Updated for 2022
Join us and learn how to create and/or better manage your WordPress website!
Are you looking for a simple, yet effective website to use for your business? WordPress might be a good option! In this workshop, we’ll cover “the basics” on creating and updating a WordPress site, including:
- User management
- Page creation and editing
- Image and video uploads
- Plugin management
- Linking to social media
A confirmation email with the Zoom login information will be sent after registration, please be on the lookout for it.
Instructor: Cameron Nelson, Chief Digital Advisor, Virginia SBDC and CV SBDC
Mr. Nelson has over 18 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.
The Federal Government buys over $600 billion per year on goods and services, 23% of that spend is allocated for small business. This is a huge opportunity for small firms to grow their business and become part of the challenging world of Government Contracting. Before entering into this arena you must first know how to market yourself to government. This presentation will help you prepare your firm to get noticed by government and prime buyers by developing a proper marketing plan and strategy. In this session you will learn: • Steps to take to be where you can be found by buyers • Preparing a winning capability statement • Organize your website, business cards and marketing materials • Prepare a marketing plan to attract buyers
Speaker(s): Lisa Wood is the Statewide Director of the Virginia PTAC, hosted by George Mason University where she is also an Adjunct Professor of Management. Prior to that, she served as the Statewide Director with the Connecticut and Ohio PTAC programs and was also Director for the Northwest Commission PTAC in Pennsylvania. Before joining the PTAC community, Lisa was a Procurement Specialist for Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. In this role, Wood performed contract administration and negotiation duties. She also recommended bidders, handled issue inquiries, negotiated bids, performed cost and price analysis, and prepared comprehensive letters to justify recommended contract actions. Ms. Wood holds an MBA from the University of New Haven and a BSBA through Robert Morris University of Pittsburgh where she is also pursuing her PhD in Instructional Management and Leadership.
If you need further assistance or have a question, please contact us at (540) 654-1383
Presented by Virginia SBDC Inclusivity Ambassador, Dr. Hope Murphy. This 45-minute informal information session will help you to get the most out of SBDC RESOURCES, programs, and networks in support of your small business.
As the largest small business support program in the country, the SBDC offers the services that small business owners need to succeed such as:
- Small Business counseling (free)
- Specialty programs (free)
- Access to business data and information (free)
- Cybersecurity training
- Small business loan process
- Training
After this session, you will know what is available, how to access it, and how to make the most of your free counseling sessions with the SBDC.
About the Presenter
Dr. Hope Murphy specializes in connecting business owners with the resources needed to build their businesses. Her experience includes providing business counseling to veterans through the Veteran’s Business Outreach Center and counseling/training entrepreneurs at the Women’s Business Center.
While Dr. Murphy counsels all small business owners, her passion is to provide business counseling that supports the unique needs of minority business owners.
Dr. Murphy is a small business owner and she provides diversity and inclusion training to organizational leaders and their teams. She and her family live in Stafford, Virginia. hmurph3@gmu.edu
A confirmation email with the Zoom login information will be sent after registration, please be on the lookout for it.
In 2021, retail e-commerce sales amounted to approximately 4.9 trillion U.S. dollars worldwide. While ecommerce is expected to grow at a slower pace over the next few years, ecommerce share of retail sales is expected to increase to 23.6 % by 2025. However, as competition explodes, customer expectations evolve at a rapid pace, and questions revolve around DTC profitability, eCommerce companies must evolve.
Sponsored by Microsoft, Monday, August 29th, at 12 pm ET, The Center for Retail Transformation at George Mason University will host a virtual panel that examines the drivers for eCommerce success in the modern, post-pandemic retail era.
Topics covered will include
- What are the evolving customer expectations of eCommerce companies?
- Relatedly, what are the key challenges to delivering a superior shopper experience?
- How can eCommerce companies lower acquisition costs, increase conversion rates, and better retain customers?
- As competition proliferates and customer data becomes more dispersed, how can companies create a unified view of the customer to deliver value, increase loyalty, prevent switching behavior, and stand out in the sea of competition
- How can data, analytics, and technology allow companies to delight customers and unlock the next level of eCommerce growth?
The panelists are:
- Chris Jones –Chief Product Officer @Amperity
- Gihad Jawhar-Chief Technology Officer @CustomInk
- Lisa Bigelow-Director of Retail and Consumer Goods @Microsoft
- Tal Rotman-VP Global Partnerships and Business Development @Namogoo
Does your business need a mobile app?
In this bootcamp you will learn if your small business will benefit from having a mobile app, and the steps to successfully deploy and market your app on the app stores. Areas covered include:
- Market Research
- App Scoping
- Finding a Developer and Budget
- App Business Planning
- Marketing Approach
- Building a Prototype
- Launching an App
- Promoting App
Presented by Cameron Nelson, CV SBDC and Virginia SBDC Chief Digital Advisor
Please be on the lookout for a Zoom registration link a few days prior to the event.
Do you reside in the Shenandoah Valley area of Virginia and are thinking about starting a new business?
Do you have questions about how to move forward? Are you considering moving your hobby into a more structured business form? Have you already started your small business and now realize you may have missed a few things?
Your Shenandoah Valley SBDC has answers, information, and resources to help!
In our Start Smart Workshops, we discuss the path to good decisions and a successful start. You’ll learn to take a thorough 360° approach to your business and all its components – from product development to target marketing to financial projections and bookkeeping. We also cover the regulations and registrations you need to know.
Follow-up appointments are then available with SBDC business advisors to focus on your individual business growth needs.
Note that this is a live, on-line Webinar.
Thank you for your registration to Start Smart Workshop via Zoom Time: August 31, 10:00 AM Eastern Time. Zoom Link will be sent via email in advance.
Do you reside in the Shenandoah Valley area of Virginia and are thinking about starting a new business?
Do you have questions about how to move forward? Are you considering moving your hobby into a more structured business form? Have you already started your small business and now realize you may have missed a few things?
Your Shenandoah Valley SBDC has answers, information, and resources to help!
In our Start Smart Workshops, we discuss the path to good decisions and a successful start. You’ll learn to take a thorough 360° approach to your business and all its components – from product development to target marketing to financial projections and bookkeeping. We also cover the regulations and registrations you need to know.
Follow-up appointments are then available with SBDC business advisors to focus on your individual business growth needs.
Thank you for your registration to Start Smart Workshop via Zoom Time: September 15th 10:00am. Please find the Zoom link and review PDF Workbook attached in the reminder email 48 hours in advance. Please let me know if you are unable to attend or have questions via email to duganaj@jmu.edu
Thank You! Allison Dugan, Shenandoah Valley SBDC
Presented by Virginia SBDC Inclusivity Ambassador, Dr. Hope Murphy. This 45-minute informal information session will help you to get the most out of SBDC RESOURCES, programs, and networks in support of your small business.
As the largest small business support program in the country, the SBDC offers the services that small business owners need to succeed such as:
- Small Business counseling (free)
- Specialty programs (free)
- Access to business data and information (free)
- Cybersecurity training
- Small business loan process
- Training
After this session, you will know what is available, how to access it, and how to make the most of your free counseling sessions with the SBDC.
About the Presenter
Dr. Hope Murphy specializes in connecting business owners with the resources needed to build their businesses. Her experience includes providing business counseling to veterans through the Veteran’s Business Outreach Center and counseling/training entrepreneurs at the Women’s Business Center.
While Dr. Murphy counsels all small business owners, her passion is to provide business counseling that supports the unique needs of minority business owners.
Dr. Murphy is a small business owner and she provides diversity and inclusion training to organizational leaders and their teams. She and her family live in Stafford, Virginia. hmurph3@gmu.edu
A confirmation email with the Zoom login information will be sent after registration, please be on the lookout for it.
Topic: Creating a Capabilities Statement The Federal Government buys over $600 billion per year on goods and services, 5% of that spend is allocated for Small Business. This is a huge opportunity for firms, who qualify, to grow their business and become part of the challenging world of Government Contracting through set-aside opportunities. In order to get noticed by small business offices, you must first create a winning capability statement. This is the most importing marketing piece you will create for your business. A properly formatted capability statement will help you get noticed and differentiate you from your competition. In this presentation you will learn:
- Proper formatting of the statement
- Information to include and not include
- Differentiators, Core competencies and past performance content
- You will be provided an editable template to use for your own capability statement
- How to use the statement
Speaker(s): Lisa Wood is the Statewide Director of the Virginia PTAC, hosted by George Mason University where she is also an Adjunct Professor of Management. Prior to that, she served as the Statewide Director with the Connecticut and Ohio PTAC programs and was also Director for the Northwest Commission PTAC in Pennsylvania. Before joining the PTAC community, Lisa was a Procurement Specialist for Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. In this role, Wood performed contract administration and negotiation duties. She also recommended bidders, handled issue inquiries, negotiated bids, performed cost and price analysis, and prepared comprehensive letters to justify recommended contract actions. Ms. Wood holds an MBA from the University of New Haven and a BSBA through Robert Morris University of Pittsburgh where she is also pursuing her PhD in Instructional Management and Leadership.
If you need further assistance or have a question, please contact us at (540) 654-1383
Learn how your business can be found online with Google. This workshop explains how Google Search works and how you can improve a website’s visibility with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The session also introduces products like Google Business Profile, Google Trends, Search Console, Google Analytics, Google Ads, and more.
In this workshop we’ll discuss best practices for:
– Improving your website’s visibility in Google’s organic search results, on all devices
– Creating a free Google Business Profile
– Advertising your business on Google
Presented by Grow with Google speaker, Randi Penfil
Thanks to Shenandoah Valley SBDC, Capital Region SBDC, Central Virginia SBDC, Laurel Ridge SBDC, SBDC Lynchburg Region, and Virginia State SBDC for hosting this webinar along with Grow with Google.
Presented by Virginia SBDC Inclusivity Ambassador, Dr. Hope Murphy. This 45-minute informal information session will help you to get the most out of SBDC RESOURCES, programs, and networks in support of your small business.
As the largest small business support program in the country, the SBDC offers the services that small business owners need to succeed such as:
- Small Business counseling (free)
- Specialty programs (free)
- Access to business data and information (free)
- Cybersecurity training
- Small business loan process
- Training
After this session, you will know what is available, how to access it, and how to make the most of your free counseling sessions with the SBDC.
About the Presenter
Dr. Hope Murphy specializes in connecting business owners with the resources needed to build their businesses. Her experience includes providing business counseling to veterans through the Veteran’s Business Outreach Center and counseling/training entrepreneurs at the Women’s Business Center.
While Dr. Murphy counsels all small business owners, her passion is to provide business counseling that supports the unique needs of minority business owners.
Dr. Murphy is a small business owner and she provides diversity and inclusion training to organizational leaders and their teams. She and her family live in Stafford, Virginia. hmurph3@gmu.edu
A confirmation email with the Zoom login information will be sent after registration, please be on the lookout for it.
Now’s the time to make sure your business profile is verified and updated on Google Search and Maps. Lots of changes have been happening with a Business Profile. This is a free tool for local businesses who want to connect with customers on Google Search and Maps. In this session, we’ll show you how to:
– How to create and/or update your profile on Google
– Hide your address
– Use your Business Profile to connect with potential customers
– What’s new, tips and tricks to updating your profile
– Hands on-demo of the product in action
Presented by Grow with Google speaker, Randi Penfil
Thanks to Shenandoah Valley SBDC, Capital Region SBDC, Central Virginia SBDC, Laurel Ridge SBDC, SBDC Lynchburg Region, and Virginia State SBDC for hosting this webinar along with Grow with Google.
Do you reside in the Lexington-Rockbridge County Area, and are thinking about starting a new business?
Do you have questions about how to move forward? Are you considering moving your hobby into a more structured business form? Have you already started your small business and now realize you may have missed a few things?
Your Shenandoah Valley SBDC has answers, information, and resources to help!
In our Start Smart Workshops, we discuss the path to good decisions and a successful start. You’ll learn to take a thorough 360° approach to your business and all its components – from product development to target marketing to financial projections and bookkeeping. We also cover the regulations and registrations you need to know.
Follow-up appointments are then available with SBDC business advisors to focus on your individual business growth needs.
Before we know it, the holidays will be here! Have you already begun your black Friday & Small Business Saturday prep work? If not, join us as we discuss key topics related to holiday shopping.
Topics:
- Advertisement & Marketing
- How to analyze your sales trends to prepare your inventory
- Email & social media campaigns
- Planning your holiday promotions
- Website traffic
Speaker(s): Charese Chambers
Join Jennifer Huffman, Solutions Banking Manager, and Josiah Rider, Business Branch Manager, from Atlantic Union Bank for a discussion on using business capital wisely.
Participants will leave with an understanding of the different types of capital, when to use them, and how each can help drive your business to success.
- Business Capital
- Relationship Capital
- Talent Capital
$10 for Chamber Members $15 for Non-Chamber Members