The 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course is appropriate for anyone wanting to explore mindfulness and its potential benefits in their lives. The live 2-hour video classes are designed to introduce mindfulness through a variety of practices, practical tips, exercises, and resources.

The topics include:

• Introduction to Mindfulness
• Be Right Where You Are
• Our Storytelling Minds
• Cultivating Kindness
• Willingness to Be with Things as They Are
• Finding Compassion Within
• Enhancing Resilience
• Moving Forward

In addition to the above topics, private coaching sessions can address personal stress management, guidance with developing a daily practice, and individualized assistance with personal challenges.

Take the first steps on your journey to being an entrepreneur.

This FREE webinar is a brief introduction to entrepreneurship and what goes into creating and starting a new business.

This webinar will run over 2 consecutive afternoons.
It includes a high-level overview of some of the things that will be critical to your success, including:

In Part 1

• Assessing how well suited you are to be an entrepreneur and how to make sure that the idea you have is practical.
• What business structures are available and which one might be best for you.
• The permits and licenses you might need.

In Part 2

• How to take your idea all the way to reality
• What you will need to know about Business Plans and Business Financials.

MINDFUL CO-PARENTING

The 7-week Mindful Co-Parenting class is designed to provide concrete support to parents who have separated, yet are parenting their children together.

The course identifies the effects of broken relationships on both adults and children and the importance of developing a workable written Co-Parenting Plan that addresses the required components of time sharing, child exchanges, and communication.

The private, two hour live video classes offer multimedia presentations, worksheets and resources, and open discussions to provide support, encouragement and guidance in navigating the development of a successful co-parenting relationship. The topics include:

• Foundational Agreements
• Personality & Emotions
• From a Child’s Perspective
• Relationship Building
• Timesharing
• Developing a Co-Parenting Plan
• Focusing Forward

In addition to the above topics, private coaching sessions can address stress management, guidance with
personal parenting challenges, and individualized support.

Take the first steps on your journey to being an entrepreneur

This webinar is a brief introduction to entrepreneurship and what goes into creating and starting a new business.

This webinar will run over 2 consecutive afternoons.
It includes a high-level overview of some of the things that will be critical to your success, including:

In Part 1

• Assessing how well suited you are to be an entrepreneur and how to make sure that the idea you have is practical.
• What business structures are available and which one might be best for you.
• The permits and licenses you might need.

In Part 2

• How to take your idea all the way to reality
• What you will need to know about Business Plans and Business Financials.

Following Wednesday morning's ASK SBDC update from 10:30 - 11:00, join the California Small Enterprise Task Force until 11:30 for virtual office hours led by experienced attorneys and business advisors of the Northern California Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network.

Join us for an intensive four-part boot camp on restaurant financials.  This boot camp is hosted by financial expert and Regional Advisor Paul Bozzo and SBDC Restaurant Program Manager Louise Dawson.  The goal is to do a deep dive into understanding and producing restaurant financials.  The takeaway will be to have a full set of financial projections and budgets that are ready to show lenders, investors or landlords. The Restaurant Financials Boot Camp is designed for serious entrepreneurs ready to commit the time to take their financial skills to the next level.

1.  The first training is an introduction to financials. We'll cover essential financial skills and the Big 3 financial statements - profit/loss, balance sheet and cash flow. 

2.  Session two will cover Profit and Loss statements ~ how to read them, understand them and apply it to your own business.  We will cover revenue, expenses, cost of goods, key industry benchmarks for profit and how to control costs. During the second half of the webinar we will discuss food costs, managing inventory and recipe cards.  

3.The third session will review operation and capital expense projections and how to understand and forecast.

4.  In the final session, we will learn how to put together a detailed start up expense budget

This webinar is a brief introduction to entrepreneurship and what goes into creating and starting a new business.

This webinar will run over 2 consecutive afternoons.
It includes a high-level overview of some of the things that will be critical to your success, including:

In Part 1 

• Assessing how well suited you are to be an entrepreneur and how to make sure that the idea you have is practical.
• What business structures are available and which one might be best for you.
• The permits and licenses you might need.

In Part 2

• How to take your idea all the way to reality
• What you will need to know about Business Plans and Business Financials.

MINDFUL CO-PARENTING

The 7-week Mindful Co-Parenting class is designed to provide concrete support to parents who have separated, yet are parenting their children together.

The course identifies the effects of broken relationships on both adults and children and the importance of developing a workable written Co-Parenting Plan that addresses the required components of time sharing, child exchanges, and communication.

The private, two hour live video classes offer multimedia presentations, worksheets and resources, and open discussions to provide support, encouragement and guidance in navigating the development of a successful co-parenting relationship. The topics include:

• Foundational Agreements
• Personality & Emotions
• From a Child’s Perspective
• Relationship Building
• Timesharing
• Developing a Co-Parenting Plan
• Focusing Forward

In addition to the above topics, private coaching sessions can address stress management, guidance with
personal parenting challenges, and individualized support.

Don't miss this exclusive webinar on funding foundations for your business.

There are several different ways for a business to access capital, and we will cover all traditional and non-traditional lending platforms that exist and how to apply them to each unique business situation. If you have been turned down by a lender, then it's not the end of the story. Join this webinar and get new options to get funded.

This webinar will cover the following & more:

• Introduction to Commercial Financing
• Debt vs Equity
• Partnership and Capital Structures
• Telling Your Story
• 5 C’s of Capital
• Types of Loan Products and Programs
• Working with the SBDC

MINDFUL CO-PARENTING

The 7-week Mindful Co-Parenting class is designed to provide concrete support to parents who have separated, yet are parenting their children together.

The course identifies the effects of broken relationships on both adults and children and the importance of developing a workable written Co-Parenting Plan that addresses the required components of time sharing, child exchanges, and communication.

The private, two hour live video classes offer multimedia presentations, worksheets and resources, and open discussions to provide support, encouragement and guidance in navigating the development of a successful co-parenting relationship. The topics include:

• Foundational Agreements
• Personality & Emotions
• From a Child’s Perspective
• Relationship Building
• Timesharing
• Developing a Co-Parenting Plan
• Focusing Forward

In addition to the above topics, private coaching sessions can address stress management, guidance with
personal parenting challenges, and individualized support.

Digital Marketing Hour - BONUS SESSION!

If not prior to the pandemic, most businesses are now embracing digital technology as an effective way to communicate with their customers, promote their business and services and sell their products directly online.  With the array of digital tools and social media platforms available, business often struggle maintaining an effective digital marketing strategy with so many options. Sierra SBDC advisor, Ms. Lani Lott, will provide an overview of the top 10 digital marketing tactics that she has found the majority of her clients are using to reach their audience, strengthen their business' brand and generate revenue — all virtually.

Interested in learning about marketing? Here’s your chance.

Join us for this educational webinar to learn the fundamental principles of marketing and how best to apply those principles to empower you to create your own marketing efforts for your small business.

We’ll teach the building blocks of marketing including:

• Gaining insight into an overview of processes
• Understanding the competitive landscape
• Identifying the consumer target audience including positioning
• Learning the classic 4Ps to develop the Marketing Plan

In this 60-minute webinar, we will cover what small employers should know to manage employees in California.

It is critical for owners and managers to understand that having employees in California is different than every other state. Join us to learn the employment policies and HR best practices to reduce risk and keep your business compliant with the law. The presenter will be Chana Anderson, CCP, PHRca, SPHR, Senior Vice President & Practice Leader for ABD HR Consulting Services, as well a SBDC Regional Advisor. She holds several degrees and certifications, and possesses a deep expertise in organizational culture, human resources, and employment law. Her superpower is making the complex and ever-changing employment landscape easy to navigate.

This webinar will cover:

• Independent contractor v. employee
• Required new hire paperwork
• Complying with wage & hour laws
• Mandatory and optional benefits
• Essential training and policies
• Terminating employment