Learning Lab Resources

How to Choose the Right Business for You

Description: In this conversation, Matt and Pierre discuss essential insights that define the path of entrepreneurship, and lead to success. We explore self-discovery, the value of asking questions, seeking financial freedom, balancing family and business, industry expertise, and more. Discover how passion, persistence, and strategic investments can drive your entrepreneurial journey towards achieving your business goals. All of this will help you evaluate what kind of business is right for you!

Host: Hosted by the Farmingdale SBDC’s Business Breakthrough | New York Podcast. The Farmingdale SBDC is part of the New York Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network of 20 campus-based centers and outreach offices located across New York State.

Disclaimer: Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the US Small Business Administration. Training collaboration does not constitute an expressed or implied endorsement by the NYSBDC and SBA of the presenter(s), their organization(s), and/or their products and services.

The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Market Research and Investing

Description: Owning and operating a business can get pretty tough, but having passion for your business will keep you going strong! In this episode, you will learn the importance of going into an industry you’re passionate about. And we’ll also talk about the value of building a relationship with your customer, and how that can help your business grow and develop exponentially. At the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) we are always trying help our clients develop their passions into a successful business. This episode is the first step on that journey!!

Host: Hosted by the Farmingdale SBDC’s Business Breakthrough | New York Podcast. The Farmingdale SBDC is part of the New York Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network of 20 campus-based centers and outreach offices located across New York State.

Disclaimer: Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the US Small Business Administration. Training collaboration does not constitute an expressed or implied endorsement by the NYSBDC and SBA of the presenter(s), their organization(s), and/or their products and services.

Artificial Intelligence

ChatGPT and Your Business

Description: The launch of ChatGPT has received a lot of attention and raised questions and concerns for business owners. “Is the service I provide going to be replaced by Artificial Intelligence?” “How can I use AI to help my business and ease my workload?” In this webinar, we will discuss what Artificial Intelligence (AI) is, how ChatGPT and other AI tools might be able to help us run our businesses, common AI applications we may already be using, and the limitations of using tools such as ChatGPT for business.

Presenter: Cecelia Henderson is the owner of WSI Marketing Edge, a digital marketing agency based in Wayne NJ focused on helping businesses strategically leverage their online presence for growth. She works with for-profit and not-for-profit organizations developing and executing their digital marketing strategies. She has over 25 years of marketing and management experience in Fortune 500 companies. She founded WSI Marketing Edge over 7 years ago and is passionate about helping her clients clarify their objectives and reap the benefits of digital marketing. Cecelia is VP of Marketing for NJAWBO (the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners) and she’s also a volunteer with Passaic County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for children in foster care. https://www.wsiworld.com/cecelia-henderson

Disclaimer: Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the US Small Business Administration. Training collaboration does not constitute an expressed or implied endorsement by the NYSBDC and SBA of the presenter(s), their organization(s), and/or their products and services.

Banking Expert’s Golden Rules for Business Funding

Description: In this conversation, Matthew and Scott Horowitz discuss access to capital for small businesses. They cover topics such as when to approach a bank for financing, the different types of lending options available, and the importance of building relationships with banks. They also touch on the benefits of having a business bank account and the factors to consider when determining if lending is a good option for a business. Additionally, they discuss the packaging aspect of lending, including the use of lines of credit, business credit cards, term loans, and equipment leases. In this conversation, Matthew discusses various aspects of business lending with Scott, a relationship manager at TD Bank. They cover topics such as SBA loans, loan packaging, credit scores, business plans, interest rates, and common problems that businesses face when applying for loans.

Host: Hosted by the Farmingdale SBDC’s Business Breakthrough | New York Podcast. The Farmingdale SBDC is part of the New York Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network of 20 campus-based centers and outreach offices located across New York State.

Disclaimer: Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the US Small Business Administration. Training collaboration does not constitute an expressed or implied endorsement by the NYSBDC and SBA of the presenter(s), their organization(s), and/or their products and services.

Ask the Expert: Real Answers to Your Marketing and Branding Questions

Description: Join Madia Brown, Chief Storytelling Strategist for Brandire, an award-winning brand marketing communications firm, for an interactive session where we tackle your biggest marketing and branding questions, offering straightforward, expert advice to help your small business shine. The last part of the webinar will include a demo of Brandire’s hellobrand.io generative AI branding platform.

Presenter: Recognized as “one of the top advertising and production professionals” by the Telly Awards Judge Council, Madia Brown is an award-winning visual journalist and founder of Brandire, a woman-founded and -led, full-service creative brand marketing communications agency, based in Washington, DC. Brandire’s mission is to help clients turn their audience into the fiercest brand loyalists. Madia began Brandire as a passion project during her 13-year tenure at The Washington Post. Since then, she has grown her business into a 7-figure agency that’s a go-to for culturally resonate storytelling, assisting nearly 100 clients locally, nationally, and globally. She has an MBA in International Business and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and has recently been awarded recognition as one of the Washington Business Journal’s 2023 40-under-40 honorees. https://brandireagency.com/

Disclaimer: Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the US Small Business Administration. Training collaboration does not constitute an expressed or implied endorsement by the NYSBDC and SBA of the presenter(s), their organization(s), and/or their products and services.

Exit Planning: Consider a Co-op

Description: Too many business owners don’t have a realistic plan for how to exit their business, earn a decent retirement income, and preserve the legacy they’ve built and the jobs they’ve created. They don’t understand their options and don’t have time to figure it out on their own. Because of this, they wait until they are ready to retire before they think about how to exit their business, and liquidation and closure becomes the default option. Unfortunately, this option shortchanges the owner and results in lost jobs and economic assets for our communities. Don’t let this happen to you! No matter how big or small your business, this workshop will help you understand what you need to know and plan for, and help you understand and assess your options and decide which one makes most sense for you. Exit planning process and options will be covered, but a deeper dive into one of the least understood options – selling to your employees – will be a focus.

Presenters: Rob Brown is the director of Business Ownership Solutions at the Cooperative Development Institute (CDI), the USDA-designated Cooperative Business Development Center for the Northeast. He is a nationally recognized expert in the field of employee ownership transitions and has developed extensive programs of education and training on the topic. https://cdi.coop/ Joe Marraffino is a Loan and Outreach Officer in Ithaca, New York. Joe joined the Cooperative Fund in 2021 to support cooperative lending in New York State. He previously coordinated the Workers to Owners program for the Democracy at Work Institute. https://cooperativefund.org/

Disclaimer: Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the US Small Business Administration. Training collaboration does not constitute an expressed or implied endorsement by the NYSBDC and SBA of the presenter(s), their organization(s), and/or their products and services.