Call or email to RSVP: 360-565-2078  or swallace@pencol.edu  

February 24, Small Business Survival in a World Economy: Use the FBI

Presenter: Bruce Hall, Bruce Hall Coaching  

Flexible Business Intelligence (FBI) is one way to mount a spirited effort against unpredictable economic changes.  It’s a frame of mind from which you draw upon your decision-making skills, the power of imagination, and aggressive action to investigate options.  Flexible thinking enables you to put your whole self into searching and questioning, to increase awareness, explore information, and distinguish differences.  Learn to use self-knowledge, self-awareness and build a psychological profile of characteristics necessary for entrepreneurial survival. 

March 3, 2010 - Business Basics That Help You Thrive

Presenters: Mark Hannah & Chuck Lamb, Service Corps Of Retired Executives (SCORE) 

How well do you know your business?  Do you or does your business need to be refreshed?   Revisiting or preparing a business plan can remind you of the most important aspects of your business.  Join Mark and Chuck (SCORE Business Counselors,) to discuss defining your business, establishing realistic goals, and understanding and meeting your customer needs.

March 10, 2010 - Business Financial Tools for Peace-of-Mind

Presenters: Mark Bowman, ShoreBank Enterprise Cascadia & Becky McGinty, BSG Enterprises

Are you starting a new business?  Is your business expanding?  Do you have employees?  This seminar will help you get a handle on what type of operations management, financial reporting, business tools, and professional partners that should be in-place for the type and size of business you have.  These systems will help you with government reporting requirements, audits, banking and lending relationships, and internal peace-of-mind

March 17, 2010 - Online Techniques You can Afford Now to Increase Revenue

Presenter: Carolyn Cooper, Carolyn E Cooper Communications 

No matter how tight your budget, you CAN increase revenue in 2010.  Find out how to uncover, test and develop new revenue streams using free market research to define a niche, build your customer relationships and step outside of the box.  Learn how you can use grassroots, bootstrap online marketing tools, product-on-demand services as well as Twitter, Facebook and other social media to expand revenue in a today’s economy.

This series is made possible by the generous donation of time and expertise on the part of our presenters with additional support from the First Federal Community Dividend Program.

Call 360.452.9277 or 1.877.452.9277 to Register!!

STI     092             YOUR RIGHT PATH TO BUSINESS

Want to call the shots on your own terms?  Find out if your crazy idea for your own business makes sense?  This 3 session class offers a hands-on opportunity to understand what it takes to launch and operate a successful business.  As a participant you will take a critical look at yourself as a successful entrepreneur using self-assessment tools; use a “back of the napkin” reality check to determine the ability of your business to make the money you want; discover how much money you need to launch your business and where to find it.

N001   PA          5:30pm - 7:30 pm     MWF                Room 208                   Williams J

Class meets at the Lincoln Center, 905 W. 9^th St., Port Angeles. Class tuition/fees = $40*; Tuition reduced by 50%!  Class meets 3/29 to 4/2/10.  Video conferencing capabilities may be available at the PC Extension sites.  

STI     094             FROM EMPLOYEE TO ENTREPRENEUR

During this time when businesses of all sizes are downsizing, there is a real opportunity for individuals to re-invent themselves.  This desire for reinvention flows when accompanied by a dream and the passion to make it happen.  Within the shift from seeing oneself as an employee to developing the entrepreneurial attitude, there are many hidden challenges.  This class will focus on the vital process for making this change and walking the path of transition from being an employee to becoming an effective and successful entrepreneur.

N002    PA    5:30 - 7:30pm    M W                 Room 208                               Mich C

Class meets at the Lincoln Center, 905 W. 9^th St., Port Angeles.  Class tuition/fees = $40*; course fees reduced 50%.  Class meets on 4/5 to 4/28/10.   

STI     093             BUSINESS PLAN INTENSIVE

 This course is designed for aspiring and existing entrepreneurs. Participants must bring a defined business idea and will develop a comprehensive business plan that works as a road map for future growth.

N003   PA         5:30pm - 8:30pm      T                      Room 208                   Williams J

Class meets at the Lincoln Center, 905 W. 9^th St., Port Angeles. Class tuition/fees = $200*; $400 training for just $200!  Class meets; 4/6 to 6/15/10.  Video conferencing capabilities may be available at the PC Extension sites. 

 STI     081    WEBSITE IN A WEEK

An overview of the impact of new communication technologies on small business, the entrepreneur, and the steps to developing a complete online marketing campaign.  Course will provide an overview of keyword selection, domain names, email, websites, blogging, social media (with a focus on Facebook and Twitter,) search engine optimization (SEO,) search engine marketing (SEM,) web analytics and Pay-Per-Click advertising (PPC.)  Class includes project planning, budgeting, using analysis tools to evaluate marketing effectiveness and rudimentary hands-on exposure to working with the technologies so that students can wisely invest their marketing budget and time.

 N004 PA      5:30pm-8:30pm     TH      Room208                Cooper C

Class meets at The Lincoln Center, 905 West 9^th St., Port Angeles.  No refund after class meets.  Class fee  $40.  Class meets 4/22 to 4/29/10.

STI     262H     CONNECT WITH AUDIENCE

This class is designed to teach participants how to effectively communicate in their commercial and professional endeavors.  The course includes tips on power listening, how to read and use body language and how to think on their feet when called on to speak in any public situation.

N005  A        6:00pm.-8:00pm      MW        Room 208                             Thomas B

Class meets at The Lincoln Center, 905 West 9^th St., Port Angeles.  No refund after class meets.  Class fee  $40.  Class meets 5/3 to 5/12/2010.

STI     080    BUSINESS FINANCIAL TOOLS

Explores the fundamentals of managing business and personal finance including risk tolerance, debt management, cash flow, and learn to create a budget.

N006  PA      5:30pm-7:30pm     MWTH          Room 208               Bowman M

Class meets at The Lincoln Center, 905 West 9^th St., Port Angeles.  No refund after class meets.  Class fee $40.  Class meets 5/17 to 5/20/2010.

STI     085    WEB ANALYTICS & PPC

The average website converts less than 2% of its visitors into customers.  What makes them click?  How effective is your online marketing?  Learn how to use keyword selector tools, whitehat search engine optimization techniques and essential online monitoring and analysis tools of key performance indicators to hone your targeting.  Then discover how to apply the secrets of neuro web design can increase response to your marketing.  Finally, add social media, email, pay-per-click and guerilla online promotional resources to your plan for maximum online success.  Hands-on opportunities and real-world case studies provided so you can create powerful, successful online marketing.

N007  PA      5:30pm-8:30pm     MWTH          Room 208              Cooper C

Class meets at The Lincoln Center, 905 West 9^th St., Port Angeles.  No refund after class meets.  Class fee $125.   Class meets 6/2/ to 6/10/2010.

*Tuition reduced due to a generous donation from the First Federal Community Dividend Program

The two runners-up were BSG Enterprises, a bookkeeping service for small businesses owned by Becky McGinty, and RSoftware Co., an online educational platform run by CEO Craig Conway and partner Pat Owens.  Each received a $1,000 cash award.

The other finalists were SEMinArts LLC, a training, consulting and marketing company founded by Carolyn Cooper of Port Angeles; the Port Angeles Farmers Market, open every Saturday at the Clallam County Courthouse parking lot and managed by Michele d’Hemecourt; and IMPACT Product Development & Marketing, owned by Brad Griffith of Sequim, which helps inventors get their products to market and makes competition kits for Boy Scouts.

This is the 3^rd year for the Entrepreneur Challenge, which is a business plan competition hosted by the Incubator @ Lincoln Center and the Peninsula College Entrepreneur Institute and generously sponsored by First Federal and the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.

past 10 years as developed a practice in Life Coaching.  Oddly enough this ractice has run in tandem with her full-time real estate career.  She brings to this work not only academic preparation and years of experience in the area of human development, but also a 20-year interest in  adult transitions and the opportunities they offer for growth, increased creativity, and a heightened sense of being alive.

As someone who numbers more than fifty major changes in her own life story, Cath has experienced “walking the talk” of creative change and troublesome transitions.  She is witness to the truth of “feeling the fear and doing it anyway.” During the past 10 years Cath has offered teleclasses, workshops, and seminars on handling the change and transition process in life and in business.

Cath will be the instructor for Employee to Entrepreneur this winter and spring.

Thirteen teams of high-school aged youth competed in this competition presented by the Peninsula College Entrepreneur Institute and the Incubator @ Lincoln Center.  Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe  sponsored the competition, which consisted of a written business plan, an oral presentation of the plan, and a visual display showcasing the business or product.

Eberle’s business plan project was for Heidi Melosa Photography, which is portraiture based photography company targeting families, couples, and high school seniors.  Her portraits will include wedding pictures, senior pictures, baby pictures, engagement pictures, and family pictures.  From a very young age Heidi knew that she wanted a career in photography.  She loves capturing the moments in individuals lives that are once in a lifetime opportunities and shared her beautiful portraits with the judges and audience. 

Luxton and Houck’s  entry was an expansion plan for The Weekly Word.  The Weekly Word is  existing business these youth started and is a periodical distributed through Sequim every Monday at different establishments, including Las Palomas Mexican Restaurant, Hurricane Coffee, Highway 101 Diner among others.  It is specifically designed for customers of restaurants and coffee shops.  The paper is meant to be read while waiting for a meal or while enjoying a cup of coffee.  Its content includes short stories a calendar of local events, amusing quotations, a Sodoku puzzle, and several trivia question.  It is a low cost and high visibility advertising medium ideal for local small businesses.  The plan they presented targeted their expansion efforts that are designed to increase exposure, customer base and the quality.  They include an increase in the quality of the paper they use to print on, purchase and display of custom Weekly Word Publication racks and a Weekly Word website.

The two other teams who advanced to the final round were the  Paintball Wizards team, which included members Mick Munden, Troy Hennings and Jon Anders and Ashley’s Original Embellishments presented by Ashley Stevenson.  All are from Port Angeles High School.

The overall purpose of this event is to teach youth the practical aspects of what it takes to start and operate a business.  We seek to raise the awareness of entrepreneurship as a career in these young people who are beginning to consider their futures.  It is also designed to celebrate the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit that exists in our region’s youth.

Registration continues for a seminar series targeted primarily at existing businesses that covers topics related to entrepreneurship, managing business, and seizing opportunities during challenging economic times.  Call 452-9277 to register today!

Seminars:

N005 Customer Service and Recovery

Learn how to create a customer experience that compels customers to return and to refer others to your business.  At the end of this session, you will have a clear picture of what you want customers to think and feel following service, have a list of areas where they are vulnerable for losing a customer and customer referral, and have built the framework for creating a service recovery system.

Meets March 19 - 6:00-8:00 p.m., $25, Instructor: Mike Kamphaus

N009 De-Mystifying Change for Business and Life

In this time when large scale change is occurring all around us and In many cases affecting us directly, it is important to understand how to relate to change and to keep focused on our individual and communal strengths for handling it.  This seminar will focus on offering an better understanding of the nature of change and the process of transition so you may better yourselves and lead others in our business and life.

Meets March 26 - 6:00-8:00 p.m., $25, Instructor: Cath Mich

Classes meet in  Room 208, Lincoln Center, 905 W. 9^th, Port Angeles,

Limited teleconferencing capabilities are available at the Peninsula College Extension sites. Please Inquire.

The topics covered include:

• the use of keyword and phrase selection tools and implementation in page content;
• listing submission tools;
• Google Analytics;
• Google Webmaster Tools;
• Google’s Website Optimizer;
• passive-, active- and social-targeting via LPO variations and micro sites as well as
• other tools for measuring results in a clear, graphic way.

Learn what each online customer is costing you and how to reduce that cost thus raising your profits. It’s the numbers that make the bottom line. Access to the Internet is not required but recommended for practice and research outside of class.

March 23, 25 & 30, 6 - 9 pm

Course Registration ID: N008
Class Length: 9 hours
Instructor: Carolyn E. Cooper
Course Fee: $99.00

Bill is currently a partner in Susan Parr Travel, Inc., operates his own consulting company High Touch Employees, and is a founding partner in The Possibility Development Group, a leadership adventure forum for young business men and women.

Bill is an incurable capitalist and a crusader for small business.  He believes that business is supposed to be fun, not work, and the hours we spend in our places of business should be filled with joy and, of course, lots of profit.

Bill is the instructor for the Search for Wow! Bringing Innovation to Your Business and Words That Make You Rich.  He will be traveling with his consulting firm Winter Term but return in the Spring with more exciting classes to offer.

Mark Bowman

Mark is the Vice President and Senior Loan Officer for the North Olympic Peninsula, WA region of ShoreBank Enterprise Cascadia (SBEC), a non-profit affiliate of ShoreBank Corporation of Chicago, IL.  He has been with SBEC for three years providing loans to small business owners and consulting with non-profits.  SBEC promotes conservation based development in coastal communities in Oregon and Washington and is headquartered in Ilwaco, WA.  Mark spent the previous five years as a small business owner in the tourism industry in Port Angeles, WA.  He is an instructor for the Keeping Control of Your Cash and other financial management courses offered periodically through the PCEI.