Leadership, Business Plans to be discussed at free VGCC Seminars Feb. 16

The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center has scheduled a pair of free seminars for Thursday, Feb. 16, at the college’s Franklin County Campus , located just outside Louisburg.

“Leadership Development for Small Business Owners” will be held from 1 until 4 p.m. that day. “How to Write a Business Plan: The Most Important Part of Starting a Business” will follow from 6 until 9 p.m. The location for both is Room F1208.

Leading both seminars will be Ed Ormsby of Pinehurst, who has been providing counseling and consulting services to small business owners for over 20 years. Ormsby is the former director of the Small Business Center at Edgecombe Community College and has held sales, marketing and executive management positions with Fortune 500, mid-sized and small businesses throughout the Southeast.

In the first seminar, Ormsby will help participants recognize the leadership qualities that they already possess – and those they may not – and how to develop and utilize them effectively to maximize the performance of both their associates and their business. Everyone is a leader – most just don’t realize it,” according to Ormsby. “Small business owners must be good, effective leaders if they want to maximize the performance and development of their employees.” Topics to be discussed include dealing with difficult people, managing conflict, motivating and team building.

The second seminar discusses the business plan, which is, as Ormsby puts it, “the most important task in starting a new business or growing an existing business.” No lender will discuss financing without a business plan, he noted. This seminar is designed to explain exactly what goes into a business plan, why, and how to properly manage from it. Research techniques are also covered. For participants who want to continue working on their plans, the Small Business Center will provide free, one-on-one counseling.

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.

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