Veterans Entrepreneurship Program
Practical Digital Skills
At the program's start, Digital Tech experts bring relevant digital skills and tech badges useful for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Tech education experts deliver training tools to communicate with customers, build databases, market business products and services, and teach practical virtual skills for the digital world.
Register here for Stage 1 Timeline & Calendar
Branding
Defining your brand: Connecting to customers
Instructor: Elizabeth Lewis
This beginner course will show you the basics of building a brand identity and how to differentiate your products and services and connect customers to your business.
Language: English, Spanish
Format: Learning video
Selling with Storytelling: Unlock your business superpower
Instructor: Gbenga Ogunjimi
Selling with Storytelling: Unlock your business superpower Instructor: Gbenga Ogunjimi Learn the power of telling your story and how it can be leveraged to activate investors, clients, and brand ambassadors, scale your business, and build community. Language: English, Spanish Format: Learning video
Register: https://bit.ly/hccVEP24
Cybersecurity
Digital defense: An intro to cybersecurity
Instructor: Jessica Robinson
Discover how to identify common security risks and learn some strategies and best practices for staying safe.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
How vulnerable is your business to digital threats?
Instructor: Jessica Robinson
Cybercrime is a threat to any digital presence—find out how susceptible you are with a quick assessment and learn how to protect your systems and data.
Language: English
Format: Micro elearning
Register: https://bit.ly/hccVEP24
Funding
Find the right financing for your business
Instructor: Kara Stevens
Discover the best types of financing for your business, including debt, equity, grants, and alternative financing options such as crowdfunding.
Language: English, Spanish
Format: Learning video Sign up
Navigating online loans
Instructor: Susanne Mariga
Get a deep-dive into online lenders and tips to keep in mind when exploring your lending options.
Language: English, Spanish
Format: Learning video
Choosing the best SBA loan
Instructor: Kara Stevens
This course can help you learn about the most popular SBA loans available and which one is right for you.
Language: English
Format: Micro video
Register: https://bit.ly/hccVEP24
Legal Essentials
A Guide to Selecting Legal Structure(s): Legalize it
Instructor: Toneille Raglan, Esq.
Understand how the legal structure you choose affects your taxes, bookkeeping, personal liability, and funding, plus learn how to find the right balance of legal protections and benefits.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Protecting intellectual property: Safeguard what you create
Instructor: Toneille Raglan, Esq.
Discover the steps you can take to invest in your IP now to safeguard against competitors, build your reputation, create revenue from your innovations and pave the way for business growth.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Register: https://bit.ly/hccVEP24
Managing Money
Track your finances: Financial statements at a glance
Instructor: Kara Stevens
This beginner course covers how small businesses can be prepared to adapt and plan for the unknown. Language: English, Spanish Format: Learning video
Get beyond break even: From knowing numbers to making money
Instructor: Malla Haridat
Suitable for those who have taken Track Your Finances: Financial Statements at a Glance, or have a basic knowledge of accounting, this course helps you navigate simple equations to determine your business value and visibility.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Keep your credit in good shape: How to use it, not lose it
Instructor: Kara Stevens
Discover the key terms and concepts you need to understand credit, why it is so important, and how to build a credit score that will unlock the funding you need to operate and grow your business.
Language: English, Spanish
Format: Learning video
Money mindset: Removing blockers
Instructor: Gbenga Ogunjimi
Understand different types of money relationships, identify which one you have and how it is affecting your business growth, and create a plan to reshape your money relationship to better serve your financial goals.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Pay yourself
Instructor: Kara Stevens
As a business owner, you want to bring home a good income. In this course, learn how to balance your business needs with your personal ones so you can pay yourself properly.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Digital tools for financial readiness
Instructor: Susanne Mariga
In this course, you’ll discover different types of digital financial tools that can save you time and money.
Language: English, Spanish
Format: Learning video
Understanding your business credit score
Instructor: Kara Stevens In this course, get informed about pulling your business credit report and performing a self-assessment.
Language: English
Format: Micro elearning
Take the stress out of taxes with tactical planning
Instructor: Susanne Mariga
Get equipped with the tools needed to survive a financial audit of before it’s needed, and how to avoid one in the first place.
Language: English
Format: Micro video
Calculating the salary you deserve
Instructor: Susanne Mariga
Learn how to prioritize paying yourself when other expenses pile up, in order to cover personal living expenses and help you grow your future. Explore how to determine your ideal salary.
Language: English
Format: Micro video
Register: https://bit.ly/hccVEP24
Online Marketing
How to spread the digital word: Communications strategy
Instructor: Carolina Villarreal
This beginner course will guide you through marketing basics, including how to identify your customers, and the importance of building a marketing plan that will help you engage with them.
Language: English, Spanish
Format: Learning video
The basics of search engine optimization: Get discovered
Instructor: Sharon Lee Thony
Have you ever wondered how to get your small business to the top of the search engine? This beginner course will help you unravel the mystery of SEO and get a better sense of how it can help your small business.
Language: English, Spanish
Format: Learning video
Intro to online growth marketing: From customer to advocate
Instructor: Sharon Lee Thony
Learn how to combine strategic brand marketing with tactical performance marketing to drive customer acquisition, develop retention, and boost revenue in a sustainable way.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Creating content that matters: Compelling content for your business
Instructor: Melinda F. Emerson
Learn how to design your content strategy and editorial calendar to begin developing content that increases brand awareness, demonstrates thought leadership, and drives lead—and ultimately—sales.
Language: English, Spanish
Format: Learning video
Find your fit: Satisfy the market with the right product
Instructor: Terry Rice This course covers the basics of achieving product market fit with your business offerings.
Language: English, Spanish
Format: Learning video
Email marketing: Creating a winning strategy
Instructor: Melinda F. Emerson
In this introductory course, learn how to leverage email marketing to directly target customers and personalize messaging, as well as automate some of your sales processes.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
A/B testing: Optimizing through experimentation
Instructor: John Lawson
Learn how to measure the value of your marketing and advertising campaigns, your options for A/B testing, and how to use the results to improve your business.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
How online communities create repeat customers
Instructor: Melinda F. Emerson
In this course, learn how to write strong, realistic objectives, and measurable key results, to form OKRs that will map out your steps to achieving real growth.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
How to create a content calendar
Instructor: Melinda F. Emerson
Learn how to create a content calendar to help you generate new business. Enroll in the course, creating a content calendar.
Language: English Format: Micro video
Paid advertising: What to consider before purchasing
Instructor: Emily Patterson
Learn the ins and outs of paid advertising, from finding your target audience to strategies for producing great content.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Captivate your audience with video content that converts
Instructor: Melinda F. Emerson
Learn how to harness the power of video by creating relevant content to your audience, and explore techniques to get your videos in front of them, inspiring them to engage with your brand.
Language: English
Format: Learning video Sign up
Register: https://bit.ly/hccVEP24
Operations
Building remote work into your business: Tools to keep your team connected
Instructor: Surabhi Lai
If you are looking to build a winning remote culture, this beginner course will explore the basics for small businesses to operating remotely and how to best connect teams working from home.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Sell effectively online: eCommerce essentials
Instructor: Melinda F. Emerson
This course teaches you the basics of e-commerce and gives you an action plan to begin your marketing efforts.
Language: English
Format: Learning video Sign up
Operating efficiency essentials: smooth operator
Instructor: Laureen Makrinos
If you’re looking for ways to run your business more smoothly, this beginner course will guide you through the basics for operating with efficiency in your small business.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Boost your business: Leveraging technology for productivity and profit
Instructor: Laureen Makrinos
Discover how online tools provide can greater insight into customer preferences, and how to leverage them to drive engagement, efficiency, and profits for your small business.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Optimizing eCommerce logistics
Instructor: John Lawson This course will give you an in-depth look at your eCommerce logistics, and help you tailor an action plan to maximize profits.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Recruiting, onboarding, and retaining the talent you need
Instructor: Surabhi Lai Get an overview of the employee lifecycle, and strategies to manage and maximize your employees.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Register: https://bit.ly/hccVEP24
Social Media
Social media marketing: Keeping the conversation going
Instructor: Terry Rice Social media can have a big impact on customer engagement—particularly videos and reels. Join this live session and learn how to create content that gets seen.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Marketing with influencers
Instructor: Melinda F. Emerson In this course, learn the right way to work with influencers to help get your brand noticed.
Language: English
Format: Micro video
Register: https://bit.ly/hccVEP24
Strategy
Planning for the unexpected: Building resiliency into your business
Instructor: Malla Haridat
Discover how small businesses—like yours—can learn to adapt, innovate, build resilience and plan for the unknown in this beginner course.
Language: English, Spanish
Format: Learning video
Level up your goal setting with objectives and key results
Instructor: Jason William Johnson In this course, learn how to write strong, realistic objectives, and measurable key results, to form OKRs that will map out your steps to achieving real growth.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Strategic networking to unlock new opportunities
Instructor: Carine Saint-Jean Learn how to find the right individuals and organizations that can help you establish valuable business connections.
Language: English Format: Learning video
Register: https://bit.ly/hccVEP24
Website Design
Put your website to work: Build it, refine it, perfect it
Instructor: Terry Rice
In this beginner course, identify how to get started building your business website and how certain elements and best practices can lead to greater success.
Language: English, Spanish
Format: Learning video
The beginner’s guide to creating your first website
Instructor: Sharon Lee Thony
Explore the ins and outs of building your own website vs. paying a professional, identify the functionalities you need for your business, and launch a great-looking website that provides a top-tier user experience.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Improving your website’s accessibility
Instructor: Andrea LaVant
Explore a range of digital accessibility needs, as well as tools to evaluate your website’s accessibility and improve the user experience for those with disabilities, but also your wider audience.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Creating a user-friendly digital experience
Instructor: Sharon Lee Thony Explore how creating a positive user experience is critical to the growth of your business and learn the basics of user-focused design.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Register: https://bit.ly/hccVEP24
Winning Customers
Getting Certified: Paths for minority/ women-owned businesses
Instructor: Freda Thomas
This beginner course covers all the basics, including why you should consider becoming certified, the benefits of obtaining certification, the common mistakes and roadblocks to avoid, and how to go about the process in your state.
Language: English, Spanish
Format: Learning video
Winning contracts: How to write winning business proposals
Instructor: Freda Thomas
Learn how to prepare and respond to RFPs, RFQs, and RFIs—critical components that, once mastered, will help you write and win government contracts and winning proposals.
Language: English, Spanish
Format: Learning video
Customer journey: Map the steps to success
Instructor: Melinda F. Emerson
Explore how to develop a customer journey map, build a value ladder, and implement other marketing elements required to build a compelling customer experience—and a sales funnel that converts.
Language: English Format: Learning video
Effective funnels: How to turn leads into sales
Instructor: Terry Rice
Learn how a sales funnel works, explore types of sales funnels and how to create one that converts customers.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Channeling customer reviews to increase sales
Instructor: John Lawson Whether your business is brick and mortar, online, or both, discover how to source customer reviews and manage feedback to build a reputation that inspires trust and wins sales.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Making your business more accessible
Instructor: Andrea LaVant
Discuss the essentials of accessibility for businesses, and explore the ways you can address different needs in physical and digital spaces to provide equitable experiences for all.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Get certified as a diverse supplier to win contracts
Instructor: Freda Thomas
In this course, you’ll learn how to increase your chances of winning contracts with a minority-owned business certification.
Language: English
Format: Micro video
Driving demand for your service-based business
Instructor: Farah Saint-Jean
Establish your business as the gold standard in your industry by elevating how you’re perceived in the marketplace, mastering client consultations, and providing a user experience that leaves your audience buzzing.
Language: English
Format: Learning video
Register: https://bit.ly/hccVEP24
Center for Entrepreneurship - Southwest Contact
Ravi Brahmbhatt, MBA
Director, Student Innovation & Entrepreneurship
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