After meeting with over 30 businesses in February, SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) and partners are hosting three workshops in June to address the concerns and issues the businesses raised.
All workshops will be held June 5-7 at the Antioch Place, 531 N. Market St., Shamokin.
The June 5 workshop, Sales & Marketing: The Bread & Butter of Your Business, will be presented by the Bucknell University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) from noon to 1:30 p.m.
This workshop will help business owners position their businesses for sales success by clearly communicating the value of their products and services. It will cover clear and consistent communication, cost and value, and personal biases. Presenters are SBDC business consultants Dennis Hummer and Reed Byrum. Cost is $25 with a special discount of $10 for Shamokin Area Businesses for Economic Revitalization (SABER) participants. Registration is required by June 3 and can be done online at www.bucknell.edu/SBDCevents or by calling 570-577-1249.
The June 6 workshop, Workforce Recruiting, will be from 6 to 8 p.m., presented by PA CareerLink in partnership with Welch Performance Consulting.
This free workshop and panel presentation will focus on recruitment efforts to address workforce shortage concerns. Issues addressed include how to successfully recruit candidates; how to expand your labor pool; the current recruiting trends; and available resources. A panel discussion will feature those who’ve found successful means to recruit new employees. To register, email charpster@tiu11.org or call 717-248-4942 ext.105.
The final workshop, One Page Growth Plan, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. June 7 and will be facilitated by the Covation Center.
This workshop will help business owners build a strategy to take their business to the next level. It will provide tools to take a deep dive into business growth and a one-page overview of necessary growth steps. To register, contact SEDA-COG’s Betsy Kramer at 570-524-4491 or bkramer@seda-cog.org.
This effort is part of the statewide PA Engage! program, a statewide business retention and expansion program that offers companies advantages and connections.
In a 10-county central Pennsylvania region, a network of publicly funded partners empowers businesses to stay in PA, grow and excel. With the Engage! program, the partners identify and invest in businesses that may be unaware of the host of local resources available to them.
These partners are part of the Central Region Partners for Regional Economic Performance (PREP) network that SEDA-COG coordinates, which has over 20 business service providers in the region.
The local business service providers have a history of successfully partnering with businesses to help them reach their goals. From manufacturing, restaurants, gyms, orchards, farms, and more, no matter the business, the local business service providers can boost businesses to the next level.
Locally, Engage! was financed by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Department of Community and Economic Development.
For more information, contact SEDA-COG’s Betsy Lockwood at 570-524-4491 or elockwood@seda-cog.org.