Event planning, catering to be discussed at free VGCC small business seminars

The Warren County Campus of Vance-Granville Community College will soon host a pair of free Small Business Center seminars.

“Event Planning for Small Businesses & Non-profit Organizations” will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017, from 1 until 4 p.m. “Taste of Opportunity: How to Start a Catering or Food Business” will follow on that same day, from 6 until 9 p.m. Both are scheduled to meet in Building 4 (Room W4103) of the Warrenton campus .

Leading both seminars will be Renae Simon of Greensboro-based Step-by-Step Businessolutions. Simon has over 12 years’ experience in business consulting, marketing and advertising, facilities management, special events management and sales. She is a graduate of UNC-Greensboro. Simon is also a graduate of the REAL (Rural Entrepreneurship Action Learning) Institute and is a licensed facilitator of the REAL course.

In the first seminar, Simon will cover setting realistic goals for events, techniques for event planning, budgeting, vendor negotiations and related topics. “Hosting a banquet, client meeting, fundraiser, banquet, customer appreciation day, or tradeshow is hard work, but if done correctly can yield great results for your company,” Simon said. “This seminar is perfect for novice event planners and for those just needing a fresh perspective and skill enhancement.”

The second seminar will start “from scratch” by discussing basic food pricing strategies, food safety and how to sell goods as a food vendor in North Carolina, and then move into the business side of the food service industry. “If you find yourself constantly being asked to prepare meals for family and friends or if you’ve always dreamed of starting your own restaurant or catering business, this seminar is for you,” Simon said. “Participants will leave with a foundational knowledge of the industry and be ready to start their business plan.”

For more information and to reserve a seat in one or both of these free seminars, contact Small Business Center director Tanya Weary at smallbusiness@vgcc.edu  or (252) 738-3240. The deadline to register is Jan. 10.

Registration can be completed online at www.vgcc.edu/schedules/small-business-center .