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 offfers a hands-on opportunity to understand what it takes to launch and operate a successful business.  As a participant you will 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      5:30 – 7:30pm       M W F               Room  208                           Williams J

Class meets at Lincoln Center 905 W 9th St., Port Angeles.  Class Tuition/fees = $60;  Class meets 9/20, 9/22, & 9/24  Video conferencing capabilities may be available at the PC Extension sites.

STI      081         ESSENTIAL WEB MARKETING

Discover how you can leverage the new communication technologies, build and grow your business.  More than ever you’re building relationships with customers before you even know they exist – and you have 3-5 seconds to convince them you have the answer or solution.  Learn the steps to developing a complete online marketing campaign including effective keyword & niche selection; domain name secrets; email marketing techniques; website & search engine optimization; blogging and social media tips (with a focus on Facebook & Twitter.)  Class includes an introduction to pre-testing products and services using search engine marketing (SEM), web analytics and Pay-Per-Click advertising (PPC) so that you can wisely invest your marketing budget and time.  Worksheets and 33-page guide provided.  Internet access between classes is recommended but not required.

N002      PA                 T, TH                   Room 208                              Cooper C

Class meets at Lincoln Center 905 W 9th St., Port Angeles.  Class Tui/fees = $99;  includes all fees and class materialstion;  Class meets 9/21, 9/23, & 9/28

  STI   086   MARKET PRE-TEST METHODS                     New Offering!

Test before you invest your time and money!  Once limited to companies with deep pockets, product and market pre-testing allows small businesses to reduce risks and achieve profitability faster.  Hone your concept, fine-tune your marketing, intensify interest and start with a measurable target audience base.  Learn how to identify market needs; define the right target audience; refine your product, marketing and your markets; and build a list of interested, motivated customers before committing major capital – even fund new products or services with pre-sales.  Discover established business market research & development techniques updated for the 21st Century.  Worksheet and resource guide included.

N003  PA   5:30pm – 8:00pm            M W             Room 208                   Cooper C

 Class meets at the Lincoln Center 905 W. 9th St., Port Angeles.  Class tuition/fees =  $50;  Class meets 10/4 & 10/6

STI  094       EMPLOYEE TO ENTREPRENEUR   

During this time when businesses 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.

N004      PA           5:30 – 7:30pm          T TH           Room 208                Mich C

Class meets at the Lincoln Center 905 W. 9th St., Port Angles,  Class tuition/fees = $175; includes materials; Class meets 10/5, 10/7, 10/12, 10/14, 10/19, 10/21, 10/26 & 10/28

  STI 080            BUSINESS FINANCIAL TOOLS

Financial management is critical to the success of all businesses.  If you are planning to start a new business or expand, are you structuring your business management with the correct tools and regularly monitoring your progress?  Class topics include: Separating and managing your business finances independent of your personal finances, structuring a business balance sheet that is fitting to the industry you are in, understanding your tolerance of risk and how to mitigate those risks, managing appropriate levels of debt, and cash flow management including accounts payable and accounts receivable.

N005  PA     5:30 – 8:30pm          M W                  Room 208                Bowman M

Class meets  at the Lincoln Center 905 W. 9th st., Port Angeles. Class tuition/fees = $60 materials included; class meets on 10/25 & 10/27

 STI 262H    CONNECT with YOUR CUSTOMERS

With a tight economy and fierce competition in the workplace learn how to effectively communicate in your commercial and professional endeavors; course includes tips on power listening, how to read and use body language and how to think on your feet when called on to speak in any public situation

NOO6    PA     T TH          Room 208                   Thomas B

Class meets at the Lincoln Center 905 W. 9th St., Port Angeles,  Class tuition/fees = $99;  class meets on 11/2, 11/4, 11/9 & 11/11

STI    087       WORDPRESS OPTIMIZATION

Modify & optimize your Wordpress-based website to get results and reach your goals.  Learn key techniques such as search engine optimization set-up to meet Google’s new Caffeine/May Day changes; key plug-ins to increase SEO, goal conversions, search engine marketing (SEM) and social media integration; widget wisdom and administration best practices for structure, maintenance, comment moderation and user management.  An introduction to basic theme modification such as changing backgrounds, images, text/link colors and The Loop essentials will be covered.  Web coding knowledge not required, however, a rudimentary understanding of HTML tags is recommended.  Internet access is required between classes.  Workbook and guide are provided.

N007   PA    M W   Room 208         Cooper C

Classes meet at the Lincoln Center, 905 W 9th St., Port Angeles. Class tuition/fees = $120 includes materials; class meets on 11/8, 11/10, 11/15 & 11/17

Peninsula College Entrepreneur Institute  presents the Entrepreneur Youth Challenge 2010, a business plan competition.  Innovative and business minded youth are being sought to participate in this year’s event that will offer $1,000 awards to the two individuals and/or teams. This is the third year for this competition generously sponsored by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.  Continue reading for more information and up-to-date competition materials and docuements!

High school aged youth interested in competing in the Challenge must submit an Intent to Enter form to the Entrepreneur Institute located at Lincoln Center by 5:00 p.m. on April 14, 2010.  A preliminary round has been tentative scheduled for Monday, May 24th, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. pending number of competitors. The Entrepreneur Youth Challenge competition will conclude on May 26, 2010, 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. with the awards made at the conclusion of the competition. 

The competition consists of a written business plan, an oral presentation of the plan, and a visual display showcasing the business or product.  Professional business mentors will be made available for individuals or teams interested in extra support in developing their written business plan or on presentation skills.

Competitors: Please review the following documents for more information on the schedule, eligiblity requirements, judging criteria and assistance available and more!

Download: EYC 10 Schedule & Eligibility

Download:  EYC  Project Outline   - The outline for developing your business plan; (what the judges will be looking for.)

Download:  EYC Cashflow Forecast_Monthly    - An Excel template for developing your business financials

Download: EYC 10 judging form and criteria   – See what the judges will use to assess your plan and presentation

EYC Challange Presentation Template 2010   – A PowerPoint Presentation that you can customize for your business plan

Questions?  Email:  LHopie@pencol.edu or SWallace@pencol.edu  or Call 360.417.6504 or 360-565-2078.

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.

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.

Jim Williams

Jim is a management consultant specializing in the development of sustainable, small enterprises.  He currently teaches a highly successful, award winning 12-week program on business planning.  Prior to moving to the north Olympic Peninsula, he held senior level management positions with Arthur Andersen and WDHB Consulting Group.  He holds a Masters degree in business and a Bachelors of Science degree in Chemistry.  Jim and his wife Hope are the owners of Best Friend Nutrition, Inc., a health food store for pets with two locations in Sequim.  Jim will be the instructor for So Your Right Path to Business Winter Term & Business Plan Intensive  Spring Term 2010. ]]> http://pceinstitute.com/fall-term-instructors/feed/ 0