Maricopa SBDC

Proposal Tips for Winning Government Contracts
2018-04-10 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Phoenix) | GateWay Community College, Small Business Development Center, 108 N 40th Street, South Building, PHOENIX, AZ, 85034, United States
Presented by Carol Ingley, President, ingleyPRICE-TO-WIN
Interested in winning a government contract? Written a proposal and not gotten the government contract? This seminar gives tips on writing and pricing a proposal that wins. It focuses on common mistakes, easy ways to avoid those mistakes, how to evaluate your proposal before submitting it and much more.
Carol Ingley Bio
Carol Ingley is president of ingleyPRICE-TO-WIN, a proposal preparation services company that helps companies write and price winning proposals for federal, state or local government contracts. Carol Ingley is a technologist, finance expert, expert writer and general proposal specialist who has helped companies win more than $17 billion in government contracts.
Cost: FREE
When: Tuesday, April 10, 2018 from 1:00 p.m.—3:00 p.m.
Where: GateWay Community College, AZ SBDC Office, South Building, 108 N. 40th St., Phoenix, AZ 85034
For more information contact Nora Plonsky, Arizona PTAC Program Assistant nora.plonsky@domail.maricopa.edu or at (623) 845-4700.

Find Focus with Your One Page Business Plan
2018-04-04 10:00 - 11:30 | PVCC Entrepreneurship Education Center, 18401 N 32nd Street, Building K, Room K117, Phoenix, AZ, 85032, United States
As a small business owner considering your future are you struggling to create a plan? Do you want a simple roadmap to success rather than a 25 page “sit on the shelf” plan? Would you benefit from a tool that allows you to identify your key objectives and focus on specific strategies and actions? In this session, you will learn how you can create your simple and effective one page business plan that will provide you and your team with focused objectives and actions.
We hope you can join us for this special event! This program is designed to help small businesses increase their skills in business planning.
After attending this session, you will feel confident and ready to prepare your objective focused one page business plan. You will understand how building a plan focused on specific objectives allows you to focus your work and team and avoid costly distractions. You will also receive tips on how to put your new plan into action that will lead to greater success in the future.
There is no fee for this event.
Space is limited. REGISTER TODAY.

Put Your Business Idea in Motion
2018-03-27 09:00 - 11:00 | GateWay Community College, Small Business Development Center, 108 N 40th Street, South Building, PHOENIX, AZ, 85034, United States
Are you an entrepreneur in the early stage of exploring and planning a new business venture? Are you confused by how to get started and what steps to take? Think you have a great idea, but maybe you are not sure if it is a viable business idea, an idea that customers want or need? If you answered yes to any of these questions, our Put Your Business Idea in Motion program is for you.
Using presentations, group discussion, and activities, participants are introduced to the critical topics of how to explore and validate a business idea, learn best practice tips for building a solid financial foundation on which to grow a business, review the steps to setting up and doing business in Arizona, and be introduced to the services offered by SBDC and other resources.
This program is intended for new entrepreneurs and first time business owners who have not yet opened their doors for business.
Register Now

Laying the Groundwork for Government Contracting
2018-03-13 13:00 - 15:00, 2018-02-13 13:00 - 15:00, 2018-01-09 13:00 - 15:00 | GateWay Community College, Small Business Development Center, 108 N 40th Street, South Building, PHOENIX, AZ, 85034, United States
Learn the basics of how government contracting works.
Very basic introduction to government contracting and the services PTAC offers. We follow a Who, What, Why, When and How format followed by a group discussion. This course is for small business owners who know very little or nothing about government procurement.
To register for this event please contact:
Nora Plonsky, Arizona PTAC Program Assistant
Nora.plonsky@domail.maricopa.edu or at (623)845-4700

Put Your Business Idea in Motion
2018-03-08 16:00 - 17:30, 2018-02-08 16:00 - 17:30, 2018-01-11 16:00 - 17:30 | Estrella Mountain Community College — Ocotillo Building, Room 101, 3000 North Dysart Road, Avondale, AZ, United States

Mastering QuickBooks Workshop
2018-03-06 08:00 - 17:00 | GateWay Community College, Small Business Development Center, 108 N 40th Street, South Building, PHOENIX, AZ, 85034, United States
Mastering QuickBooks Workshop
This workshop focuses on the desktop version of QuickBooks.

QuickBooks Overview and Initial Setup
QuickBooks Versions
Accounting 101
QuickBooks Accounting 101
Mastery of Basic Navigation
Setting up a New Company
Setting and Modifying Preferences
Introduction to Reporting
The Sales Cycle: Customers and Sales
Lists in Quickbooks
Customers
The Items List
Invoices from Estimates
Invoicing for Time & Material
Invoicing from Scratch
Money: Receiving Payments and Making Deposits
Troubleshooting
The Purchasing Cycle: Vendors and Bills
Creating Vendors
Purchase Orders
Entering Bills
Paying Bills
Writing Checks
The Checking Account
Reconciling the Bank Account
Credit Card Transaction
Special Topics in QuickBooks
Job Costing and Payroll
Reporting
Sales Tax
QB for Restaurants
QB for Real Estate and Property Management
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Top 10 QB Tips, Tricks, and Shortcuts
FEE: $100.00. Payment accepted by check ONLY made out to “Maricopa Community Colleges – SBDC”.

Register Now

Raising Capital - Funding Basics and Lender Insights
2018-02-22 08:30 - 11:30 | Huntington University, Peoria Campus, 8385 W Mariners Way, Peoria, AZ, 85382, United States
This program is designed to help small businesses increase their knowledge of funding sources and strategies. The session opens with an education portion that covers basic information about commercial loans, types, sources and how to prepare for lending requests. A panel of West Valley lenders will provide insight and information related to the types of business they service, loans offered, and suggestions for how to prepare for a meeting with a lender.
This program is intended for small business owners who are currently seeking funds to grow their existing business. It is part of the partnership with the City of Peoria and the Maricopa SBDC. This program is in response to the Peoria Business Needs Survey and will discuss the specific needs of Peoria based businesses.
Register Here

Put Your Business Idea in Motion
2018-02-15 14:00 - 16:00 | Chandler-Gilbert Community College (Sun Lakes Center), 25105 South Alma School Road, Chandler, AZ, 85248, United States

Put Your Business Idea in Motion
2017-12-14 16:00 - 17:30 | Estrella Mountain Community College — Ocotillo Building, Room 101, 3000 North Dysart Road, Avondale, AZ, United States
Thursday, December 14, 2017
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Estrella Mountain Community
3000 N Dysart Road
Ocotillo Hall, Room OCT 104
Avondale, AZ 85392
COST: FREE
Are you an entrepreneur in the early stage of exploring and planning a new business venture? Are you confused by how to get started and what steps to take? Think you have a great idea, but maybe you are not sure if it is a viable business idea, an idea that customers want or need? If you answered yes to any of these questions, our Put Your Business Idea in Motion program is for you.
Using presentations, group discussion, and activities, participants are introduced to the critical topics of how to explore and validate a business idea, learn best practice tips for building a solid financial foundation on which to grow a business, review the steps to setting up and doing business in Arizona, and be introduced to the services offered by SBDC and other resources.
This program is intended for new entrepreneurs and first time business owners who have not yet opened their doors for business.
Register Now

Real Life Marketing Strategies for Peoria Businesses: Business in the Avenues
2017-12-14 14:00 - 16:00 | My Office Business Suites – Thunderbird Office Park, 14050 N. 83rd Avenue, Suite 290, Peoria, AZ, 85381, United States
It takes a lot to market your business. Learn from real business owners what really works for small business owners building a business in Peoria. Plus, gather tools and resources that ever-growing business owners need to help strengthen the ROI on their marketing dollars from an expert marketing strategist.
Come hear what marketing strategies have worked for growing West Valley #smallbizowners!
Register Now
Map for Parking at My Office Business Suites

Put Your Business Idea in Motion
2017-12-14 14:00 - 16:00 | GateWay Community College, Small Business Development Center, 108 N 40th Street, South Building, PHOENIX, AZ, 85034, United States
Thursday, December 14, 2017
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
GateWay Community College
108 N 40th Street, South Building
Phoenix, AZ 85034
COST: FREE
Are you an entrepreneur in the early stage of exploring and planning a new business venture? Are you confused by how to get started and what steps to take? Think you have a great idea, but maybe you are not sure if it is a viable business idea, an idea that customers want or need? If you answered yes to any of these questions, our Put Your Business Idea in Motion program is for you.
Using presentations, group discussion, and activities, participants are introduced to the critical topics of how to explore and validate a business idea, learn best practice tips for building a solid financial foundation on which to grow a business, review the steps to setting up and doing business in Arizona, and be introduced to the services offered by SBDC and other resources.
This program is intended for new entrepreneurs and first time business owners who have not yet opened their doors for business.
Register Now

Raising Capital - Funding Basics and Lender Insights
2017-12-14 09:00 - 11:00 | LaunchPoint, 245 West 2nd Street, Mesa, AZ, 85201, United States
LaunchPoint
245 West 2nd Street
Mesa, AZ 85301
Room Location on Campus: Room #33 in the lower level of the Mesa Center for Higher Education in the LaunchPoint space.
There is no fee for this event.
Space is limited, register today.
This program is designed to help small businesses increase their knowledge of funding sources and strategies. The session opens with an education portion that covers basic information about commercial loans, types, sources and how to prepare for lending requests. A panel of lenders will provide insight and information related to the types of business they service, loans offered, and suggestions for how to prepare for a meeting with a lender.
This program is intended for small businesses that are currently seeking funds to grow their existing business.
In this workshop you will learn about:
Loan Types and Funding Sources

Types of business loans and use of funds
Types of lenders

Commercial Funding Basics

How business loans differ from personal loans
Know the Lender Language – a few basic terms to know

Preparing for a Loan Request

What makes your business attractive to the lender
Documents
Funding strategy

The Lender Panel
Each Lender will have a table available to distribute collateral and will be available to answer questions from the participants. Each participant will have the change to meet the lenders and talk to a SBDC counselor.
SBA Resources – Learn about the SBA Loan Clinic
SBDC Resources – Learn how to prepare for a lending request
REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT

Laying the Groundwork for Government Contracting
2017-12-12 13:00 - 15:00, 2017-11-14 13:00 - 15:00 | GateWay Community College, Small Business Development Center, 108 N 40th Street, South Building, PHOENIX, AZ, 85034, United States
Location:
GateWay Community College
SBDC in the South Building
108 N 40th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85034
Event Fee: Free
Learn the basics of how government contracting works.
Very basic introduction to government contracting and the services PTAC offers. We follow a Who, What, Why, When and How format followed by a group discussion. This course is for small business owners who know very little or nothing about government procurement.
To register for this event please contact:
Nora Plonsky, Arizona PTAC Program Assistant
Nora.plonsky@domail.maricopa.edu or at (623)845-4700

Maricopa SBDC Cyber Security Forum
2017-12-06 08:30 - 16:30 | Rio Salado Conference Center, 2323 W 14th Street, Tempe, AZ, 85281, United States
Maricopa SBDC Cyber Security Forum
Does your business have a cyber security plan? Do you know what steps to take to protect your business from cyber threats?
Maricopa SBDC is hosting a Cyber Security forum on Wednesday, December 6, 2017 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at Rio Salado Conference Center, 2323 W 14th St, Tempe, AZ 85281. There is no cost to attend the forum. Continental breakfast and lunch will be served.
Presenters Include:
Mike Lettman, Chief Information Security Officer
State of Arizona, ADOA-ASET (Arizona Strategic Enterprise Technology)
Mike Lettman is a recognized technology leader with over 28 years of experience in government information, security and technology. As the State Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), he provides strategic direction for information security to over 130 public agencies. With a focus on statewide enterprise and standardization efforts, Mike leads the Security, Privacy and Risk team for the Arizona Strategic Enterprise Technology (ASET) Office. With alignment to the State’s Strategic IT Plan, he ensures and enhances the State of Arizona’s security and safety.
Mike’s responsibilities include identifying, developing, implementing and maintaining processes across the State to reduce IT risks. He is responsible for incident response, establishing appropriate standards and controls, and directing the establishment and implementation of policies and procedures. Mike is also instrumental in building relationships with a variety of partners including the MS-ISAC, Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI.
Prior to his work for the State of Arizona, Mike served as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the State of Wisconsin and previously as the Chief Technical Officer for the State of Wisconsin’s Department of Justice. In addition, he was the State of Wisconsin’s advocate for security awareness representing a variety of industry committees including Wisconsin’s Cyber Terrorism task force.
Mike holds a Bachelor of Science in Management and Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin and remains an active member of the Arizona Fusion Center and the co-chair of the Multi State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) SCADA work group.
Plus experts from:

FBI
US Secret Service
Arizona Counter Terrorism Center
US Department of Homeland Security
Arizona Cyber Threat Alliance
Arizona Department of Homeland Security

Space is limited, register today!
Click Here to register: http://bit.ly/2zV33U9
Contact Michael.Baab@domail.maricopa.edu at 480.784.0597 for more information.
Rio Salado Campus Map

Date: Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Time: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Fee: None
Location: Rio Salado Conference Center, 2323 W 14th St, Tempe, AZ 85281

Inside the Mind of an Angel Investor
2017-12-04 12:00 - 14:30 | PVCC Entrepreneurship Education Center, 18401 N 32nd Street, Building K, Room K117, Phoenix, AZ, 85032, United States
Paradise Valley Community College
Entrepreneurship Education Center
Building K, Room 117
18401 N 32nd Street
Phoenix, AZ 85032
Looking for Investor Capital?
In this workshop you will learn what goes on inside the mind of an Angel Investor.

What are the most important things they look for in a pitch?
How do they “value” your business?
What do you need to do before you talk with an investor?
Does my business plan matter?
How does the process typically work?

This workshop is led by SBDC Business Analyst, Tom Fulcher. Tom is an area expert on angel investing. He judges multiple programs including InnovateHer, Venture Madness and the Arizona Innovation Challenge. He also serves as an entrepreneur-in-residence for an Arizona Commerce Authority program and facilitates the NACET Pitch Power workshop series. His clients have won AIC grants and raised millions from investors.
REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT NOW
Map of PVCC

Put Your Business Idea in Motion
2017-11-30 14:00 - 16:00 | GateWay Community College, Small Business Development Center, 108 N 40th Street, South Building, PHOENIX, AZ, 85034, United States
Thursday, November 30, 2017
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
GateWay Community College
108 N 40th Street, South Building
Phoenix, AZ 85034
COST: FREE
Are you an entrepreneur in the early stage of exploring and planning a new business venture? Are you confused by how to get started and what steps to take? Think you have a great idea, but maybe you are not sure if it is a viable business idea, an idea that customers want or need? If you answered yes to any of these questions, our Put Your Business Idea in Motion program is for you.
Using presentations, group discussion, and activities, participants are introduced to the critical topics of how to explore and validate a business idea, learn best practice tips for building a solid financial foundation on which to grow a business, review the steps to setting up and doing business in Arizona, and be introduced to the services offered by SBDC and other resources.
This program is intended for new entrepreneurs and first time business owners who have not yet opened their doors for business.
Register Now

Profit Mastery – Part 4
2017-11-16 08:00 - 12:00 | LaunchPoint, 245 West 2nd Street, Mesa, AZ, 85201, United States
Open to Mesa Small Businesses with Mesa mailing addresses.
Location on Campus: Room #33 in the lower level of the Mesa Center for Higher Education in the LaunchPoint space.
Profit Mastery has gained an international reputation for providing unparalleled financial management and business planning education to small business owners. This training program is focused on the real outcomes centered related to business performance, business development, and revenue retention. Each session is facilitated by a certified member of our counseling staff.
Participants will learn how to:

Diagnose and monitor company financial performance
Use break-even analysis to make better decisions on cost, price and profits
Avoid cash crunches and increase cash flow
Plan for and manage growth
Communicate more effectively with bankers and other financial professionals

Attendees receive a comprehensive participant program manual.

Four sessions: November 7, 9, 14 and 16, 2017
Time: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: LaunchPoint

Click Here to Register

Profit Mastery – Part 3
2017-11-14 08:00 - 12:00 | LaunchPoint, 245 West 2nd Street, Mesa, AZ, 85201, United States

Put Your Business Idea in Motion
2017-11-09 16:00 - 17:30 | Estrella Mountain Community College — Ocotillo Building, Room 101, 3000 North Dysart Road, Avondale, AZ, United States
Thursday, November 9, 2017
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Estrella Mountain Community
3000 N Dysart Road
Ocotillo Hall, Room OCT 104
Avondale, AZ 85392
COST: FREE
Are you an entrepreneur in the early stage of exploring and planning a new business venture? Are you confused by how to get started and what steps to take? Think you have a great idea, but maybe you are not sure if it is a viable business idea, an idea that customers want or need? If you answered yes to any of these questions, our Put Your Business Idea in Motion program is for you.
Using presentations, group discussion, and activities, participants are introduced to the critical topics of how to explore and validate a business idea, learn best practice tips for building a solid financial foundation on which to grow a business, review the steps to setting up and doing business in Arizona, and be introduced to the services offered by SBDC and other resources.
This program is intended for new entrepreneurs and first time business owners who have not yet opened their doors for business.
Register Now

Profit Mastery – Part 2
2017-11-09 08:00 - 12:00 | LaunchPoint, 245 West 2nd Street, Mesa, AZ, 85201, United States

Profit Mastery – Part 1
2017-11-07 08:00 - 12:00 | LaunchPoint, 245 West 2nd Street, Mesa, AZ, 85201, United States

Small Business Payroll, Payroll Tax and Legislative Updates
2017-10-31 09:00 - 11:00 | LaunchPoint, 245 West 2nd Street, Mesa, AZ, 85201, United States
Open to Mesa Small Businesses.
Location on Campus: Room #33 in the lower level of the Mesa Center for Higher Education in the LaunchPoint space.
In this workshop you will learn about:

Employee vs Contractor Rules
New Hires

Required Paperwork (New Hire Packets)
Recordkeeping
E-verify & New Hire Reporting

Exempt vs. Non-exempt employees (Salary or Hourly)
Payroll Taxes

Understanding

Employee withholding
Employer payroll taxes
Gross pay vs net pay

Workers Compensation

Based on Estimates
Self-Audit

Working with payroll company

How to review payroll reports
How to record transactions

Legislative Updates

Prop 206 AZ Minimum Wage & Sick Leave
FLSA Update (minimum salary for exempt employees)
ACA Update

Register Now

Raising Capital - Funding Basics and Lender Insights
2017-10-31 08:30 - 12:00 | Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation, 275 N GateWay Drive, Phoenix, AZ, 85034, United States
Doors open at 8:30 am. The event will start at 9:00 am.
Gateway Community College
Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation
275 N. GateWay Drive
Phoenix, AZ 85034
There is no fee for this event.
Space is limited, register today.
We hope you can join us for this special event! This program is designed to help small businesses increase their knowledge of funding sources and strategies.
The session opens with an education portion that covers basic information about commercial loans, types of loans, sources, and how to prepare for lending requests.
A panel of lenders will provide insight and information related to the types of businesses they service, loans offered, and suggestions for how to prepare for a meeting with a lender. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and meet our lender panel participants.
REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT

Put Your Business Idea in Motion
2017-10-26 14:00 - 16:00 | GateWay Community College, Small Business Development Center, 108 N 40th Street, South Building, PHOENIX, AZ, 85034, United States
Thursday, October 26, 2017
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
GateWay Community College
108 N 40th Street, South Building
Phoenix, AZ 85034
COST: FREE
Are you an entrepreneur in the early stage of exploring and planning a new business venture? Are you confused by how to get started and what steps to take? Think you have a great idea, but maybe you are not sure if it is a viable business idea, an idea that customers want or need? If you answered yes to any of these questions, our Put Your Business Idea in Motion program is for you.
Using presentations, group discussion, and activities, participants are introduced to the critical topics of how to explore and validate a business idea, learn best practice tips for building a solid financial foundation on which to grow a business, review the steps to setting up and doing business in Arizona, and be introduced to the services offered by SBDC and other resources.
This program is intended for new entrepreneurs and first time business owners who have not yet opened their doors for business.
Register Now

TechEdge - Session 4
2017-10-26 09:00 - 10:30 | LaunchPoint, 245 West 2nd Street, Mesa, AZ, 85201, United States
Open to Mesa Small Businesses.
Session 1 – October 17, 2017
Session 2 – October 19, 2017
Session 3 – October 24, 2017
Session 4 – October 26, 2017
9:00 am – 10:30 am
Location:
LaunchPoint
245 West 2nd Street
Mesa, AZ 85201
Location on Campus: Room #32 in the lower level of the Mesa Center for Higher Education in the LaunchPoint space.
TechEdge Program Overview
TechEdge is an intensive 4 session tech-focused entrepreneurship course which is designed to help the participants understand the process entrepreneurs use to start and build successful tech companies.
The course covers a wide range of topics including understanding the technology commercialization process, product-market fit, intellectual property considerations and identifying the different sources of funding available to help grow your business.
The ultimate objective of the TechEdge course is to help technology-focused entrepreneurs build an enduring, successful company with your idea and the customer’s needs as the focus.
The core tech series classes are:
Technology Commercialization
How close to commercialization is your product or service? Don’t worry if you aren’t sure. During this module, you’ll be introduced to the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) System, a program developed at NASA to determine whether a product is ready for commercialization.
Specific objectives include:

Understand the factors you need to consider while starting, operating, funding and growing a successful technology company.
Learn how to objectively evaluate your technology and company to determine how close you are to commercialization.
Define the steps you need to take to ready your technology or company for commercialization.
Learn how to determine what your deficiencies are and how to correct them.

Lean Startup Methodology
The Lean Startup provides a scientific data-driven approach to creating and managing startups to get a desired product into customers’ hands faster. The Lean Startup methodology teaches you how to use customer data to drive a startup- how to steer, when to turn, and when to persevere-and grow a business with maximum acceleration. It is a principled approach to new product development.
Specific objectives include:

Using the Business Model Canvas
Conducting customer development
Building/Using an MVP (minimum viable product)
Rapid iterations/pivots

IP Protection
Once you’ve identified a unique or innovative product or service, you need to protect it. During this module, you’ll learn the importance of protecting your intellectual property through the use of patents, copyrights and trademarks, how you can benefit by licensing technology, and how to protect your business interests if you decide to license someone else’s technology.
Specific objectives include:

Learn why intellectual property protection is important.
Learn how to know when you need a patent, trademark or copyright.
Understand the benefits and potential problems associated with licensing technology.
Learn how to protect your business interests if you license your technology.
Understand how to protect your business interests if you license someone else’s technology.
Learn how to maximize the value of your inventions by strategically navigating the patent application process.

Sources of Capital
Lack of sufficient capital has been the cause of many business failures. During this module, we’ll discuss various capital formation strategies. You’ll learn about the different funding options, and how to determine if debt, equity financing, or searching for funding available through the government and other alternative sources of funds is the right fit for your venture.
Specific objectives include:

Understand the types of funding that are available at different stages of venture readiness.
Understand the difference between angel investors and venture capitalists, and how to tailor an investor pitch to each.
Learn about funding available from government sources (SBIR, tax credits, etc.)
Learn how you can leverage alternative funding sources (i.e. asset-based lending, factoring, etc.)

Click Here to Register
