Strategic Marketing for Small Business Session 2: Find your Unique Value Identifier to Make your Business Stand Out!

Have you thought about how many businesses are offering something similar to your products and/or services? Do you know what makes your business special? If you do, are you letting everyone know about it?

At the end of this hands-on workshop, you will go back to your office with a clear idea of what makes your business UNIQUE! Together we will analyze:
· What are your product/services characteristics.
· What are the additional benefits that you can offer.
· What are your main competitors’ strengths and weaknesses.
Through this class, you will be able to find what are the opportunity areas in the market.
We will also take a look at what products/services are not being offered and how can you use your products’ characteristics and benefits to be the best! Let’s have a big company mindset!!!

About our speaker:

Andrea Fruchier is a Strategic Marketing Specialist with over 10 years of experience as a marketing, communication, and design director. She has work from non-profit organizations to huge multinational corporations. In 2018 she founded Mandala Marketing with the vision of “Create a fairer distribution of wealth in our society by encouraging people to use their knowledge and skills to create and grow their own business, doing what they love and managing their time and priorities to find the perfect balance in their lives.”

Register Here!

Small business Legal bootcamp

Learn what you need to protect your assets and choose the right business form. This class is a discussion of the legal basics you need to properly choose, set up, and maintain your business entity. Corporations, LLCs, and all other common business forms are covered. We also cover basic contract terms you need watch out and lots of other things every small business owner needs to know.

Register Here!

Session 3: Define your Target Market to Make Better Marketing Investments!

Have you invested money and time in marketing tools such as websites, promotions, advertising, or social media and you don’t see any return on investment from it? Have you felt overwhelmed by not knowing how to communicate assertively with your customers?

At the end of this hands-on workshop, you will go back to your office with a clear idea of who is your Target Market and where you should place your marketing efforts to attract them to your business. Together we will find:
· What are their socioeconomic and demographic characteristics.
· Their personality type as consumers.
· What are your Target-market’s needs and desires.
Once you have a more focused and clear vision of who is looking for your products/services and what they want, you will be able to select the right communication tools to reach them. In this way, you will be able to invest your marketing budget more assertively. Let’s have a big company mindset!!!

About our speaker:

Andrea Fruchier is a Strategic Marketing Specialist with over 10 years of experience as a marketing, communication, and design director. She has work from non-profit organizations to huge multinational corporations. In 2018 she founded Mandala Marketing with the vision of “Create a fairer distribution of wealth in our society by encouraging people to use their knowledge and skills to create and grow their own business, doing what they love and managing their time and priorities to find the perfect balance in their lives.”

Register Here!

Energize Yourself to Vibrant Health

Do you need a break? Want to feel clear, happy and uplifted? This is your class and your day to experience your breath of fresh air ! – Come bring your concerns, worries, frustrations and YOU for a look at what is weighing you down and what can be cleared, shifted and/or lightened to allow for the “authentic” you to SHINE and Energize Yourself to Vibrant Health. What You Will Learn and Do:

• Identifying Those Things That Weigh You Down and Take Your Energy

• Learning Meditation, Breathing Techniques and Acupressure Points for Clearing Areas that Take Your Vitality• Learn and Experience Ways to Build and Energize You to Vibrant HealthCome see how 2 hours can be the vacation you were looking for and how just 5-10 minutes a day can keep you on the road to vibrant health.

Facilitated by:  Karen Takayama

Karen Takayama is an Acupressure Therapist/Energy Worker, and Founder and Director of Complementary and Integrative Practitioners Network, High Mountain Well Being Center and currently (SHINE-Synergistic and Holistic Network of Entrepreneurs)

Register Here!

E-Commerce Webinar

Attendees will learn how to create an ecommerce website using free and open source software available to the public. The site will be capable of handling transactions for physical products, digital products, event registrations, or any other product or service that can be sold on the web. Annual ecommerce sales have grown from $1.33 Trillion in 2014 to $3.43 Trillion in 2019 and are projected to exceed $4.87 Trillion by 2021. An ecommerce website empowers individuals or small businesses to compete with any other company on a global scale with minimal start-up risk or costs.

Registration URL – https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8329063762881173260

Webinar ID – 545-530-907

Presenter: Bob Hollis

Webinar: FAR Overview: Types of Government Contracts

Govology webinars are available at no cost to PTAC clients.  To get a coupon code for this webinar, please call 916-442-1729.

Federal contracting officers have a large array of contract types that they can use at their discretion to fulfill their agency’s unique mission. Each contract type imposes different requirements on contractors due to varying levels of risk the government is willing to bear.

So how does this affect you?

The type of contract will affect how you get paid, how much it will cost you to stay compliant and meet administrative requirements, and how much oversight you can expect from the government.

In this webinar, Scott Cook, CFCM, ICCM-F, will explain the different types of contracts, why they exist, and the benefits and pitfalls of each type. This informative session will help you make better judgments about the profitability of various contract opportunities and what it takes to perform on a specific contract while staying compliant.

Target Audience: Contractors pursuing opportunities in the Federal marketplace

Register Here!

How to use Face to Face Networking to Grow Your Business

Don’t let the fear of public speaking keep you from building the business of your dreams.

You will leave this workshop with the confidence to walk into a room full of strangers and easily meet new people and have an engaging conversation.

As a participant in his workshop you will learn the secret way of answering the question, what do you do?

How to make positive and lasting first impressions.

Your ability to engage comfortably in conversation will result in increased contacts and an increase in your business.

Because people have met you, had a pleasant conversation with you and understand what you do, they will remember you when they need your product or service.

This workshop is a hands-on interactive workshop. In this class, you will pick up simple, proven tools you can use to confidently mix and mingle in any business or social setting.

This workshop is for you whether you think of yourself as a shy person just stepping out to meet new people or you are an experienced net-worker.

Topic to be covered:

Steps to prepare for a successful networking or social event:

• • Get positive on why you are going.
  • Take control of your emotions.
  • Control your mindset.

How to confidently begin a conversation:

• • How to introduce yourself, so people say, “Tell me more.”
  • How to answer the question: What do I say next?
  • How to find topics that interest the other person.

How to make a connection and build trust.

• Know what message your body language is sending.
• Use body language to make a good first impression.
• Discover words that help you connect with the other person.

Presented by: Gary McKinsey,Gary’s goal is to work with entrepreneurs and business owners who want to build their ideal business and make more money.

For over 40 years he has work with business owners to build their ideal business, increase their income and avoid expensive time-consuming mistakes.

His hands-on interactive workshops are designed to provide entrepreneurs and business owners with new business building insights and ideas.

He has earned the following designations:

• Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach.
• Certified Speaking and Sales Presentation Coach.
• Certified Business Planning Coach.

Register Here!

USING FBO.Gov TO FIND FEDERAL OPPORTUNITIES

The U.S. government is the largest buyer in the world. Federal agencies buy just about every category of commodity and service available. The federal government signs 11 million + contracts a year. At any given time there are approximately 31,000 + active federal opportunities. These opportunities are posted by the 130 federal agencies.

• FBO.gov is the source for all federal procurements $25,000 or greater
• FBO will allow you to target specific federal agencies.
• Marketing Your Business & Identifying Federal Opportunities
• FBO will allow you to search by keyword or NAICS code.

California Capital PTAC is offering a 90 minute hands-on workshop focused on identifying Federal Business Opportunities within FBO.gov. The instructor will guide participants through the features and functions of the FBO.gov website and provide insight as to how to find opportunities within the federal government procurement space. To participate in the hands-on section of this workshop, it is recommended that each participant brings their own internet connected device i.e.; laptop, tablet etc.

Instructor: Ralph “Skip” Masters, California Capital PTAC Procurement Counselor

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Reporting Unclaimed Property to the California State Controller

About: California’s Unclaimed Property Law requires holders of unclaimed property to file a report with the State Controller’s Office on an annual basis.

This presentation will provide education on California’s Unclaimed Property Law, an overview of the reporting process, examine real-world examples, and identify best practices. Objectives:

• Obtain the knowledge needed to comply with California’s Unclaimed Property Law
• Determine if your client is holding unclaimed property
• Understand California’s two-report process
• Identify common reporting and remitting errors
• Learn how to avoid interest and penalties

                                               Presented by: The State Controller’s Office

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Webinar: Evaluating subcontractor accounting systems & rates

Clients of the California Capital PTAC can access Webinars and On-Demand Training classes from Govology at no cost.  By registering here, you will be provided with a code that you can use at checkout when registering for Govology webinars.  If you are already a client and you have your code, you can register directly at Govology.com.

Whether you’re the prime or a sub, learn the essentials of financial oversight for a smooth working relationship. Primes are responsible for the review and oversight of their subs, including accounting system compliance and evaluation of price and related factors.

Come learn what to look for in a healthy financial system.

• Prior system approval
• Use of a third party in surveying the system, developing budgets, or reviewing rates
• Time since last system survey or rate audit
• Effective rate management

Subcontractors need to know the proper way to develop rates. Primes need to understand how to evaluate rates, especially when comparing them among multiple subcontractors. Rates vary from industry-to-industry and contractor-to-contractor. Hence, you can’t determine whether a rate is high, low, or incorrect by merely comparing numbers.

We’ll discuss your options (including the pros and cons) for financial oversight, including:

• Use of internal resources
• Requesting agency survey of system or review of review
• Hiring a third party

Join us to learn best practices for ensuring financial stability and building solid relationships with your prime or sub.

Target Audience: Prime contractors and subcontractors performing work on federal contracts

Register Here!