WARE — By popular demand, the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corporation is once again hosting its five-session workshop to guide business owners through planning, marketing and financing their companies.
The Business Planning Workshop will take place every Tuesday, Feb. 6-27. Sessions will run from 6-7:30 p.m. in the front meeting room of the organization’s E2E building, or Education to Employment: Quaboag Region Workforce Training and Community College Center, located at 79 Main St. in Ware, according to the nonprofit.
During the workshop, professionals will give presentations on various topics relating to starting a small business. Participants will then have the opportunity to ask questions, QVCDC Executive Director Melissa Fales told Reminder Publishing.
After the first four sessions, participants will schedule a private, personalized session to discuss specifics about their potential expenses and income from their business, she said, stating that both new and experienced business owners could benefit from this process.
Fales highlighted the “sense of camaraderie” that participants develop in the workshop, stating that attendees inspire and support each other. In sharing the experience with others that similarly “have that entrepreneurial spark,” participants learn from each other’s experiences, Fales said. Unlike previous sessions, this year the workshop will be in-person which Fales hopes will increase the benefits for participants.
This workshop is part of the nonprofit’s business training, which is one of multiple services offered by the Community Development Financial Institutions-certified organization, including transportation through the Quaboag Connector, computer courses, loan assistance and services for low-income seniors, she said.
“We do a little bit of everything,” Fales stated, emphasizing how the nonprofit works to adapt to the needs of its communities by sending out surveys on what residents want to learn. “We’ve been small business-focused since day one.”
The organization currently serves Monson, Palmer, Ware, Warren, Wales, Holland, Hardwick and Brimfield as well as Belchertown, Brookfield, East Brookfield, North Brookfield, West Brookfield, Charlton, Dudley, New Braintree, Oxford, Southbridge, Spencer and Sturbridge.
Fales also emphasized the workshop’s sponsor stating, “The Quaboag Valley CDC’s Small Business Planning Workshop is made possible by the generous support of the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation and its Small Business Assistance Grant Program.”
To participate in the Business Planning Workshop, residents should sign up on the QVCDC website by Feb. 5, Fales said. The cost is $100 per business to participate in all five sessions. A reduced rate of $25 is available for low-income families who qualify. No materials are needed for the sessions.
For more information about the Business Planning Workshop or QVCDC, contact the organization by phone at 413-967-3001 or visit its location at 23 West Main St, in Ware. Updates on available classes can also be found on the QVCDC website or Facebook page. Contact Lindsay Aucoin at 413-497-4409 or lindsaya@qvcdc.org for questions about the workshop’s reduced rate.
