Tag Archives: College of the Siskiyous

Social Media: The Twitter Revolution

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Northeastern California SBDC at Shasta College Announces:

Social Media: The Twitter Revolution

Presenter: Jessica Mur

Date: May 12th

Time: 5:30pm to 8pm

Location: The Gallery Experience in Mt. Shasta
201 N. Mt. Shasta Blvd., Mt. Shasta, CA 96067

The Twitter Revolution

We aim to explain Twitter in terms you understand, in a language you know and a context that is relevant to your business. We will give tips and techniques for organizations large and small – whether you are a hotel or charity, a recruitment agency, a nightclub or a retailer or a law firm, Twitter may be useful to your business or organization.

By the end of the Twitter workshop:

  • You will know enough to judge whether Twitter is a useful marketing tool for you or not.
  • You will have enough information and know how to create a Twitter strategy for your organization.
  • You will be equipped to engage in activity using Twitter.

Information will be clearly presented in a non-technical way in a context relevant to those attending, using case studies and examples.

During the workshop we will address all the key Twitter functions and techniques:

  • Setting up an account and picking a name
  • Creating your profile
  • Setting the right tone
  • “Appropriate use”
  • Finding friends
  • Writing a Tweet
  • Building a following
  • Managing interaction
  • Using Applications and “Mash-ups” (such as Tweetdeck, Social Oomph, Hootesuite and more)
  • Using Links
  • Using @replies, Direct Messages, Re-Tweets and Tags (Hashtags), etc.
  • RSS feeds

Cost: $25

Classes Fill Up Quickly So Register Early: ONLINE or Call 530-242-7630

Stephanie’s November Business Tip:

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Record Keeping Basics

Record keeping may not sound like an exciting topic to cover in a blog; however, it is essential to understand how it leads to business success. Without good record keeping it is impossible to determine the financial condition or profitability of a business. Typically, medium and large size companies have accounting departments and expensive software programs to guide management. Small business owners usually rely on a bookkeeper and themselves for record keeping.

Savvy entrepreneurs tend to make decisions on instinct; however, it is important not to solely rely on intuition when making financial decisions. Recording and keeping good records helps you make intelligent decisions and identify how much the business needs to keep the doors open.

Can You Answer These Questions?

  • How much income are you generating now and how much income can you expect to generate in the future?
  • How much cash is tied up in accounts receivable (and not available to you) and for how long?
  • How much do you owe for merchandise? Rent? Utilities? Equipment?
  • What are your expenses, including payroll, payroll taxes, merchandise, advertising, equipment and facilities maintenance, and benefit plans for yourself and employees (such as health insurance, retirement, etc.)?
  • How much cash do you have on hand? How much cash is tied up in inventory? What is your actual working-capital budget?
  • What is your gross profit? What is your net profit?

If you are having trouble answering the above questions, then I highly recommend you implement a record keeping system to help you manage the business.

Basic Record Keeping Systems

A basic record keeping system, whether on paper or an off-the-shelf computer software program, like QuickBooks, should be simple to use, easy to understand, reliable, accurate, consistent, and designed to provide information on a timely basis. It generally needs:

  • A basic journal to record transactions (receipts, disbursements, sales, purchases, etc.)
  • Accounts receivable records
  • Accounts payable records
  • Payroll records
  • Petty cash records
  • Inventory records

Your bookkeeper or accountant can develop the entire system most suitable for your business needs and train you in maintaining these records on a regular basis. These records will form the basis of your financial statements and tax returns.

The Northeastern Small Business Development Center is available to assist you with the mentioned suggestions and can help businesses be competitive in a complex marketplace.  Our center provides no cost one-on-one business consulting for Siskiyou, Shasta, and Trinity Counties.  We are hosted by both College of the Siskiyous and Shasta College.  For more tips call our Yreka office (located at 212 Butte St.) to make an appointment with business consultant Stephanie Hoffman at 842-2470 or email shoffman@sbdcsc.org

www.sbdcsc.org