Published June 2004

Biz training opportunities offered year-round

The U.S. Small Business Administration and its affiliated organizations offer a number of no-cost or low-cost small-business training opportunities throughout the year, including:

n SBA Loan Briefings — Held the second and fourth Thursday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. at the Seattle Business Enterprise Center, 1200 Sixth Ave., Suite 1700. Attendees can learn about the SBA Loan Guarantee Program and other financing sources available in Western Washington during these free programs.

n Washington State Tax Seminar — Held on the first Tuesday of every odd-numbered month from 10 a.m. to noon — July 6, Sept. 7, Nov. 2 — at the Seattle Business Enterprise Center. Presented by the Washington State Department of Revenue, the free workshop includes information on excise tax, how to report taxes to the state and taxes specific to certain businesses. Attendees can learn about reporting classifications, deductions available, sales-tax collection and record-keeping requirements. For more information or to pre-register, call 206-553-7320 or the Department of Revenue, 206-956-3002, or go online to www.dor.wa.gov.

n Safety and Health Programs — Held quarterly from noon to 1 p.m. — July 19, Oct. 18 — at the Seattle Business Enterprise Center. Presented by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the workshop includes information about safety and health problems and how they affect business and employees. A package of all required federal and state posters, a safety and health publications catalog, a self-inspection checklist and record-keeping requirements also will be available. Call 206-553-7320 for more information or to pre-register.

n CPA Briefing — Held the third Friday of each month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Seattle Business Enterprise Center. Attendees have an opportunity to talk to a certified public accountant free of charge and ask questions about financial or accounting issues. Each month, the CPA has a topic that may help attendees learn more about business management. This is an informal gathering, and attendees are invited to bring their lunch. To register, call the SBA at 206-553-7310.

n SCORE Workshops — Held throughout the year at the Seattle Business Enterprise Center, these daylong workshops held by the Service Corps of Retired Executives target issues faced by start-up and existing businesses, including: “Starting a New Business,” “Building a Business Plan,” “Making Money Work for You,” “Marketing and Sales,” “E-Business” and “E-Commerce.” Cost per workshop is $60 pre-registered (with a $50 cost for each additional attendee from the same firm) and $70 at the door, space permitting. For upcoming workshop dates, call 206-553-7320 or 877-SEA-SCORE (732-7267), or go online to www.seattlescore.org.

n OMWBE Workshops — Held throughout the year at the Seattle Business Enterprise Center as well as in Tacoma, Olympia and Everett, these no-cost workshops presented by the Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises include such topics as “Marketing for Small Business,” “State and Federal Certification,” “Selling to the Government” and “Starting a Small Business.” For more information, call 360-704-1193.

n Women’s Network for Entrepreneurial Training — Monthly breakfast meetings are held around the Puget Sound in downtown Seattle, Everett, the South Sound, the Eastside and Kitsap County. Attendees hear a small-business owner’s success story; learn from experts in finance, marketing, technology and other business fields; and get their questions answered. Pre-registration cost is $20 ($15 for members of sponsor organizations); at-the-door is $30 ($25 for members of sponsor organizations). For more information, call 206-553-7315.

— U.S. Small Business Administration

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