention. He conducts research, presents training, project management, data collection and analysis, visits with local businesses and agencies to facilitate business opportunities.
Once registered, an automated email with the Zoom link will be sent to you. If you need further assistance or have a question, please contact us at (540) 654-1383
Diane McCarthy from the Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center will be at the Lexington-Rockbridge Chamber of Commerce office from 9am until 4pm on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month. This drop-in event will provide business owners and entrepreneurs and opportunity to learn more about the SBDC resources available to them. To make an appointment, contact Diane via email or call 540.568.3227.
Businesses need to understand the basics of digital marketing now more than ever, because digital marketing creates growth.
Learn about the basics of digital marketing, including:
- Social Media
- Email Marketing
- Paid Ads
- SEO
- Affiliate Marketing
- How to use analytics to measure your success
A confirmation email with the Zoom login information will be sent after registration – a day before before the event – please be on the lookout for it.
Instructor: Cameron Nelson, Technology Advisor, VA SBDC
Mr. Nelson has over 19 years experience in technology, and as a senior tech consultant in Silicon Valley helping Fortune 500 companies improve their digital marketing and eCommerce. At the same time he founded several tech companies, including a SaaS website for tree preservation and a blockchain platform for nonprofits. Cameron is accomplished in language, culture, has an MBA and MA and believes new technology products have the ability to help shape our world for the better.
If you’re a small business owner, chances are you’ve heard about QuickBooks. That’s because QuickBooks is the most popular accounting software on the market.
In this webinar, our expert presenter will walk you through the basic features of QuickBooks and explain how to use it to streamline your financial management. Whether you’re new to QuickBooks or looking to enhance your existing skills, this webinar provided practical strategies to manage your business finances with QuickBooks effectively.
Learning objectives:
- How to get started with QuickBooks
- How to track your sales and expenses
- How to pull reports
- How to create invoices
Live attendees will receive free business resources and a link to this webinar recording.
This course will help you gain an understanding of why proposals do or do not win, and show you how to make an educated decision to bid or not to bid, analyze and “shred” the RFP, and develop a proposal schedule to deliver the proposal on time. This module provides an overview of the proposal development process and key tasks that a proposal manager in charge of the government proposal needs to accomplish.
Topics Covered:
- Walking through the proposal process, including Pink Team, Red Team, and Gold Team reviews
- Understanding how RFP structure and form differs significantly across agencies
- How to read a Government RFP
- Understanding which RFP sections are important for the proposal
- A system for making a bid-no-bid decision
- How to dissect requirements – the basics to outlining your proposal and understanding what is really being asked for
- How to change requirements into an annotated outline
- How to develop a compliant proposal outline and structure
- How to create a compliant outline/status tracking matrix in a table
- Being able to tell a story while remaining compliant – the art of developing great proposals
- Naming and numbering your sections for easy evaluation
- Developing and using a compliance matrix
- Developing and using a compliance checklist
- Developing your proposal plan
- How to build a proposal schedule
- Sample 30-day proposal calendar
- Creating a proposal organization chart with roles and responsibilities
- Conducting a great proposal kickoff
David Huff is the CEO of OST Global Solutions, Inc. (www.ostglobalsolutions.com – home of the GovCon Incubator and Bid & Proposal Academy). He has more than 19 years of Government Business Development and military experience. He is a dynamic leader who develops pipelines and implements growth strategies for OST’s client companies. He is a skilled facilitator and has captured, managed, and written proposals up to $1.5B in value. He is an instructor at OST’s Bid & Proposal Academy, teaching thousands of attendees from businesses and Government organizations, such as General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) EXCEL Training Program, NASA Langley Research Center, and the Department of Treasury. He has presented at the National Contracts Management Association (NCMA) World Congress, the National 8(a) Association, and the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP). David is an army veteran who served with the 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division during two tours to Afghanistan.
Webinar information will be sent to registrants prior to the class and will be conducted via GoToWebinar. After registration is complete, your email confirmation will contain the link. You MUST register your name and email and receive the login information and calendar invite before you can join the webinar. You may attend without downloading the software, but please understand your webinar functions may be limited.
By registering for this training event, you consent to having your name and contact information, along with your registration and attendance status shared with the instructor. Instructors do not have access to other confidential client information and often simply use it to send follow-up class materials. As in-kind donors, each instructor has agreed not to use information in any way contrary to the interests of Virginia APEX Accelerator, its sponsors, grantors, or clients (you), including but not limited to unauthorized marketing and sales. If you have questions or concerns, please email apex@gmu.edu to discuss with the host of this training or do not register for this session.
The Federal Government buys over $600 billion per year on goods and services, 5% of that spend is allocated for Small Disadvantaged(8(A) firms. This is a huge opportunity for small firms, who qualify, to grow their business and become part of the challenging world of Government Contracting through set-aside opportunities. In this presentation you will learn: • Eligibility requirements for 8(a) certification • Understanding the Application Process • Understanding how to prepare before applying • Staying Certified
Speaker(s): Lisa Powell worked for the U.S. Small Business Administration at the Connecticut District Office from 1998 to 2019 as an Economic Development Specialist monitoring the HUBZone and 8(a) portfolios for the local office before joining the Virginia PTAC as a Procurement Counselor in January 2021. During her time at the SBA, Lisa worked closely with all of SBA’s resource partners to facilitate procurement workshops held at local Community Colleges, Chambers of Commerce and libraries. As a Business Opportunity Specialist, she was involved with the Government Contracting programs that the SBA provides and worked very closely with the purchasing agents for the Federal and State Agencies as well as the larger prime contractors while organizing SBA Matchmakers and assisting small business.
If you need further assistance or have a question, please contact us at (540) 654-1383
Experiencing an increase in demand during the summer can be exciting for small business owners, but finding the right hire to meet that demand can be challenging.
In this webinar, we’ll dive into the fundamentals of hiring a seasonal worker and the strategies you can use to hire the right employee fast while staying compliant with regulations. From posting job listings to on the job training, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the hiring process.
Learning objectives:
- How and where to put your job postings
- What new hire paperwork do you need
- What to consider when determining Wages
- The different types of employee classification
- What to consider when training your employee
Live attendees will receive free business resources and a link to this webinar recording
Diane McCarthy from the Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center will be at the Lexington-Rockbridge Chamber of Commerce office from 9am until 4pm on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month. This drop-in event will provide business owners and entrepreneurs and opportunity to learn more about the SBDC resources available to them. To make an appointment, contact Diane via email or call 540.568.3227.
Each year, the State buys goods and services totaling more than $7 billion – learn how your company can be a part of that!
This webinar is designed to educate small, woman and/or minority business owners about opportunities to sell their goods and services to the Commonwealth of Virginia and many local governments.
The workshop will provide information about the Virginia procurement process (the eVA system) and the benefits of SWaM certification.
Speaker: Angela Barber, Business Services Manager, Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity, Eastern VA Region
A confirmation email with the Zoom login information will be sent after registration – a day before before the event – please be on the lookout for it.
- GovCon Sales Process
- Data, Processes, & Tools
- Your Technology Stack: What is that?
- BD – Tools across the sales process:
- Business Management
- Market Intelligence
- CRM
- Pipeline Management
- Proposal Support/Management (including the rise of large language models and assistive AI)
- BD – Tools across the sales process:
- Bringing it all together
- GovCon Basic Knowledge
- Business Strategy
- Process Improvement
- Cost Effective Low-to-No-Code Platform Integration
- Tracking and Visualizing Performance
Instructor Tasha Jones is a U.S. Navy Veteran and the Founder of Twenty39, an operations enablement firm that provides transformation services and low to no code solutions for businesses and government clients. She has over twenty years’ experience in the U.S. Federal, Defense, and Intelligence market space; and is a recognized problem solver and data champion, adept at translating complex business and technical concepts into simple, mission focused messages and implementations. Ms. Jones is an industry-recognized leader in developing data informed solutions, turning around “off the rail” projects and “just getting the job done right”!
Outside of business hours, Tasha supports entrepreneurs and social impact organizations and serves on the board for Citrine Angels; a membership group providing early-stage investment opportunities and education to female investors in the Washington DC Metro area.
Webinar information will be sent to registrants prior to the class and will be conducted via GoToWebinar. After registration is complete, your email confirmation will contain the link. You MUST register your name and email and receive the login information and calendar invite before you can join the webinar. You may attend without downloading the software, but please understand your webinar functions may be limited.
By registering for this training event, you consent to having your name and contact information, along with your registration and attendance status shared with the instructor. Instructors do not have access to other confidential client information and often simply use it to send follow-up class materials. As in-kind donors, each instructor has agreed not to use information in any way contrary to the interests of Virginia APEX Accelerator, its sponsors, grantors, or clients (you), including but not limited to unauthorized marketing and sales. If you have questions or concerns, please email apex@gmu.edu to discuss with the host of this training or do not register for this session.
To effectively regulate alcohol manufacturers, State and Federal agencies assign producers into discrete categories and apply different provisions to each group. However, given the variety of bev-alc companies operating today, it’s not always clear what compliance looks like for all producers.
In this webinar, regulatory expert Kevin Anderson will provide insights into the evolving world of compliance for non-traditional production. The discussion will cover such arrangements as contract production, rotating proprietorship, non-alcoholic beer, wine, and spirits, and more.
SPEAKER: As a Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority special agent, Kevin Anderson was on the lookout for regulatory violations, underage drinking and other vices. Today, he has switched to the business side of the alcohol industry— navigating state and federal alcohol regulations for his winery, brewery, distillery, wholesale and retail clients. After leaving the Virginia ABC Authority in 2015 Kevin became a consultant with ABC Consulting and BreweryCompliance.com, a national consulting firm based in Virginia that offers state and federal licensing assistance along with compliance and consulting services. Kevin was named 100 People to Meet in 2020 by Virginia Business.
A confirmation email with the Zoom login information will be sent after registration – a day before before the event – please be on the lookout for it.