RCEDA

Marketing Basics Sponsored by Farmers State Bank

Julie Foster — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:40:05 +0000

Your Instructor: Cynthia Rademacher of CMR Marketing Strategies

Cynthia Rademacher has been in the marketing business for 12 years, is the former co-owner of Maverick Marketing and recently added a B.S. in Internet Marketing from Full Sale Universtity, her marketing class is one of the most popular. Learn the importance of consistent marketing and getting the most out of your advertising dollar through the Marketing Strategies Class, Thursday, May 17th from 9am – 11am. The cost is $15.00. Classes are held at Ravalli Entrepreneurship Center (REC), 274 Old Corvallis Rd in Hamilton. To register you must fill out the registration form on the link below and mail or deliver it with payment to Bitterroot College.

HOW TO REGISTER FOR COURSES
Use this registration form. For more information contact the Bitterroot College Program of the University of Montana at 375-0100. Deadline: Course fees and forms are due today but late registration for this class will be accepted. Refund Policy: Call 375-0100 for a refund. 100% refund if class is canceled; 100% refund if requested before 1st class.

Classes offered in Cooperation with:

QuickBooks Basics Classes Sponsored by NorthWestern Energy and First Interstate Bank

Julie Foster — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:27:59 +0000

The success of your business depends on good financial management. Quickbooks has become the standard for financial software because it is easy to learn and use. Our Quickbooks classes always fill up fast, so get your registration in today. We are also offering a package deal – both Quickbooks Basics and QuickBooks Payroll basics for $110.

QuickBooks Basics A complete overview for setting up your business – chart of accounts, accounts receivable, accounts payable, bank reconciliation, memorizing reports/transactions. Will be taught on QB 2008, but content applies to earlier versions; instructor can speak on any version. First class will be a primer on essential accounting concepts and terminology. Includes pre-loaded flash drive. Prerequisite: basic computer knowledge.

Mondays, April 30, May 7 & 14
(3 class meetings total)
9am – noon

QuickBooks Payroll Basics Learn to properly set up a payroll system in QuickBooks – create paychecks, pay tax liabilities, and generate payroll forms and reports. Find out how to track employee time, create job cost data, and troubleshoot common problems and mistakes. Includes pre-loaded flash drive. Basic computer and QuickBooks knowledge required.

Monday, May 21 & Wednesday, May 23
(2 class meetings total)
9am – noon

Prices
QuickBooks Basics: $70.00
QuickBooks Payroll Basics: $50.00
Both Classes Package Deal: $110.00
Save $10!

HOW TO REGISTER FOR COURSES
For personal assistance contact Bitterroot College Program of the University of Montana at 375-0100, Carole Tallman, carole.tallman@umontana.edu. You can also download this registration FORM. All Classes are prepaid. Course Fees due 3 days prior to start date. Late registration may be accepted. Refund Policy: Call 375-0100 for a refund. 100% refund if class is canceled, 100% refund if requested before the 1st class, and 75% after 1st class but before 2nd. Download a schedule.

Tech Classes Sponsored by First Interstate Bank and NorthWesternEnergy

Julie Foster — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:10:36 +0000

KEYBOARDING
Need to type a letter at work, a college paper, or a resume? This course teaches the fundamentals of computer keyboarding by touch. Topics include learning the keyboard and building keyboarding accuracy and speed. The availability of home practice is strongly recommended.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, May 1 – May 17 (6 class meetings) 6pm – 7pm

COMPUTER BASICS
What do you need to know about computers for your business, to get a job in today’s world or to start college? What can a computer do for you at home? This class is a hands-on, very basic computer operations course covering: using a mouse, navigating through computer screens, creating and managing files, sending and receiving emails, attaching files to emails, and basic internet searching.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, May 1 – May 17 (6 class meetings total) 7:30pm – 9pm
Prices
Computer Basics: $40.00
Keyboarding: $30.00
MS Word Basics: $50.00
MS Excel Basics: $50.00

Special Deal: Computer Basics & Keyboarding: $50, save $20

MS Excel BASICS
Explore the basics of spreadsheet functions. Learn short cuts to assist in data entry, how to create formulas and basic formatting. Learn how to print in Excel and how to manage an Excel workbook, cross sheet formulas and viewing multiple sheets. Prerequisite: basic computer knowledge.

Wed, May 2, 9, 16 (3 class meetings total)
9am – noon

MS WORD BASICS
Learn the basics of how to create professional-looking Word documents. Topics include text and page formatting, bullet and table creation, and understanding the ribbon. Bring your own laptop or use one provided (class laptops run Word 2010). Prerequisite: basic computer knowledge.

Tues May 22, Thurs May 24 and
Tues May 29 (3 class meetings total)
6pm – 9pm

Prices
Computer Basics: $40.00
Keyboarding: $30.00
MS Word Basics: $50.00
MS Excel Basics: $50.00

Special Deal: Computer Basics & Keyboarding: $50, save $20

Business Planning Classes Sponsored by Farmers State Bank

Julie Foster — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:33:36 +0000

Business Classes for Small Business Owners, Managers, and Entrepreneurs! Get the basics of running and managing a successful business by attending Building Bitterroot Business classes offered by the Ravalli County Economic Development Authority (RCEDA) the Bitterroot College Program of the University of Montana (BCP) and the Bitterroot Job Service. Download Schedule

Business Plan I: 9-11am Thurs, May 3rd
Learn how to write the narrative for your business plan, including the executive summary, operations, finances and marketing. Instructor: John Schneeberger, RCEDA

Business Plan II (Financials): 9-11am Thurs, May 10th
Learn the basics of creating and using Profit and Loss, Cash Flow, and Balance Sheet statements. Also includes how to create financial projections. Instructor: Lisa Glenn, Galusha, Higgins & Galusha

Marketing: 9-11am Thurs, May 17th
Learn the basics of consistent marketing and getting the most out of your advertising dollar. Instructor: Cynthia Rademacher, CMR Marketing Strategies.

Choice of Business Entity 9-11am Thurs, May 24th
Learn about different business entities such as C-Corps, Sole Proprietorships, LLCs and their general tax and financing implications. This presentation features the expertise of an experienced attorney. Instructor: Richard A. Weber, PC

Human Resources : 9-11am Thurs, May 31st
Frequently asked question about Human Resources: Wage and Hour Laws, Hiring Processes, Progressive Discipline, Benefits of Contractor vs. Employee, Tax Credits when hiring, On-the-Job Training, Incumbent Worker Training, Wrongful Termination, required Employer Posters, and more! Instructor: Bitterroot Job Service staff.

Debt and Alternative Financing: 9-11am Thurs, June 7th
Learn the basics of applying for a loan from banks and other lending institutions. Also learn about other sources of business financing such as development loans and grants. Instructor: Julie Foster, RCEDA

Use Caution Obtaining DUNS and CCR Numbers

Julie Foster — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 23:44:45 +0000

RCEDA gives free technical assistance on government contracting through the Montana Procurement Technical Assistance Center (MPTAC)Through this association we have been made aware of several scams involving companies that are charging people to register in CCR (Central Contractor Registry) and to get a DUNS number. There is no charge for this.

It is important to use the correct website. Use this link for CCR and this one for getting a DUNS number. There is no charge. Be careful. The other websites are created to look like the official government sites. The DUNS site is private, but if you use the above link you can get your number without charge. Except in the case of the DUNS number, all goverment registrations should be through websites that have a .gov extension.

If you need to get technical assistance on the often complex world of certification and registrations and government contracting, you can get FREE help through your local PTAC center. If you need help on this call RCEDA at 375-9416 or email john@rceda.org.

Choosing the Correct Business Entity

Julie Foster — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:33:57 +0000

Choosing the correct entity structure for your business is important to your success and directly effects your personal and profressional risk as well as the way your company will be taxed. PLAN to start off right.

Richard Weber has been in private practice in Ravalli County for 32 years. His practice is primarily civil litigation in the areas of water rights, commercial disputes, domestic relations, personal injury, collections and foreclosures. His practice also includes banking law, probate and real property transactions. He has presented many continuing legal education seminars in the areas of real estate, title insurance and other topics in Western Montana. Richard Weber received his JD from the U of Montana. Mr. Weber is an appellate mediator for the Montana Supreme Court.

HOW TO REGISTER FOR COURSES
Use this registration form. For more information contact the Bitterroot College Program of the University of Montana at 375-0100. Deadline: Course fees and forms are due 3 days prior to class start date. Late registration may be accepted.

Refund Policy: Call 375-0100 for a refund. 100% refund if class is canceled; 100% refund if requested before 1st class.

Classes will be held at Ravalli Entrepreneurship Center (REC) (across the street from the back of Massa Home Center) 274 Old Corvallis Rd
Hamilton, MT 59840, Thursday, February 23rd, 9-11am, $15.00.

Graphic Design for Business Class

Julie Foster — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:02:31 +0000

Don’t miss our upcoming Graphic Design for Business class coming up next Tuesday the 21st. This 2 hour class can help you immediately communicate more effectively to the most important people in your business, your customers! Only $15.00 – Tuesday, February 21st, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

This class will cover the basic design techniques and tips that businesses can use when creating materials such as advertisements, brochures, business cards, web layout, etc. Topics covered include:

1-Questions you should answer – First stage of the design process.
2-Collecting the right materials and using the right tools.
3-The importance of your design style.
4-Design Elements: color, font, line, white space, etc…
5-Design Principles, how to put it all together.

For the above topics the class will examine examples of good and not so good design, spending the majority of the time with demonstrations of #5 – How you can create better marketing and promotional pieces. In these demos the class will go through the redesign of the logo, business card and brochure of a ficticious company.

The class instructor is KJ Kahnle – Graphic Designer.

KJ is a business owner, graphic designer and instructor with over 15 years of design, photo editing and teaching experience. With a degree in Education and a passion for helping small businesses be more effective and productive, she enjoys sharing her knowledge of graphic design principles.

HOW TO REGISTER FOR COURSES
Use this registration form. For more information contact the Bitterroot College Program of the University of Montana at 375-0100. Deadline: Course fees and forms are due 3 days prior to class start date. Late registration may be accepted.

Refund Policy: Call 375-0100 for a refund. 100% refund if class is canceled; 100% refund if requested before 1st class.

Classes are held at
Ravalli Entrepreneurship Center (REC)
(across the street from the back of Massa Home Center)
274 Old Corvallis Rd
Hamilton, MT 59840
(406) 375-9416

SBA Kicks Off Emerging Leaders Initiative for 2012

Julie Foster — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:09:43 +0000

Entrepreneur Training Initiative Sparks Small Business Growth, Job Creation

WASHINGTON– the U.S. Small Business Administration kicked off its 2012 e200/Emerging Leaders executive-level training initiative in 27 cities and communities, including Helena, Montana. Since 2008 the e200/Emerging Leaders initiative has helped nearly 1,000 promising small business owners in underserved communities across the country sustain and grow their businesses, providing training they use to succeed and create jobs.

Last year’s inaugural class of Montana’s e200 program included:
• Veronica Ronnau- Pizazz
• Raul Luciani- CP of Bozeman, Inc.
• Tanya Chemodurow -Abatement Contractors of Montana, LLC
• Jennifer Giem- Great Harvest Bread Company of Butte
• Lucille Mooney- Shotcrete Montana
• Aubrey May- Clean Team of Montanan
• Rachel Andrews- S&K Environmental, LLC
• Paul Neutgens- American Steel, Inc.
• Lynda Deines- Double Stud Construction
• Heather Long- H L Construction
• Matthew Silent Thunder- Silent Creations Buffalo Products, LLC
• Dave Peterson- Apple Valley Backhoe Service
• Greg Parks- Bio Seal, LLC
• Margaret “Binky” Bowman- Joe’s Jiffy Shop

“Over the last few years Emerging Leaders has helped expand opportunities for many promising small businesses in underserved communities – in particular those that have been most impacted by these tough economic times,” SBA Administrator Karen Mills said. “Graduates of the program have increased their revenue, created jobs and helped drive local economic growth in their communities. Continuing with this year’s lineup of new classes builds on this success and provides even more entrepreneurs in underserved communities with the support, resources and skills to succeed.”

Despite the difficult economy, more than half of the businesses that have completed the e200/Emerging Leaders training nationally have shown an increase in revenue totaling more than $7 million. Nearly 60 percent have reported creating new jobs in their communities. Surveyed participants also reported having secured more than $7 million in new financing for their businesses, and an increase in confidence when applying for government contracts. As a result, program graduates have reported securing nearly 500 federal, state and local contracts, worth more than $112 million.

Don’t take our word for it though – listen to members of last year’s graduating class!
“The e200 program renewed my spirit of entrepreneurship and rejuvenated my business ownership,” stated Aubrey May owner of Clean Team in Billings and 2011 e200 graduate. “It provided me with a network of other business owners that face similar challenges as mine. It was great to share these issues and learn from both of our mistakes.”

Paul Neutgens, of American Steel in Billings, said “I thought I was business savvy before I entered this program, but e200 allowed me to find out where I was weak and provided me the opportunity to tune those areas.”
The eight-month training includes approximately 100 hours of classroom time per participant and provides the opportunity for small business owners to work with experienced mentors, attend workshops and develop connections with their peers, city leaders, and financial communities. Local recruitment for the 2012 training cycle will start in February, and classes are scheduled to begin in April.

For more information about e200 Emerging Leaders visit the SBA web site or you may call Tom White in the Montana District Office at 406.441.1084.

Women’s Network Entrepreneurial Training (WNET)

Julie Foster — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:53:38 +0000

Reminder that Thursday, February 23rd from Noon to 1:30 p.m. at the RCEDA, the first WNET Brown Bag luncheon will be taking place. There will be one hour of presentation which kicks off with Lisa Glenn, an incredibly talented CPA with Galusha, Higgins, and Galusha, Willa Lande, a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones, Willa is very tuned in to some of the new dimensions that financial planning has taken on, and Paula Freston, a recently retired Business Professor. Paula is a terrific addition to RCEDA supporters, she assisted John with surveys from our client base and we used that information to choose the time, date, and slate of topics for WNET. Sure hope you are able to join us. Tell and bring a friend.

Marketing Strategies with Cynthia Rademacher of CMR Marketing Strategies

Julie Foster — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:21:03 +0000

Thursday, February 16th is one of our most popular B3 Classes. Cynthia Rademacher has been in the marketing business for 12 years, is the former co-owner of Maverick Marketing and recently added a B.S. in Internet Marketing from Full Sale Universtity. To register you must fill out the registration form on the link below and mail or deliver it with payment to Bitterroot College by Tuesday the 14th.

Marketing Basics| Business Basics Class #3
Learn the importance of consistent marketing and getting the most out of your advertising dollar for only $15. Instructor: Cynthia Rademacher, CMR Marketing Strategies. Thursday, Feb 16th | 9am – 11am

Classes are offered in cooperation with the Bitterroot College Program and the Bitterroot Job Service.

HOW TO REGISTER FOR COURSES
Use this registration form. For more information contact the Bitterroot College Program of the University of Montana at 375-0100. Deadline: Course fees and forms are due 3 days prior to class start date. Late registration may be accepted.

Refund Policy: Call 375-0100 for a refund. 100% refund if class is canceled; 100% refund if requested before 1st class.

Classes are held at
Ravalli Entrepreneurship Center (REC)
(across the street from the back of Massa Home Center)
274 Old Corvallis Rd
Hamilton, MT 59840
(406) 375-9416