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Starting Your Business

From business plans to financing, marketing strategy to advisory services, this workshop provides a comprehensive overview of the issues and requirements involved in starting or buying a small business. The workshop involves a number of case studies and activities that will highlight areas that require additional planning. The workshop is structured so that you will develop and learn the steps involved in the planning process. By the end of the workshop you will see how the planning steps are integrated to give you a process to produce your own business plan.

Find out more at How to Start a Business. On the Business Victoria homepage, click Starting & Managing a Business, then Essentials for Business Start-ups.

Marketing

How do you take your business to the next level? Developing your marketing strategy may be the answer. This workshop will help you to achieve your business growth targets by identifying areas for improvement in communication, development of promotional products or services and gaining a better understanding of your target market.

Find out more at Business Development. On the Business Victoria homepage, click Starting & Managing a Business, then Business Development.

Business Planning

Is your small business on the right track? Being part of this hands-on workshop will give participants the tools to assess their business' current position, develop targets for future growth and learn how to check their progress along the way.

The Business Planning workshop enables participants to look at their current business needs but also to look into the future. The workshop consists of 16 hours of group work and 5 hours face to face with each participant at their workplace or another venue to be determined.

Find out more at Business Planning. On the Business Victoria homepage, click Starting & Managing a Business, then Business Planning.

Record keeping

Find out more at Records Management. On the Business Victoria homepage, click Starting & Managing a Business, then Financial Planning, then Records Management.

Your Business – Selling, Closing, Moving On

You have put time, money and effort into your business. Don’t let that go to waste. This seminar will look at strategies for selling or closing your business to ensure a smooth transition to the next stage with maximum financial return. It will also provide you with a greater understanding of exit issues such as retirement, dispute and death and will help you to plan your own effective exit strategy.

Find out more at Selling or Closing a Business. On the Business Victoria homepage, click Starting & Managing a Business, then Selling or Closing a Business.

Your Business Online – Optimising Your Potential

Is your business working online? If not this seminar will provide techniques to improve the listing of your website in search engines. You will learn valuable tips on choosing key words, submitting your website to search engines, how competitors get their websites listed and what page titles are important. It will also teach you how to approach search engine companies and show them exactly how you want your website to look. This seminar is ideal for businesses with an existing web site presence.

Find out more at Online Business. On the Business Victoria homepage, click Starting & Managing a Business, then Business Development, then Online Business.

Sustainability

How do you make your business environmentally sustainable and save yourself money at the same time? This workshop will help you apply simple measures to cut your consumption and waste and cut your costs. It will assist you in building your own sustainability action plan and provide tips on carbon offsetting, refitting your building to be more energy efficient, minimising your waste, and reducing your energy and water usage.

Find out more at Creating a Green Business. On the Business Victoria homepage, click Starting & Managing a Business, then Business Development, then Creating a Green Business.

Networking

Networking is a critical tool for you in business. It is essential to build relationships and let others know who you are and what you do. This seminar will give participants the skills to confidently build business contacts. Participants will learn about the habits of effective networkers, developing a networking action plan, and the art of self-promotion.

Find out more at Energise Enterprise. On the Business Victoria homepage, click Starting & Managing a Business, then Business Support, then Energise Enterprise.

Franchise

This workshop is designed for people who want to know more about the benefits and challenges of becoming a franchisee and will also provide you with a valuable resource and reference guide as you work through the process of buying a franchise. Participants will learn how to identify which franchise is right for them and receive valuable insight into franchisee obligations and responsibilities.

Find out more at Start a Franchise. On the Business Victoria homepage, click Starting & Managing a Business, then Start a Franchise.

Employment

Most small businesses will employ staff at some stage.  Employers have a range of responsibilities relating to the employment of staff and this seminar will provide you with the information you need. Gain practical knowledge on identifying staffing needs, successful advertising, creating workplace policies, recruitment requirements and starting your tax and superannuation records.

The key to a successful business is employing and keeping the right staff. This seminar will look at ways to manage your employees effectively. Retention strategies as well as helping you to identify training needs and deal with resignations, redundancies or terminations will be covered. It will also provide you with up-to-date information on annual leave entitlements, superannuation and tax requirements

Find out more at Employing & Managing Staff. On the Business Victoria homepage, click Starting & Managing a Business, then Employing & Managing Staff.

Finance

This seminar will show participants how to calculate profit margins, mark up and break even analysis from the financial information in their business.  They will learn the impact of discounting on their profit and how to manage business expenses efficiently.  The financial statements will be explained and ratio analysis will be taught to enable participants to benchmark their business

Find out more at Financial Planning. On the Business Victoria homepage, click Starting & Managing a Business, then Financial Planning.

Increasing Operating Liquidity

This seminar will help participants understand the operating levers they can use to increase cash in their business.  Topics will include managing customer collections, efficient stock control and handling supplier payments and terms.  Using the working capital cycle, participants will be able to highlight operating improvements within their business to free up their cash

Find out more at Financial Planning. On the Business Victoria homepage, click Starting & Managing a Business, then Financial Planning.

Cashflow Management

This seminar will explain the difference between profit and cash.  Profitable businesses can still suffer Cashflow crisis.  Useful tools will be provided to assist business with managing immediate Cashflow and show how planning for the future will provide certainty to Cashflow.

Find out more at Financial Planning. On the Business Victoria homepage, click Starting & Managing a Business, then Financial Planning.

Access to Finance

This seminar will provide information on the various financing options for business.  Participants will learn the difference between debt and equity and when is the right time to use each one of these types of finance.   The various debt finance products will be discussed and uses for each will be outlined.

Find out more at Financial Planning. On the Business Victoria homepage, click Starting & Managing a Business, then Financial Planning.

How to Handle Your Bank

In this seminar, participants will learn about managing banking relationships, what information they need when applying for a loan, transactional banking to suit the business and what to consider when switching banks.

Find out more at Financial Planning. On the Business Victoria homepage, click Starting & Managing a Business, then Financial Planning.