Memphis Public Libraries, and the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library in particular, offer a wide range of resources available for free to the small business owner. The Central Library hosts the First Tennessee Small Business Resource Center on the 3rd floor, which is a collection begun with a generous donation from First Tennessee Bank and is geared to serve the potential small business owner, the recently licensed entrepreneur, and the established small business operator. As well as books, the library website has a curated collection of pages that navigate entrepreneurs through the small business process, whether that be legal information, state requirements, procurement, research, or further education. For more information on how to access the wealth of these free resources, attend this webinar with Central Library's Small Business programing librarian, Laura Bontrager. 

ABOUT THE PRESENTER: Laura Bontrager is a librarian at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library. Beginning in 2022, she assumed the role of the librarian who oversees Small Business programs, receiving training and mentoring about all the opportunities and resources the library can offer to small business owners and entrepreneurs. 

Learn more/register here.

Crowdfunding is a new source of business funding as well as a way to get pre-sales of your products. This is a new and fast growing area that allows small businesses and average investors to get involved in an area that was previously open only to very large businesses and wealthy investors. Find out how crowdfunding works and if it is right for you. We will review and compare the five forms of crowdfunding and also compare crowdfunding to traditional methods of financing.

The methods discussed will include:

• Donation-based Crowdfunding

• Rewards-based (or Affinity) Crowdfunding

• Debt Crowdfunding

• Equity Crowdfunding

• Revenue Sharing Crowdfunding

ABOUT OUR PRESENTER: Craig Linsky is a SCORE mentor and Chairman of the Client Education Committee at SCORE in Jacksonville. Craig worked in the financial services industry for nearly 20 years. For the past 10 years, he has designed and taught marketing and other business topics both domestically through SCORE and internationally through the Financial Services Volunteer Corp.

Learn more/register here.

If you're new to small business, figuring out the proper way to do your taxes can create many headaches. This webinar is here to help. In it, you'll learn about tax-filing requirements, tax deadlines, common deductions and even some Internal Revenue Service recordkeeping rules.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER: Dorothy Smith has more than 30 years in the Accounting Industry, including 20 years in the U.S. Air Force as a Financial Management Specialist. She has a Bookkeeping and Tax Practice, and a Masters' degree in Accounting and Financial Management from DeVry University. She is also an Enrolled Agent, which is the highest credential awarded by the IRS to speak on behalf of all taxpayers. Dorothy is also a SCORE Memphis volunteer.

Learn more/register here.

TSBDC - Oak Ridge offers you the opportunity to learn how to launch your own business and turn ideas, passions, and side hustles into functioning businesses. This seminar will walk you through a basic business guide to help you get started. Limited seating available for this seminar; register as soon as possible.

Speaker(s): Stephen W. Williams, TSBDC Director Stephen has over 35 years of experience in leadership, operations, financial, and strategic management with international manufacturing and consulting firms. He has developed sales and marketing strategies that increased sales volume by over 120% within one year of implementation. In addition, Stephen is experienced in company operations optimization, JIT production, debt restructuring, and mergers and acquisitions. He has established joint ventures in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, and the U.K. and has negotiated relationships with General Electric, ABB, General Dynamics, and Westinghouse Electric. Stephen has held the following positions, marketing & sales director, vice president, chief operations officer, president, chief executive officer, and chairman. Before joining TSBDC, he founded Stone Lion Capital Partners, a boutique investment banking firm providing M&A, deal structuring, and access to capital services.

Register/learn more here.

Are you a beginner when it comes to using social media for your business? This class is for you. We all know social media is important for the growth of your business, but sometimes getting started can be the hardest part.

In this class, you will learn how to:

Pick which social media platforms to focus on

Set up your profile

Optimize your profile to attract new followers and convert them into website visitors

Design a cover photo

And more!

Prepare to rock your 2024 social media with this class just for beginners!

Speaker(s): Victory Harbin - The Social Brand

Register/learn more here.

If you're just mapping out your business idea or even if you're in business and trying to improve, doing market research is crucial. You can't expect to compete with others in your business space if you don't know anything about them. Have no fear, the Memphis Public Library has exactly what you need. On the heels of her great introduction to all the free resources the library has for small businesses, Laura Bontrager returns with a deeper dive into how you can find out crucial information about others in your field. She will show you how you can use great programs like Census Builder, Data Axle and Gale Business Insights. You won't want to miss this great webinar that is sure to make you more prepared.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER: Laura Bontrager is a librarian at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library. She oversees Small Business programs, receiving training and mentoring about all the opportunities and resources the library can offer to small business owners and entrepreneurs. 

Register/learn more here.

Communities Unlimited hosts this training about when to look for a bank loan and what banks are looking for when they loan money.

Register/learn more here.

In this webinar, you will gain a better understanding of what you need to know to start an online business (or ramp up an existing business). As with any business, whether online or a brick-and-mortar storefront, it’s important to know what you should focus on or learn … and to implement what you learn as quickly as possible. Any business owner must always be asking the question, “Is what I am working on now the best use of my time?”

But how do you know what’s important? How do you know what you should be working on?

Attend our webinar and you will not only learn how to lay a solid foundation for your business, but also where you should focus your efforts.

You will discover how to:

** Build a list of quality leads;

** Set up your website so it makes money;

** Create great content using proven copywriting strategies;

** Create an irresistible offer;

** Use social media to grow your business;

** Create an offline strategy that drives prospects online.

And more ...

ABOUT THE PRESENTER: After 20 years in the corporate world in various information technology related roles, Mike Coleman left it all behind to pursue a different path as an entrepreneur. Through many setbacks, failures and successes … he has learned what it takes to build and grow his business. And for the past 13 years, Mike has been working with clients to help them build and grow their businesses. By combining his background in technology with proven copywriting and marketing strategies, he offers a unique skillset to business owners who are not satisfied with the status quo.

Register/learn more here.

A good marketing plan lays out the marketing actions you need to execute. For each action item, it should spell out the potential revenue, expenses and timing required to be successful in meeting your financial goals.

This webinar will cover the following:

** Setting financial and strategic marketing goals

** Defining your product or service using the “Four Ps”

** Defining your overall promotional strategy

** Choosing the right promotional methods to reach your goals

** Developing an online marketing strategy

** Setting a marketing budget and timeline

** Choosing and defining metrics to measure your success

ABOUT THE PRESENTER: Craig Linsky is a SCORE mentor and Chair of the Client Education Committee at SCORE in Jacksonville. Craig worked in the financial services industry for nearly 30 years. For the past 10 years, he has designed and taught marketing and other business topics both domestically through SCORE and internationally through the Financial Services Volunteer Corp.

Register/learn more here.

The Cash Flow Statement… It’s the little brother to the P&L and Balance Sheet, but just as important in telling the story of your business. Want to understand how to read a Statement of Cash Flows and what it means for your firm? Join us as we discuss the elements that make up the cash flow statement and, most important, how to plan for your cash flow.

Register/learn more here.

Customer Journey is everything from when someone first learns about your brand all the way to the time they’re referring their friends, family, and colleagues to you! Engineering this experience for your customers to be a positive and excellent experience is vital for your long-term success as a business.

In this class you will learn:

A simple 7-part framework to every customer’s journey

Common shortfalls of small businesses and how to avoid them

What marketing avenues affect this journey

How to build authority in your market without an audience

This simple one-hour class can change the way you look at marketing and relieve the overwhelming burden of having to do everything all the time that many entrepreneurs carry.

Speaker(s): Victory Harbin - The Social Brand

Register/learn more here.

In this session, TSBDC will share new and effective marketing ideas and strategies to apply to your small business and the framework for planning marketing and PR activities to help your business thrive without having to rely on social media.

Key Takeaways: *Learn budget-friendly marketing tactics to maximize impact. *Discover effective strategies for making your brand stand out without overspending. *Transform your marketing approach for increased business attention and success. *Proper planning of a multi-channel marketing plan and why it is essential to business success. *Target consumer profiling and why your target consumer profiles are important to your strategy. *Changes to key demographics in marketing and how to appeal to the “Purpose Driven Shopper” in a competitive environment.

Speaker(s): Danielle Reid is the Director of DR and Associates, a marketing firm that specializes in branding, experiential event management, social media management, marketing consulting and organizational improvement with an established track record of success across businesses of all sizes and industries.

You can also join this session virtually.

Register/learn more here.

Do you want to understand the Profit & Loss Statement and the story it tells about your business? Join Communities Unlimited as they discuss the difference between bookkeeping and accounting (one involves data entry the other, business analysis), the elements of the income statement, the difference between cash and accrual accounting, and finally, we’ll explain just what the heck depreciation and amortization are! *Communities Unlimited, Inc. (CU) hosts training events. Once registered, you will receive communications from CU regarding this event.

Register/learn more here.

Join this panel of business succession advisors (business advisors/brokers, attorneys, and lenders) will discuss how to sell your business from their unique perspective. Topics: * How Do I value my business/determine a selling price? * How do I find a buyer? * What if my buyer needs a loan? * Do I need an attorney to draft documents?

Speaker(s): Jarlecia Jones, VP Pathway Lending

Matt Jones, CPA Seacap Advisors

Brande Boyd, Attorney, Butler Snow LLP

Chad Roberts, Tax Lawyer, Harris Shelton Law Firm

Art Richey, SBA Banker, Regions Bank

Kendrick Steele, Business Broker, CBI Team

Register/learn more here.

Do you want to understand the Balance Sheet and the story it tells about your business? Join Communities Unlimited as they discuss the elements that make up the balance sheet and the accounting equation. They will also cover everyone’s favorite topic, accumulated depreciation! Finally, what would a night of fun be without financial ratios? Don’t worry, that’s covered too!

Register/learn more here.

TSBDC - Oak Ridge offers you the opportunity to learn how to launch your own business and turn ideas, passions, and side hustles into functioning businesses. This seminar will walk you through a basic business guide to help you get started. Limited seating available for this seminar; register as soon as possible.

Speaker(s): Stephen W. Williams, TSBDC Director Stephen has over 35 years of experience in leadership, operations, financial, and strategic management with international manufacturing and consulting firms. He has developed sales and marketing strategies that increased sales volume by over 120% within one year of implementation. In addition, Stephen is experienced in company operations optimization, JIT production, debt restructuring, and mergers and acquisitions. He has established joint ventures in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, and the U.K. and has negotiated relationships with General Electric, ABB, General Dynamics, and Westinghouse Electric. Stephen has held the following positions, marketing & sales director, vice president, chief operations officer, president, chief executive officer, and chairman. Before joining TSBDC, he founded Stone Lion Capital Partners, a boutique investment banking firm providing M&A, deal structuring, and access to capital services.

Register/learn more here.

Credit management refers to the process of granting credit to your customers, setting payment terms and conditions to enable them to pay their bills on time and in full, recovering payments, and ensuring customers (and employees) comply with your company’s credit policy. In this course, you will learn the importance of understanding credit.

Register/learn more here.

Small business owners do not have to be accountants to run a business but to effectively identify cost issues, manage working capital, and make sound and timely decisions, there are seven key financial ratios business owners need to understand. In this course you will learn how to use key financial data to determine the cost to operate your business.

Register/learn more here.

Interested in learning about artificial intelligence (AI) and how you can use it to grow your business? We'll explore the exciting intersection of artificial intelligence and marketing. In this class, we'll delve into cutting-edge AI technologies like ChatGPT, automation, and more, to efficiently implement your marketing strategies.

In this class, you will learn:

How ChatGPT and similar AI tools can enhance customer engagement and support in your marketing efforts.

Strategies for implementing AI-driven automation to streamline marketing tasks.

Real-world examples of AI-powered marketing success stories.

Practical steps to integrate AI seamlessly into your marketing strategy for improved efficiency and results.

Enroll now in this class and unlock the potential of AI to take your marketing to the next level. Just as a well-planned roadmap ensures a successful trip, this class guarantees a guided journey into the future of marketing. Join us to revolutionize your marketing strategies with AI!

Speaker(s): Victory Harbin - The Social Brand

Register/learn more here.

In this discussion, Sierra Polk from Communities Unlimited will share invaluable startup funding insights and inspiration for your own entrepreneurial journey. Get ready to unlock the keys to business success with CU. This webinar will:

– Increase awareness of existing capital resources.

– Provide a better understanding of the capital landscape.

– Share prioritization strategies for startups, solopreneurs and creative ideators needing direction.

Register/learn more here.

What product/service do you offer and why do customers want to buy it? –This webinar introduces the concept of value proposition and how the small business owner can communicate this Value Proposition to customers.

Register/learn more here.

TSBDC - Oak Ridge offers you the opportunity to learn how to launch your own business and turn ideas, passions, and side hustles into functioning businesses. This seminar will walk you through a basic business guide to help you get started. Limited seating available for this seminar; register as soon as possible.

Speaker(s): Stephen W. Williams, TSBDC Director Stephen has over 35 years of experience in leadership, operations, financial, and strategic management with international manufacturing and consulting firms. He has developed sales and marketing strategies that increased sales volume by over 120% within one year of implementation. In addition, Stephen is experienced in company operations optimization, JIT production, debt restructuring, and mergers and acquisitions. He has established joint ventures in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, and the U.K. and has negotiated relationships with General Electric, ABB, General Dynamics, and Westinghouse Electric. Stephen has held the following positions, marketing & sales director, vice president, chief operations officer, president, chief executive officer, and chairman. Before joining TSBDC, he founded Stone Lion Capital Partners, a boutique investment banking firm providing M&A, deal structuring, and access to capital services.

Register/learn more here.

Starting from January 1, 2024, nearly all legal entities formed, established, or registered to conduct business within a state are obligated to share details about their owners, officers, and controlling individuals with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). This requirement stems from the recently passed Corporate Transparency Act (CTA).

This workshop will thoroughly explain the rationale behind the Corporate Transparency Act, outline its requirements, clarify compliance obligations for businesses, and provide comprehensive definitions to help you accurately complete the required forms, thus avoiding potential financial penalties and jail time.

This session can be attended virtually or in-person in Murfreesboro, TN. You can register and learn more here.

For those attending in person, we will have time for Q&A, offering you guidance with completing the form so bring your laptop! Let's get hands-on. 

In this workshop, you will establish strong internal processes and controls for business operations, filing systems, proper record-keeping, and internal controls to protect company assets.

Register/learn more here.

Women entrepreneurs often need a little capital and support to help them reach their business goals. Grameen America reaches a group of women historically excluded from the financial mainstream by other lenders due to a lack of credit and financial history. Without access to capital, it is nearly impossible for under-resourced women to launch a business. Grameen America is dedicated to helping entrepreneurial women build businesses. Please register to join us to learn if Grameen America’s program can help provide your business with the boost it needs to continue to move forward. Light snacks provided. You are welcome to bring a lunch.

Register/learn more here.