By Staff Reports

(Maui) – The County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development announced its free workshops for the month of August. Workshops are presented at the Maui County Business Resource Center, a County of Maui facility, located in the Maui Mall across Pizza Hut, in Suite B-9. Seating for all workshops is limited, and all workshops are subject to change or cancellation. Workshops are free unless noted otherwise. To reserve a seat, call the Maui County Business Resource Center at ph. 270-5770.

The following workshops are available:

Are You Micro-loan Ready?

Instructor:  Craig Swift

Friday, August 7, 2015 – 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. 

Are you in need of a small business loan?  Well, perhaps a micro loan may be your answer.  Craig Swift, Director of the MEO Business Development Center may be the person that you need to obtain a loan between $500 and $50,000 for your small business venture.  He will work with you to improve your credit scores so that you will or to start and/or build credit. Craig has over 25 years of experience in the fields of business ownership, finance, and community economic development in Maui County.  Craig’s career also involved helping to finance hundreds of Hawaii businesses using the SBA 504 Program and the USDA Intermediary Relending Program, in addition to his current position of overseeing MEO’s Micro Loan Program.  In 2013 Craig was honored by the SBA as the State of Hawaii’s Home-Based Business Champion of the Year.  Craig has his MBA from the University of Hawaii and undergraduate degree from the University of Washington.

Becoming a Best-Selling Author: Leveraging the World’s Greatest Marketing Secret by Writing, Publishing and Promoting Your Book to Better Market Your Business

Instructor: Patrick Snow

Monday, August 10, 2015 – 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Are you looking for a better way to market your business? Do you have a burning desire to become a best-selling author? Attend this seminar and learn how to make your publishing and business goals come true. If you want to stand out from your competition, strengthen your credentials, and get free publicity, then writing and publishing book is your best marketing strategy. Let international best-selling author, Patrick Snow, guide you through the process. In this two-hour seminar you will learn your three publishing options, top five requirements for becoming a best-selling author, and 18 mistakes to avoid. Most importantly you will learn how to monetize your passion and even better market your business, or start a new business using your book as a platform from which you can launch! Come early, and stay late for his Q & A session that will answer all questions on your book project. Patrick Snow is an international best-selling author of Creating Your Own Destiny, The Affluent Entrepreneur, and Boy Entrepreneur has sold between 250,000 and one million copies of his three books in five languages and 108 countries. As a professional speaker he has given more than 2,500 speeches on three continents. As a publishing, book marketing, and speaker coach he has mentored more than 750 clients worldwide to achieve their publishing goals. He has been featured as a cover story in USA TODAY, The New York Times, and Forbes. When he is not traveling the world presenting, he lives in Wailuku. For more information visit www.PatrickSnow.com. or www.ThePublishingDoctor.com.

Business in the Think Tank with MBB Members (Free)

Tuesday, August 11, 2015 – 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Maui Business Brainstormers (MBB) invite you to bring your business challenge to our Brainstorming Segment OR If you want to feature your business (or business concept) in our “Think Tank” segment (that’s 20 minutes just for you), submit a form on the MBB meetup site, OR come along to brainstorm and be showered with ideas. To attend, please RSVP at www.Meetup.com/MauiBusinessBrainstormers. Non-members need first to join the FREE membership of MBB.

Features:

• Mingling, introductions
• Get to Know Your Neighbor, an opportunity to interact with new faces and strengthen your own ability to communicate succinctly with others in fast-paced situations
• Featured Business in the Think Tank, a 20-minute segment in which a selected business is featured for focused brainstorming with the group. Owners of startups and small businesses benefit from this activity. You are qualified if you have a business concept fully researched and planned but with questions or obstacles remaining, or if you are a business already in operation with sales, but facing challenges to achieve further growth. The business owner needs to be an MBB member. To be featured in the 20-minute case-study “Think Tank,” fill out and submit the online form describing your business challenge. On the day of the meeting, the candidate chosen presents a 5-min overview of the business, including the current challenges. The audience then brainstorms on ideas to address the problem area with the “build it, measure it, learn from it, improve it!” spirit.
• 5-min Think Tank: Attendees have the opportunity to present a challenge they are experiencing in their own business for ideas and suggestions from the group. No prior submission is required – just come to the meeting with your ideas and questions, to help others and be helped toward your own success!

Look GREAT in the Inbox!

Instructor:  Mckenna Hallett

Wednesday, August 12, 2015 – 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

It’s really competitive out there! You need to stand-out and be recognized everywhere people connect with you; especially in your email marketing. With an average delivery rate around 97%, it’s not only about being seen in inboxes, it’s getting people to open your email and remain engaged! This hour long presentation will cover “The 7 Don’ts of Email Design”. With recent changes in marketing online, this is an essential hour that every business or non-profit needs to attend. Your short-term and long-term success may hang in the balance.

Learn the best ways to avoid being among the 80% of messages that are now being deleted and the 30% (and growing) unsubscribe rate being experienced among certain groups of recipients.

Come and learn vital and easy to implement hints and tips to becoming more effective in your very next email campaign.  Bring your marketing brain and let’s get smarter together.  There will be a Q & A session at the end.  BONUS: All attendees will receive a free guide with a full email template outlining the best practices for effective design.

Mckenna Hallett is owner of MyGoldenWords.com. She is a sales and marketing professional who also partners as a Certified Authorized Local Expert with Constant Contact. Starting her first business at the age of 8, she was in sales and marketing management for large and small businesses for three decades. She then started a successful wholesale business creating and selling wearable art jewelry in 1992.

How to Use Pinterest for Promoting Your Business & Blog

Instructor: Danielle Miller

Thursday, August 13, 2015 – 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Pinterest sends more people to websites than LinkedIn, Google+, and YouTube combined! Learn how this social network can help you get to know your customer better, establish brand authority, reach a wider audience, and drive visitors to your website and blog. Danielle Miller is Maui’s Marketing Coach and founder of Miller Media Management. She specializes using social media to build profitable relationships with customers online.

Not sure if this class is for you? Go to http://pinterest.com/source/YOURWEBSITE.com — If there are results from your website already on Pinterest, this class is perfect for you!

Improve Your Bottom Line: Sell More- Do Less

Instructor: Marc Levine

Friday, August 14, 2015 – 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Do you desire to convert more prospects into clients? Do you want a simple and honest approach to sales?  Do you want to help a prospect feel less defensive and more empowered to buy?

There are proven powerful techniques that have helped others increase sales from 20-50%.

These techniques are based on the foundational ideas of improvisation. In improvisation actors create scenes and a shared world without either one knowing what the other is thinking or about to say. They utilize principles that allow for discovery, heightened listening, laughter and agreement. These principles work beautifully in sales. We will breakdown these principles and use them in real world scenarios to help you sell more with ease.  In this fun, highly interactive workshop, you will:

– Do less talking, more problem solving, and provide more solutions which equals sales for your business.

– Learn how to relieve the pressure of decision-making and empower people to buy. (People love to buy but hate to be sold).

– Have questions to ask to get to their real needs to create a common vision together.

– Practice two simple words that will immediately reduce the skepticism of any objections.

For over 20 years Marc Levine has impacted the bottom line of organizations as a sales director, trainer, and coach. His clients range from entrepreneurs, non-profits, and small businesses to Fortune 500 organizations such as Citibank, Sony Pictures, and Best Buy. He receives raving reviews as a speaker at international industry conferences. Marc teaches simple, proven, and powerful techniques that create results. He does so in a light and humorous way where new ideas are easy to absorb and apply. He integrates his background in improvisational comedy into business to accelerate success.

Get the Facts about Reverse Mortgages

Instructor: Mel Ito

Monday August 17, 2015 – 12:00 pm. To 1:30 p.m.  (Lite lunch to be served)

A reverse mortgage may be a good stress reliever for some and for others it could be a nice addition to an already sound financial plan. The old cliché “get the facts” has never been more appropriate when considering a reverse mortgage. A program which began in 1989, has evolved into a very sound option for those who are age 62 or older and live in their home as a primary residence. Common false rumors and myths about reverse mortgages will be addressed. Sample illustrations and case studies will be used to explain the various programs and options. Whether you have an outstanding mortgage or not, age 62 or not, have heirs or not, the presentation may change your perspective on reverse mortgages. Mel Ito is a State of Hawaii Licensed Mortgage Loan Originator (HI-457461) and has done reverse mortgages since 2008. He has been in the banking/mortgage lending profession since 1983 and feel that now is a good time to educate the community about the benefits of reverse mortgages. 

45 Social Media Tools and Tips to Improve Your Marketing

Instructor:  Nicole Fisher

Wednesday, August 19, 2015 – 12:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. (Q&A til 1:30 p.m.)

As many of you may already know, it takes a lot of time to create quality content, engage on social profiles and to sustain online relationships that support your business goals.  How would you like to learn to automate your posts?  In this workshop, Nicole will provide you with tips to strategically choose your tools so that you can get more out of your social media marketing.  This fascinating workshop is being presented by Nicole “Nico” Fisher.  She is an energetic entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience as a Marketing Strategist, Social Media Consultant and Trainer.  She is passionate about taking businesses from good to great through various marketing avenues.

Get the Facts About Farm Loans and Farm Record Keeping

Instructor:  Richard “Buddy” Nichols”

Wednesday August 26, 2015 – 12:00 pm. To 1:30 pm.

USDA, Farm Loan Programs have been available for many years and has numerous types of loans available to a farmer from beginning farmers to seasoned farmers.  The importance of good record keeping increases the success of any business; including farming.  Whether you apply for a loan or not, you will need to know the productivity of your farm and whether it is improving every year.

Buddy Nichols is a USDA, Farm Loan Program Manager on Maui.  He previously has a BA in Animal Science as well as an MBA.  He owned/managed a dairy, raised cattle and fruits/vegetables.  He understands the aspects of farming from production to financial recordkeeping.  

Cross Channel Marketing 101: Navigating and Integrating Your Message Across Maui’s Print, Electronic and Digital Advertising and Marketing Channels.

Instructors:  Eric T. Richter and Mckenna Hallett

Friday, August 28, 2015 – 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

In this workshop, you will learn about how to take the first steps in creating a successful campaign for your small business. In addition, you will also learn about:

1) Tips for setting your goals and priorities.

2) Creating your budget.

3) Picking your media. Pluses and minuses of print, electronic, email, Internet and social media outlets and how to link them all together

4) Evaluating your results.

A free resource guide will also be presented to all workshop attendees.

Eric T. Richter is the publisher and editor of Maui Vision Magazine, Maui’s guide to healthy and natural living. He has published successful community newspapers and magazines for 37 years, first in Southern California and now here on Maui for 14 years. Visit www.mauivision.net.

Mckenna Hallett is owner of mygoldenwords.com and is a sales and marketing professional and public speaker. As a Certified Authorized Local Expert with Constant Contact she is an email expert and co-authored a 160 page E-course on email marketing. She’s known for her excellent coaching skills, great marketing tips, and helpful insights for small businesses.

QuickBooks for Small Business

Instructor: Richard Kehoe, CPA.

Thursday, August 27, 2015 from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Cost: $45.00

Learn to set up your company’s QuickBooks in a small class setting with personalized tutoring. This class is for new users and will teach you how to record sales, receive payments, prepare invoices and balance your checkbook. Instructor Richard Kehoe, CPA is a lead SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) counselor. Follow-up appointments are offered at no cost.