Training Videos and Seminars
Below are videos of events and seminars at the James J. Hill Reference Library relevant to small business owners, job seekers and entrepreneurs.
Relationships, Not Rules: Client Talk 101
Relationships, Not Rules: Client Talk 101 w/ Liz Ward from James J. Hill Library.
Original Date: 1/12/2011
Liz Ward, Founder of Co-Culture Solutions, for a practical seminar for small business owners who want and need to communicate effectively and build lasting relationships with clients.
Why effective communication is paramount to small business? Because it can accelerate growth, strength & potential for success.
Misunderstandings and missed opportunities can kill a small business. This seminar will show you how to build lasting relationships for long-term results, not just quick sales. You will explore a range of tools and methods for effective communication, walking away with the knowledge of:
- Strategies for building trust and bridging gaps
- Tips for ensuring that your client’s view of “you” aligns with your view of “you”
- Communication style differences and how to leverage these differences
- Resources for dealing with conflict situations
Liz Ward is the Founder of Co-Culture Solutions. Over the last 12 years, Ward has learned the importance of effective communication from life, work, and travel both domestically and in 38 countries around the world.
This seminar is part of the 'Business Stages for Entrepreneurs' seminar series designed to provide small business owners and entrepreneurs with practical tools to grow their business at every stage.
Low Cost, High Impact Guerilla Marketing
Low Cost, High Impact Guerilla Marketing from James J. Hill Library.
Original Date: 12/8/2010
Tara Stern, Account Manager at Imagewërks Marketing, for a practical seminar on how to come up with low-cost, high-impact marketing ideas that differentiate your business in the marketplace and increase your revenue without breaking the bank.
Have you ever wondered how you could make a big impact in the marketplace with a small marketing budget?
The whole essence behind Guerrilla Marketing is using time, energy and imagination rather than money to promote your product or service. Difficult times force small businesses to cut back on discretionary sales and marketing expenditure so they have less contact with their customers and prospects at a time when they need it the most. Imagine the impact you will have when you learn the Guerrilla Marketing low-cost, high impact marketing tactics.Tara Stern is the Account Manager with Imagewërks Marketing. Tara will share more than a dozen marketing tactics that you can implement within a week with little or no marketing dollars. She will equip you with the right information, the right mindset and the courage to make high impact for your business with little investment.
This seminar is part of the 'Business Stages for Entrepreneurs' seminar series designed to provide small business owners and entrepreneurs with practical tools to grow their business at every stage.
Entrepreneurial Essentials: Getting Started
Entrepreneurial Essentials: Getting Started from James J. Hill Library.
Original Date: 11/17/2010
Join us to hear Mike Ryan, Director of the Twin Cities Small Business Development Center at the University of St. Thomas, for a practical seminar on starting a business including a look at the personal characteristics of successful entrepreneurs, and new venture feasibility and financing.
Do you have an idea or a hidden talent? Do you know what it takes to turn that idea or talent into a successful business?
This seminar is designed for individuals who are considering self-employment, or are at the beginning stages of starting a business. Mike will provide an overview of key characteristics of successful business ownership and what it takes to start and run a successful business. In addition, he will share available resources for launching new ventures in Minnesota, address common pitfalls encountered by start-ups, and debunk some entrepreneurial myths.
Mike Ryan is the Director of the Twin Cities Small Business Development Center at the University of St. Thomas. The Center provides leading-edge management consulting services to hundreds of small businesses in areas such as finance, marketing and strategic planning. Registration required.
This seminar is part of the 'Business Stages for Entrepreneurs' seminar series designed to provide small business owners and entrepreneurs with practical tools to grow their business at every stage.
Do-It-Yourself Market Research from Practical to Profits
Do-It-Yourself Market Research from Practical to Profits
Original Date: 10/13/2010
Market research isn't just for startups; it's an important ongoing process for every small business. Gathering and using the right information to make better decisions is essential to your business success at every stage. Whether you're introducing a new service or product, testing the feasibility of a new idea or analyzing market opportunities and threats, the Hill Library can direct you to useful resources. Join Hill Business Information Specialist Allen Verbrugge for a practical market research seminar in which you’ll be introduced to a variety of market research tools that will help you size up the competition, find customers and evaluate market trends.
Identifying Transferrable Skills and On-line Job Search Tools
Original Date: 8/25/2010
Rachel Vilsack, Rachel Vilsack, regional labor market analyst with the MN Dept. of Employment and Economic Development, will help you identify occupations that are a good match for your skills and explain how they will transfer to potential careers. Identifying transferrable skills is an essential part of job seeking. Expanding your career planning options through online resources will further assist you in your job and career search. This session will review the Job Skills Transfer Assessment Tool (JobSTAT) which identifies occupations that are a good match based on your work experience. It also identifies how your skills, knowledge and abilities can transfer to careers and where your gaps might be.
Using Networking to Unlock the Hidden Job Market
Original Date: 8/17/2010
Amy Lindgren, president of Prototype Career Service, will help you identify common networking mistakes and how to correct them. You’ve gone to networking meetings and come home empty-handed; you’ve conducted informational interviews and come back with…information. You’ve even polished your elevator speech and tried it out at public events. Well, that was just embarrassing. If networking is the hot ticket to job leads and new employment, why are you not employed yet? Come to this fast-paced, interactive session to find out. Chances are you are making one of several common, but correctable mistakes. Maybe you don’t have an overall strategy, or a concise job goal, or a list of people to network with, or maybe you stumble over what to say. We’ll march through those issues and help you get the leads and information you need in your job search.
Effectively Navigating Web-based Career and Job Search Tools
Effectively Navigating Web-based Career and Job Search Tools from James J. Hill Library.
Original Date: 8/10/2010
Shelia Cunningham McComb, project coordinator at iSeek.org, provides you with an overview of iseek’s job search resources and effective job search strategies. If you’re frustrated with your job search in today’s market, need new strategies, job leads, or simply networking tips, this seminar will help you effectively conduct your job search using a variety of online resources, from employment Web sites, electronic resumes, labor market, career information, and social media networking.
LinkedIn for Job Searching
Make Economic Cents - LinkedIn for Job Search, Lonny Gulden from James J. Hill Library.
Original Date: 8/3/2010
Lonny Gulden, founder of ChiefConnectionsOfficer.com and an expert in building businesses, will help you unlock the power of LinkedIn for your job search, as well as provide you with tips for networking and connecting to opportunities. You may have accepted a few invitations, sent out some invitations of your own and started a profile, but figuring out how to leverage your LinkedIn presence for your job search purposes is not obvious. Get help! From this discussion, you will learn the secret of creating an effective profile, building upon your past and existing relationships to connect with employers.
Preserve Your Financial Health
Preserve Your Financial Health
Video podcast from Chris Farrell’s presentation held at the Hill Libary on March 3, 2009. Chris Farrell, Economics Editor for American Public Media, explained how to stay financially healthy in an unhealthy financial environment by improving our understanding of ourselves. (Courtesy of the City of Saint Paul) Resources for this event
