Begins: Thursday, September 11, 2008
Ends: Thursday, December 4, 2008
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Number of Sessions: 12
Participants: Limited to 25

Cost: $495 includes comprehensive reference books, guest speakers and breakout sessions to work on your business plan. The cost for additional particpants from the same company is $395 including materials or $295 without materials.

Orientation Sessions: 2 free sessions. Orientation #1 is Thursday August 21 from 6pm to 7pm, and orientation #2 is Thursday August 28, 6pm to 7pm. Register

Location: Classes and orientations will be held at the Marin Employment Connection, Redwood Room.

Address: 120 North Redwood Drive East, San Rafael, California Google Map - Click Here

Trainers

Cynthia Riggs and Noah Harris are Certified NxLevel™ Trainers. Cynthia is a specialist in business development, marketing and finance. Noah is bilingual in Spanish and specializes in business strategy and direction, market research and analysis.

Course Outline

1. Introduction, Overview & Entrepreneurship - Gain an understanding of the NxLeveL™ Business Plan and begin to develop the business mission statement, goals and objectives.

2. Planning & Research: Entrepreneurial Essentials - Begin market and industry research through identification and usage of research resources.

3. Organizational Matters: Management & Legal Structure - Explore topics such as legal structure, taxes, regulations, risk management and employee issues.

4. Marketing-"Behind the Scenes": Analysis & Understanding - Learn key concepts of analyzing your market including customer profiling and competitive analysis.

5. Marketing-"On Stage": Strategies, Tactics & Implementation - Develop strategies based on the product, pricing, promotion and distribution elements of your business.

6. Financial Overview: Books, Records & Controls - Examine how your books and records become "the language of business."

7. Managing Your Money: Financial Planning, Budgets & Assumptions - Understand how to develop and derive feedback from budgets.

8. Managing Your Money: Developing and Using Cash Flow Projections - Learn how to prepare and use the ultimate "management tool" - cash flow projections.

9. Understanding and Using Your Financial Statements - Take the mystery out your financial statements by learning how to use the numbers.

10. Financing Your Business: Alternative Sources of Money - Evaluate financing options and determine what works best for your business needs.

11. The Deal Making Process: Negotiating in the Real World - Develop an understanding of the negotiating process and techniques.

12. Your Business Future: Managing Growth and Plan Completion - Is growth or expansion next for your business? What is the future vision for your business?

Frequently Asked Questions

How was NxLeveL™ created?

The NxLeveL™ curriculum is based on the collective expertise and input of the brightest minds in small business - academics, successful entrepreneurs and highly-regarded industry experts in fields such as marketing, finance and operations.

What can you tell me about NxLeveL™?

• NxLeveL™ is the largest and most proven entrepreneurial training program in the world. The curriculum has been taught in 47 states, 600 communities and 7 countries.
• The latest version of the NxLeveL™ Entrepreneurs Course was developed using the input of more than 4,500 past participants and 180 NxLeveL™ instructors.
• NxLeveL™ graduates not only leave with the benefit of sound business training but also a comprehensive business plan to guide future entrepreneurial endeavors.

What are some of the results I can expect?

The bottom-line results from participating in a NxLeveL™ program are real and tangible. A third-party, independent evaluation was commissioned to determine the economic impact of the NxLeveL™ curriculum. The results of the study showed the following:

• On average, participant's businesses experienced a 32% increase in gross sales and created 1.3 new jobs within one year after graduation.
• Graduates with smaller companies (annual gross sales less than $200,000) experienced an average of more than 200% increase in sales.
• The study showed that the majority of NxLeveL™ participants used the business plan created in the course to obtain venture capital or financing for their business.

What else can I expect from the NxLeveL™ Course?

Just some of the things included are - an experienced business educator, prominent local business leaders as guest speakers, networking opportunities with fellow participants, comprehensive reference materials, one-on-one business counseling and a supportive environment to practice creative problem solving.

When can I use what I've learned?

"Learn it tonight and use it tomorrow" - NxLeveL™ is designed to do just that. Unlike many other education programs, which focus primarily on theory, NxLeveL™'s practical and hands-on approach provides entrepreneurs with the skills and knowledge necessary to have an immediate impact on their business.

Graduates Share Their Thoughts

"This course is worth thousands of dollars!" Laura Dahlstedt - Savoir-Faire Salon, Windsor

"The most useful course I've taken in over 20 years being in business." Darryl Nienaber - European Imports, Santa Rosa

"I received more valuable information from the NxLeveL™ program then I have been able to acquire in 30+ years of business." Michael Goldstein - MGCC Events, Novato

"An eye opening experience to what really makes a business work." David Mantooth - Mantooth Construction, Cotati

Articles

The following articles were published in August 2007 and are Copyright © 2007 to their respective Publishers - All Rights Reserved.

North Bay Business Journal | Press Democrat