You are probably aware that CDC runs the BIZ courses in Christchurch. These courses are designed to help you achieve better results in business by offering a range of free seminars and workshops as well as the free services of some of NZ's leading small business specialists.
Please take a browse through the workshops outlined below and reply to this mail if you are interested in attending. Although not focused on IT companies alone, they do address the issues small businesses face. For a practical workshop particular to the industry try this one... May 10, 1pm-5pm "Build Your Business Through Promotion" Workshop: Canterbury Innovation Incubator, 200 Armagh Street, Christchurch BOOK HERE... http://www.canterburysoftware.org.nz/pbwsrsvp.htm Right I've said enough - take a look... > STRATEGIC PLANNING TIPS > Thursday, 2nd May > 9.00am-12noon > Workshop objectives and benefits: > This workshop is for designed to bring structure to the process of > planning for success. All too often we identify we have problems or > un-realised goals, however we are seldom able to break the cycle and > address these issues. > This course will be of particular benefit to those who are too busy > working in their business to work on their business. We will cover the > basics from simple planning to solve simple problems, right through to > simple planning to solve complex problems. > Topics covered will include: > * Identifying problems > * Analysing problems > * Prioritising problems > * Solving Problems > * Planning for the future > * Avoiding a crisis > * Goals, Visions and Missions > > > SMALL BUSINESS SURVIVAL TACTICS > Thurday, 9th May > 9.00am-12noon > Workshop objectives and benefits: > To survive in a small business, you need a range of skills because more > often than not, you end up doing all the work. There is no magical > answer, but there is a range of things that successful small business > owners do (and unsuccessful small business people do not do), to survive > and prosper. This workshop will cover the most important things that you > must do to survive in business today. > Examples of topics covered in the workshop include: > * How to stay motivated in your own business > * Five entrepreneurial characteristics to adopt > * Seven successful management tactics and how to implement them into > your > business > * Time to evaluate how you run your business > > > MANAGING YOUR TIME MORE EFFECTIVELY > Thursday, 16th May > 9.00am-12noon > Workshop objectives and benefits: > The workshop is designed to give you a new appreciation of the value of > time. By the end of the workshop you will be able to identify key areas > you can address to organise your time more efficiently, be more productive > and reap the benefits of good time management. > Examples of topics covered in the workshop include: > * The importance of goal setting and how to set achievable goals > * Identifying the barriers to good time management > * Prioritising your activities for maximum productivity > * Recognising the cost of interruptions > > > THE IMPORTANCE OF BUDGETS AND CASHFLOWS > Tuesday, 28th May > 9.00am-12noon > Workshop objective and benefits: > Too many businesses fail because there is insufficient cash to pay bills > as they fall due. This workshop explores the importance of budgets and > sound cashflow management in a business and gives you some of the tools > you need to start planning your future revenues and expenses. By the end > of this workshop you'll understand the main budgets used in business and > how to anticipate your future cashflows. > Examples of topics covered in the workshop include: > * Why you should prepare budgets and cashflow projections > * Techniques for preparing simple budgets > * How to prepare a cash budget *NOTE: PLEASE BRING A CALCULATOR TO > THIS WORKSHOP > > > > WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS WORTH? > Wednesday, 29th May > 6.00pm-9.00pm > > Workshop objectives and benefits > Do you know how to value your business? Establishing a fair value for your > business is not an easy task, particularly since your idea of value is > likely to be different to that of a potential buyer. Whether you intend > selling your business to an outsider, or passing it on to a family member, > or are valuing it to raise funds, this exercise will give you a new look > at your business and outline the issues in assessing what your business is > worth. > > Examples of topics covered include: > * The common ways of valuing a business > * What goodwill is and how to value it > * Whether to value brands, trademarks and patents > * Practical tips in valuing your business > * What the main tax implications are > * How you can add more value to your business > > > SOURCING MONEY FOR BUSINESS GROWTH > Wednesday, 5th June > 6.00pm-9.00pm > Workshop objectives and benefits: > This workshop explores the challenges of obtaining the right type and the > right amount of finance at the right price to help grow your business. By > the end of this workshop you'll have analysed the most appropriate type of > funding for your business, the amount you require and the rate you should > be prepared to pay for it. The presenter will use practical examples from > existing businesses to demonstrate the importance of understanding all > aspects of business financing and to show the true cost versus benefit of > such finance. > Examples of topics covered in the seminar include: > * Analysis of the most appropriate type of finance for your business > * Analysis of the amount of finance required > * Where to obtain the finance > * How to obtain finance > * How to put it to best use in your business > > > BUSINESS STRUCTURES AND THEIR FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS > Wednesday, 12th June > 6.00pm-9.00pm > Workshop objectives and benefits: > This workshop explains the difference between the various legal structures > you can choose to conduct your business. It could be to your advantage to > change your legal structure (most businesses move from sole trader, to > partnerships, to companies). Find out which structure is best for you and > why. > Examples of topics covered in the workshop include: > * An overview of legal structures in New Zealand > * The advantages and disadvantages of the different structures > * Why you would consider changing > * The legal requirements of forming a company > * Financing implications of each form of business entity > * Find out what is relevant to you (a question and answer session with a > lawyer from Lane Neave) > > > The Ultimate Survival Pack > > > > If you're tired of operating in the red, worried about where the funds are > going to come from to pay the bills, haven't paid yourself what you > consider a full wage for years, then this is the series for you. > > This series of three workshops covers the critical survival tactics a > business needs to work on when the going gets tough. Both financial and > non-financial issues will be discussed. You will also be offered one to > one guidance between each session to help you put the skills into > practice in your business. Prior to attending this mini-series you're > assessed through an initial health check to define exactly where your > business is positioned, both financially and non-financially so that some > key issues can be identified immediately. For example, no business plan, > no financial forecasts, lack of capital). > The workshops will be: > Laying the foundations > Friday, 31st May > 9.00am-12noon > Workshop objectives and benefits: > Your business must be built on a solid foundation to allow it to weather > the storms that hit. This first workshop will cover what makes up that > solid foundation. > Examples of topics covered will include: > * Business Planning > * Ownership Structures > * Debt Structures > * Tax Planning > Management, motivation and PERSEVERANCE > Friday, 7th June > 9.00am-12noon > Workshop objectives and benefits: > This workshop will help you stay motivated in your business, addressing > some practiced tips and techniques used by business people to stay > focused. There will be time to evaluate where you believe your business > is going, and determining what opportunities you can take advantage of. A > 'success' checklist will provide best practice guidelines for you to > implement ideas learnt back into your business. > Examples of topics covered include: > * How to stay motivated in your own business > * Five entrepreneurial characteristics to adopt > * Seven successful management tactics > * Time to evaluate how you run your business > Financial controls and issues > Friday, 14th June > 9.00am-12noon > Workshop objectives and benefits: > This workshop discusses the key warning signs of businesses in difficulty, > how to recognise them and how to avoid them. There will also be a focus > on the importance of planning and managing the financials and cashflow of > your business. > Examples of topics covered will include: > * Key warning signs of businesses in difficulties > * Critical Financial Ratios > * Financial Planning and Modelling > * Remedial actions > > > > > ********************************************************************** This electronic email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. The views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of the Canterbury Development Corporation Ltd. If you are not the correct recipient of this email please advise the sender and delete. 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