MCCC Center For Workforce Development Offers Professional Development Series For Business Owners, Entrepreneurs And Managers

Blue Bell/Pottstown, Pa.—Area business owners, managers and entrepreneurs can prepare to take their businesses to the next level with a series of non-credit professional development courses taught by industry experts being offered by the Montgomery County Community College Center for Workforce Development.

The Center for Workforce Development will offer five seminars on timely, relevant topics including social media marketing, ESOPs and profitability, succession planning, employment law and strategic negotiation on Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m. from April 6 to May 4 on the College’s Central Campus at 340 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell, Pa.

Social Media Marketing (April 4, Parkhouse Hall Room 309): Tap into the power of social media marketing through exploration of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and others. Learn how to establish a social presence that fits your brand, organic posting and scheduling techniques, and targeting paid social advertising. Taught by Devin Concannon, who has managed search engine optimization, conversion rate optimization, paid search, and social media across a digital agency, a Fortune 500, a late stage, and early stage startup. (Course Code: BICBC 1041).

ESOPs and Profitability (April 13, Parkhouse Hall Room 101):  As the Baby-Boomers age, tens of thousands of businesses will be sold over the next decade. Forward-thinking owners are looking for ways to grow their enterprises, take care of their families, and reward the employees integral to their success. This course, led by the Kevin McPhillips, CEO of the non-profit Pennsylvania Center for Employee Ownership, provides an overview of the Employee Stock Ownership Plan basics. Participants will learn how they can be paid handsomely for some or all of their business, while dramatically improving productivity, and rewarding and engaging employees. (Course Code: BICBC 1042).

Succession Planning (April 20, Parkhouse Hall Room 101):  Banks usually require key man life insurance on closely held corporations. Good companies always coach future leaders for success. Learn how to develop a succession plan within your organization and why it is important. Taught by Eapen Johnson, a senior level human resources executive with more than 20 years of experience. (Course Code: BICBC 1043).

Employment Law (April 27, Parkhouse Hall Room 101):  Stay abreast of recent changes in employment law that can affect your business. Taught by Meloney Sallie-Dosunmu, a national and international speaker, trainer, consultant and recognized expert on human resources, leadership and management.  (Course Code: BICBC 1044)

Strategic Negotiation (May 4, Parkhouse Hall Room 101):  Provides individuals at all career stages, including rising managers, with skills to improve negotiation and performance. Learn to approach transactions strategically, think critically, and motivate behavior. Taught by Jeffrey T. Tucker, chair of the Employment Law Practice Group and a member of the Education, Business, and Municipal Law Practice Groups of the Bethlehem, Pa. based law firm of King, Spry, Herman, Freund & Faul. (Course Code: BICBC 1045)

Each session is $125, or you can register for all five sessions for $500 – a $125 savings. To register, call 215-641-6397, and provide the Course Code associated with each session for which you would like to register. If registering for all five sessions, use the Course Code BICBC 1040.

About Montgomery County Community College

For more than 50 years, Montgomery County Community College has grown with the community to meet the evolving educational needs of Montgomery County. The College’s comprehensive curriculum includes more than 100 associate degree and certificate programs, as well as customized workforce training and certifications. Students enjoy the flexibility of learning at the College’s thriving campuses in Blue Bell and Pottstown, at the Culinary Arts Institute in Lansdale, and online through a robust Virtual Campus.

As an Achieving the Dream Leader College, the institution is positioned at the vanguard of national efforts to increase completion, improve learning outcomes, and remove barriers to access for students. The College is also recognized regionally and nationally for its sustainability leadership, work with military veterans, community service and service learning opportunities, and use of classroom technology. For more information, visit http://www.mc3.edu.

Professional Development Series Announced‏

Professional Development Series Announced The Lehigh Valley Arts Council announces their 2016 Professional Development Series for business-minded arts professionals who wish to stay current in their field. Beginning in the new year, three seminars are scheduled that will examine new marketing strategies and advances in technology. Each session features relevant experts as presenters. Arts Council members enjoy a fee discount; however, enrollment is limited and reservations are needed in advance. Refreshments will be provided. To order tickets, visit LVArtsCouncil.org. Digital Storytelling: Put Your Best Story Forward On January 19, 2016, the informational seminar Digital Storytelling: Put Your Best Story Forward, will address the tremendous growth of the web and social media as it applies to artists and arts organizations for marketing purposes. Two presenters, Caroline Savage, Program Director of Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and Ken Unangst, Owner & Founder of Digital Feast, will provide examples on how to clearly define a message in order to capture attention and engage an audience. Both of these professionals specialize in working with arts organizations and arts businesses, assisting them with comunitcating through visuals and technology. The panelists will provide examples of how to clearly define your message by addressing the following questions: What does your mission look like? How do you create a story that resonates with the community? What is the value and impact of this visual medium on your audiences? Location: Butz Corporate Center , 9th & Hamilton, 2nd Floor conference room Time: 5:30 to 8:00PM. Fees: $25 for Lehigh Valley Arts Council members; $45 for nonmembers. An Introduction to 3-D Printing On May 21, 2016, artists and designers will have the opportunity to experience 3-D Printing in a workshop that allows attendees to design and print their own creations. The process involves a scan of an object with a 3-D scanner, then uses computer technology to slowly manufacture successive layers, recreating the original form in a new material. Presenter Brian Slocum, Managing Director of Design Labs at Lehigh University, will guide the workshop and explain the endless possibilities of this innovative process as it pertains to the future of design and engineering. Location: Lehigh University, Wilbur Powerhouse Prototyping Lab Time: 9:30AM to 12:30PM Fees (includes materials): $75 for Arts Council members; $100 for nonmembers. Call for Artists: Are You Ready to Answer? On July 12, 2016, this seminar will explore the various components of a successful submission, including the right marketing materials and contractual requirements. Competition in the arts for commissions, exhibitions, and sales requires that an artist be ready in advance to submit a professional application. Organization is key to preparing your materials, but what extra steps do you need to take in order to market and promote your work in the best light? Our presenters, Sculptor Daniel Kainz and Nicole J. O’Hara, Esquire, Gross McGinley, LLP, will give insight on the entrepreneurial side of being a professional artist. Location: Butz Corporate Center, 9th & Hamilton, 2nd Floor conference room Time: 5:30PM to 8:00PM Fees: $25 for Arts Council members; $45 for nonmembers.

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About the Lehigh Valley Arts Council The Lehigh Valley Arts Council is the region’s central voice for the arts, promoting arts awareness and advocating its value while strengthening access to the arts for all citizens in our community. The Arts Council’s mission is to promote the arts; to encourage and support artists and their development; to assist arts organizations; and to facilitate communication and cooperation among artists, arts organizations, and the community. Services include arts research and advocacy, professional development seminars, publications, and cooperative regional marketing initiatives.

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Lehigh Valley Arts Council 840 Hamilton Street, Suite 201 Allentown, PA 18101 610-437-5915 / operations@LVArtsCouncil.org www.LVArtsCouncil.org / www.LVArtsBoxOffice.org

Where Is Pennsylvania’s Very Own Silicon Valley?

Move over, Silicon Valley: Pennsylvania has a tech hub of its own.
 
Over the past couple of decades, the San Francisco Bay Area has been the tech mecca of the country. It’s the shiny, silicon haven where the nerds are the cool kids and where artisanal coffee is a main food group; where there are more startups than gyms and everyone seems to be living far in the future.
 
But this flood of entrepreneurial hopefuls has brought with it a surge of sky-high housing costs and a lack of space. Those looking to start a company are already using all of their resources to make sure their venture is a success. But how can they take such a risk if they’re paying upwards of $4,000 a month for a two-bedroom apartment?
 
As it turns out, there are other areas of the country—including some in Pennsylvania—where more tech companies and venture capital firms are popping up every year. These dark horses may be poised to become the next silicon superpowers.

To see the top 10 PA tech counties, click the link: http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20150611/where-is-pennsylvanias-very-own-silicon-valley

Norristown Neighborhood Grocery Gets A Boost

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NORRISTOWN, PA — The little corner grocery store is making a comeback in Norristown.

The Spanish word “mina” means “mine” in English, and Mina Mart owner Ivonne Patino is hoping her new venture proves to be the proverbial gold mine that confirms her backers’ faith in her business.

Opened in February in the former La Mina bar at the corner of Arch and Airy streets, the bright, clean store/restaurant with all the grocery essentials, from toilet paper to fresh bananas, as well as a growing menu, got a financial boost of $19,650 from the U.S. Small Business Administration Thursday.

The loan that allowed Mina Mart to open its doors is the latest successful endeavor of the Norristown Small Business Assistance Center, a partnership of the Municipality of Norristown and The Enterprise Center Capital Corp. of Philadelphia.

Read more: http://www.timesherald.com/business/20140410/norristown-neighborhood-grocery-gets-a-boost

Westmoreland County Community College Breaks Ground On Tech Center In Former Sony Plant

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Westmoreland County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Last week, Westmoreland County Community College broke ground on its new $9.4 million Advanced Technology Center in the former Sony plant near New Stanton.  The college’s workforce development program will move to the expanded classrooms and labs by fall 2014.

But county and college officials also hope the new center will be an incubator to help grow manufacturing businesses throughout the region.

“We are building on Western Pennsylvania’s manufacturing roots,” said Doug Jensen, WCCC assistant vice president for workforce education.  “The entire manufacturing sector is growing in so many ways we need a different workforce and skill sets.

“Just as Pittsburgh has been an incubator for businesses in the biotech field with its universities, we want Westmoreland County to be an incubator for the manufacturing sector; we want entrepreneurs to come here. We want to serve the entire region in these emerging sectors, including energy.”

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-east/wccc-breaks-ground-on-tech-center-in-former-sony-plant-695932/#ixzz2ZQYib94b