Turning business dreams into a reality... Whether you want to start, improve, or grow your business, the CPCC Institute for Entrepreneurship is here to help. Think strategically The Charlotte area has a dynamic business environment with new and changing preferences for goods and services. What does that mean for your small business today and five years from now? The Institute for Entrepreneurship can help you answer that question and position your business to meet the area s anticipated growth. Examine closely Where is your business now and where do you want it to be? Is your funding adequate? Are your prices competitive? Is your marketing effective? The Institute can help you take a hard look at your business, broaden your perspective, and think of new ways to create value. Act accordingly Now is the time to take actions that will yield bottom-line results. Enroll in the Institute s courses and seminars. Visit the Institute s Resource Center. Schedule a one-on-one counseling appointment. Gain solid advice and act now for your business future. Lena Claxton and Alison Woo, Authors of How to Say It: Marketing With New Media A Guide to Promoting Your Small Business Using Websites, Ezines, Blogs & Podcasts Your energy YOUR IDEAS Your success... www.cpcc.edu/e-institute 2 Register now by calling 704.330.4223
Courses STARTING A BUSINESS New Ventures Entrepreneurship Certificate Program $359 SBX 7352 Developed by the internationally recognized Kauffman Foundation, this course blends expert classroom instruction and hands-on activities with the ease of on-line content to give you the best opportunity to fulfill your business dream. How to Start and Operate a Small Business $149 SBX 7301 You can be one of the thousands of successful small business owners. Learn the elements of a small business, how it functions, and the details of successful operation. You will understand and address the components of a sound business plan; identify and apply necessary management skills through getting started, financial needs, taxes, marketing and sales, insurance, and legal concerns. Starting a Nonprofit $69 SBX 7337 Starting your own nonprofit business can be inspiring, rewarding, and overwhelming. In this course learn how nonprofits are established, how they operate, and what is expected of those who run them. Understand the key differences between a not-for-profit and for-profit business. BUSINESS PLAN WRITING Writing a Business Plan I: First Steps $79 SBX 7205 A business plan can be the most important tool a small business owner has. How should you begin? This course will help you determine the elements for your plan and provide insights for putting your plan on paper. Writing a Business Plan II: Doing Your Research $89 SBX 7206 A business plan can guide you through the various phases of your business, helping you identify and avoid roadblocks. This course focuses on the research required to produce a solid business plan. FINANCIAL MATTERS Budgeting and Forecasting $59 SBX 7466 Lay the groundwork for a successful operation by understanding business budgeting and how decisions affect your bottom line. Learn how to develop your own realistic cash forecasts and see how they can be used to anticipate problems. Budgeting and forecasting are key tools that can help grow your business, increase sales, control expenses and improve cash flow. ACCOUNTING Basic Accounting with QuickBooks 2008 $79 SBX 7439 This course will introduce the student to the fundamentals of accounting and how it relates within QuickBooks. No accounting knowledge or QuickBooks experience is required. Basic computer skills are required. QUICKBOOKS 2008: GETTING STARTED QuickBooks 2008 Level I $149 SBX 7440 Windows-based application that enables small businesses to automate their accounting and financial reporting functions. Prerequisite: knowledge of Windows and some basic accounting. Purchase book: QuickBooks Pro: 2008 Level 1 in the CPCC bookstore prior to attending the first class. QUICKBOOKS 2008: ADVANCED QuickBooks 2008 Level II $149 SBX 7460 This second level course will focus on creating forms, reports, graphs and letters. Other areas of study will include job costing, inventory, and trouble shooting. Prerequisites: SBX 7440 or 1 year of experience. Purchase book: QuickBooks Pro: 2008 Level 2 in the CPCC bookstore prior to attending the first class. INTERNET BUSINESS Design Your First Business Website With Microsoft Office Live $129 SBX 7327 If you ve always wanted your own business website, it doesn t get any easier than this. Now is your chance to get a free website including domain name, web hosting, website storage space, company e-mail accounts, website reports and more. s MARKETING Blogging for Business $79 SBX 7668 Discover the secrets of effective blogging for your business. Come find out how this low-cost, high impact marketing tool can boost your visibility, credibility and profitability. Adding a blog to your website will make not only make your site dynamic and search friendly, it will drive interest and sales for your product or service. BUSINESS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT Real Estate Investing: The Business Side $129 SBX 7328 Develop a strategy for setting up a real estate investment business. This class delves into the four main types of real estate investments and helps you discover which type best fits your entrepreneurial vision. New Product Idea? Go from Concept to Commercialization $129 SBX 7335 Imagine your name behind a hot new product or service. This class, taught by innovation expert Louis Foreman, gives you step-by-step instructions on defining, developing, and protecting your new product idea as well as the how to s on taking it to the marketplace. 3
Why did you start a business? The longer I was in a full-time job, the more constrained I felt by the typical 9-to-5 schedule. I wanted freedom, flexibility and variety in my days, but wasn t sure exactly how to get there. I called Karen Geiger, a successful business woman in Charlotte, and asked her to be my mentor. In the course of our conversations, we identified my strengths organizing, administrative work, and people-skills and came up with the mobile administrative assistant job description. What is your business? For almost six years now, my company, Mattson Business Services, has provided administrative services, creative organizing solutions, and project assistance to a variety of consultants and small businesses. I pride myself on developing long-term business relationships with my clients and being a resource and problem solver. I m growing my business now to include a training program called Define Your Day to teach other women to do what I do. How did you learn about CPCC s Institute for Entrepreneurship? My mentor, Karen Geiger, suggested I start talking with other selfemployed people. In the course of conducting information interviews with a variety of small business owners, one of them mentioned contacting CPCC about their business start up classes. I called the Small Business Center, now the Institute for Entrepreneurship, and enrolled into the New Venture Program developed by the Kauffman Foundation. How did the Institute for Entrepreneurship assist you during the start-up phase? The New Ventures class was immensely helpful I was able to think logically about financing options, business plans, and how to market my services to the right audience. The most helpful part, though, was listening to our instructor, Larry Siglar, talk about the ups and downs of a being business owner. He also brought in real-life business owners to talk about their mistakes and successes. I ve continued to take classes at CPCC, both to help me in business and to gain additional skills to assist my clients. The QuickBooks classes I took were especially helpful. What is the most challenging aspect of owning a business? For me, the most challenging aspects of owning a business are managing my work-life balance and cash flow. Being self-employed and doing work I love, I have a tendency to work seven days a week if I m not careful. Also, because I m a single woman, I rely solely on my income to cover my bills, plan for retirement and have to provide my own health, life and disability insurance. What is the best advice you can offer other aspiring entrepreneurs? Two words: continuing education. Keep learning. Taking classes at CPCC on QuickBooks, marketing, and writing has been invaluable to me. I also go to conferences and use a business coach when I need to grow or solve a problem. Don t try to grow and run a business alone. There are a number of resources out there, like the CPCC Institute for Entrepreneurship, who can help you. Before an issue becomes a full-blown crisis, use your community resources for assistance. Angela J. Mattson Mattson Business Services Mattson Business Services provides administrative services, creative organizing solutions, and project assistance for a variety of consultants and small businesses. Supporting Solopreneurs, a bi-weekly e-zine that teaches women the art of self-employment, emphasizes professions like mobile or virtual assisting.
Institute for Entrepreneurship CPCC Central Campus 1112 Charlottetowne Ave. Charlotte, NC 28204 704.330.6736 NewVentures Entrepreneurship Certificate Are you committed to getting your business started? This comprehensive 16-week course, developed by the internationally recognized Kauffman Foundation, blends expert classroom instruction, teleconferencing, web-based and hands-on activities to give you the best opportunity to fulfill your business dream. Central Campus Charlotte, NC 28204 704.330.2722 Levine Campus 2800 Campus Ridge Road 704.330.4200 North Campus Huntersville, NC 28078 704.330.4101 Harris Campus (formerly West Campus) Charlotte, NC 28208 South County Regional Library Charlotte, NC 28277 704.416.6600 Morrison Regional Library Charlotte, NC 28211 Beatties Ford Road Library Charlotte, NC 28216 704.416.3000 University City Library Charlotte, NC 28262 704.416.7200 Matthews Library Sugar Creek Library Charlotte NC 28206 704.416.7000 West Boulevard Library Charlotte NC 28208 704.416.7400 For those that are serious about launching a new venture, this entrepreneurship certificate program will allow you to: For parking information, visit www.cpcc.edu/e-institute Torrence St Student Parking www.cpcc.edu/e-institute Join our Mailing List at Register www.cpcc.edu/e-institute now by calling 704.330.4223 7