Micro Business Workshops

The Micro Business Development Program is a program operating out of five community action agencies statewide. Here you will find classes and workshops designed and sponsored by the Micro Business Development Program at CVOEO.

Classes and workshops will be announced 4-6 weeks prior to the event.

Upcoming Workshops:

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Business Plan Writing

This session takes place at 255 S Champlain St., Burlington, VT 05401 Having a good business plan is essential to creating and running a business. It provides you, the owner, with a roadmap for success, and a business plan is always required when applying for a grant or bank financing. Join us for an in-person, interactive workshop with our business counselor, John Gergely, who will guide you through a process for writing your business plan, help you understand the components of a business plan, and identify ways to improve upon your existing business plans, if you already have one. Email us your business plan (growingmoney@cvoeo.org) ahead of the class for an opportunity to have it reviewed in real time!

Financial Futures Programs Workshop/Class In-person

Lunch with Lenders: Exploring Funding Opportunities for Small Businesses

An event in celebration of Black History Month. Conversations on accessing capital with traditional and non-traditional lenders from Burlington Revolving Loan Fund, Opportunities Credit Union, and the Vermont Community Loan Fund. Bring you questions and come ready to share your experiences. Lunch will be provided! In-Person at Winooski High School.

Financial Futures Programs Office of Racial Equity and Community Inclusion In-person Event

ChatGPT & AI: Level Up Your Marketing & Content Creation in 2024

I'm sure you've heard of AI and ChatGPT, but do you know how to use it to create website content, social media posts, and email blasts that are trained to sound just like your brand? Invest 90 minutes with industry expert Mike Lannen of Eternity Marketing to guide you through artificial intelligence and how it can help your business. This event is in-person at the DoubleTree in Burlington, Vermont, but may be joined via Zoom.

Financial Futures Programs In-person Virtual

Sisterhood of the Dreaded Elevator Pitch

VT Works for Women, Mercy Connections, Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, and Center for Women & Enterprise are hosting Sisterhood of the Dreaded Elevator Pitch on Friday, December 15, 2023 from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM at the O’Brien Community Center in Winooski.

Financial Futures Programs Community Event In-person

Past Topics Have Included:

Calculator and business folders, labelled for taxes

Introduction to Business Taxes

What taxes do I need to pay?
What is self-employment tax?
How do I estimate my business taxes?
What other taxes do I pay if I have employees?
What should I ask an accountant before hiring them?

Two people working together on a business.

Insurance Basics

Interactive workshop answering questions on business insurance.
Topics covered: General Liability, Workers’ Comp, Property Casualty, and other insurance needs that small businesses owners should know about.
How to obtain needed coverages at affordable prices.

One hand giving another a pen to sign a contract, stack of money to the side.

Business Lending and Loans

The programs and benefits offered by local organizations.
The application process and requirements.
What you need to know if you want to borrow a very small amount of money for your business.
What’s changed about business lending since COVID-19.