Get the biggest bang for your marketing dollar! Everybody says you need to be involved in Social Media! Do you really? What about a website, brochures, and portfolios? Is there a place for a print ad anywhere? Where does branding come in?

This workshop will help you to sift through the many available marketing opportunities and find the appropriate one for your business. You will also take a close look at what branding may look like for you. Existing marketing collateral will be re-viewed with recommendations to increase their effectiveness. You will walk away with the tools, and the start, of a custom-made marketing plan for your business, including approximate budget and timelines.

This workshop will:
• Broaden your understanding of marketing with a focus on purpose and strategy
• Explore commonly used marketing tools and media
• Discuss cost-effective marketing options for your business
• Provide you with the information and tools you need to make decisions about your marketing strategy that fit your budget
• Engage you in the development of a marketing plan specific to your business
 

Whether it’s leveraging supplies, coordinating marketing initiatives or following up on a sales lead, the telephone is often the fastest, cheapest and most effective tool at hand to get the job done.  Why is it then that it is also one of the most avoided tools in business?  Not feeling confident in your ability to effectively communicate by phone can very quickly create a negative impact on your business’ bottom line.  Avoid this impact and overcome your phone fear by empowering yourself with the knowledge that you need to turn your telephone into one of your company’s key competitive advantages.

This workshop will:
• Introduce you to telephone etiquette that customers both appreciate and expect
• Provide you with tips and techniques to incorporate your branding into your telephone services
• Show you how to build rapport and relationships with your customers by telephone
• Provide you with a tool to prepare for and plan for telephone calls that will empower you to deliver a strong opening sentence, get to the point quickly, say it simply, and express the benefits of doing business with your company
• Introduce telephone sales techniques to move from ‘maybe’ to ‘yes’
• Save you time and frustration by introducing you to tips and techniques to side step ‘gatekeepers’ and connect with ‘decision-makers’
 

This 2-hour information session walks aspiring entrepreneurs through the basic how-tos and next steps to opening a business. You will walk away with the tools and resources you need to make your business idea a reality.

This workshop will:
- Introduce you to easy-to-use templates for business planning and financial forecasting.
- Share sources of small business financing.
- Provide information about local resources and services for entrepreneurs.

***Storm/weather cancellations are announced on CEED's Facebook and Twitter a minimum of 3 hours before our workshop start time.

Please respect CEED’s no-scent policy and help us keep our workplace fresh for all

Are you looking to start a business the right way?

BLAST Off is a 3-day workshop which guides you through the business development process. At the end of the workshop, you will have a good understanding of business plan components, knowledge of online and community resources to support you, and the skills to create a dynamic business plan. This workshop is geared towards aspiring entrepreneurs, many of whom are enrolled in CEED’s Self-Employment Benefits (SEB) program.

This workshop will:
• Build your knowledge and understanding of business plan components
• Provide research tools and resources so that you can begin your marketing plan
• Provide information on choosing a business structure
• Introduce you to government regulations that will affect your business, including tax and labour standards
• Introduce financial projections, obligations and resources to integrate into your business plan
• Allow time for Q&A specific to your business situation

BLAST Off... into business takes place from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm June 11th, 12th and 13th.

Please respect CEED’s no-scent policy and help us keep our workplace fresh for all

A good web presence is a strong tool for your business; a poor web presence can actively hurt your business.  How to get it right at an affordable price?  That’s the main question we will be answering in this workshop.  Here are some of the other questions we’ll be working through:
• What type of website presence do I need?
• How do I make it work for my customers?
• What design and content factors do I need to consider?
• How do I choose and work with a website developer?
• What kind of costs can I expect?

We’ll be looking at websites online, so bring your laptop if you have one (we’ve got CEED computers available too).  We’ll also be talking to small business owners like you about their experiences setting up their websites, and local web developers will be available to answer questions. 

You can’t wave a magic wand and get a top notch website, but come to the Website Wizardry workshop and leave with a workable plan for one.