Bookkeeping 101

2 days - four 1/2 day modules - 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Bookkeeping is critical to business success. To manage the business effectively, you need timely and accurate information. How can you get the information you need to make decisions? Do you have the information to answer the questions the tax auditor is asking? Do you have the information you need to convince the banker to support you? Do you get all of this information from your present bookkeeping system?

In this 2 day workshop, you will learn how to:

• set up a coordinated paper handling and filing system for financial papers
• set up a bookkeeping system that will provide business information to meet your needs
• prepare information for monthly and Government reporting
• understand debits and credits
• set up and manage a chart of accounts
• record transactions
• reconcile bank accounts
• set up and conduct month end procedures
• total and balance accounts
• understand financial statements

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Contract Writing – Cheryl Fast

1/2 day sessions - 9:00 am to 12 noon 

Keeping it Clear – Contracts, Service Agreements, Proposals and Quotes

Your reputation in business depends on meeting your customer’s expectations. Success starts with a clear understanding of what will be delivered and the responsibilities for everyone involved. What questions do you need to ask and how do you turn your meeting into a written agreement that will help you meet and exceed your service goals?

A clear contract does not necessarily mean a profitable one. How do you proceed with the contract negotiation and ensure that it is a WIN-WIN outcome for you and your customer. What do you need to consider in determining the exchange of service for money? This workshop will look at managing the contracts that will give you long term, mutually beneficial customer relationships.

• The benefits of the written agreement
• Considerations
• Deposits, Retainers and Invoices
• Responding to formal bids and requests for proposals
• Creating templates for contracts

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Barrier Busters – Cheryl Fast

1/2 day sessions - 9 am to 12 noon

 Networking – Making Connections that Matter

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Financial Management I – Judy Lloyd

1/2 day session - 9:00 am to 12 noon 

Using your financial information to make better operational decisions

Program Objective: Give the participant an easy guide for checking the validity of monthly financial reports and basic tools to analyze the information.

• Preparing your monthly reports
• Using your monthly financial statements
• Tools for Analysis of Operations

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Management Strategy – Cheryl Fast

1/2 day session - 9:00 am to 12 noon 

Are you working on Your “Big Picture”?

One of the most expressed reasons for going into business on your own is to have more freedom with your time. Why is it that most entrepreneurs then become a slave to the “doing” of their business venture? How do you free yourself from the repetitive, time consuming tasks that threaten to overwhelm your vision? Do you find yourself recreating the wheel with each new sale? Is everything about your business in your head? How do you build value in your company if you are your business?

This workshop will enable you to assess your Big Picture objectives and the real life progress toward them. You will look at time management from the perspective of Return on Investment and develop strategies to move you towards what is most important to you.

• Assessing your current operation plan and time management
• Analyzing your time
• Typical struggles for the entrepreneur
• Systemizing your operations so you can work “on” your business
• Technology – a help or a hindrance
• What gets measured – analyzing sales results

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Marketing Series - Robbie Westgard

1/2 day sessions - 9:00 am to 12 Noon

Supersizing Your Sales

• Increase your client database and work more effectively with existing customers
• Understanding the sales process - opportunities to up sell and refer for future sales
• Asking for the sale – effective closing techniques
• After sales client care and strategic customer management tips
• Create a powerful referral system and strengthen and expand your network
• Develop and fully utilize your strategic alliances
• Realistic sales plan creation to hit your goals and exceed them

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Social Media - Todd Avison

1/2 day sessions - 9:00 am to 12 noon

The world of Social Media is ever growing and always evolving. This 1-Day course will give you a solid understanding of the most relevant social media platforms to your business and how to put them to work for you. We spend the first half of the course going over concepts and examples. The later half of the day is spent in practical exercises putting your new social media skills to work. We want you to be able to end the day with some direction on how your social media strategy fits into your marketing strategy as a whole.

Topics covered:

• Overview of the main social media platforms
• Social media concepts
• Which platform is right for you?
• Social media user psycographics
• Social Media vs traditional advertising
• How to gain a following
• How to promote and increase engagement among your followers
• Using a social media dashboard
• Developing a social media philosophy and strategy

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