The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce announces Small Business University

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce a new professional resource, Small Business University. Small Business University (SBU) is a seven-series course taught by industry professionals to provide foundational practices to build and maintain a successful small business. Sessions can be purchased individually or as a seven- session course. This resource is presented by The Chamber Seminar Team.

“As a small business owner and Chamber member, I am excited to participate in the Small Business University series that will be offered by The Woodlands Chamber of Commerce beginning January 2018,” says Ann Wolford of The Wolford Group and volunteer co-team leader of The Chamber Seminar Team. “Whether you are a well-established small business or someone considering opening a small business, the offerings will benefit everyone. Whether it’s cash management and budgeting, writing a business plan, or addressing IT or HR issues, this series covers the gamut of essentials for running a business efficiently, effectively, and profitably.”

“Small Business University grew out of The Chamber Seminar Team and the quality of volunteers and professional network that make up this group,” says Cyndi Alvarado, Vice President of Membership for The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce and staff liaison to The Chamber Seminar Team. “SBU perfectly aligns with The Chamber’s four core functions to advocate for your business, provide marketing and networking opportunities, serve as a community and professional resources and promote charitable causes. This professional resource will greatly serve our membership demographic self-described as small or starting businesses.”

Small Business University will begin in January 2018 and meet once a month for 2-hour sessions. All courses will meet at The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce at 9320 Lakeside Blvd., building 2, suite 200 in The Woodlands. Individual sessions cost $25 for Chamber Members and $35 for prospective Chamber Members. For a limited time, the full seven-session series can be purchased at the discounted cost of $125 for Chamber Members and $199 for Prospective Chamber Members. Courses Include:

101: Business Plan Basics, presented by Stephen Hamilton of the Lone Star College Small Business Development Center on Tuesday, January 16, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. In this course, attendees will receive quick and easy tips for writing your business plan and recommendations from an expert on how to use your plan to obtain financing, focus ideas, identify specific business objectives, and chart and manage growth.

102: If You Kill Superman...What Happens to Clark Kent? Shielding you personally from business liabilities through entity formation, presented by Bret Strong of The Strong Firm, P.C on Thursday, February 15, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The presentation will focus on helping business owners avoid or limit personal liability for business debts and obligations using entity formations. We will discuss the various types of entities available to business owners and address potential pros and cons of these entities. We will also explore practical steps that a business owner can take to prevent an opposing party from "piercing the corporate veil" and other "housekeeping" matters beneficial for any business owner.

103: Understanding Your Financials, presented by Barry Blanton of Blanton Advisors on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. This course will cover how to have a basic understanding of a balance sheet and profit & loss statements, how to review the balance sheet and profit & loss statements, how to organize a chart of accounts, why profit doesn’t equal cash and understanding equity.

104: Cash Management & Budgeting, presented by Jay Tompkins of MiddletonRaines+Zapata LLP on Thursday, April 5, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Cash Management and Budgeting is the life blood of any small business. Properly monitoring activity against a predetermined budgets and monitoring cash flow monthly are key to the success of any business. This seminar will teach ways to form a budget and cash flow reports as well as how to use them in monitoring your business activity.

105: HR for the HR Department of One (or None), presented by Alan Bush of The Bush Law Firm on Thursday, May 3, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. More about this course: Employee claims waste time and money. Get yourself squared away in advance to avoid an “Imperial entanglement” with federal enforcers – or worse still, plaintiff’s counsel. We’ll talk out the things you need to know from hiring, to performance management, to firing, to policies and agreements. Along the way, we’ll have a laugh or two. We don’t do boring.

106: IT Solutions for your Small Business, presented by Steve Wright of Wright Business Technologies, Inc. on Thursday, June 14, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Small business owners / representatives will walk through each step of the IT process from the foundation to continuous best practices. Listen and learn about what our IT expert has seen firsthand, from wasted money to what is worth your investment. Hear real stories about how businesses stayed functional during a disaster and how your business should be set-up. Also find out how IT should be a profit center for your business. Unthinkable? Don't miss this one.

107: Marketing for Small Business, presented by Stephen Hamilton of the Lone Star College Small Business Development Center on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Marketing is one of the most important things you do in your business. How, when, and where to market and especially whom you will target are all things you and your employees need to figure out. In this class we will help you understand important considerations for your marketing approach including what makes your product/service unique, the difference between benefits and features and how to determine what is important to your customer. In addition, you will discover how to create a simple and practical marketing strategy based on tips and tools proven to work.

For more information and registration, visit www.WoodlandsChamber.org/SBU or contact Cyndi Alvarado at Cyndi.Alvarado@woodlandschamber.org, 281.367.5777.