St. Vincent College hosts business-related seminars during October
LATROBE – St. Vincent College will sponsor several business-related seminars and workshops during October. The college Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is offering the seminar, “The First Step to Small Business Success,” from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce, Greensburg.
This informal workshop teaches participants how to get started and obtain financing, licenses and applications that are needed, and the importance and function of a business plan, marketing plan and financial plan.
An SBDC consultant will present this program and will answer questions about initiating a successful business.
There is a fee to attend and registration is required.
The SBDC will host a workshop on computer security issues from 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 14, with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. Pre-registration will be conducted until Oct. 11. There is a fee to attend.
Identity theft and computer security are major concerns. The Pittsburgh area ranked 17th out of the top 50 U.S. cities where a person is most likely to fall victim to cyber crime. This seminar will teach participants about firewalls, anti-spyware, anti-spam and other programs to keep information safe.
Joe Polk, senior technical specialist with the Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP), will present this program. Mr. Polk provides technology and technical assistance to organizations and businesses in southwestern Pennsylvania.
On Friday, the St. Vincent College Center for Global Competitiveness will present the first of two sessions of a workshop designed to help small and medium-sized businesses cope with rapidly changing international trade patterns. Each day stands alone; participants may attend one or both days.
The workshop program will be divided into two parts. In the transaction process, topics will include quotations, INCO terms 2011 revision updates, L/Cs, shipping and getting paid, avoiding discrepancies, required international trade documentation and an interactive documentation session. In export finance and risk mitigation, participants will learn about various programs, their applications, risks, pros and cons. Topics will include export working capital financing, government-guaranteed export working capital programs, export credit insurance, export factoring, forfeiting and government-assisted foreign buyer financing.
The second workshop will be held Oct. 15. In the first part, market entry and development, topics covered will include identification of market entry methods, selecting the best-suited business partners (sales reps, agents, distributors, partnerships), how to make your partners successful and important agreement and contract provisions. The second part, export compliance, will include an introduction to export regulations, key regulatory areas, importance of export management, establishing an export management system and establishing administrative policies and screening components.
Both workshops will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. There is a fee to attend that includes continental breakfast, lunch and all course materials.
The SBDC also will host a free seminar for business owners who are interested in learning about contracting opportunities with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The seminar, “Doing Business with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 28 at the college.
Presented by the Pennsylvania Department of General Services, the main purchasing branch of the state government, the workshop will include how the state purchases goods and services, finding and bidding on state contracts, finding state business opportunities and what state programs are available to help small businesses make use of contracting and subcontracting opportunities. A special segment will also be presented on how to obtain certification as a minority-owned and woman-owned business. The owners of such businesses are especially urged to attend.
The workshop is co-sponsored by Seton Hill University’s E-Magnify along with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Minority and Women Business Opportunities, a part of the Pennsylvania Department of General Services, whose main functions are to certify minority-owned businesses and to help small businesses become involved in state contracting.
To register for any of these events, call 724-537-4572 or e-mail sbdc@stvincent.edu.
The St. Vincent College SBDC is part of a statewide system of university-based economic development organizations, whose mission is to provide education and consulting to entrepreneurs, to help them start and grow their businesses.
in the competitive global economy.