Maui June Business Workshop Schedule

Maui County Business Resource Center workshops. Image courtesy County of Maui.

By Maui Now Staff

The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development released a list of workshops scheduled in June that are open to the general public.  The workshops are offered at the Maui County Business Resource Center and are free unless otherwise noted.

Workshops are subject to change or cancellation. Seating is limited, and reservations can be made by calling (808) 873-8247.

Below is a full list of workshops scheduled for this month:

Understanding and Paying Off Debts for Individuals and Small Business Owners: Thursday, June 12, 2104, 12 to 1 p.m. with instructor Dr. Phil Lenefsky, DDS. This workshop focuses on having a good knowledge of arithmetic and being able to understand and work with numbers. Did you know that there is a difference between good debt and bad debt? Would you like to learn how to pay off debts quickly? If you had a choice of debts to payoff, which one would you payoff first? Come to this workshop and get answers to these questions. The presentation is strictly for educational purposes. It is advised that participants review any action or plans they may undertake with an accountant, financial planner or attorney.

How to Offset the Cost of Your Employees’ Health Insurance Premiums: Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 12 to 1 p.m. with instructor Nikki Baysa.  Are you a small business owner who is worried how all these changes will affect your bottom line? This workshop will help you understand some of the basics of Affordable Care Act, Small Business Health Options Program, the Hawaiʻi health insurance marketplace, and the small business tax credits. Participants of this workshop will also learn about low cost and no cost health insurance coverage for individuals, families and part time employees. For small business employers and self-employed individuals, this workshop is a must to also learn how to offset the cost of employees’ health insurance premiums to add to your revenue. Nikki Baysa, is the Program Specialist for the Hawaii Health Connector.

Are You Safe On Facebook… and on Other Social Media Sites?: Wednesday, June 18, 2014, 12 to 1:15 p.m., Q & A 1:15 to 1:30 p.m., with instructor Nico Fisher.  Learn the basics of internet safety. Do you have any concerns about people posting real life facts? Should they? Can your email be reached from your online profiles? Is that safe? This workshop will provide you with a snapshot look at the latest safety changes on Facebook. Nico Fisher is presently a Marketing Strategist, Social Media Consultant and Trainer and is passionate about taking businesses from good to great through various marketing avenues.

Emergency Preparedness for your Business or Organization: Monday, June 23, 2014, 12 to 1 p.m. with instructor Rachel Heckscher. As you may already know, the 2014 Pacific hurricane season has officially started. So, are you prepared for a disaster or public health emergency? Learn how to get started with a preparedness strategy for your organization. Business owners invest a tremendous amount of time, money and resources to make their ventures successful, and yet, while the importance of emergency planning may seem self-evident, it is often put on the back burner. For small business owners, being prepared can mean staying in business following a disaster. An estimated 25% of businesses do not reopen following a major disaster, according to the Institute for Business and Home Safety. Rachel Heckscher has been working with the Department of Health to promote emergency preparedness since she arrived on Maui in 2005. She is also the Coordinator of Maui County Health Volunteers.

Cash Flow and Financing for a Start-Up Company: Tuesday, June 24, 2014, 12 to 1 p.m. with instructor Gretchen G. Voxland, CFBS, CLU, ChFC.  This workshop will take a look at a REAL live start up construction company and learn from their experience.  It will review a couple vignettes of a masonry company in their early years and how they handled cash flow and financing issues. The workshop will also take a look at another business and discuss more in detail some of the challenges and solutions they found that were helpful to them in going forward. Gretchen G. Voxland is the owner of Horizon Financial, LLC and has been teaching UH Maui College’s Complete Financial Workshop for the last 10 years.

Market Research on a Budget: Wednesday, June 25, 2014, 12 to 1 p.m. with instructor Christine Pawliuk, MBA, MLISc. Learn how to take advantage of the free research services that are available to Maui’s entrepreneurs. Whether you are starting a business, expanding, or looking for new markets to help weather tough times, you will need accurate market research to make the best decisions for your business. This workshop will teach you about the research tools and services available to Maui’s small businesses. Christine Pawliuk is the Research Librarian at the Hawaiʻi Business Research Library, a specialty center of the Hawaiʻi Small Business Development Center Network that provides customized research services to Hawaiʻi’s entrepreneurs.