SBC Network Luncheons are held the second Thursday of each month at various locations. 

This month's luncheon will be held at the TAU Bearcat Clubroom of the Events Center on the Binghamton University Campus and is sponsored by Empower Federal Credit Union.

Connect with Chamber colleagues at our monthly SBC Network Luncheon.  Don't miss out on the chance to network with 60-70 Chamber members, promote your product/service to a room full of people, and hear more about important chamber programs and upcoming events.  At the luncheons, members are given the opportunity to introduce themselves and tell about their products or services and other events they may be participating in that are of interest to the community. 

Members are urged to bring their brochures, flyers, business cards, etc. 

Registration is Required:  Contact Kathy Murphy at 607-772-8860 or kmurphy@greaterbinghamtonchamber.com

Fee:  Member Advance:  $17.00/Member At Door:  $19.00/Not-For-Profit Advance: $13.60/Not-For-Profit At Door: $15.20

Tioga County Chamber of Commerce offers FREE

 Small Business Counseling

The Chamber is host to both SCORE and the NYS Small Business Development Center (SBDC) advisors. 

SBDC advisors are available BY APPOINTMENT ONLY on the first Thursday of each month. 

*To schedule an appointment with a NYS SBDC advisor, contact the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce at 687-2020

Southern Tier Opportunity Coalition (STOC) Networking Cafe  

"...the Premier Academic/Private Sector Partnership Driving Economic Growth in Greater Binghamton, NY"

Every 2nd Monday of the month.  Hors doeuvres provided with cash bar available. 

Fee:  FREE OF CHARGE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

REGISTRATION REQUIRED:  E-mail Natalia Czabala, STOC Administrative Assistant at nczabala@gmail.com

Program/Speaker:  BlueStorm Technologies - "Taming the I.T. Monster" 

Hey, it's great to know people in the IT business.  It's even better to know they're right around the corner.  Some local businesses, both large and small, that rely on top-flight IT support sometimes overlook that there are outstanding companies in that category right here in our backyard.  BlueStorm Technologies, one of STOC's newer member companies, serves customers across the United States with Systems Integration, Application Development, Collaborative Systems, and Infrastructure Services.  An Enterprise - Class solutions provider, BlueStorm brings to bear the offerings from IBN, Oracle, Microsoft, Dell, Sun, Lenovo, and HP for customers in need of responsive and flexible leading-edge information systems. 

Earlier this year, BlueStorm merged with a long-time STOC member, CyberCity, in order to broaden its range of services and customer base.  Both BlueStorm and CyberCity are located in the City of Binghamton.  Learn about their merger, about how BlueStorm was founded, why it chose Binghamton as home, and the company's plans for the future. 

Meet other business people and students from Greater Binghamton and learn about common problems and opportunities. 

SCORE COUNSELING IN BROOME COUNTY

SCORE offers FREE OF CHARGE small business assistance by appointment only in the Broome County area to those interested in starting a new business, assistance with creating a business and financial plan for new and existing businesses, ongoing assistance to start up businesses, and assistance with businesses concerns for existing businesses or those wishing to expand. 

SCORE Counselors are all experienced, professional business people who volunteer their time, unpaid, to assist the business community of our area.  SCORE has no ties to any banking or educational institution.  All counseling and discussions are strictly confidential per the US Government Small Business Administration (SBA) requirements. 

SCORE has been in existence since 1964 and is a nationwide business help group of 390 Chapters across the US and has about 11,000 unpaid volunteer counselors. 

Counseling Days and Times - Year Round:

• 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th Tuesdays @ 10:00 AM - Call for location
• 1st and 3rd Thursdays @ 6:30 PM - Greater Binghamton Chamber Offices, Metro Center, 2nd Floor, Binghamton
• 2nd Thursdays (starting September 2009) - Broome County Library, Ahearn Center

All SCORE Counseling sessions are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY - Call 607-772-8860 and ask for an appointment w/SCORE.

Binghamton University's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) hosts monthly

Women Business Owners (WBO) Roundtable Meetings

This month's program is:  TBA

FEE;  $10.00 per person payable at the door and includes breakfast

ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED:  Call SBDC at 607-777-4024 or e-mail SBDC@binghamton.edu to register. 

~~All attendees are encouraged to bring business cards and brochures to share~~

**VENDORS WANTED**

The Southern Tier Small Business Expo

Those who own a microenterprise (businesses with 10 or fewer employees) are encouraged to register as a vendor at The Southern Tier Small Business Expo. 

Registrations accepted now - September for the upcoming October 9th event.  For details and the registration form, visit www.successnetworkbc.com

TC3.biz is hosting a 3-workshop series on

How to Create a Small Business Website

October - December 2010

If you're not sure how to find a host and launch your small business website, these three workshops are for you!

SAVE and take all three workshops for $325.00

Did you know?

• 53% of small businesses say their website is used primarily to increase company credibility
• 49% use it to generate sales
• 38% use it to create brand awareness
• 29% beieve it acts as a critical building block for product and service development

Workshop 1

Business Photography:  Success through Visual Marketing

October 2nd & October 9th - 10:00 a.m. - NOON

**For a full description of this workshop, see the calendar posting on October 2nd**

Workshop 2

Introduction to Building & Maintaining a Website with HTML

10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6 - 9:00 a.m.  - NOON

**For a full description of this workshop, see the calendar posting on October 16th**

Workshop 3

Web Wizard: Launch Your Own Website!

11/13, 11/20, 12/4, 12/11 - 10:00 a.m. - NOON

**For a full description of this workshop, see the calendar posting on November 13th**

TC3.biz is hosting a 2-session workshop on

Business Photography:  Success through Visual Marketing

Saturdays; October 2nd and 9th

10:00 a.m. - NOON

**This workshop is part of the "How to Create a Small Business Website" 3-workshop series.  Take this course along with Introduction to Building & Maintaining a Website with HTML and Web Wizard: Launch Your Own Website for a total of $325.00 for all 3 workshops**

Energize your marketing tools with better and more creative photos.  You'll learn the tips and tricks of the finest photographers to best illustrate your business on the web and in other media.  You will also see numerous examples to help you understand how to take innovative photos for your business's brochures, web pages, flyers, and electronic newsletters.  Bring in your photos and marketing materials for a friendly critique. 

Facilitator:  Kathy Morris, consultant and trainer

Course Number: CEPE 541 30

Course Fee:  $109.00

REGISTRATION REQUIRED:  Register online at www.TC3.biz or call 607-844-6586

Additional Information:  Call 607-844-6586, e-mail info@TC3.biz or call 607-844-6586

New York State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Binghamton University is hosting a 20-hour

Small Business Startup Program

Wednesdays; September 8th, 15th, & 22nd

9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

This 20-hour small business training program takes place on three (3) consecutive Wednesdays.  Each session is a full day of classroom training beginning at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 4:30 p.m.  The sessions are offered on a regular basis and about four 20-hour sessions are scheduled each year.  All three sessions are included in the price of $60.00.  An SBDC Certificate of Completion will be awarded at the end of the 3 sessions. 

DAY 1:  THE BASICS OF BUSINESS OWNERSHIP - September 8th

• Learn what it takes to own your own business and build market share
• Discover how to improve your chances of success
• Evaluate your leadership style and predict your success
• Assess the financial and market feasibility of your small business
• Hear a presentation by a local banker on how to finance your business*

DAY 2:  DEVELOPING THE BUSINESS PLAN - September 15th

• Study a step-by-step process that will lead to your business success - a process that most bankers require and that you will need to manage your business
• Learn about market research, marketing strategies, competitive analysis, pricing, and operations
• Hear a presentation by an insurance agent about the types of coverage you need to protect your business, your family and you
• Learn methods to set up and maintain your business records from an accountant*

DAY 3:  MANAGING BY THE NUMBERS/ESSENTIAL DECISIONS - September 22nd

• Discover how to understand and develop financial statements - the key to effective planning and profits
• Learn about hiring employees, dealing with suppliers, planning your inventory and launching your grand opening
• Find out about the basics of sales, advertising, networking and customer service
• Understand what you need to know about choosing the right business entity and other legal issues from a small business attorney*
• Hear how an entrepreneur started his/her business, overcame challenges and became successful*

*Dates of individual speakers' presentations might change based on their availability

Fee:  $60.00 for all three sessions

REGISTRATION REQUIRED:  Don't delay...SPACE IS LIMITED.  Call 607-777-4024 or 607-777-4026 for registration or additional information

Alternatives Federal Credit Union Business CENTS is sponsoring a Fall course on

"Getting Down to Business"

Wednesdays; September 8th - November  3rd

6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Autumn is coming sooner than we realize, and registration for our fall course opens soon!  "Getting Down to Business" is our comprehensive business planning course, covering all major aspects of the business start-up process.  We'll address bookkeeping and financial feasibility, financial statements, business taxes, marketing strategies and foundations, legal issues for small businesses, banking and financing, and more!

Getting Down to Business is designed for people who:

• have a definite business concept that they are committed to, and
• are ready to move forward with their business planning process, and
• expect to get their business off the ground within the next 6-12 months, OR
• have very recently started a business and need help

Class participants must be able to commit to an intensive, nine-week course with outside research and homework.  It takes time and dedication to create a successful enterprise!

Fee:  $80.00 - 300.00; based on a sliding scale

REGISTRATION REQUIRED:  Registration begins August 1st.  Contact Alison at alison@alternatives.org to register.  Registration will close at 5:00 p.m.  on Friday, September 3rd (or sooner, if class becomes full)

**VENDOR REGISTRATION**

Tioga Business 2010

Tioga County Chamber of Commerce annual Business Show!

Thursday, October 14th, from 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Registration Forms can be obtained by visiting Tioga County Chamber of Commerce at www.tiogachamber.com

"Tioga Business 2010" is one of the premier business shows in the Southern Tier of New York State.  Both floors of the conference center will be filled with more than 100 of our top companies.  Join us as we provide an opportunity for you to grow your business, meet new people and make new business contacts. 

Exhibitors are encouraged to offer their own door prizes, advertise their participation, have demonstrations of their products or services, and to remain at the event from 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

Alliance for Manufacturing & Technology (AM&T) is hosting an all day workshop on

Basic Project Management Training

Wednesday, September 8th, from 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

(Sign-in and continental breakfast @ 7:30 a.m.)

**REGISTATION DEADLINE:  SEPTEMBER 1, 2010**

Are you:

• stressed out?
• dropping the ball?
• behind schedule and over budget?
• wondering what to do

Our 8-hour class will improve your project management skills.  Course materials are based on methods described in the Program Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), published by the Program Management Institute. 

What Is It?

A "train and do" workshop introducing the basics of Project Management, including classroom presentation and exercises on how to organize and manage projects and bring them to a close - on time and on budget. 

Course Outline:

• Introduction to Project Management
• Individual Roles and Responsibilities
• Defining the Mission & Approach
• Methodology Overview
• Work Plan Review and Sign-off
• Project Tracking (Working the Schedule)
• Action and Contingency Plans
• Project Status Reporting
• Book shelving Project Management Data

Who Should Attend?

This training is for anyone with project leadership responsibilities, whether new or in need of a refresher

Fee:  $200.00 ($100.00 for AM&T Associates).  Fee includes continental breakfast and lunch.

Registration Required:  REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 1, 2010.  To register, contact Norma Cushner at 607-774-0022 ext. 302, e-mail: ncushner@amt-mep.org, or visit www.amt-mep.org/events. 

**REGISTRATION DEADLINE - September 1st**

AM&T presents -

BASIC PROJECT MANAGEMENT TRAINING

September 8th - 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

(see additional information on calendar of events for 9/8/10)

Contact Norma Cushner at 607-774-0022 ext. 302 or visit www.amt-mep.org/events to register for the September 8th event. 

Southern Tier Opportunity Coalition (STOC) presents

Supply Chain Initiative Export Workshop

Monday, September 20th, from 8:00 a.m. - NOON

Binghamton University Downtown Campus

~~Sponsored by:  Binghamton University, Broome Community College, FedEx, Mohawk Global, and MeadWestvaco~~

THEME:  Developing Export Business 

FORMAT:

• 3 presenters in 3 back-to-back sessions (10 - 15 minutes between sessions)

• Session duration - approx. 45 minutes each

 OBJECTIVES:

• How to develop foreign markets for your goods and services

          ~~Where to focus development efforts

          ~~Describing your value-add, getting your message across

          ~~Building global demand for your goods and services

•  Understand the basic requirements for exporting goods & services

          ~~Documentation

         ~~Shipping

         ~~Other business partners/relationships (e.g., carrier, freight forwarder, custom house, etc.)

FEE:  $25.00 per participant

REGISTRATION:  Contact Natalia Czabala at 607-772-8863 ext. 5 or e-mail nczabala@gmail.com

~~ALL ARE WELCOME~~

Need Help with a Start-up Business Plan?

If owning your own business is one of your dreams, developing a comprehensive business plan will help you be successful!

Let's Write Your Business

Wednesdays; September 22nd and 29th from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

This two-part, 4-hour workshop will walk you through the process step-by-step, including market research, the narrative portion of the business plan and your financial projections.  It will help you to develop a credible, bankable business plan. 

Participants in this workshop will receive a copy of Let's Write Your Business Plan, 9th edition, and the companion financial template, a $30.00 value. 

Follow-up, individual advising is also available. 

REGISTRATION REQUIRED:  Contact Ginny Robert at 607-341-3763 to register. 

FEE:  $79.00

INSTRUCTOR:  Ginny Robert - Ginny has been an entrepreneur and small business trainer and advisor for 23 years.  She worked as a small business advisor at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Binghamton University for five years and as the Director of Entrepreneurial Assistance Program at Broome Community College for five years.  She holds a MBA from Binghamton University and is the author of Let's Write Your Business Plan and Building Your Future in Self-Employment. 

WORKSHOP LOCATION:  Gerri Harrison Financial Services, 191 Riverside Drive, Binghamton, NY

TC3.biz is hosting a 4-session workshop on

Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Entrepreneurship

Tuesdays; September 7th - 28th

6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

In this class you will learn about what it takes to start and run a successful business in the energy efficiency or renewable energy fields.  Get insight and learn from local insulation, building envelope, solar PV, solar thermal, wind, and geothermal businesses. 

Topics to cover include steps towards a business plan, initial financing, company organizational structures, typical job descriptions, profitability, sales and marketing, and quality assurance mechanisms. 

Learn how to make yourself a leader in the renewable energy and energy efficiency team!

FEE:  $249.00

FACILITATOR:  In Shik Lee - TC3's SUNY GREENS NY Program Coordinator

COURSE NUMBER: CEPE558 30

REGISTRATION REQUIRED:  Call 607-844-6586 or visit www.TC3.biz to register

TC3.biz is hosting a 4-session workshop on

Introduction to Renewable Energy

Tuesdays; September 13th - October 4th

4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Introduction of how alternative energy technologies such as Solar PV, Solar Thermal, Passive Cooling, Biofuel, Geothermal, Wind, and other options can be adopted to supplement or displace traditional systems. 

The student will also learn what it takes to work in these fields. 

FEE:  199.00

FACILITATOR: In Shik Lee - TC3's SUNY GREENS NY Program Coordinator

COURSE NUMBER:  CEPE557 30

REGISTRATION REQUIRED:  Call 607-844-6586 or visit www.TC3.biz to register!

Alternatives Federal Credit Union Business CENTS Program is hosting a workshop on

Health Insurance Options for the Self-Employed

Tuesday, September 28th, from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Are you self-employed?  Have you been living and working without health coverage for yourself and perhaps your family?  Health insurance options for self-employed people are limited, but there ARE options, and for most people, some coverage is better than no coverage. 

Join Business CENTS and guest presenter Ed Moscato, insurance and benefits specialist and owner of Moscato and Associates, who will explain the ins and outs of health insurance, describe the types of plans and options available to self-employed/business owners, and answer your questions about this anxiety-inducing topic.  We'll also be talking about medical coverage options through New York State and services offered by the Ithaca Health Alliance. 

FEE:  $15.00

REGISTRATION REQUIRED:  Contact Alison at alison@alternatives.org or call 607-216-3442

Broome Community College is hosting a 3-session workshop on how to

Start Your Own Bed and Breakfast

Tuesdays; September 14th - 28th from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Bed and Breakfast's have become increasingly popular and are an excellent opportunity for a home-based business.  Learn the ins and outs of running a B&B from Bed & Breakfast owners with over 20 years of experience.  Discover what's important to your guests - from the first phone call to check out.  Discussion includes advertising and marketing, reservation services, guest amenities, breakfast menus, taxes and much more.  The class concludes with an optional visit to the instructors' B&B in Candor, NY for breakfast, at an additional charge to be discussed in class. 

Instructors:  Dr. Frank Musgrave and Eva Mae Musgrave

Course Number:  EX 128

Course Fee:  $49.00

REGISTRATION REQUIRED:  Register for this course using your MasterCard or VISA by calling 607-778-5012 or visit www.sunybroome.edu/ce