Welcome

Next Monday ( April 30th ), we're kicking off National Small Business Business Week with Retail Revival: Competing with Big Boxes taught by guest speaker Marc Willson!  Marc has visited more than 2,000 communities in 27 states bringing his expertise from the Virginia SBDC Small Town Business and Merchant Program (STAMP) helping independent retailers learn how to out maneuver the competition.  

This early morning workshop will be held on  Monday, April 30th from 8-10 a.m. For both of these special events, advanced registration is required and seating is limited.

We hope to see you there!


Ann Johnson-Stromberg
Director, Solano SBDC

707.646.1071

Contents

EVENT:
Retail Revival:
Competing with Big Boxes - How Independent Retailers Win and Keep CustomersRetailRevival


April 30, 2018
8:00 am to 10:00 am
Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce
1111 Webster St.
Fairfield, CA 94533
Competing in the age of Amazon and being creative in a dynamic retail landscape is not an easy task when you are digging out of a sales slump or struggling with minimum wage increases and workforce shortages.  Can we do a better job giving the big boxes a run for their money?

Solano SBDC is very excited to kick off National Small Business Week with visiting guest retail expert Marc Willson to better explain how we can do just that!  Marc has visited more than 2,000 communities bringing his expertise from the Virginia SBDC Small Town Business and Merchant Program helping independent retailers can out maneuver the competition.

Training topics include:
  • Social platform maneuvering
  • Building on community involvement
  • Connecting with your customer
  • Creating a destination location
  • Digital marketing campaigns
  • The value of your website
Marc Willson is the Retail Consultant working for the Virginia Small Business Development Center (VSBDC) Network and brings 35 years of retail experience to bear in helping retail, restaurant, and tourism-related small businesses refine and promote their concepts to the public. Aside from his work with the VSBDC, Marc is a favorite recurring speaker at the America's SBDC national professional development conference and has traveled throughout the country sharing his own insights as a retailer and the some of the tricks he has learned along the way in his travels to more than 2,000 retail communities in the past seven years.

Marc is an operation's expert and has advised countless retailers in best practices, financials and cash flow, marketing and customer service, customer loyalty, merchandising, window dressing, buying, social media and just plain old how to treat customers.
WORKSHOP:
Restaurant Series:


Wednesday, April 25, 2018
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce
1111 Webster St.
Fairfield, CA 94533
This workshop takes new and budding restaurateurs through the basics of opening a new restaurant. Topics include business plan development, sources and uses of funds, financial modeling, jurisdictional compliance, location and lease feasibility, pre-opening marketing strategies, HR fundamentals, POS and bookkeeping, vendor relationships and cash-flow management.
Louise Dawson is an SBDC Certified Business Advisor and Hospitality Specialist who brings to her clients over 30 years of industry experience: owning and operating bars, restaurants and retail consulting, advising, teaching, and training, Louise brings real-life experience to start-ups, with pre-opening education and organization and, to existing businesses, operational strategy and ongoing systems and training.
WORKSHOP:
Successful Startups in Solano startups


Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce
1111 Webster St.
Fairfield, CA 94533
First Steps: Learn the pros and cons of starting your own business and how to position yourself as a successful entrepreneur. We will share invaluable resources to take a new business through the nuts and bolts of starting your business including licenses and permits.

Business Planning: The second session will provide an overview of the business planning process and share a multitude of key information sources for developing your business plan.

You will also learn how to take advantage of the Small Business Development Center's free training and advising services for your new business, and more! 
Instructor Sandy Markus has been in entrepreneurial environments her whole professional career in corporate divisions, venture capital funded start-ups, and launched her own small business. She has been a lead SBDC Advisor and Trainer for startup businesses for six years.

Sandy brings a unique understanding and experience in and with start-ups, marketing and business development in the service, retail, wholesale, software-as-a-service, education, and nonprofit sectors.
EVENT:
Norcal Defense Supply Chain Resource Fair & Procurement Expoexpo


Friday, June 8, 2018
9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Solano College Vallejo Center
545 Columbus Pkwy
Vallejo, California 94591
Discover procurement opportunities to diversify your business, tap into resources to help make your business more competitive, and become more resilient in the area of cybersecurity. The following exhibitors will also be participating as part of the Agency and Resource Partner Procurement Expo component of the resource fair with an opportunity to schedule one-on-one meetings during the match making session.

Solano SBDC
707.646.1071
solanosbdc.org






 

Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance of our workshops. Contact the Solano SBDC at 707.646.1071 or email [email protected]