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Learn how to start, grow, and manage your small business in April. Sandhills Community College Small Business Center is committed to helping small businesses grow by providing high-quality, readily accessible assistance and support to increase the success rate and number of viable small businesses throughout North Carolina. Experts in the field will guide students through starting, financing, planning, and marketing their small businesses. Unless otherwise noted, classes are free and will be held on the Pinehurst campus in Van Dusen Hall, room 102.

Small Business Development Series

In "Think Like a Lender," participants will receive a deep understanding of the critical credit-related factors assessed by creditors and lenders when evaluating loan applications directly from a lender at Thread Capital. In this engaging one-hour session, we delve into the core principles of responsible lending and reveal the essential considerations for successful loan approval. Learn about the 6 C’s of Credit, preparation strategies, and best practices for loan approval. This class will be held online on Thursday, April 4, from 6-7 pm.

"QuickBooks Online 101" is a two-part series, you will discover ways this popular online software can help small business owners save time, simplify bookkeeping, and avoid costly errors. You will learn how to set up accounts, track business income and expenses, and generate financial reports. Basic computer knowledge is required. This class will be held on Tuesday, April 9, from 6-8 pm.

"Finding Your Market & Developing a Plan" will provide an overview of small business marketing principles and applications. Develop a focused and effective marketing plan to help comprehend strategic marketing and consumer behavior. Identify how consumers think, act, and engage. This class will be held on Tuesday, April 9, from 6-8 pm at the Hoke Center.

"Digital Guerrilla Marketing" will discuss the basics of guerrilla marketing and its potential impact, how to leverage social media, local events, collaborations, and pop-ups, and how to use AI to predict trends and design timely guerrilla campaigns. This class will be held on Wednesday, April 10, from 1 to 3 pm.

"QuickBooks Online 102" is part two of this series, discover advanced topics on managing accounts receivable and accounts payable and how to reconcile small business bank accounts. This class will be held on Tuesday, April 16, from 6-8 pm.

"Revolutionizing Customer Engagement with Gen-AI" will teach the basics of AI and its relevance in today's marketing landscape. Discover real-world examples of AI enhancing customer experiences. Learn how to set up basic customer service or FAQ responses in a hands-on session with chat-GPT. Discover how to leverage text-to-image platforms for marketing content creation. This class will be held on Wednesday, April 17, from 1-3 pm.

"Write a Winning Business Plan" will teach you how to turn your small business ideas into a solid plan for long-term success. Learn how marketing, operations, and finance are interrelated. Discover how a business plan is used by potential lenders, and steps for making the process easy. This class will be held on Tuesday, April 23, from 1-3 pm.

"Finance Your Business" will teach small business start-ups and owners challenged by financing how to seek out funding for their business. Discover the proper information needed for the process. Explore the advantages of different types of funding sources and how to choose the right one. This class will be held on Tuesday, April 23, from 6-8 pm at the Hoke Center.

"Selling Made Simple" will discuss how customers perceive products and services, identify how customers make decisions based on perceptions and lived experiences and apply behavioral science principles to strategic marketing, communication, and product development. This class will be held on Wednesday, April 24, from 1-3 pm.

"The Future is AI-RRIVING" is designed for professionals who are seeking ways to optimize their productivity and efficiency using the power of AI tools. In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to leverage various AI-powered tools to streamline their workflows, automate tedious tasks, and make informed decisions. This class will be held on Tuesday, April 30, from 6-8 pm.

 The Small Business Center– Agriculture Seminars

"Agrability & Assistive Technologies" is broken into two sessions. Session one: Assistive Technologies and Medical Resources for the Physically Disabled Producers Session two: Disability Resources and Farming with Disability Resources. Session one will be held from 10 am-Noon, then lunch will be catered, and session two will be held from 1-3 pm.

Registration

To register, go to sandhills.edu/wce/sbc.html. Email Megan Barnett at barnettm@sandhills.edu for more information, place your name on a waiting list for full webinars or sign up for email alerts. Check this website regularly: bit.ly/2H5VfAv for additional course offerings. Seminars may be added throughout the semester based on need and circumstances.

Summer Semester

 Summer semester curriculum (college credit) Sessions A and B begin on May 20, and Session C starts on July 1. For all information, go to www.sandhills.edu/learn.

New students taking curriculum/college credit classes must apply before registering. Sandhills has an open-door policy, which means all applicants are accepted. On www.sandhills.edu, new students can find the application at the top right. Returning or current students can register using Self-Service on 91Ó°ÊÓ.

Boys & Girls Club

A Boys & Girls Club unit is offered on the Sandhills campus. It runs from 2:30 to 6:30 pm for kindergarten through fifth grade. The club is ideal for parents/guardians taking SCC afternoon or evening classes, those who need study time, those who need to utilize the computer lab, or those who are working on projects. Club participants will receive assistance with homework, and dinner will be offered. The cost is $50 per child per year. The club provides transportation from McDeeds Creek, Farm Life, and Carthage Elementary schools.

In addition, drop-in services are available free of charge to Sandhills students from 6-9 pm. This is ideal for students taking afternoon or evening classes, working on group projects, or for other academic reasons. For more information visit sandhillsbgc.org.