Fayetteville Area

Seminar Highlights: Technology has forever changed the standard tried and true advertising and marketing models. As audiences continue to fracture and scatter across a continuously expanding multi-media landscape and user-driven/user-created media shifts the marketing playing field even faster, we'll need to continue to evaluate and devise new methods to achieve our goals. In this seminar we'll review the basics of e-marketing campaigns, tips for developing an e-marketing strategy and look at some examples of successful campaigns

Speaker: Patrick Laughlin, Bozell

Seminar Highlights: Looking for protection of business assets such as intellectual property, a business name or logo? This seminar is for inventors, entrepreneurs, and business owners who want to learn how to protect a logo, invention, name or artistic creation. The session is taught by a patent attorney and will give participants an overview of patent, trademark, and copyright law, processes and available resources.

Speaker: Representatives of Keisling, Pieper and Scott, PLC

Seminar Highlights: Tradeshow marketing is often overlooked as an effective tool for reaching target customers. This seminar will take small business owners through the steps for creating an effective tradeshow look, as well as how to effectively market your business so you stand out among the other exhibitors. Tradeshows are the perfect place to make face-to face contact with potential customers and begin the process of building relationships%u2014the key to an effective marketing plan.

Speaker: Ken Abernathy, PromoDepot

Seminar Highlights: This is a hands-on course focused on the balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flow. This course is designed to introduce financial statements to existing and potential business owners to increase understanding of the information that is generated from internal accounting software or an accountant. Attendees will be introduced to the uses of financial statements, basic principles, the types of statements, how they are interrelated and analyzing statements using industry ratios.

Speaker: Chris Flynt, CPA

Seminar Highlights: Want to be your own boss but don't know where to start? Many questions entrepreneurs have about starting a business are answered in this three hour workshop. Starting a Business in Arkansas prepares participants for the intensive business planning process. Find out the major steps crucial to starting a business, identify key issues that affect your business success, and discuss start-up requirements as well as common pitfalls you will face as an entrepreneur.

Speaker: Susan Slinkard, Metropolitan National Bank

Seminar Highlights: The US Small Business Administration loan program has helped thousands of small companies get started, expand and prosper. This seminar will discuss the SBA loan program, eligibility requirements and how to apply. Our instructor, Pat Walker, is the SBA loan representative for Northwest Arkansas and will be able to answer specific questions you may have. Those seeking to finance new business start-ups or business purchases and those seeking to expand their existing business are encouraged to attend.

Speaker: Pat Walker, US Small Business Administration

Seminar Highlights: No matter how large or small, all businesses should have a written plan. A business plan helps to define concepts, evaluate the competition, analyze markets, determine risks and estimate financial potential. Business plans are required to obtain a small business loan. This in-depth seminar discusses the business planning process in detail. Participants will learn about the importance of planning and the elements that go into a good plan. For new entrepreneurs, Starting a Business in Arkansas is recommended as a first step.

Speaker: Mark Kidd, Kidd Accounting and Management Consulting

Seminar Highlights: Owning a restaurant is a tough business that requires lots of hours and hard work on behalf of the owner and mangers. This seminar is designed to give restaurant entrepreneurs a "heads-up" on common pitfalls that restaurants face and provide participants with necessary tools to survive the industry. Specific topics include: marketing, financial management, budgeting, and customer relationships. The speaker will point out the special details that can help create atmosphere and enhance the overall experience of your customers. The seminar material will be useful for any size, type, or stage of restaurant ownership.

Speaker: ASBDC Represenative

Seminar Highlights: Did you have a successful filing season? April 15th is behind us but it is not too early to prepare for next year. This year more than 665,930 Arkansas federal tax returns were filed electronically. This is a significant increase over last year. Are you a part of this sweeping trend? If not, this tax seminar will answer questions like, What is in e-File for me? and How do I get started? Are you an established Electronic Return Originator filing the occasional electronic return or a seasoned pro at responding to rejection codes? Regardless of your level of e-file expertise, the 2008 Tax Practitioner Seminar will provide valuable information on moving your business forward with the latest e-file program enhancements.

Speaker: Greg Metcalf, Jane Fisher and Samuel Coleman IRS; Dan Brown, Department of Revenue; Charles Burton, SSA

Cosponsor: IRS, Department of Revenue, SSA

Seminar Highlights: Want to be your own boss but don't know where to start? Many questions entrepreneurs have about starting a business are answered in this three hour workshop. Starting a Business in Arkansas prepares participants for the intensive business planning process. Find out the major steps crucial to starting a business, identify key issues that affect your business success, and discuss start-up requirements as well as common pitfalls you will face as an entrepreneur.

Speaker: ASBDC Representative

The Arkansas Small Business Development Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration through a partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business and other institutions of higher education. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. It is the goal of UALR to eliminate discriminatory harassment and to promote equal opportunity regardless of race, gender, color, national origin, sexual orientation, age, religion, veteran’s status, or disability.