TAMIU-SBDC Offers Variety of Business Workshops for February

The Texas A&M International University Small Business Development Center (TAMIU-SBDC) will sponsor several workshops during the month of February.

Wednesday, Feb. 10: the Art of Starting a Business: Basic Business Essentials Workshop is free of charge from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Instructor Angelo Piccirillo, SBDC business economic/development coordinator, will present this practical workshop that helps businesses to avoid common pitfalls, evaluate strengths and weaknesses, and the skills needed to succeed. Participants will also explore initial paperwork, assessment process, legal structures and the importance of the business plan. This workshop will be held in TAMIU’s Western Hemispheric Trade Center, room 125.

Thursday, Feb. 11: Think like a Marketing Guru Workshop will be offered from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at TAMIU Bob Bullock Hall, room 210. Fee is $20. What is a marketing plan and why is it so essential to the success of a business? Instructor Norma Rodríguez will define components of a marketing strategy.

Friday, Feb. 12: Doing Payroll with QuickBooks Workshop, a hands-on workshop from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Dr. Billy F. Cowart Hall, room 114. Instructor Norma Rodríguez, will go over the process of doing payroll in QuickBooks. The learning objectives include: payroll set-up; payroll schedules; employee information; writing and printing payroll checks and tracking tax liabilities. Workshop fee is $20 and includes workbook.

Tuesday, Feb. 16: the Dynamics of Franchising Workshop the free-of-charge event will be held from 9:00 to 12:00 noon at the Texas A&M International University-Student Center, room 120. Instructor Angelo Piccirillo, SBDC business economic/development coordinator will discuss what franchising is, help clarify entrepreneurial goals and determine if franchising is an appropriate next business venture for Workshop participants. All are welcome to attend this informative event.

Wednesday, Feb. 17: Texas Friendly Customer Service Workshop is scheduled from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. at Bob Bullock Hall, room 209. Tina Rodríguez, business advisor, will go over the Art of Customer Service, the workshop will help your business and organizations experience employee empowerment, repeat business, loyal customers, and an overall satisfactory customer service strategy. Fee for the workshop is $20.

Thursday, Feb. 18: Business Planning and Financing Options Workshop from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Bob Bullock Hall, room 210. Fee for the seminar is $20, and each participant will receive Linda Pinzon’s “Anatomy of a Business Plan: a Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Business and Securing your Company’s Future,” a $50 value. Instructor Angelo Piccirillo explains that planning is the map to success in the business world. One needs to write a business plan when: starting or buying a business; financing or refinancing a business or raising debt or equity capital.

Friday, Feb. 19: QuickBooks Workshop: Putting Financial Management to Work for Your Business Workshop, is a hands-on workshop from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Dr. Billy F. Cowart Hall, room 114. Instructors Norma Rodríguez, SBDC business advisor, will go over the steps to create a new QuickBooks company, modify the preset chart of accounts, reconcile a QuickBooks checking account, invoice customers, create sales orders, receive payments from customers and make bank deposits, enter bills into QuickBooks and create and customize QuickBooks reports and graphs. Workshop fee is $50 and includes workbook.

Monday, Feb. 22: Understanding Credit and Budgeting Workshop will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., at TAMIU Western Hemispheric Trade room 126. A $20 fee will include workbook. Norma Rodriguez will go over credit reporting myths, disputing inaccuracies, rebuilding credit and debt management.

Wednesday, Feb. 24: Managing Cash-The Small Business Owner's Guide to Financial Control Workshop is scheduled from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Student Center, room 120. A $20 fee includes Workbook. Cash flow is what comes into and goes out of a business. Gaining financial control by understanding cash flow is crucial to business success. Tina Rodríguez, business advisor, will review cash–the fuel that runs your business, maximizing your cash flow, tools for speeding up cash collections, overdue invoices, three tools for helping with accounts receivable, cash flow statements, and four short-term financing solutions.

Thursday, Feb. 25: Understanding Financial Statements Workshop will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at TAMIU’s Western Hemispheric Trade Center room 125. A $20 fee will include workbook. Instructor Gladys Rangel will help you to understand your financial statements. One statement cannot diagnose a company's financial health, but by putting several statements together, one can make smart financial, investment and management decisions. For lending purposes, statements will help to determine if one can afford to pay a loan, the loan amount, the loan term (number of years), which assets one should buy versus which assets should be financed, and what collateral is available to secure a loan.

For more information or to register for any of these February workshops, call the TAMIU SBDC office at 956.326.2827 or e-mail sbdc@tamiu.edu or register online at sbdc.tamiu.edu

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