SCORE Workshops, A Powerful Way to Help Your Business Grow!

The workshops are designed for current and potential business owners and managers and are taught by experienced, knowledgeable instructors. Follow-up counseling by SCORE volunteers can be arranged for those interested. All workshops are held at the Springfield OTC campus. Attendees must register with OTC by calling (417) 447-8888. There is a $25 charge per workshop. Sign up for four of the six workshops and save 10%, plus receive a Certificate of Professional Development issued by OTC and SCORE upon completion. Workshop Descriptions are below:

Our Workshops

• Lunch and Learn Session 1 - Obtaining Financing for Small Businesses & Startups
• Lunch and Learn Session 2 - Email Marketing with Programs Such as Constant Contact
• Developing Your Marketing Strategy
• Internet Marketing Strategies
• What you MUST Know Before Starting a Missouri Business
• How to Sell a Business for its Maximum Value
• Understanding Financial Statements
• Developing a Business Plan

Lunch and Learn Session 1 - Obtaining Financing for Small Businesses & Startups - $10 Including Lunch

Enjoy lunch while learning the requirements and sources for various types of business financing, including commercial loans, SBA loans, local loan programs, angel investors, and grants. Representatives from Liberty Bank, US Bank, Peoples Bank, Arvest Bank and Commerce Bank will answer questions.

Lunch and Learn Session 2 - Email Marketing with Programs Such as Constant Contact - $10 Including Lunch

Learn techniques for email marketing using programs such as Constant Contact to regularly communicate with customers and comply with spamming laws while enjoying lunch with peers. Constant Contact discounts available to attendees.

Developing your Marketing Strategy

The goal of most large businesses today is to make business decisions marketing-driven. Smaller businesses should have the same goal, in order to achieve maximum success.

In this workshop we'll discuss what it means for a business to be marketing-driven, and the marketing principles business owners must understand before they can devise their marketing strategy in a way that minimizes marketing expenditures while maximizing sales.

Topics to be addressed:

• The difference between a sales focus and a marketing focus
• The four basic principles of marketing
• How to target market segments
• Why market segments should be targeted, rather than marketing to all possible prospects
• Designing a coordinated marketing plan
• Guerrilla marketing strategies
• The principles of positioning a business or product
• Suggested reading lists

The instructor is Jerry Myers. For more information on this instructor, click here.

Internet Marketing Stategies

It's been said that the Internet levels the playing field for large and small businesses. You don't have to spend tons of money on a web site to gain on-line customers, but you do need a plan. If you want to know how successful web marketers design web sites and communicate with their customers, this "best practices" presentation is for you. Did you jump onto the web bandwagon without first defining what your organization wants to accomplish? This workshop will introduce the powerful and effective tips, tools, and techniques for planning and executing an effective Internet presence. You will learn how to develop objectives, strategies, tactics, and measurable results for marketing your business on the worldwide web. Plus, discover how to avoid the most common mistakes companies make in the transition to e-commerce.

• Creating an effective web strategy
• Identify critical content & avoid costly mistakes
• Effective page layout & design
• How to make your site interactive
• Understanding search engines How and when to use special effects
• Tips to drive more traffic to your site
• Do's & Don'ts of E-Mail Marketing
• Making e-commerce safe & easy for your customers

The instructor is Kevin Grinder. For more information on this instructor, click here.

What you MUST Know Before Starting a Missouri Business

Most people have thought of starting a business at one time or another. The ones who have would have appreciated getting the information in this workshop!

We will discuss various approaches entrepreneurs can take to start a business, from informal to more structured ways that are all legal in Missouri.

We'll also discuss ways to determine objectively whether a business venture should be launched, which may be the most important material covered in the workshop. Many people start businesses each year, deplete their savings, and then have to close. Had they applied some of the basic principles discussed in this workshop, they might have avoided that experience.

Topics to be addressed:

• Registering and licensing a business in Missouri
• Forms of ownership available
• Financing sources for small businesses
• Developing a business plan
• Tax advantages of owning a small business
• Start-up or purchase an existing business - which is less risky?
• Forms which must be filed for Missouri businesses
• Setting up the books for a small business
• Missouri sales and use tax
• Fictitious name registration
• Federal employer ID number
• Hiring employees
• Zoning and permits
• Protecting intellectual property
• Local licensing requirements
• Federal and state income tax considerations for small businesses
• Self-employment taxes
• Employment taxes
• When should you hire an accountant or attorney
• How to protect personal assets
• What insurance policies should a small business have for protection
• How to protect the corporate veil formed by an LLC or Corporation
• Local resources for entrepreneurs
• Suggested reading lists

The instructor is Jerry Myers. For more information on this instructor, click here.

How to Sell a Business for Maximum Value

This workshop will focus on methods to objectively determine the value of small businesses (less than approximately $10 million in gross revenue), and discuss timing the sale or purchase of a business. We will discuss exit strategies that are possible for business owners, and how the five types of business buyers fit into those possible strategies, and the importance of determining the best type of buyer before placing the business on the market. This is a must-attend workshop if a business sale or purchase might be in your future in the next three to five years, or even sooner.

Topics to be addressed:

• How to determine how much money a business is really making
• Valuation methods that should be used to value a business
• Timing the sale of a business
• Cost-effective ways to advertise businesses for sale
• Where to look for businesses for sale
• What are the value drivers business buyers should pay attention to, and how can business owners use them to increase the value of their business over time
• Asset sale vs Stock sale
• Financing the purchase of a business
• The Ten Commandments of Selling a Business
• Maintaining Confidentiality - How to help insure employees, customers, vendors, lenders and competitors never find out the business is for sale until it is sold
• How to reduce risk when buying a business
• The myth of the perfect business
• How to minimize taxes when selling or purchasing a business
• Negotiation techniques that work
• Review of the many types of deal structures. How to determine the best combination of price, terms and conditions of sale
• The differences between terms, conditions, and contingencies in the Purchase Agreement
• Managing an effective due diligence process
• Buying a business that is not for sale
• Growing a business through acquisitions
• Managing the myriad of details necessary to close on the sale of a business
• How to sell a business for TWICE what it's worth
• How to assess the strengths, weaknesses and future potential of a business
• Seller representations and warranties
• What is an earnout and when should one be used
• When should a buyer have the right of offset on a seller note
• How escrowing funds can reduce risk
• When and how to use attorneys and accountants

The instructor is Jerry Myers. For more information on this instructor, click here.

Understanding Financial Statements

There's no doubt about it, if you want to manage your business you must know how to speak the language. Starting with an overview of basic financial statements and concepts, learn how to communicate with the business community and how to analyze the progress towards your goals. Along the way, you'll learn how to minimize your time involvement and maximize your understanding of your financial situation. Some of the topics we'll discuss are:

• The basics: Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Cash Flow
• What is the single most important element of a successful business
• How understanding cash flow can streamline your planning
• How do bankers and other "external" parties look at my financial situation
• The internal perspective
• Use the right tools

The instructor is Mike Maples. For more information on this instructor, click here.

Developing a Business Plan

This two hour workshop will explore the development of a written business plan and will define the how, what, when and why your venture should be successful. Ways and means of financing will also be discussed.

• The importance of the planning process
• Executive Summary
• Business description and organization
• Management team
• Business risk and insurance
• Company objectives and service area
• Products and services offered
• Marketing Plan
• Customers and Competition
• Strengths and weakness analysis
• Financial Plan
• Use of the plan for start up funding or expansion
• Income statement, cash flow statement, balance sheet

The instructor is John McKearney. For more information on this instructor, click here.