Marketing Your Small Business In a Virtual World
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
8:30 am - 10:30 am
SF Chamber Boardroom  
235 Montgomery St., 12th Flr.

Join Steven Van Yoder, author of Get Slightly Famous, for a special presentation on the challenges and opportunities for small business owners in the Internet Age. Drawing from years of experience as a working journalist, Steven uses his inside understanding of targeted PR strategies to help small businesses harness the potential of marketing their small business in the virtual world.In this informative two hour seminar participants can expect to learn how to:

• Make your web site a resource for your target market
  
• Create a powerful Virtual First Impression ™
  
• Become an online center of influence
  
• Assume online leadership positions in your industry
  
• Create a virtual podium with teleclasses
  
• Publish and syndicate articles online
• Utilize audio, blogs, and online communities
  

Yoder’s message is simple: succeeding online means being generous –- to win, you’ve got to give, give, give! In addition to receiving strategies to implement, this presentation will feature suggested articles, links, downloadable files and additional customer resources. Attendees will come away with the basics for creating a credible online presence.

Steven has been featured in over 200 publications including Entrepreneur, Inc, American Executive, The Washington Post, PR Week, Financial Executive, Home Office Computing, Costco Connection, Industry Week, Brand Marketing and dozens of trade, business and consumer publications. He speaks regularly to business groups and his insights about marketing, branding and thought leadership marketing appear on hundreds of web sites.

Registration is $25 for Chamber members, $35 for prospective members before November 26th; $30 and $40 after. A light breakfast will be provided.

Register Online

You can also register by sending a check to:
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
Attn: Business Success Series
235 Montgomery St., 12th Flr.
San Francisco, CA 94104

Cancellations must occur 48 hours in advance to receive a refund. For more information please contact Paula Zamudio at 415-352-8818 or pzamudio@sfchamber.com.

Small Business Programs
Understanding Healthcare for Your Business
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
8:30 – 10:30 am
SF Chamber Boardroom
235 Montgomery St., 12th Flr.
* registration will begin at 8:15 am

Learn what the recent local health-insurance mandate means for your business and timelines for compliance, and discuss options for insuring employees. All interested members and prospective members are invited to discuss the current and future of healthcare in San Francisco.

On hand for the panel presentation and discussion will be:

• Joannie Chang from the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement to discuss the Health Care Security Ordinance (HCSO)
• Tangerine Brigham from Healthy San Francisco to discuss the City’s Health Access Program and
• John Ryan from Bay Benefits to discuss Healthy Families and health insurance options

Each of these attendees will highlight what their respective topic means to small businesses in San Francisco.

presentations by:

Cost is $25 for Chamber members; $35 for prospective members.

Workers Compensation Workshop:
Are your safety practices hurting your bottom line?
Wednesday, July 25th
8:30 am – 10:30 am
Chamber Boardroom - 235 Montgomery St., 12th Floor

Learn what every small business owner should know - how good safety practices can help your bottom line. Scott Hauge, President of CAL-Insurance & Associates will be joined by representatives from the Labor Occupational Health Program at UC Berkeley and Preferred. Attend this informative seminar to get an overview of workers compensation and health and safety issues for your business including:

• How safety affects the bottom line
• Rate reform legislation
• Current conditions of the workers compensation climate
• Accident prevention tips
• Safe operations incentives for employers
• Role of your workers compensation broker
• Is healthcare the new worker’s comp

presented by:


In Patnership with:




Cost is $25 for Chamber members; $35 for prospective members.

Or, you can register by sending a check to:

San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
Attn: Workers Comp Workshop
235 Montgomery St., 12th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104

Please note: Cancellations must occur 48 hours in advance to receive a refund or credit.
For more information, contact Paula Zamudio at 415-352-8818 or pzamudio@sfchamber.com.

From Contact to Contract: Mastering the Sales Conversation
with Robert Graham, of GRAHAMCOMM



Thursday, February 22, 2007
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Boardroom
235 Montgomery Street, 12th Floor
9 – 5 pm Training  

GrahamComm's sales training program is for salespeople who want to take their selling skills to a new level. It is a relationship-based approach that emphasizes the personal factors involved in selling. It is a hands-on, interactive program that will give you the structure, confidence and knowledge to boost your sales - immediately.

Participants learn to:

• Put the "10 Rules for Successful Sales" into action
• Minimize the fear and reluctance to selling
• Improve public speaking skills
• Create relationships and establish trust - genuinely
• Ask the questions that will uncover your prospect's needs and tell you how to sell to them
• Create and deliver sales presentations that solve your prospect's problems
• Use trial closes to gauge your prospect's interest level
• Uncover and handle objections and hidden objections
• Get the business (otherwise known as "Closing")

Some of the ways you will benefit include:

• Generating more revenue for your firm
• Increasing the variety of services that you sell to your clients
• Creating lasting relationships that lead to repeat business
• Generating greater referrals from clients and prospects
• Honing and standardizing your sales process
• Improving your overall ability to assist your clients and build sales

Award-winning speaker Robert Graham sells to and trains executives from companies like Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Merrill Lynch, Charles Schwab, Cisco Systems, and Levi Strauss. For his upcoming book, he has interviewed top producers from a variety of industries to learn their Sales secrets, best practices, mistakes and war stories. His workshops teach skills that clients use immediately to master the selling process. http://www.grahamcomm.net

This full day program is $300 for Chamber members and $375 for Prospective Members

For more information contact Marisa Ceballos at mceballos@sfchamber.com or 415.352.8818.

Please note: Cancellations must occur 48 hours in advance to receive a refund or credit.

Creating Marketing Collateral: From Writing Copy to Designing Computer Graphics

Friday, March 2, 2007
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Boardroom
235 Montgomery Street, 12th Floor

9:00 – 9:30 am Registration/Breakfast
9:30 am – 12 pm Session 1: Communications Workshop
12 pm – 1 pm Lunch/Networking
1 pm – 5 pm Session 2: Designing Computer Graphics

Overview:

Increase your sales by creating cost-effective marketing collateral in this 2-part workshop. Session 1: Learn how to improve the success of your sales material by understanding the basics of positioning your company, reaching your target audience, refining your message and writing persuasive promotional copy. Session 2:  Learn how to save money by using digital imaging and computer applications to affordably design and create professional-looking marketing pieces.

Session 1: Communications Workshop

In this workshop you will explore many options in creating marketing collateral, including how to make the best choices to help you promote your businesses effectively without breaking the bank. Tim Hart, owner of Hart Communications, will lead participants through an exploration of key concepts, including:

• The Big Picture - where are your customers and which channels should you consider reaching them? Understanding how they receive information and where they are in the sales "funnel" will help you make smart choices.
• The Effective Marketing Plan - following a simple template can help you direct your efforts and to avoid spending money on the wrong things.
• Tools of the Trade - identity systems, grassroots promotion, co-op marketing and best ways to use websites to reach your customers and prospects. What's in your brand toolbox?
• Ideas on a Budget -- no, low and moderate cost ideas to help you get the word out and reinforce your presence in the market.
• Brainstorm -- bring your existing materials and ideas. We'll brainstorm how you can take them to the next level.

Session 2: Computer Graphics Workshop

Tailored for small businesses, the Computer Graphics Workshop will simplify the fundamental terms and concepts you will need to work with computer graphics. The instructor will demonstrate how to use Photoshop & In Design to prepare images page layout so that you can create your own marketing materials. Learn how to use a scanner/digital camera to capture images or pictures from Photo CD’s or web and upload them to your computer. This workshop will be relevant for individuals who would like to work within In Design, MS Publisher, or Word. In addition learn:

• Types of digital images: vector vs. bitmaps
• Types of graphics applications
• Image file formats
• Color depth and resolution
• Basic image editing
• Downloading and emailing photos
• Using stock photos
• Output options

Leave the workshop with all of your needs to create professional materials to market your business.                                                                                   

Member pricing: $60 for each program, or $100 for both.
Prospective member pricing: $75 for each program, or $130 for both.
Breakfast and Lunch included for full day participants.

For more information contact Marisa Ceballos at mceballos@sfchamber.com or 415.352.8818.

Please note: Cancellations must occur 48 hours in advance to receive a refund or credit.

Presents:
Small Business BizMix

Mix, mingle and connect with small business owners throughout the Bay Area. Hosted by the San Francisco Business Times and sponsored by The City Club of San Francisco - Tuesday evening, October 10th from 5:15 to 7:15 at The City Club (155 Sansome St. SF).

Online registration is requested and can be accessed via this link:

Organizations (and their Members) invited to the October BizMix include:

*Better Business Bureau
*San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
*Women's Initiative
*SF Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
*Small Business Administration
*Small Business Commission
*Small Business Development Centers
*Minority Business Development Agency
*Small Business Network
*Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center
...and many more!

If you have any questions, please contact Jud Walsh at the San Francisco Business Times,415.288.4930.

Small Business Programs presents:
Website Development Day
Perfect Your Most Essential Business Tool
…And Do It Yourself
Tuesday, October 3, 2006

(Presented By)

Growing a business means building an effective website, your most important tool to advertising and marketing success. If you have a website, but don’t feel web savvy, then take this opportunity to learn the fundamentals of constructing a more effective professional website in a way that makes sense to beginners. Take one, or both parts of this workshop series.

8 - 8:30 am Registration
8:30 – 12 pm Session 1:
Building (or contracting for) an effective website. Get tips on how to build a more polished and professional website. Learn the credible tools you can use to enhance your website in terms of appearance, design, and better usability.  Become familiar with research methods to help you meet your ongoing goals. Learn how to hire and manage a good web designer. Breakfast included.
Location: Chamber Boardroom, 235 Montgomery St., 12th Floor.

12 – 1 pm Lunch and reception for full day participants.
Location: LearniT, 250 Montgomery St.

12:30 – 1 pm Registration
1 - 5 pm Session 2:
Marketing your website. Learn how increase the visibility of your website and how to rank high on search engines like Google. Understand the fundamentals of website marketing in order to significantly increase the number of visitors through search engine basics, and tips and techniques to bring and capture more customers. Learn how (and when you need) to hire a marketing firm.
Location: LearniT, 250 Montgomery St.

Member pricing: $60 for each program, or $100 for both.
Prospective member pricing: $75 for each program, or $130 for both.

Please note: Cancellations must occur 48 hours in advance to receive a refund or credit.

Understanding The Entrepreneurial Myth
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Boardroom
235 Montgomery Street, 12th Floor
8-8:30 am Registration
8:30-10:30 am Workshop

This program is designed to teach business owners the truth about the Entrepreneurial Myth - that starting one's own business assures more time, more money, and more freedom. E-Myth is based on the fatal assumption that if a person is good at performing the technical work of a business, they will also be accomplished at managing that business. Discover how common assumptions, expectations and even technical expertise can get in the way of running a successful business.

Media Sponsor:

Tricia Huebner, a seasoned E-Myth seminar leader and keynote presenter, will lead a workshop to help business owners understand the E-Myth and also how to set up a business that serves their life, not consumes it. This program teaches participants the basics on how to develop their business based on a step-by-step system that will provide them with a distinct and competitive edge in the marketplace.

Topics E-Myth introduces and explores:

• How you think about business is how you end up doing business
  
• Having a Business versus a Job (or being self-employed)
  
• The three personalities: Entrepreneur, Manager and Technician
  
• The Five Core E-Myth Principles: How to think and act like an Entrepreneur
  
• The Importance of Leadership and Vision
  
• The Turn-Key Revolution
  
• The Business Development Cycle

E-Myth Worldwide (www.e-myth.com) is committed to helping small businesses by empowering them to overcome the challenges that threaten their survival. E-Myth offers low-cost, high-impact products and services designed to make the growth of any small business more predictable and fruitful. Founded in 1977 by Michael Gerber, the best-selling author of The E-Myth Revisited, E-Myth delivers entrepreneurial solutions that enable small business owners to realize greater success in business, more personal freedom, and a richer, fuller life.

This program cost is $20 for Chamber members; $30 for Prospective members.

Please note: Cancellations must occur 48 hours in advance to receive a refund or credit.

Time and Task Management Using Outlook
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Boardroom
235 Montgomery Street, 12th Floor
8-8:30 am Registration
8:30-11:30 am Workshop
presented by

This course is designed for people who rely on Outlook for communication and who already use it for basic information workflow tasks such as e-mail, appointments and managing task lists. They are accomplished users of the application, but are looking for techniques to better manage Inbox overload and more effectively define and execute tasks, all to maximize productivity in a standard work day.

Media Sponsor:

E-mail, calendaring, and meeting management are critical activities that drive individual workers’ daily lives. So many people “live” in Microsoft® Office Outlook® 2003, making it their prime tool for communication and productivity. This course will provide experienced business professionals with a better hands-on understanding of how to manage their time more effectively, define tasks more accurately, and process incoming information more efficiently. Using Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 as a “dashboard” application, students will learn how to manage their schedules, projects and assignments, and create and respond to e-mail with greater confidence.

This program cost is $60 for Chamber members; $75 for Prospective members.

Or, you can register by sending a check to:

San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
Attn: Small Business Programs
235 Montgomery St., 12th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104

For more information please contact Marisa Ceballos at 415-352-8818 or mceballos@sfchamber.com

Cancellations must occur 48 hours in advance to receive a refund.

• Access to Capital
  
• Marketing/Advertising
  
• Grassroots Public Relations
  
• Legal Essentials

During an interactive discussion, panelists will address these topics:

• Misconceptions & actionable solutions
  
• Message clarity & Brand vigilance
  
• Mitigation of risk
  
• Delegation & Outsourcing
  
• Protecting your business

After the panel discussion and Q & A, join us for a Free Resource Fair in the lobby with representatives from the Small Business Administration, Small Business Development Center and Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center.

Registration is $35 for members; $50 for prospective members.

Or, you can register by sending a check to:

San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
Attn: Small Business Programs
235 Montgomery St., 12th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104

For more information please contact Marisa Ceballos at 415-352-8818 or mceballos@sfchamber.com

Please note: Cancellations must occur 48 hours in advance to receive a refund or credit.