January Workshops at Maui County Business Resource Center

Maui County business workshop. Image courtesy County of Maui.

The County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development today announced its free workshops for the month of January.

Workshops are presented at the Maui County Business Resource Center, a County of Maui facility, located in the Maui Mall across Pizza Hut, in Suite B-9.

Seating for all workshops is limited, and all workshops are subject to change or cancellation. Workshops are free unless noted otherwise.

To reserve a seat, call the Maui County Business Resource Center at (808) 270-5770. The following workshops are available:

The ABC’s of a Business Plan
Instructor:  David Daly
Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017 – 12 to 1 p.m.

Maui Economic Opportunity Business Development Center’s Core Four Business Planning is a 36-hour course on how to write a business plan while providing the information you need to know in order to start, operate and grow your business. This workshop is a one hour introductory workshop which will provide you with a better understanding of the course outline for the Core Four Business Planning. David Daly, Director of the MEO Business Development Center, will discuss the numerous reasons for writing a sound business plan.  He has more than 25 years of experience in business ownership, financing, education and economic development.  His background includes residential lending and being a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority-licensed financial advisor.  Participants will receive an outline of the business plan taught by MEO’s Core Four Business Plan Course.

Special Introduction to QuickBooks Online
Instructor:  Pierce Gray, MA, EA
Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 – 12 to 1:15 p.m.

QuickBooks Online has all the advantages of the Cloud, including multi-user access, automatic backup, access from any platform (Windows, Mac or Mobile), an advanced mobile app, and integration with a host of cloud applications like Salesforce, Square, LivePlan, and Shopify. In this workshop, you will learn about all the features of QuickBooks Online, which version is right for you, how to manage bank feeds, conversion from Desktop, and why QuickBooks Online is the right choice for today’s businesses. Start 2017 with the best accounting system in place! Pierce Gray, MA, EA, and QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor is CEO of Smart Tax Solutions and QuickBooks Maui.  He is a QuickBooks expert, specializing in setting up and coaching QuickBooks Online for small and medium size businesses, and brings extensive real-world experience and a passion for excellence in the areas of business startups, accounting, tax and financial planning, and tax return preparation.  He puts this in practice by providing Virtual Controller Advantage Services to businesses and non-profits.

The Power of the Inbox – Tips and Tricks for Successful Email Marketing
Instructor:  Mckenna Hallett
Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017 – 12 to 1:30 p.m.

Email marketing never went out of style. However, in today’s on-the-go audience, its reputation for effectiveness is reaching all-time highs. Emails can have a much longer-lasting impression that just about any other form of marketing. However, if you are not using email properly, you may be missing significant opportunities and hurting your reputation. This powerful workshop takes you step-by-step through what it takes to create fully optimized emails and shows you the keys to effective email marketing:

• Learn what to avoid and what to include in every email for maximum impact.
• Learn how to grow your “brand” and gain authority with your audience.
• And, learn the five easy steps to harness the power of the inbox.

o   Grow a healthy list
o   Create great content
o   Customize a beautiful, mobile-friendly template that matches your brand
o   How to get your emails opened
o   Tracking your results

Mckenna Hallett is a wordsmith and copywriting expert specializing in creating real results for all things that need marketing (and all things need marketing by the way!)

Writing Business Plans for the Right Reasons
Instructor:  Wayne Wong
Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017 – 12 to 1:30 p.m.

Most people write business plans to raise money from a bank or to attract investors. Learn what elements make for an effective plan and what to concentrate your writing effort on. The more important reason to write a business plan is to force the management team to solidify its objectives (what), strategies (how) and tactics (when, where, who). Is there an alternative document that works better than a traditional business plan? Wayne Wong is the Maui Center Director of the Hawaii Small Business Development Center Network. The Center provides both existing and aspiring business owners with confidential, one-on-one, no cost business advising services, training workshops, and market research services. Don’t miss this highly informative workshop!  You can even bring in your own “brown bag” lunch.

Location, Location, Location:  Is it Still the Most Important Thing?
Instructor Anna Ribucan
Friday, Jan. 27, 2017 – 12 to 1 p.m. (Q&A til 1:30 p.m.)

In this workshop, we will be looking into home-based business options.  Many small businesses can be run from home, but not all businesses can pass the test to start and grow a business, without causing problems due to zoning restrictions and unhappy neighbors, or to find the ideal balance between family and business. Join us in this workshop where we will explore the trend toward more mobility and less structure in operating a growing business.  Anna K. Ribucan, is the owner and administrator of Lifetime ʻOhana Care.  She has been an educator and a business development specialist.

BECOMING A BEST-SELLING AUTHOR: Leveraging the World’s Greatest Marketing Secret by Writing, Publishing and Promoting Your Book to Better Market Your Business
Instructor: Patrick Snow
Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017 – 12 to 2 p.m.

Are you looking for a better way to market your business? Do you have a burning desire to become a best-selling author? Attend this seminar and learn how to make your publishing and business goals come true. If you want to stand out from your competition, strengthen your credentials, and get free publicity, then writing and publishing a book is your best marketing strategy. Let international best-selling author, Patrick Snow, guide you through the process. In this two-hour workshop you will learn your three publishing options, top five requirements for becoming a best-selling author, and 18 mistakes to avoid. Most importantly, you will learn how to monetize your passion and even better market your business, or start a new business using your book as a platform from which you can launch! Come early, and stay late for his Q/A session that will answer all questions on your book project. As a professional speaker he has given more than 2,500 speeches on three continents. As a publishing, book marketing, and speaker coach, he has mentored more than 750 clients worldwide to achieve their publishing goals.

Special Evening Workshop – $45 per session: QuickBooks for Small Business
Hands-on computer training for beginners.
Instructor: Richard Kehoe, CPA
Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017 – 5 to 8 p.m.

Learn to set up your company’s QuickBooks in a small class setting with personalized tutoring. This class is for new users and will teach you how to record sales, receive payments, prepare invoices and balance your checkbook. Get customized answers and schedule a follow-up appointment at no cost to discuss your solutions. Sponsored by SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) and presented by Richard Kehoe, CPA and lead SCORE counselor. Free counseling sessions with experience SCORE and Small Business Development Corp. (SBCD) counselors: Tuesday afternoons, 1-3 p.m., and Thursday and Friday mornings, 9-11:30 a.m.