Events at this location

Gain the knowledge and tools to take control of your finances, whether you’re a seasoned business owner or just starting out.

This session will equip you with the essentials to manage your finances and drive your business toward long-term success. Don’t miss this opportunity to demystify the numbers and pave your path to financial clarity!

Topics include:

• Recordkeeping and bookkeeping basics
• Bookkeeping software options
• Your balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement
• Quick and easy tools for measuring the financial health of your business

Speaker: Wendy Orvis, ASBTDC Business Consultant

La contabilidad y las finanzas son clave para el éxito de cualquier negocio. En este webinar, aprenderás los fundamentos esenciales para administrar tus finanzas de manera efectiva y tomar mejores decisiones para el crecimiento de tu empresa.

¿Qué aprenderás?

• Cómo organizar tus finanzas desde el principio
• La diferencia entre ingresos, costos y gastos
• Cómo leer y entender un estado financiero
• Herramientas y software de contabilidad recomendados

Este evento está diseñado para emprendedores y dueños de pequeños negocios que desean mejorar la administración de sus finanzas. ¡No pierdas la oportunidad de aprender de un experto y llevar tu negocio al siguiente nivel!

Presentado por Eduardo Touceda, CPA and tax expert.

Webinar en español

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(English Translation)

Basic Accounting and Finance for Small Businesses

Accounting and finance are key to the success of any business. In this webinar, you will learn the essential fundamentals to manage your finances effectively and make better decisions for your company’s growth.

What You Will Learn:

• How to organize your finances from the start
• The difference between revenue, costs, and expenses
• How to read and understand a financial statement
• Recommended accounting tools and software

This event is designed for entrepreneurs and small business owners who want to improve their financial management. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from an expert and take your business to the next level!

Presenter: Eduardo Touceda, CPA and Tax Expert

Webinar in Spanish

Considering starting a small business on the side to make extra money? Want to see if you can make a little extra cash with your hobby?

Find out about different ways to start a side hustle and things you need to know for your business to thrive.

Speaker: Matt Lundy, ATU ASBTDC

Special thanks to our 2025 Mission Co-Sponsors: Arvest Bank, Bank OZK, Capital CDC, Centennial Bank, First State Bank, First Security Bank, and Union Bank

If you have questions about state and local tax requirements for businesses, this live online session is for you! Join WLJ tax attorney T.J. Lawhon for a comprehensive overview of sales and use tax in Arkansas. Then get your questions answered during Q&A.

Topics will include:

• The difference between sales and use tax transactions for both state and local taxing authorities
• How and when to collect and remit state and local taxes
• General exemptions and common pitfalls for business owners
• Recent sales and use tax code updates and their implications

Speaker: T.J. Lawhon, Tax Attorney at Wright Lindsey Jennings

Presented in cooperation with Wright Lindsey Jennings

Marketing your business effectively can help you attract new customers and increase sales. But how do you know what’s working and what’s not? This session will help you set goals, measure success, and develop a plan that gets you results.

Topics will include:

• Setting meaningful marketing goals that help your bottom line
• Identifying which marketing metrics to watch, based on your goals
• Defining your audience using market research
• Planning marketing activities that fit your goals and audience
• Managing tasks with time-saving tips and best practices

With a strategic, goal-oriented approach to marketing, you can maximize your time and resources AND grow your business!

Speaker: Destiny Adams, ASBTDC

This online event is available at no cost thanks to our mission co-sponsors FNBC Bank, First Community Bank, East Arkansas Planning & Development District, Bank OZK, First Security Bank, Capital CDC, Simmons Bank, and Northeast Arkansas Regional Intermodal Authority.

Starting a business is a journey, so let us show you the path to your goal and how to avoid common pitfalls. This highly practical, resource-rich online session will guide you through each step of the startup process, from idea to opening.

We’ll supply you with essential tools and knowledge to launch and run your business while also answering your questions along the way. Get our startup checklist, plus tips for business planning, branding, funding, and more. A must for first-time business owners! 

Speaker: Ashley Murguia, ASBTDC Startup Specialist

This hands-on virtual workshop will equip you with practical skills to design smarter, market better, and save time by using Canva effectively. You’ll walk away with the confidence to create professional-looking content that enhances your brand and engages your audience.

What You’ll Learn

• Branding Basics & Consistency
• Designing for Marketing Impact
• Time-Saving Canva Features
• Measuring & Improving Your Designs

Bonus: Hands-on exercises and live demonstrations to ensure you walk away with actionable skills!

Presenter: Christina Williams, Christina Williams Consulting

All businesses, especially new ventures, need a business plan. Crafting a plan helps you define your concept, evaluate your competition, determine risks, and estimate costs.

Using our “To the Point” outline, learn how to put together a plan that will guide the growth of your business and that you can share with lenders and investors.

Speaker: Jack Poff Jr., ASU Mid-South ASBTDC Director

Explore what business ownership is all about.

We’ll acquaint you with the startup process and the entrepreneurial lifestyle. This session will give you a sense of what starting a business requires and tips to help you decide if you are ready to move forward with your idea. Bring your questions!

Speaker: Ashley Murguia, ASBTDC Startup Specialist

When you and your team are working hard to run your business, keeping up with your marketing can be tough. In this virtual session, you’ll learn to optimize your digital marketing strategy to fit your business goals, time, and budget.

By the end of the session, you’ll have a plan to maximize the value of free tools, like your Google listing and social media channels, and to confidently invest your limited marketing dollars in paid strategies that work.

This session will cover:

• How to take control of your FREE Google listing to help customers find you
• How to use your social channels to keep customers engaged
• How to optimize your website to generate sales
• How SEO works and why blogs might give you an extra boost
• When to pay (or not) for digital ads on Google, Facebook, and Instagram

Speaker: Nick Stevens, ASBTDC

Unlock the power of digital marketing for your small business!

This virtual class will show you five steps to create a powerful digital marketing strategy that delivers real results. From crafting compelling content and choosing the right channels for your target audience to measuring success, you’ll gain the knowledge and tools you need to thrive.

Benefit from the expertise of instructor Jada Hunter, owner and brand strategist at the Roots Agency, as you learn to turn clicks into customers.

Speaker: Jada Hunter, The Roots Agency

If you are considering getting a loan to start, expand, or better manage your business, this opportunity is perfect for you.

With so many types of financing available, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Join us for a virtual Meet the Lenders panel discussion that will include Q&A. You will get the opportunity to ask questions directly to our group of panelists as they explain the ins and outs of business financing.

Panelists:

• Itzel Sims, First Security Bank
• LaTwan Cheathem, ACC Capital (formerly Arkansas Capital)
• Randy Williamson, Arkansas Federal Credit Union
• Rick Ricciardi, Evolve Bank & Trust

Moderator: Nick Stevens, ASBTDC Education and Event Specialist

Are you looking for new ways to market your business – online or offline – and want to gather a variety of ideas? In this live online session, we will briefly introduce 20 ways to market to help you think about which ideas you want to develop more fully for your own business.

This is intended as a presentation to facilitate brainstorming and creative thinking for new elements to add to your marketing strategy. Be ready to spark new ideas that you can explore further after the session!

Presenter: Melissa Forziat, a Southern California-based marketer, speaker, consultant, and author

This online event is available at no cost thanks to our mission co-sponsors FNBC Bank, First Community Bank, East Arkansas Planning & Development District, Bank OZK, First Security Bank, Capital CDC, Simmons Bank, and Northeast Arkansas Regional Intermodal Authority.