By Mike Fossano

Local business owners and entrepreneurs who need assistance are invited to attend seminars in March offered by the Oakland County Business Center. Business Basics workshops are now offered in the evenings on alternating months.

All programs will take place at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford. For pre-registration and location details, visit online at oakgov.com/peds/calendar, or call (248) 858-0783.

The Pre-Business Research workshop provides participants with a rundown on how to research their business ideas prior to launching. Members of Oakland County’s Business Center Market Research Division and an Oakland County Public Library business reference librarian will conduct lessons on how to understand which research sources to use and show business owners where they can look to find the information they need. The workshop will take place on March 1 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The workshop is free, but pre-registration is required.

The CEED Microloan Orientation is geared toward small business owners who are having difficulty obtaining a business loan. The recognition of the serious need for working capital for existing businesses, start-up or expansion, equipment purchases, and job creation is not the priority it once was. Presented by the Center for Empowerment & Economic Development (C.E.E.D.), participants will be shown the ropes on the requirements and process necessary to apply and receive a microloan. The workshop will take place on March 14 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The workshop is free, but pre-registration is required.

Small business owners who are developing a business plan are encouraged to check out the Fundamentals of Writing a Business Plan. Participants learn what elements are commonly found in effective plans and work on developing each of these for their own business. Assistance in the process as well as information on resouces is provided. The workshop will take place on March 15 from 9 a.m. to Noon. There is a $40 non-refundable fee for this workshop.

An introduction to small business financial management, QuickBooks® Essentials provides an overview of accurate record keeping, report interpretation and utilization and management of the variety of tools provided in this system. Presented by Kildal Services, LLC, the two-session program provides instruction on the following: basic accounting terminology, new company file setup, customizing forms and letters, working with bank accounts, invoicing customers, receiving payments and making deposits, entering/paying vendor bills and using credit card accounts. The workshop will take place on March 29 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (session one) and from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. (session two). Each individual session costs $40 or $75 for both sessions. Laptops are highly recommended.