Get The Training You Need To Succeed
We offer high-value, low and no-cost training and workshops to help your business succeed. Read about our Training and Workshops, and what some of our attendees thought about our business classes. Check our
event calendar for upcoming events.
CEED Small Business Loan Orientation
"I feel truly blessed that these workshops are available, and the presenters are very giving and knowledgeable."
"Excellent information. Was presented efficiently, cohesively and in an interesting manner."
Have a need for alternative financing for your business? Is your business located in Oakland County? Consider learning more about the CEED Lending Small Business Loan Program. Discover the requirements and processes necessary to apply for and obtain a small business loan. If you are interested in alternative financing for your Oakland County small business, then the CEED Lending Small Business Orientation is for you. CEED Lending is an initiative of the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council.
Team SBA Financing Roundtable
"Incredibly helpful and informative. Very accessible! Thank you for spending the time to educate. Amen!"
Do you know the secret to getting a business loan? Attend this free Financing Roundtable and find out how banks look at your application, what you can do to improve your chances for a loan and how Small Business Administration loan guarantee programs can help you get the financing you need.
This session is best suited to those who have good credit, a solid business idea and some money to invest in their business. NOTE: The SBA does not provide loan guarantees to real estate investment firms, including purchasing and rehabbing houses for resale and this type of financing will not be discussed.
Starting a Business
"Very friendly and 'real world' content. Thank you!!!"
"Well worth the time investment. Answered what I needed to move on to the next step. Was able to make great connections, too."
Thinking about starting a business? This workshop is designed for individuals who are at the beginning stages of starting a business. This workshop will help aspiring entrepreneurs assess their abilities to lead and manage a company as well as evaluate market and sales potential for their products and services. Topics like startup costs, financing options and business planning are introduced, along with the necessary steps to getting started. If you are ready to start your business this workshop is for you.
Women’s Business Enterprise Certification Orientation
Learn about the benefits and process of becoming part of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Accepted by thousands of corporations throughout the country and a number of federal and government agencies, your WBENC certification will be an important marketing tool for expanding your company's visibility among decision makers in corporate procurement. Presented by the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council.
Five Steps to Networking Mastery
We have all heard that it is not what you know but whom you know. Nonsense! It's all about how you are known. This brief, impactful training will teach you how to become an individual to whom people want to refer more business.
You will learn…
- why networking works
- how to be ready to network anywhere you are whenever you are there
- which online sites are worth your time
- how to identify your ideal referral partners
- the components of a solid ask
- how to grow your business
Consider attending if you are frustrated with the results of your current networking; uncomfortable networking but know you need to do it more; or have a new position and want to increase your pipeline. The better we all get at networking, the better all of our networking will be.
Market Research Basics
"Great presentation. I so much appreciate that this service is available"
"Great class, great resource – will be back."
Ready to grow your business? Our Market Research Basics workshop helps you discover ways to find your ideal customers, identify your competitors, perform competitive analysis, identify new site locations, target direct mail campaigns, reveal untapped markets and expand to new and appropriate markets. If you are ready to grow your business, the Market Research Basics workshop is for you.
Social Media for Business Growth
Business Power Tools – An overview for using LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to grow any business NOW
Whether you call it social media or social networking or web 2.0 or internet marketing, the question on every professional's mind is this: "Is social media a waste of time or an essential power tool for business in a post phonebook world?"
The simple answer is "yes".
Amid all of the distractions, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are emerging as essential tools for marketing your business. Join Terry Bean from Motor City Connect for this entertaining and educational seminar as he takes you through the tools and rules of social media. You'll learn what works, what to avoid and how to use LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to grow your network, engage prospects and generate profit. Get ready to kick your internet marketing presence into gear.
This class is designed to use these tools for profit. We will cover:
- Three Things You MUST do to Find Success on Each Platform
- How to Use Status Updates That Gain Attention
- Ways to Manage Priorities So You're Not Stuck in an Endless Loop
- How to Make Posting Simpler
- The Fastest Way to Grow Your Audience
- Which 2-3 Platforms Should Are Best for You
WalkIn StartUp
WalkIn StartUp small business counseling is available every Thursday. We provide direction for people interested in launching a business but don't know where to begin. These are confidential, one-on-one sessions with our business counselors – with no appointment necessary.
Get
direct answers, next steps and professional business guidance.
For more information visit the website
1 Million Cups
Join us in Oakland County — Michigan’s only location for the Kauffman Foundation’s free, nationally-renowned 1 Million Cups (1MC) program for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs.
The presentations are followed by a 20-minute Q&A session with the audience. You are encouraged to be open and honest about your business and the challenges you face. Everyone that attends 1MC is there to support each other and learn as part of their entrepreneurial journey. As volunteers across the U.S., we network and discover solutions together over “a million cups of coffee.”