Events Search and Views Navigation
September 2025
WEBINAR HR Basics and Preparing your Business for Employees
This critical HR training will guide you through the basics of what HR is and how to prepare your business for employees before you hire them. Learning these steps will help protect your business from unintended risks and provide you valuable California based HR knowledge and best practices. Instructor: Sara Nicholson (SBDC Advisor) brings over 25 years of HR experience, helping small business owners find solutions to their human resources needs. REGISTER NOW
Find out more »WEBINAR Transition from Handyman to Construction Company Owner!
Ready to Level Up Your Career? Join Us for a Free, Informative Presentation! What You'll Learn: - Transform your skills from handyman to business owner! - Steps to obtain a contractor’s license hassle-free. - Launching your very own Construction business. Who Should Attend: - Handymen/Handywomen looking to elevate their careers. - Individuals interested in starting their own Construction company. - People eager to learn the basics of the trade and business. Don’t miss out on this valuable opportunity! Your Journey…
Find out more »WEBINAR Legal Corner: Stop the Madness! Getting Control and Organized to Run Your Small Business
Learn a number of efficiency methods used by successful people in business. Learn how to become more efficient while also making your business life easier and keeping your sanity too. Easy to use and with positive results. All at no cost or very low cost! Instructor: Ben Martin (SBDC Advisor) and Attorney who loves helping new and small businesses, survive and thrive. With over 20 years of experience working for SBDCs, Non-profit Entrepreneurship Programs, and Pro Bono service to people wanting to build their futures.…
Find out more »October 2025
WEBINAR The Basics of Starting a Business
Learn the fundamentals of what it takes to get your business started. We will discuss what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and the important steps that need to be taken to begin your business. Topics of discussion will include: -What it takes to be an entrepreneur -Legal requirements and different legal types including sole proprietorship (DBA), and LLC and S-Corp, -Building your team of experts, including CPA’s, Atty, Bank, Web and marketing experts and industry mentor -Office…
Find out more »WEBINAR Legal Corner: Save Your Bacon… ABCs of Contracts
What do small businesses need to know about contracts? While Covering the Basic principles of contracts, you’ll learn how to avoid the pitfalls hidden in written and oral contracts and learn how to negotiate and to write them. Learn how to make a checklist to identify your contract needs. Instructor: Ben Martin (SBDC Advisor) and Attorney who loves helping new and small businesses, survive and thrive. With over 20 years of experience working for SBDCs, Non-profit Entrepreneurship Programs, and Pro…
Find out more »WEBINAR HR Basics and Preparing your Business for Employees
This critical HR training will guide you through the basics of what HR is and how to prepare your business for employees before you hire them. Learning these steps will help protect your business from unintended risks and provide you valuable California based HR knowledge and best practices. Instructor: Sara Nicholson (SBDC Advisor) brings over 25 years of HR experience, helping small business owners find solutions to their human resources needs. REGISTER NOW
Find out more »WEBINAR Biz Basics: What Business Should I Start?
Thinking of starting a business, but not sure what kind? You’re not alone. Many aspiring entrepreneurs are fueled by passion and the dream of being their own boss—but often lack clarity on the type of business that truly fits their strengths, lifestyle goals, and market realities. In this interactive 2-hour workshop, you’ll learn how to: Clarify your personal motivations and entrepreneurial strengths Explore and compare different business models Evaluate your business ideas with practical tools Identify the type of business…
Find out more »WEBINAR Understanding Qualifications for Government Contracts
One way to increase sales for your business is to become a vendor or contractor to public agencies and private organizations. This workshop will provide an overview of how to decide if contracting is right for you, as well as cover the elements you need to know to begin the pursuit of new contracting opportunities. This workshop will be taught by Michael Williams, a Small Business Advisor with the El Camino College SBDC, proudly offering over 30 years of experience…
Find out more »WEBINAR Legal Corner: Succession Planning–Businesses Passing to the Next Generation
Are you thinking about passing the business you have built on to your family? Are you giving them ownership? Are you passing on your role as the manager? This may be the most important decision you make for your family. What are the lessons to learn about this from Covid 19 pandemic? Instructor: Ben Martin (SBDC Advisor) and Attorney who loves helping new and small businesses, survive and thrive. With over 20 years of experience working for SBDCs, Non-profit Entrepreneurship…
Find out more »WEBINAR Taking Charge of Your Career through Franchise & Business Ownership
Are you looking to get into business ownership but don’t know where to start? Discover what type of business could leverage your professional acumen and have a team to support you build a successful company. During our webinar learn what type of businesses excelled through Covid and are Recession Resistant. Additional topics we will be covering: Buying into a Franchise & Running your New Business The Surprisingly low upfront cost The different types of Franchise Models Whether franchising is a…
Find out more »WEBINAR Human Resources: New Hire Onboarding
New Hire Onboarding teaches you the many various mandatory new hire paperwork requirements and processes to successfully bring a new employee into your business in California. Doing it correctly from the beginning minimizes your risk of unintentional violations of the many State and Federal HR mandates. Instructor: Sara Nicholson (SBDC Advisor) brings over 25 years of HR experience, helping small business owners find solutions to their human resources needs. She has worked across Southern California and Mexico, guiding business owners with…
Find out more »November 2025
WEBINAR HR What Every Employer Needs to Know About Workplace Safety
Every employer in California is required to create and carry out an effective program to meet the requirements of Cal/OSHA's Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) regulation. What to Expect: The training that we will provide reviews the basics of the IIPP, the newer Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP) and Indoor Heat Illness, existing Safety Data Sheets and CA nonemergency COVID-19 Prevention Procedures. We will explore the minimum requirements for all employees and provide resources directly from the State that…
Find out more »WEBINAR HR Basics and Preparing your Business for Employees
This critical HR training will guide you through the basics of what HR is and how to prepare your business for employees before you hire them. Learning these steps will help protect your business from unintended risks and provide you valuable California based HR knowledge and best practices. Instructor: Sara Nicholson (SBDC Advisor) brings over 25 years of HR experience, helping small business owners find solutions to their human resources needs. REGISTER NOW
Find out more »December 2025
WEBINAR Legal Corner: How To Set Up & Register Your Business
This in-depth workshop addresses a multitude of important topics regarding legal entities and other important decisions you will need to make as a business owner. One of the first decisions will include how the company will be structured. Because of this, we will cover the basics of regulatory filings that permit new owners to properly set up entities in California. Our discussion will cover legal formation for startups, including: • LLC’s, S-Corporations, C-Corporations • DBA’s • Business permits • Resale…
Find out more »WEBINAR HR Do’s and Don’ts of Hiring
This training is designed to assist California small business owners create a realistic and compliant strategy to legally hire employees. Instructor: Sara Nicholson (SBDC Advisor) who brings over 25 years of HR experience, helping small business owners find solutions to their human resources needs. She has worked across Southern California and Mexico, guiding business owners with a focus on education, organization, and fairness. REGISTER NOW
Find out more »February 2026
WEBINAR Writing a Solid Press Release
You’ve got a hot new product or service that you would like your prospective customers to know about. Or maybe, there has been a problem at your business that is attracting media attention. Whatever, the circumstance, knowing how to prepare a professional press release is a valuable skill for any business owner. In this webinar, we will examine what the media is looking for in a good press release. This a a hands-on workshop where participants will learn the parts of a press release and how to attract the attention of media…
Find out more »WEBINAR Legal Corner: California New Laws for 2026
California New Laws for 2026: Business Compliance Workshop Overview California’s 2026 laws bring significant changes affecting employment, AI, contractors, consumer protection, payments, privacy, insurance, and tax incentives. This half-page workshop gives business owners and managers a practical, non-legal overview of what they must know, prepare for, and act on to stay compliant and reduce risk. The focus is on real-world business impact—how the laws affect payroll, hiring, contracts, operations, and technology use—rather than legal theory. Intended Audience Small and mid-sized California business owners Founders,…
Find out more »WEBINAR Human Resources: Do’s and Don’ts of Hiring
This training is designed to assist California small business owners create a realistic and compliant strategy to legally hire employees. Instructor: Sara Nicholson (SBDC Advisor) brings over 25 years of HR experience, helping small business owners find solutions to their human resources needs. She has worked across Southern California and Mexico, guiding business owners with a focus on education, organization, and fairness. REGISTER NOW
Find out more »May 2026
WEBINAR Orientation: What the SBDC Can Do for You!
This workshop will provide attendees with information about the program requirements and the different services and training offered by the SBDC. The key fundamentals essential for starting and maintaining a successful business will be reviewed. As capital is the life blood of any business, your questions concerning capital and how the SBDC can assist in this effort will be addressed. And as a special bonus, the critical reasons why products/services sell will also be discussed. Attendance is required for existing,…
Find out more »WEBINAR Wave Accounting for Startups and Service Businesses
Keeping track of your business income and expenses is crucial to the financial health of your company. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be complicated! This webinar will cover how to use Wave, a free online accounting software program to help keep you on track. Wave is designed for small business owners. No jargon, just an easy accounting software for small business that makes sense. This webinar is not for companies with inventory. Instructor: Maureen Thielen (SBDC Advisor). She provides bookkeeping, accounting and tax…
Find out more »WEBINAR Navigating SBIR/STTR (Research & Technology) Grants
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs provide an opportunity for small businesses to tap into federal funding to conduct research and development on promising new innovations and technologies. With $4 billion available annually, the programs are a source of seed capital for early stage companies. SBIR/STTR funding can also serve as a pathway to equity financing by allowing businesses to demonstrate feasibility of new technologies and move toward commercialization. This webinar will cover…
Find out more »WEBINAR Legal Corner: How To Set Up & Register Your Business
This in-depth workshop addresses a multitude of important topics regarding legal entities and other important decisions you will need to make as a business owner. One of the first decisions will include how the company will be structured. Because of this, we will cover the basics of regulatory filings that permit new owners to properly set up entities in California. Our discussion will cover legal formation for startups, including: • LLC’s, S-Corporations, C-Corporations • DBA’s • Business permits • Resale…
Find out more »WEBINAR Legal Corner: How To Set Up & Register Your Business
This in-depth workshop addresses a multitude of important topics regarding legal entities and other important decisions you will need to make as a business owner. One of the first decisions will include how the company will be structured. Because of this, we will cover the basics of regulatory filings that permit new owners to properly set up entities in California. Our discussion will cover legal formation for startups, including: • LLC’s, S-Corporations, C-Corporations • DBA’s • Business permits • Resale…
Find out more »WEBINAR Understanding Qualifications for Government Contracts
One way to increase sales for your business is to become a vendor or contractor to public agencies and private organizations. This workshop will provide an overview of how to decide if contracting is right for you, as well as cover the elements you need to know to begin the pursuit of new contracting opportunities. This workshop will be taught by Michael Williams, a Small Business Advisor with the El Camino College SBDC, proudly offering over 30 years of experience…
Find out more »WEBINAR Legal Corner: Contracts…Businesses Can’t Live Without Them!
Most of us don't realize that every time we deal with a customer or another business contracts are involved. There are 4 main ways to reduce liability. Contracts on their own can reduce your risk of liability. LLCs and Corps reduce liability. Insurance can reduce liability. But you need contracts to make them work for you. Learn the ABC's of contracts along with methods and tips you can use for as long as your in business. Instructor: Ben Martin (SBDC Advisor) and Attorney who loves helping…
Find out more »
