By Staff Reports

(Maui) – The County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development today 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:

BUSINESS IN THE THINK TANK WITH MBB MEMBERS (FREE)

Tuesday, August 8, 2017 – 12:00 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, submit a form on the MBB meetup site, OR come along to brainstorm and be showered with ideas. Features include mingling and introductions, opportunities 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 are an MBB member and 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. 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. To attend, please RSVP at www.Meetup.com/MauiBusinessBrainstormers. Non-members need first to join the FREE membership of MBB.

Pricing Your Ag and Value Added Product

Instructor: Richard “Buddy” Nichols

Thursday, August 10, 2017 – 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.

Are you or are you thinking of working off the land and being a farmer? Are you considering developing a value added product? Would you like to have a financial sustainable business? Then pricing your product will determine if your business works for you or if you work for your business. In this workshop, Buddy Nichols will help you to achieve what you want out of life. He will focus on assisting you analyze the valuation of your product to make sure you receive what you and your product are worth. We will investigate all of the resources that are currently available to you and provide information on how to best utilize these resources in order to become a successful Ag businessperson. Buddy Nichols is the USDA Farm Loan Manager on Maui. He has a BA in Animal Science and an MBA in accounting. He is a fourth generational farmer who has owned/managed cattle, fruits, vegetables, as well as processed and marketed value added agricultural related products. He understands all aspects of Ag Business from the farm to the table and what is needed to be financially sustainable.

Maui Export Seminar – Website Globalization

Presenter: John Holman, Director for the U.S. Commercial Service

Thursday, August 17, 2017 – 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.

In this workshop, we will explore the topic of Website Globalization and how you can leverage your website to connect with buyers around the world. Learn the keys to reaching global consumers via your website. We will also cover global e-commerce, domain considerations, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), language translation, and internationalization considerations. Also, find out how the Hi-STEP grant program can help boost your business’s exports. If you are already exporting, through this workshop, you will learn how to enter new markets and increase your exports. The seminar will feature John Holman, Director of the Pacific for the U.S. Commercial Service. Following the presentation, attendees will have an opportunity to sit down with Mr. Holman for a complimentary export consultation.

The Montessori Method and Growing your Business

Instructor: Mira Nissim

Thursday, August 24, 2017 – 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. (Q&A til 1:30)

In this workshop, we will explore how the principles and methods of a Montessori education relate to business skills, leadership skills and training your organization’s members. Hear a brief overview of the Montessori Method and some philosophical ideas therein. We will discuss Human Tendencies as outlined by Montessori and discuss how they pertain to how you run your business. The Montessori method of education is truly unique and has gained popularity worldwide for creating “out of the box thinkers,” some of whom have become famous for originality (ex: Google founders). We will learn what some teaching methods are and how to apply them as an adult to becoming an effective leader. This workshop includes leadership skills through effective training techniques. Mira Nissim is a certified AMI Primary Teacher from the Montessori Northwest in Portland, Oregon. She ran her own Montessori school in Koh Samui, Thailand for four years and currently runs her own business on Maui.

THE ABC’s OF A BUSINESS PLAN

Instructor: David Daly

Wednesday, August 30, 2017 – 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Maui Economic Opportunity Business Development Center’s Core Four Business Planning is a 36-hour course on how to write a business plan while providing the information you need to know in order to start, operate and grow your business. This workshop is a one hour introductory workshop which will provide you with a better understanding of the course outline for the Core Four Business Planning. David Daly, Director of the MEO Business Development Center, will discuss the numerous reasons for writing a sound business plan. He has more than 25 years of experience in business ownership, financing, education and economic development. His background includes residential lending and being a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority-licensed financial advisor. Participants will receive an outline of the business plan taught by MEO’s Core Four Business Plan Course.

Quickbooks for Small Business – Hands-on computer training for beginners

Instructor: Richard Kehoe, CPA

Thursday, July 27, 2017 – 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

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. Get customized answers and schedule a follow-up appointment at no cost to discuss YOUR solutions. Sponsored by SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) and presented by Richard Kehoe, CPA and lead SCORE counselor.

Free counseling sessions with experienced SCORE and Small Business Development Corp. (SBDC) counselors:

Thursday afternoons 1:00 – 3:30 p.m. and Friday mornings 9:00 – 11:30 a.m.