Angling for grants in lean times

In the current economic climate, learning how to obtain grants is a necessary skill to master. To that end, Business and Industry Services at Beaufort County Community College will present a two-part seminar on the art and science of grant writing 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 3 and Nov. 10 in Room 822 of Building 8 on the BCCC campus.

Attendees at this workshop will learn effective grant writing skills so they can be in the “winner’s circle” when grants are handed out. They will learn to demonstrate need and capacity and the importance of collaboration in winning grants. The seminar will also include valuable time-proven tips on writing a successful grant proposal.

The instructor for the course is Michele Oros. A native of Connecticut, Oros earned a bachelor’s degree in media studies and a master’s degree in library and media studies from Appalachian State University. She also holds an education specialist degree in supervision and administration. Oros has made her home in eastern North Carolina since 1987 and has been actively and successfully seeking grant opportunities for Beaufort County schools since 2003.

The seminar is cosponsored by the Washington/Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce.

There is no cost to attend the seminar but in order to ensure seating and allow for the preparation of materials, preregistration is required.

For more information, or to register, contact BCCC’s Business and Industry Services at 940-6375 or by email at evap@beaufortccc.edu.

Entrepreneurial Core Curriculum classes for Washington County

Business and Industry Services at Beaufort County Community College announces a schedule of upcoming classes in Washington County in November that serve as the core curriculum for potential and existing small business owners.

The classes are designed to help entrepreneurs understand the basics of starting, advertising, financing and keeping records for their existing and potential small businesses as well as business plan development.

Students who complete all five of the core courses will receive a certificate that acknowledges their studies, according to Lentz Stowe, director of BCCC’s Business and Industry Services.

Students can use the certificate to prove to potential business lenders and investors that they have the skills to successfully operate a small business or they can use the certificate to bolster their resumes when applying for positions as small business employees, Stowe said.

All classes will be offered at Gateway Bank, 433 U.S. Highway 64 East in Plymouth.

Participants can register to attend one or more of these classes. They are scheduled as follows:

• How to Start a Business: 3 to 5 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 6. A workshop designed to help budding entrepreneurs start their own businesses. It will help encourage individuals who have good business ideas to take them seriously and find out how to pursue them while avoiding costly and painful mistakes. Topics to be discussed include: Advantages and disadvantages of owning a business; factors to be considered in starting a business; how to obtain permits and licenses; where to obtain tax information, and how to know if you are reading to start a business. Instructors for the course will be volunteers from S.C.O.R.E.

• How to Write a Business Plan: 3 to 5 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 8. A workshop that will help students create a plan for their small businesses. A business plan is the foundation for success when future business owners are deciding whether to start a new business or buy an existing business. It is also a valuable tool for entrepreneurs seeking financing for their businesses. Some of the topics to be discussed in the seminar are writing the executive summary of a plan, describing the business, developing a marketing plan and writing a financial plan. Volunteers from S.C.O.R.E will be the instructors for the course.

• Advertising and Marketing for Small Businesses: 3 to 5 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 13. A workshop designed to teach participants low-cost advertising and marketing strategies and methods. Students will learn to create a marketing plan and score greater sales with current customers. The instructors are members of S.C.O.R.E.

• Financing Your Small Business: 3 to 5 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 14. A workshop designed to teach participants ways to finance their small businesses including information on grants and loans available to help. It will also provide information on where entrepreneurs can obtain good, solid and reliable financial advice. The instructors are members of S.C.O.R.E.

• Recordkeeping and Taxes for Your Small Business: 2 to 5 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 15. This seminar will help participants understand the financial aspects of their businesses including financial statements, working with bankers, filing federal and state reports and financial terms that may be confusing. The instructor is David Singleton, CPA, Seiler, Singleton & Associates, P.A. in Plymouth and Washington.

Attendance is free of charge for all of these seminars but preregistration is recommended in order to reserve seating and to allow the college to adequately prepare materials. Seating is limited.

To register, contact BCCC’s Business and Industry Services at 252-940-6375 or email Eva Peartree at evap@beaufortccc.edu or Jennifer Arnold, director, Washington County Chamber of Commerce at 252-793-4804.

The workshops are cosponsored by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and S.C.O.R.E., a national nonprofit organization to provide professional guidance and information accessible to all, to maximize the success of America’s existing and emerging small businesses.

Substitute teaching class offered

The Division of Continuing Education at Beaufort County Community College will offer a class that will prepare participants to be substitute teachers in the local public school system.

The class will be 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Nov. 5-8, in Room 827 of Building 8 on the BCCC campus. The instructor is Jane Rouse.

The registration fee is $65. The required textbook can be purchased from the BCCC Bookstore prior to the first class. This course offers 2.4 continuing education units.

The course will give participants information on learning expectations, time management and many other topics related to being a substitute teacher.

For more information about this class, interested persons should contact Lou Stout, director of Occupation Extension, at 252-940-6307.

Students may register by calling 940-6375 or in person in room 802 of Building 8 on the BCCC campus. BCCC accepts Visa, MasterCard and Discover. Checks payable to Beaufort County Community College may be mailed to the attention of Eva Peartree, P.O. Box 1069, Washington, NC 27889.

 

 

Join the BCCC Foundation for a trip to Jersey Boys!

Join the Beaufort County Community College Foundation, Saturday, Nov. 17, for a trip to Durham to see the award-winning stage production of Jersey Boys and enjoy a tour of one of the state’s most renowned garden spots.

The trip will also include meals at two popular restaurants in the Triangle region.

The cost of the trip, open to all BCCC students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the college, is $185 per person. The trip is limited to 30 participants so early registration is recommended.

The price of the trip includes transportation to and from Durham, two meals and tickets for seats in the orchestra section for Jersey Boys at the Durham Performing Arts Center in downtown Durham.

The trip will leave the parking lot at BCCC by 7:45 a.m. and arrive at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum at 10 a.m. Once there, the group will tour the nationally acclaimed garden, with one of the largest and most diverse collections of landscape plants adapted for use in the Southeast.

Following this tour, participants will travel to The Pizzeria in Durham’s West Village for a lunch similar to the ones enjoyed by Frankie Valli and his fellow musicians when they were growing up in the Garden State.

After lunch, the group will travel to DPAC in Durham for a matinee performance of Jersey Boys, the Tony Award-winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons. This is the story of how four blue-collar kids from New Jersey became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. The musical features hit songs such as “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”

After the performance, participants will travel to Raleigh, for dinner at Bella Monica restaurant – a popular neighborhood trattoria. The tour is scheduled to return to Beaufort County around 9:30 p.m.

For more information, or to register, contact Marcia Norwood, Foundation specialist, at 252-940-6218, or Judy Jennette, Foundation director, at 252-940-6326. Information is also available on the BCCC News Blog that can be accessed from the college website at www.beaufortccc.edu.