How do I convert my idea into a viable business?

10,000 Small Businesses-Baltimore

TAKE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL: LEVERAGE THE POWER OF A CONSORTIUM OF LEADING EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND A SUPPORTIVE PEER NETWORK

Are you a Greater Baltimore area Entrepreneur looking to accelerate your business growth?  Are you looking to network with other passionate entrepreneurs and business leaders to drive your topline business results? 

In business for 2+ years / have 2 + employees / have $100k in annual revenue?


Please join Community College of Baltimore County, Johns Hopkins University, and Morgan State University as we host an Information Session for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program in Baltimore.  Hear from program alumni who will share how 10,000 Small Businesses helped them create a roadmap to growing their business.

Date:              Thursday, September 7

Time:              4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Location:       Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville

                        Center for Arts Lounge

                        800 S. Rolling Road, Catonsville, MD 21228

 Please register for the event by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/Sept-7-Info-Session

Apply: https://www.10ksbapply.com/baltimore | Twitter: @GS10KSmallBiz

How can social media help grow your business?

Join us Tuesday evenings August 15 & 22 at CCBC Randallstown to learn from an experienced professional! Start now to help your business grow and succeed!

For more information, go to www.ccbcmd.edu/flexreg and enter CRN 70418, or call 443-840-4700.

Let's go! Get started!

What are you waiting for?  We have a class just for you, beginning next Saturday, August 12 at the Randallstown Center: How To Start and Manage Your own Small Business, taught by an experienced professional. Learn valuable information as you begin your journey!




For more information and to register, call 443-840-4700 or click here!

How can LinkedIn help you grow your business?

There are over 400 million people in the LinkedIn network.  Learn how making connections with relevant people can help your business grow, and how to integrate the site into your marketing strategy. Our next class meets in the evenings at CCBC Hunt Valley on April 27 and May 4. For more information, click here.

Spring Start-Up!

According to the Small Business Administration, companies with less than 5 employees make up 62% of all businesses in the U.S. Why not be one of them?? 

Now is a great time to jump start your business! Wondering how to get started? Join us for “How to Start and Manage Your Own Small Business,” meeting Wednesday evenings at the Hunt Valley Center, 4/26-5/17. Lean from an experienced entrepreneur what steps you need to take to get things going! 


                                                                                 For more information, click here.

Thinking about taking part in the gig economy?

We know that jobs and the labor market are changing, with more people doing temp positions, working as freelancers and contractors instead of in a permanent job. Here are 10 jobs with the largest growth projections that can be done part-time, on a freelance basis, as found on MSN money:

1. Interpreter/translator
2. Web developer
3. Occupational therapist
4. Delivery truck driver
5. Multimedia artist
6. Carpenter
7. Broadcast and sound engineer technician
8. Accountant
9. Management analyst
10. Software developer

Dr. Seuss and Sales. Huh?

Thursday, March 2 is the birthday of Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss.  Consider reading the classic "Green Eggs and Ham" as a way to guide your business and sales...

1. Be persistent
2. What does your customer want?
3. It's not personal
4.  Be flexible to shifting goals
5. Confidence is key

For the complete article , Leader Time: 5 lessons Dr. Seuss can teach you a out sales, click here.

Working in Retirement?

Did you know that more than 70 percent of workers over the age of 50 say that their ideal retirement now includes working? Wondering what you might do as an entrepreneur or small business owner?  Here are some ideas to get you thinking...and dreaming....and know that we offer classes to help you learn the ropes! Click here for the spring catalog of classes--small business begins on page 17. 

Best Business Advice Ever?

Check out this list of top tips form Shark Tank. What's your favorite? What compels you to keep going?

Be confident.  Be bold.

Getting Ready to Launch?

I saw an interesting read on MSN Money:  15 Success Tips for First-Time Entrepreneurs. The really cool thing?  If you need help with any one of these, CCBC can help.  We offer a wide range of classes for small business owners and entrepreneurs, to help guide you on your path to success. For more information on classes, contact Moire at 443-840-1804 or mriley@ccbcmd.edu, or go to www.ccbcmd.edu.

"Voice-Overs: Now is Your Time!"

HOW THE INSTRUCTOR BEGAN

Dan Levine is a 1992 Tony Award nominee for the score of the Broadway musical “Anna Karenina.” He has won many awards for his commercial productions as well, including a national Clio Award and several local advertising ADDY Awards and nominations. As a successful record producer and music arranger/orchestrator, his arranging and/or production credits include CDs for sing- ers such as Leslie Uggams, several original cast recordings and numerous television shows and commercials. For 17 years, Dan produced commercials for hundreds of clients around the   country.

THE INSTRUCTOR TODAY

Dan’s voice-over seminars, entitled “Voice-Overs…Now is Your Time!” have motivated countless future voice-over artists. He continues to deliver these seminars to packed houses throughout the country. Dan’s unique marketing technique has opened doors for talented individuals who might never have made it using conventional marketing methods. His philosophy of being   who you are and turning your natural personality into a marketable commodity is giving new talented voice-over artists the opportunity to find their inner strengths and to use them in a fun, lucrative and productive way.

REQUIREMENTS

Breaking into the voice-over industry is much more achievable today than it was in years past, thanks in large part to the accessibility of having a home studio and the industry being so virtual now. You don’t need to be in a major market to be a successful voice-over talent. To set up a studio in your home, it’s about $350 for the recording equipment once you have a computer, add in a marketable voice, and strong reading comprehension skills, and you have a great foundation to get started. However, even with all of these tools, to really succeed in voice-over, you need to have proper coaching. There’s a lot more to voice-overs than just having a nice sound and reading a script. You have know how to interpret the scripts and bring them to life, this is where acting comes in. The Such A Voice course, “Voice-Overs…Now is Your Time!” will give interested persons the introduction of techniques and tools to do this.

IDEAL BACKGROUND

While a person with any background may have an interest in voice-overs, there are professions that provide a natural training ground for this career path. Dan says, “having experience in theater, teaching, public speaking or sales creates a great foundation for voice-over work.” Additionally, a business background is useful in managing the logistics of a home-based business. Then, some technical savvy is needed to operate the voice-over equipment. This, like any business, needs to be built. In the beginning it’s expected you’ll spend more time marketing and auditioning than recording jobs, however, once you become established   and land regular clients, it will even out. Self-promotion and auditioning can result in a career with unlimited income   potential.

NEXT CLASS: 

Wednesday 11/9, 7-9 p.m. at CCBC Essex (CRN 32056).  To register, call 443-840-4700 or go to www.ccbcmd.edu/flexreg.

Decisions, Decisions.....

You are the incubators of innovation. Legal issues might be the last thing on your mind, but left untended, these issues could lead to bigger problems.

Join us for "Legal Issues for Small Business," and learn about basic legal decisions, whether you are a a start-up or established company.   Taught by a lawyer, this class is not intended to be a substitute for legal assistance, but can help you determine when you might it.
Class meets Wednesday evenings at CCBC Owings Mills, 10/26 & 11/2 (CRN 33471). For more information or to register, click here. or call 443-840-4700.

Our Instructors Excel!

A shout out to one of our instructors for Small Business & Entrepreneurship, Tammira Lucas. Tammira was selected by The Baltimore Business Journal as one of their "40 Under 40" honorees, men and women who are leaders in their community and industry.  Congratulations, Tammira!

(and here is the link to read more)

Looking for Small Business Classes?

Making it easy to see what we have to offer: the flip book! Check it out!

Are You part of the Gig Economy?

I heard a story on NPR, Weekend Edition Sunday this weekend-- How Gig Economy Workers Make A Living.  A gig economy is an environment in which temporary positions are common and organizations contract with independent workers for short-term engagements. One of the most-hyped changes to the U.S. labor market has been companies that use smartphone apps to connect workers to gig jobs. The most prominent example of this phenomenon is Uber. Stocksy is another example--it is a cooperative, owned and governed by the photographers who contribute their work. 

The trend toward a gig economy has begun. A study by Intuit predicted that by 2020, 40 percent of American workers would be independent contractors. In this digital age, the workforce is increasingly mobile and work can increasingly be done from anywhere, so that job and location are not as closely tied, meaning freelancers can select among temporary jobs and projects around the world, while employers can select the best individuals for specific projects from a larger pool than that available in any given area.  The sharing economy is also a great fit for people in retirement.  They have assets and skills that were accumulated over a period of their careers and now they can offer them at their convenience, working as much or as little as they want.

Between 2012 and 2015, just 0.4 percent of adults earned income consistently each month using online labor platforms like Uber, the JPMorgan Chase Institute found. Most gig workers supplemented lost income during periods of low earnings or when they were between jobs. As of September 2015, more than 80 percent of workers who used online labor platforms made less than 25 percent of their total income from that work. But over the three years JPMorgan Chase performed its study, the percentage of adults who earned money regularly from online gigs grew tenfold. And the growth of gigs extends beyond online platforms.

In March, researchers at Harvard and Princeton found that from 2005 to 2015, the percentage of workers in "alternative work arrangements," defined as online and offline temporary, on-call, freelance and contract work, went up 50 percent, to 15.8 percent of all workers. That accounts for all the net employment growth in the U.S. economy in that time.

Pretty interesting. What do you think??

Thinking of Starting a Business?

In our class, How to Start and Manage Your Own Small Business, we discuss the different logistical factors that come into play when considering starting a business. I read an interesting article yesterday that focuses on intangible aspects--9 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting a Business from Entrepreneur. It touches on leadership, responsibility, temperament, self-awareness, and sacrifices necessary for success. A good read!

Interested in a Career in Voice Overs?

Interested in learning how to do voice-overs in order to make extra income? Join us on Thursday, June 16, 7-9 p.m., at CCBC Essex to learn more.

To register, call 443-840-4700, or go online to www.ccbcmd.edu/flexreg. CRN 80126.

Global Entrepreneurship Week: November 16-22

Advice and inspiration: it's what Global Entrepreneurship Week is all about.  It's a time to celebrate job creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs who launch start ups, and in help to drive economic growth. GEW is a platform for connection and collaboration.  People around the world are inspired through local, national, and global activities. Participants are connected with mentors, collaborators, and investors--introducing new possibilities.    For more information, click here.

Want to Learn About Voice-Overs?

CRN 72317 Introduction to Voice-overs.  To register, click here.