Turning online activity into sales can boost your revenue and profits. In this roundtable event you will hear from other local business owners about how they use digital media to grow their business. They'll share what tools and process helped them increase the number of prospects in their sales funnel. This live session will cover: What B2B techniques work to attract large enterprise buyers How B2C, social selling and influencers can increase retail sales How to use a customer relationship management system and curated content to merge lead generation and in person prospecting How to use paid social media for special event marketing. Join our panel of SBDC advisors and clients to learn how you can leverage these same tools to drive growth and profitability in your own business.

FINDING AND KEEPING THE TALENT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED ‘Attract, Develop, and Retain Quality Employees’ is the mantra of successful CEOs and HR people across the US. Small business often has difficulty in each step of this process. This webinar will help you design an effective hiring process that is easy to use and results in better applicants and smarter selection tactics. Whether your area is dealing with low unemployment or you have not been able to find the right skills, it offers tips and tactics to succeed. We will cover ways to enhance your current employees’ knowledge and skills as well as to offer re-skilling to address new needs. Retention is a product of hiring the right people up front, then providing them with the coaching and development to succeed and grow. We will cover all of this plus some basic information for those considering allowing remote or hybrid work options. Along with other resources, a link to free “The Small Employers Guide to Effective Hiring” will be included.

Let's talk about YouTube! Are you thinking of creating a YouTube Channel? Are you currently using YouTube for your business? Not sure how to get started or how to build your channel? This is the webinar for you. Get best practices for creating a YouTube Channel and compelling video content that promotes your products and services and drives engagement with your brand. In this workshop we’ll discuss best practices for: Why you should have a YouTube channel How to set up a YouTube channel What's important to fill out when uploading a video Making good creative, and how to target and measure the results

Do you use VPN for remote workers? If you answered NO or if you are unsure then your business is vulnerable to cyber attacks. Virginia SBDC Cybersecurity advisor, Tom Stamulis, will show you how to implement the processes and techniques in a how-to workshop to help protect your critical information. This workshop will cover: Dangers of Open Wifi How a VPN works How to set up a VPN Commercial VPN options Each 45-minute workshop is limited to 15 people. This workshop is set up for small group interaction and discussion. To protect the sensitivity of the information shared, these sessions will not be recorded. Registration: Tuesday, October 5 at 4pm https://clients.virginiasbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=900410068 Wednesday, October 6 at 12pm, https://clients.virginiasbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=900410067

Do you use VPN for remote workers? If you answered NO or if you are unsure then your business is vulnerable to cyber attacks. Virginia SBDC Cybersecurity advisor, Tom Stamulis, will show you how to implement the processes and techniques in a how-to workshop to help protect your critical information. This workshop will cover: Dangers of Open Wifi How a VPN works How to set up a VPN Commercial VPN options Each 45-minute workshop is limited to 15 people. This workshop is set up for small group interaction and discussion. To protect the sensitivity of the information shared, these sessions will not be recorded.

Stuck building your WordPress website? Work with experienced WordPress business practitioner Cameron Nelson to get real-time help in this group workshop. Topics covered in this workshop include: Navigating the administrative user interface Selecting, downloading, installing, and activating a WordPress theme Managing media Editing page content Installing and configuring plugins Setting up new user accounts Attendees MUST have WordPress account created prior to workshop. Each 1-hour workshop is limited to 15 people. This workshop is set up for small group interaction and discussion. To protect the sensitivity of the information shared, these sessions will not be recorded. Thursday 10/7/21 – 2pm – Registration - https://clients.virginiasbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=900410081 Tuesday 10/12/21 – 2pm – Registration - https://clients.virginiasbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=900410082

Do you have a system for managing passwords? If you answered NO or if you are unsure then your business is vulnerable to cyber attacks. Virginia SBDC Cybersecurity advisor, Tom Stamulis, will show you how to implement the processes and techniques in a how-to workshop to help protect your critical information. This workshop will cover: How to set up complex password requirements for Mac and PC Commercial and free password managers Each 45-minute workshop is limited to 15 people. This workshop is set up for small group interaction and discussion. To protect the sensitivity of the information shared, these sessions will not be recorded.

It takes significant financial wherewithal to enter and succeed in the competitive craft beverage industry, but it's not always clear what it takes to raise capital. In this webinar, Virginia SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance Manager Chris Van Orden will ask Jason Sleeman, VP of Craft Beverage Lending at United Community Bank, what he looks for when working with craft beverage clients. The free-flowing conversation will touch on key ratios, benchmarking, revenue projections, and other important information that you'll want to have prepared before approaching a lender. New and existing breweries, wineries, cideries, and distilleries all stand to benefit from this informational webinar. Register today! Webinar presented by The Virginia SBDC Craft Beverage Assistance (CBA) program. Visit the CBA program page for more information. https://clients.virginiasbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=900410084