These two-to three-hour seminars are held on one evening and cover a wide range of small business topics. Most of these seminars are held at the Small Business Center located at the N.C. Mutual Building in downtown Durham or at the Orange County Skills Development Center in downtown Chapel Hill. Print out the registration form for these Small Business Seminars. You can mail or fax the registration form with payment to reserve your seat.

Churches have 11 specific IRS requirements they are to follow, including regular reports about embezzlement. This special educational seminar includes the “Federal Reporting Requirements for Churches,” why budgeting is important, special fiduciary obligations to ensure all assets are protected and used properly, and guiding principles for reporting. Organization leaders are urged to attend this very informative presentation. Taught by Sam Gore of Towards a Fruitful Ministry.

Developing mutually beneficial relationships is what networking is all about. Whether you are a small business owner or an employee of a large company, you need to develop these relationships to succeed. Learn the secrets of successful networking from your 30 second commercial to your follow-up. Learn about memory hooks, business cards, managing contacts, attitude, and more. You’ll obtain hands-on experience to make your next networking event a success. Taught by Jess McLamb of The Roper Group.

Cut through the hype before you invest. Understand how to evaluate an existing franchise, how to value the seller's financials, how to structure a deal, and how to finance the purchase. Avoid common pitfalls and determine when to take the leap. Learn how to evaluate the industry, as well as the franchiser, and discover if it is a good fit for you. Instructor Jerry Mays of the Jerion Group has owned, operated, and sold three franchise businesses and has recruited franchisees for two of the largest franchisers in the U.S.

Have you ever wondered how certain “serial entrepreneurs” are able to launch great companies time and time again, while the survival rate for most new companies is so small? Be prepared to shift your thinking, pursue the mindset of a successful entrepreneur, and attain remarkable business success. You will leave this seminar with tangible personal and business tools that allow you to achieve exceptional results. Taught by Benjamin Quinn, MBA of ActionCOACH Business Coaching.

Is your desk hidden under piles of papers, but you swear you know where everything is? Do you spend money on technology, marketing, and advertising but do nothing to improve your personal productivity? If you are frustrated, overwhelmed, don't know where to start, and your paper piles are growing daily, this seminar gives you practical, simple, easy-to-implement ideas to help you get and stay organized. By becoming more organized, you will notice the difference in your environment, your life, and your wallet. Taught by Eileen Stevie, Stevie Organizing Services.

This free session each month is the perfect place to bring all your startup questions. Get info on licenses, legal forms, taxes, and much more. Learn about community and online resources from veteran business instructors and from fellow entrepreneurs. Preregistration is requested at 919-686-3448.

Everybody is a salesperson whether they realize it or not: selling their ideas, their image, their persona — and/or their products or services. Don't like to sell? You will, after attending our seminar, conducted by our extraordinarily empathetic trainer, Jim Joyce, president of Sales Partners, Inc.

What would be the best small business for you to start right now? Would it be a service business, retail, manufacturing, or direct marketing? The program focuses on three areas: how to create a business idea that fits you, “hot” businesses that will grow in coming years, and five easy-to-use steps to starting a business. Learn about more than 30 types of businesses with growth potential to help you get started in the right way. Taught by Mike Collins of the Perfect Workday Company.

To be successful, business owners must have a clear understanding of their customers and of the competition that will try to steal those customers away. This seminar takes both new and existing business owners through a simple process to gain a better understanding of their industry, their customers, and their competition. Leave with critical questions to ask and a list of resources to provide the answers to better focus your marketing on higher potential customers while countering your competitors’ moves. Taught by Carl Baumann, CHill SCORE. 

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