July 12 - Business Research: Feasibility to Expansion

Tuesday, July 12, 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Cost: no charge
Location: Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, Waterford 48328

For a startup or existing small business looking to research a business idea or business plan. This workshop shows you ways to find your ideal customers, find your competitors, diversify your market base, perform competitive analysis and more. Register for Business Research: Feasibility to Expansion

July 13 - CEED Lending Small Business Loan Orientation

Wednesday, July 13, 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Cost: no charge
Location: Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, Waterford 48328

Many small businesses face obstacles when trying to obtain a business loan. If your business is located in Oakland County and you have a need for alternative financing consider the CEED (Center for Empowerment and Economic Development) Lending Small Business Loan Program. Discover the requirements and process necessary to apply for and obtain a Small Business Loan.  CEED Lending is an initiative of the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council. Register for CEED Lending Small Business Loan Orientation

July 14 - Starting a Business

Thursday, July 14,  9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Cost: no charge
Location: Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, Waterford 48328

This workshop is designed for individuals who are just starting a business. It will help aspiring entrepreneurs assess their abilities to lead and manage a company, as well as evaluate market and sales potential for their products/services. Startup costs, financing options, and business planning are introduced, along with necessary steps to getting started. Register for Starting a Business

July 21 - Five Steps to Twitter Mastery

Thursday, July 21, 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Cost: $40 per person
Location: Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, Waterford 48328

Twitter is a fantastic way to get soundbites out about your business, cause or personal feelings. While those are great uses, it's a much more powerful tool than that. When you join us for the Twitter class you will learn:
* How to find people you need to follow and add the followers you need
* All about the Twictionary, that's right... Twitter has its own language and you need to be aware of it
* How to create a compelling message and why it's important to do it in less than 140 characters
* How to cut through all of the noise and find only the tweets that can grow you and your business
* Several 3rd party sites you can use to "monitor" Twitter for conversations relevant to your business
Twitter can help you connect with lots of information and new opportunities when used properly. You will walk out of this class ready to get your tweet on in full effect and able to do it in a way that is both fun AND rewarding. Speaker: Terry Bean, Founder of Networked Inc. and Motor City Connect  Register for Five Steps to Twitter Mastery

August 18 - Team SBA Financing Roundtable

Thursday, August 18, 9:00 AM to Noon
Cost: no charge
Location: Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, Waterford 48328

Do you know the secret to getting a business loan? Attend this free Financing Roundtable and find out how banks look at your application, what you can do to improve your chances for a loan and how Small Business Administration loan guarantee programs can help you get the financing you need. This session is best suited to those who have good credit, a solid business idea and some money to invest in their business. NOTE: The SBA does not provide loan guarantees to real estate investment firms, including purchasing and rehabbing houses for resale and this type of financing will not be discussed. Register for Team SBA Financing Roundtable

Pitch'N'Pontiac - A Competition for Pontiac Small Businesses

Pitch'N'Pontiac Application Deadline: Friday, July 29, 5:00 PM

Finalists Announced: Monday, August 12

Pitch Prep Sessions for Finalists: August 15 - August 26

Live Competition: Wednesday, August 31, 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Visit ceedlending.org/pitchnpontiac for details and your Pitch'N'Pontiac Application.

The Pitch'N'Pontiac competition provides new and existing small for profit business owners in the food, technology, and lifestyle industries the unique opportunity to pitch their idea and gain valuable on-the-spot insight to launch and grow their businesses. 
If you have questions about this event, please send an email to info@ceedlending.com