Date: September 14, 21, 28, 2011

Friedman Associates and their partners are offering three free webinars in September to help plan for next year’s budget and new and improved ways to help clients build strong businesses and lead our communities into economic recovery. Despite continued economic challenges, microenterprise development organizations and CDFIs are finding new opportunities to demonstrate their relevance and impact.

Building a High Performance Volunteer Program

Wednesday September 14th at 2:00 pm EDT

Women’s Initiative has a demonstrated model for successfully utilizing volunteers at every level of the agency and has designed a program intended to transition interest into engagement. In this webinar, Katie will share best practices for the design, execution, and cultivation of volunteer programs to capture individual agency needs and maximize volunteer impact. One notable program is the Women’s Initiative Microenterprise Fellowship Program, designed to engage recent college graduates and seasoned professionals alike to contribute to the agency by maximizing each fellow’s interests and expertise, and by creating a professional development experience unmatched by traditional internships.

Led by Katie Taylor, Research Assistant and Volunteer Coordinator for Women’s Initiative for Self Employment.

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/127139616

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Estimating Supply and Demand for Microcredit in Your Community 

Wednesday, September 21st at 2:00 pm EDT

It’s become conventional wisdom – tightened credit markets means more business for microfinance organizations and CDFIs. But how do you really know? How do you quantify the demand for microcredit in your community? In this webinar, we reveal our approach to helping microfinance organizations and CDFIs answer that key question. Through a process that combines number crunching and interviews with key stakeholders, you will be armed with the information you need to increase volume and impact. Also, we’ll give you some tips on how to “fine tune” your loan fund operations to achieve greater efficiency and performance.

Led by Amelia Lobo, Friedman Associates and Blaise Rastello, Urban Oasis

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/182146672

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Innovations in Green Microenterprise Development in Rural Communities

Wednesday, September 28th at 2:00 pm EDT

Established by The Conservation Fund with a lead grant from the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, ShadeFund enables individuals, companies and foundations to help green entrepreneurs across America grow their businesses and create jobs. Tax deductible contributions to ShadeFund are pooled and lent to qualified small green businesses nationwide. As entrepreneurs repay their loans, those same dollars are recycled to help other entrepreneurs grow their businesses.

Adelante Empreas integrates elements of sustainability, using the triple bottom line framework, into each element of its business development program for Latinos. Learn how staff conducts an impact assessment with clients to identify sustainability goals and how they integrate these goals into their business development coaching.

Led by Rick Larson, Director, ShadeFund and Ali Brown, Coordinator, Adelante Empressas.

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/682715393

These webinars are provided by Women’s Initiative, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs/Georgia Green Loans, Little Dixie Community Action Agency and Friedman Associates and funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration PRIME Program.

Date:  September 23, 2011
Location:  Campus Center at University of Massachusetts Boston

Associated Minority Business Enterprises of New England proudly presents Minority Enterprises Development Week (MED Week) Awards Celebration and Conference.  This event is being held in conjunction with the National MED Week Celebration.  Since 1983, all US Presidents have proclaimed this observance to recognize the outstanding achievements of minority business owners and to honor those corporations, agencies and financial institutions that support minority business development.

AMBE proudly hosts this year’s New England conference.  In keeping with national celebration, we will honor and recognize the diligent efforts of Minority Business Owners in New England.  The conference promises to deliver a grand celebration.

Conference Features:
Opportunity Information Fair, Informative Business Workshops, Award Luncheon, Keynore Speakers, and Networking Reception

Additional Information and Registration

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation invite the submission of papers for Small Business and Entrepreneurship during an Economic Recovery, a conference that will take place November 9–10, 2011, in Washington, DC, at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Federal, state, and local governments have recently enacted numerous policies and programs in support of small businesses. Financial institutions and others are increasingly being called upon to provide capital to small firms—from main street shops to the nascent high-growth companies. These efforts recognize the particular hardships that small businesses have faced during the economic downturn and since, as well as the important role they can play in the current economic recovery. Given the pivotal nature of this time, conference organizers are interested in exploring critical aspects of the capital and assistance needs of small businesses and entrepreneurs.

For details about conference topics and how to submit an abstract, please review the complete call for papers. The deadline to submit an abstract is July 8, 2011. Conference organizers will notify applicants by the middle of August. The deadline for accepted papers is October 7, 2011.

Small Business Financial Analysis: A new tool for small business technical assistance providers

This training will offer participants the opportunity to learn how to use a new excel spreadsheet tool that has been developed specifically for small business technical assistance providers. The tool is a business analysis and strategic planning tool that providers can use to guide their emerging business clients through the process of developing a strategic plan for sustainable growth.  The tool calculates 3 years of financial statement data, balance sheets and income statements and provides the following analysis and planning functions:

1) Ratio analysis:  The tool calculates key financial performance ratios including profitability, liquidity, leverage ,  solvency and detailed assets turnover.  In addition it provides a historical analysis and competitive analysis providing year over year comparisons as well as comparisons with industry averages. Capital IQ Industry averages for 85 industries are captured for comparison.

2)  Problem Identification:  The tool calculates and identifies key ratios that are trending negatively, and provides suggestions regarding what factors and what functional areas could be negatively impacting financial performance.

3) Strategy Development and Tactical Plan:  The tool provides a worksheet for strategy development.

4) Sensitivity Analysis: The tool will calculate the impact of 6 distinct  strategic options on the balance sheet, income statement and financial ratios.

It is our hope that this tool will allow the user to quickly measure and understand the current financial condition of a business, understand the business model and the key drivers of profitability.  It is our vision that the tool will help guide the development of and test the impact of strategic alternatives which will lead to  the effective implementation of a strategy for sustained growth.

We will provide financial statements for a business and together we will enter the data and explore the functionality of the Tool.

For the training, please bring a lap top computer.

During our training, we will give each of you a flash drive with the tool on it and ask you to sign a licensing agreement.  The use of the Tool is free to all MACDC Member organizations and participants in this training.

Training Instructor: Elizabeth Thornton, Babson College & Entrepreneurial Advantage

Date:  November 17, 2010
Time:  9:00am – 5:00pm
Location:  Babson College, Wellesley, MA

Date:  Friday, May 14, 2010
Time:  8:30am – 10:00am
Location:  Ten Post Office Square, Boston, MA (Second Floor Great Room)

Opening Remarks:

Jay Henderson
Executive Vice President
Head of Investment Management & Trust

Speaker:

Jason O’Connell
Assistant Vice President and Equity Analyst
Boston Private Bank & Trust Company

Agenda:

8:30 – 9:00 a.m.      Breakfast and Networking
9:00 – 9:45 a.m.      What Businesses and Investors Are Thinking: An Economic and Capital Markets Review
9:45 – 10:00 a.m.     Q&A

RSVP: 617-912-3919
CommunityInvestmentatBostonPrivateBank@bostonprivatebank.com

Date:  Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Time:  9:00am – 12:00pm
Location:  Century Bank Community Room (400 Mystic Ave., Medford, MA)

The forum will be an opportunity to receive updates and key messages from the Internal Revenue Service including the latest information available about the HIRE Act and the Small Business Health Care Credit. It will also be a chance for you to hear information from a representative the U.S. Department of Labor, Social Security Administration and the Small Business Administration.  The Taxpayer Advocate from the State of Massachusetts will also be there to share current updates.

If you plan on attending the meeting, send your response to  Mary.S.Hanson@irs.gov by MAY 7th

How to Keep & Attract Businesses to Your Downtown

Date:  June 9 & 10, 2010
Time:  8:30am – 3:30pm (June 9), 9:00am – 12:30 (June 10)
Location:  Newburyport City Hall, 60 Pleasant St., Newburyport, MA, 01950

This workshop will examine the fundamental economic principles that support a strong and vibrant downtown. Peg Barringer, Finepoint Associates, will provide information and techniques on how to use these principles to strengthen existing businesses and recruit new businesses.

The second day of the workshop speakers will highlight successful implementation of these concepts.

Speakers for June 10:

Ann Lagasse, Leasing Director, Newburyport Development
Sheila Pwomey, Leasing Manager, Newburyport Development
Maria Dickinson, Economic Development Officer, City of Lowell

Registration Deadline is May 28, 2010

Register online: www.mass.gov/dhcd

Presented by the The Community Business Network

Date:  Thursday, April 29, 2010
Time:  6:00pm – 9:00pm
Location:  Northeastern University Dockser Hall
(65 Forsyth Steet, Boston, MA, 02115)

A hands-on community forum for local neighborhood business owners in Boston – making businesses environmentally sustainable while keeping the changes affordable.

For more information and registration, please contact:
Leslie belay
leslie.belay@verizon.net

Date:  June 12, 2010
Time:  9:00am-5:00pm
Location:  Franklin County, MA

The Together on the Land Tour will highlight examples of housing and land ownership that tackle tough questions about how to build green and affordable housing in a way that supports community involvement and interdependence.  Guided all-day group tour.  Learn about coops, cohousing, conservation, community land trusts and more!

Sponsors:  Cooperative Development Institute, Equity Trust,  Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, Franklin Land Trust & Valley Community Land Trust

Registration is required:
www.vclt.org/together2010
or call Megan 413-624-5128.