GRAND RAPIDS ? The Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center will be hosting more than a half dozen workshops this fall to help small business owners assess their marketing, operational and financial needs and equip them with the tools to successfully run their business.

The workshops bring together several experienced business instructors to cover topics including fundamentals of starting a business, writing a business plan, obtaining financing, marketing/sales and information about management.

Courses include:

Sales in a Box is set for September 9 – 23 from 9 am Noon at the Grand Valley State University Center for Health Sciences, 301 Michigan Ave NE, Room 240 Grand Rapids, MI 49503. “How do I sell if I have never been trained?!” “I understand my product and service, but I just haven’t had the guidance to learn the techniques to sell well.” The Sales in a Box workshop is specifically designed for small businesses that have little or no formal sales process in place, but need help acquiring the skills needed for the non-sales person to effectively sell. The cost of this workshop is $125 and pre-registration by fax or phone is required.

Business Planning 101 will be held on September 13 from 6 pm – 9 pm at the GVSU, DeVos Center Room 303C 401 West Fulton, Grand Rapids, MI 49504. The time is now to begin writing a business plan for your start-up or existing company. Learn the components of a business plan and then use the step-by-step process to complete the plan. Bank financing will require a business plan and it will help jump start your new business. The first step to completing your business plan is to start. Pre-registration by fax or phone is required; $45 payable at the door.

Legal Aspects of Running a Small Business will be featured on September 20 from 6 pm – 9 pm at the GVSU, DeVos Center Room 303C 401 West Fulton, Grand Rapids, MI 49504. This session provides vital information to help start-up and young companies evaluate which legal structure (sole proprietorship, corporation, etc.) will be best for their business. It identifies the risks faced in operating a small business, outlines what goes into a basic contractual agreement (with clients, suppliers, employees), discusses insurance needs, licenses and regulations. Learn how to select the legal counsel you need to support your business. Pre-registration by fax or phone is required; $45 payable at the door.

Your Business Plan: Developing a Roadmap for Your Company will be held on September 24 from 9:30 am 12:30 pm at the Spring Lake District Library, 123 East Exchange Street, Spring Lake, MI 49456. Utilizing a provided “Business Start-Up Booklet”, this session will work attendees through a step-by-step process for launching a new company. Resources will be shared that enable the entrepreneur to create his or her own individual action plan for business development. Pre-registration by fax or phone is required; $45 payable at the door.

ABC’s of Cash Flow is set for September 27 from 6 pm – 9 pm at the GVSU, DeVos Center Room 303C 401 West Fulton, Grand Rapids, MI 49504. To stay ahead in the business game, you must understand the financial operations of your organization. This crucial seminar provides a look at: various bookkeeping systems, utilizing accounting information, determining a break-even point, operating cash needs, balance sheets, profit and loss statements, cash flow projections, variance analysis, ratio analysis, and much, much more! Pre-registration by fax or phone is required; $45 payable at the door.

The Successful Marketing Plan will be held on October 4 from 6 pm – 9 pm at GVSU, DeVos Center Room 303C 401 West Fulton, Grand Rapids, MI 49504. “Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door ” right? Not quite! Having a marketing plan, a detailed written plan that lays out how to create customers and sales, is absolutely essential in achieving that “competitive edge.” This seminar offers a step-by-step process to help you evaluate markets, identify opportunities and obstacles, map out strategies for your product or service, packaging, pricing, distribution, sales, advertising (including the Internet) promotions and more. Pre-registration by fax or phone is required; $45 payable at the door.

How to Take Control of Your Business Success will be held on October 5 – November 9 from 9am – Noon at the Zeeland Chamber of Commerce. The objective of this class is to help you learn how to use planning and goal setting to take control of your business. This is your opportunity to create a strategic business plan in ten weeks. The cost of this class is $200 and pre-registration by fax or phone is required.

QuickBooks Fix It: will be held on October 7, 14 and 21 from 9am Noon. The location of this workshop will be announced at a later date. This three session workshop will assist current QuickBooks users in organizing their financial data in a manner that produces sound financial reports and use of those reports to make sound business decisions. Participants are encouraged to bring in a back-up of their existing QuickBooks data for these interactive sessions. The cost for this workshop is $200 and pre-registration by fax or phone is required.

Marketing on a Shoestring Budget will be featured on October 11 from 9 am Noon at the GVSU, DeVos Center Room 303C, 401 West Fulton, Grand Rapids, MI 49504. Marketing is an important key in building your business. This class explores the marketing process, along with some low-cost options for creating awareness among your customer base. Pre-registration by fax or phone is required; $45 payable at the door.

Patents & Trademarks is set for October 18 from 6 pm – 9 pm at the GVSU, DeVos Center Room 303C 401 West Fulton, Grand Rapids, MI 49504. Inventors will find this class indispensable for learning the basics of patenting and trade-marking. Learn who should patent, when to patent and the difference between patents and trademarks. Pre-registration by fax or phone is required; $45.00 payable at the door.

The Truth About Small Business Financing is set for October 25 from 6 pm

– 9 pm at the GVSU, DeVos Center Room 303C 401 West Fulton, Grand Rapids, MI 49504. Understand the process of applying for a commercial bank loan. Familiarize yourself with terminology related to loan applications. Analyze your business from a lender’s perspective. Understand credit line and begin positioning your business for a loan, start-up expansion funding, or ongoing lines of credit. Determine whether this is the right time for your business to seek financing and understand the importance of building a relationship with your bank. Learn about SBA loan programs for small businesses. Pre-registration by fax or phone is required; $45 payable at the door.

For more information, interested persons may call (616) 331- 7370 or visit MISBTDC.Org