Training & Special Services

Access to business courses, coaching, and workshops

 

Ventures’ Courses & Workshops

Ventures offers a number of sliding scale resources beyond the initial eight-week Business Basics course to help people reach their goals and move their businesses forward. After attending an Orientation and completing the Business Basics Course, entrepreneurs have access to Specialized Services: business training, capital, coaching, and hands-on learning opportunities. Schedule a meeting with one of our business coaches to enroll in Specialized Services.

Ventures’ Courses & Workshops

Business Basics

At the Ventures Orientation, entrepreneurs have the opportunity to apply to our Business Basics Course. The Business Basics Course is a requirement for accessing Ventures’ services, including business courses, loans, coaching, and incubation. In this eight-week course, entrepreneurs meet once per week for three hours with peers and business coaches to learn the basics of business marketing, sales, financial management, and operations. After completing the Business Basics Course, entrepreneurs have access to Ventures’ wide range of small business services.

If you have questions about the necessity of taking this introductory course or how our programs work, check our FAQ page.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

The Financial Managment Course helps entrepreneurs budget, plan, save, spend, borrow, and invest in a sustainable way. We look at household and business financial strategies so all aspects of one’s financial life are strong and healthy. Participants have the option to have a spouse or partner join them in the course.

brown wooden shelf with bottles

SALES

In the Sales Course, business owners learn how to identify prospective customers, perfect their sales pitch, close a sale, create sales goals and plans, and access new strategic sales channels.

Operations

In the Operations Course, entrepreneurs learn how to manage their time, processes, people, and products in the most efficient ways possible.

Marketing

The Marketing Course is designed to help businesses build their brands, identify their target markets, and select marketing strategies to reach customers, as well as create a robust digital marketing strategy. Each class contains a mix of instruction and time to work with coaches and peers on activities related to each class topic.

PACKAGED FOODS

Business owners receive specialized training on all aspects of the packaged food industry, including to how to strategically produce, label, and sell food products in the Packaged Food Course.

WORKSHOPS

Ventures offers special one-time or seasonal workshops on topics that range from self-employment tax preparation to payment processing systems. These workshops are typically one-session classes that last for 2-3 hours.

Legal Clinic

Ventures partners with Wayfind Legal to host monthly legal clinics for Ventures’ entrepreneurs enrolled in Specialized Services. Business owners meet with an attorney to address questions related to leasing, staffing, copyrights, and contracts. At the end of a session with an attorney, entrepreneurs have answers to their legal questions or advice on next steps for their businesses.

Coaching

Coaching helps our entrepreneurs identify and overcome barriers to business success. Our coaches are teachers, mentors, counselors, and business consultants. Coaches work side by side with business-owners as they create marketing, sales, and financial plans but they do more than help with business plans and goal setting – they are cheerleaders. Ventures’ Business Coaches are great listeners, ask open-ended questions, motivate, and meet our entrepreneurs where they’re at.

Learn More About Our Programs

Nuestro 25 Aniversario

Nuestro 25 Aniversario

Esta época del año en Ventures es usualmente acogedora, festiva y de conexion. Nuestra oficina está decorada con oropel y adornos, y con golosinas caseras para compartir. Nuestro equipo se reúne con clientes, donadores, voluntarias/os y socias/os de negocios locales...

Nuestro 25 Aniversario

25 Year Anniversary

This time of year at Ventures is cozy, festive and connected. Our office is decorated with tinsel and bows, and fully stocked with homemade goodies to share. Our team is meeting with clients, donors, volunteers and partners at local businesses to let them know how...