Education
Whether you are a business-savvy expert or looking to start a new venture, we can help you sharpen your skills to take your business to the next level. We have partnered with chambers, local colleges, universities and training experts in the fields of finance, sales and business to provide a variety of lectures, courses and workshops throughout Hudson County. Our training ranges from two-hour lectures to six-week courses; in-depth, advanced training up to 15 weeks is also provided to established businesses.
We focus on helping businesses evaluate the realities of starting a business and help those in the early years of operating a new business to achieve stability and sustainable business practices. Financial education is a priority and we offer education topics ranging from: knowing and improving your credit score, financing and accounting tools to manage your business.
First Fridays 2024
The HCEDC is proud to collaborate with the New Jersey Small Business Development Center (NJSBDC) at NJCU School of Business and the Union County Economic Development Center (UCEDC) for First Fridays: A Financial Focused Webinar Series
First Fridays is a series of 6 sessions with the goal of providing business owners with indispensable financial insights. These 6 webinars presented by the HCEDC, the NJSBDC at NJCU School of Business and the Union County Economic Development Corporation will be presented in English with simultaneous Spanish interpretation.
Basics of Financing Your Business Live Webinar
Friday, May 3rd, 10:00 am-11:30 am
Access to capital is critical to many small businesses, yet most owners don’t understand how to determine what they qualify for, what money is available to them and the roadblocks they may face obtaining financing. This workshop was created to address these issues as well as inform business owners of what’s expected of them in obtaining capital.
During the workshop, we’ll focus on the following areas:
- Financing options available to small businesses
- What lenders look for
- Matching the right financing program to your needs
- How to prepare for a meeting with a lender
- Identify issues that will “kill” your deal
Learn how to get your business bank ready in this workshop!
This workshop will have live Spanish interpretation available.
Register now at: Basics of Financing Your Business Live Webinar
QuickBooks Basics Live Webinar
Friday, July 12th, 10:00 am-11:30 am
One of the most important, yet frequently overlooked components for most business owners is recordkeeping. This introductory webinar walks participants through the ground level stages of “bookkeeping.” During the webinar, we’ll focus on the following areas:
- The effective use of an accounting system
- How to set up your company in QuickBooks
- Adding customers, vendors and employees to your records
- How to produce accurate and timely reports to analyze your company’s performance and much more.
This workshop will have live Spanish interpretation available.
Register now at: QuickBooks Basics Live Webinar
Understanding Financial Statements Live Webinar
Friday, September 6th, 10:00 am-11:30 am
Understanding the financial performance of your small business is fundamental to knowing if the business is meeting your financial goals or if changes are needed in the way you do business. We’ll use realistic sample financial statements to illustrate the concepts we are discussing. Participants are also encouraged to bring their existing financial information to discuss or evaluate in class.
During the workshop, we’ll focus on the following:
- Accounting systems – we’ll help you identify the benefits of timely and accurate financial information and how a system can be put in place.
- Basic financial statements – we’ll identify the basic financial statements that are common to all businesses and what they mean.
- Interpreting financial information – we’ll guide you through the process, including setting benchmarks for business performance.
- Making key business decision – you’ll learn how to use financial information to make key business decisions such as when to hire additional employees, when to adjust pricing, or how to reduce excess costs.
This workshop will have live Spanish interpretation available.
Register now at: Understanding Financial Statements Live Webinar
Forecasting Financial Results Live Webinar
Friday, October 4th, 10:00 am-11:30 am
Financial projections are an important part of managing your business. Projecting financial results is critical in preparing your business plan and in determining if the business will be financially sustainable. Similar to creating a budget, financial projections are a way to forecast future revenue and expenses for your business.
In this webinar, we’ll focus on Sales Projections, Expense Projections, and responsibly Projecting Your Cash Flow.
This workshop will have live Spanish interpretation available.
Register now at: Forecasting Financial Results Live Webinar
Pricing for Small Business Profitability Live Webinar
Friday, November 1st, 10:00 am-11:30 am
One of the most difficult decisions business owners face is how much to charge for their product or service. Understanding which price points motivate or dissuade consumers from purchasing is key to setting the right price. During this workshop, we will focus on the following:
- Types of pricing strategies
- Finding your break-even price
- Determining cost structure
- Marketing impacts on pricing
The workshop includes an interactive activity that helps participants to determine their business’s cost structure and how it relates to their current pricing.
This workshop will have live Spanish interpretation available.
Register now at: Pricing for Small Business Profitability Live Webinar
Past 2024 Events
Writing a Business Plan Live Webinar
Friday, March 1st, 10:00 am-11:30 am
In this live webinar, you will learn that developing a business plan is one of the most important challenges you will face as an entrepreneur. The process of developing a good business plan requires an understanding and appreciation for the tools required to do it right. This workshop was developed to guide you through that process and give you a hands-on systematic way to develop an outline, investigate and evaluate the resources and create a draft of your own business plan.
In this workshop, we’ll show you how to:
- Research and analyze the individual components needed for a business plan
- Apply skills to create a business plan for different audiences, including investors and banks
- Explain the purpose and future of your business in easy to understand terms
- Describe your marketing, sales, and planning strategies and more
You’ll also learn about business assistance programs for Minority and Women Business Enterprises.
This workshop will have live Spanish interpretation available.
In case you missed this event, you may view the Presentation at: Writing a Business Plan Presentation
The Event Webinar may be viewed in English at: Writing a Business Plan Live Webinar (English)
En Espanol: Writing a Business Plan Live Webinar (En Espanol)
NJBAC Northern Regional Resources for Growth
Small Business Event
Wednesday, April 3, 11:00 am-2:00 pm
Hudson County Schools of Technology High Tech High School
Frank J. Gargiulo Campus
1 High Tech Way- Secaucus
The HCEDC is proud to join the New Jersey Business Action Center and New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce for Resources for Growth. This FREE in-person business event is designed for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to discover the many incentives and services that are available to help your business grow and thrive in New Jersey.
Participants will be able to meet one-on-one with representatives of the state agencies including the New Jersey Business Action Center, NJ Economic Development Authority, Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Department of the Treasury, the State Library, Board of Public Utilities, Small Business Development Center and many more.
Community & Transactional Lawyering Clinic (CTLC)
Navigating Business Contracts Live Webinar
Thursday, March 28, 10:00 am-11:00 am
The HCEDC joined the Community Transactional Law Clinic (CTLC) Team at Rutgers Law School for Navigating Business Contracts. This Live Webinar provided participants with helpful information on strategic contract management.
In case you missed this event, you may view the Presentation at: Navigating Business Contracts Webinar Presentation
The Event Webinar may be viewed at: Navigating Business Contracts Webinar
Business Growth Series
Access to Capital Live Webinar
Tuesday, March 19th, 10:00 am
Access to capital is critical to many small businesses, yet most owners don’t understand how to determine what they qualify for, what money is available to them and the roadblocks they may face obtaining financing.
The Webinar will focus on the following areas:
-Financing options available to small businesses
-What lenders look for
-Matching the right financing program to your needs
– How to prepare for a meeting with a lender
– Identify issues that will “kill” your deal
Register now at: Access to Capital Webinar
Community & Transactional Lawyering Clinic (CTLC)
On Tuesday, January 16th, the HCEDC joined Rutgers Law School for a Community Transactional Lawyering Clinic (CTLC) Information Session. CTLC is crafted to provide participants with invaluable legal support for their business.
In case you missed this event, you may view the Presentation at: Community & Transactional Lawyering Clinic (CTLC) Information Session Presentation
The Event Webinar may be viewed at: Community & Transactional Lawyering Clinic (CTLC) Information Session Webinar