The Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center (SBC) is part of a statewide network designed to support the development and growth of small businesses. Millions of Americans choose to start their own business each year – even during a pandemic. If you take a quick look around our own community, it’s evident that the Cape Fear region is growing. But turning the dream of successful small business ownership into reality is not easy; CFCC’s Small Business Center is an incredible resource for our small business community.
 
As part of the Economic and Workforce Development division at CFCC, the Small Business Center offers free and low-cost seminars and workshops designed to help small businesses succeed. These events are held at a variety of times to accommodate business owner’s busy schedules. Free, confidential counseling sessions covering a range of topics – from licensing issues and business plans to marketing and advertising – are also available.

Jerry Coleman, Director of the CFCC Small Business Center, has owned a small business himself and knows the challenges that come with business ownership. He now shares his expertise with local businesses in our area. Coleman focuses on meeting businesses exactly where they are and providing fresh content to help business owners get where they want to be. The Center’s newest coaching series will consist of three sessions that teach everything from how to make good decisions to becoming masters of adaptability and business strategy.

Mind Your Business – Planning for the Unexpected

“After the many obstacles in 2021, we now are acutely aware that a critical part of our business is a plan for the unforeseen,” says Jerry Coleman, CFCC’s Small Business Center director. “Dr. Michael Barbera, Chief Behavioral Officer at Clicksausion Labs, will be teaching a three-part series entitled ‘Mind Your Business – Planning for the Unexpected.’ This virtual lunch and learn workshop will help our small business owners make good decisions and predict long-term results from the safety of a classroom. Dr. Barbera is a dynamic speaker, and it is an honor to have him teach this series for CFCC’s Small Business Center.”

Dr. Barbera is an award-winning consumer psychologist and business strategy consultant and an expert in consumer perceptions and the complex factors that drive the entire consumer decision-making process. He specializes in consumer behavior, emotions, and experiences both online and in person. His practice areas include brand management, marketing, behavioral economics, behavioral finance, and long-term business growth strategies.

Barbera knows what makes consumers tick. His team conducts research, interprets data, and actively seeks answers that help guide human behavior. His experience includes large organizations like Boeing, Microsoft, The Washington Post, John Deere, Harley Davidson, the US Department of Defense, and the US State Department. He completed his Ph.D. in behavioral economics with a focus in time pressure and scarcity. He has two MBAs with concentrations in entrepreneurship and executive management and has a BS in business administration.
 
Part 1 of the Mind Your Business – Planning for the Unexpected series will help business owners learn to make decisions; setting daily priorities that can positively impact entrepreneurial success. Attendees will participate in a simulated day-in-the-life of an entrepreneur and venture through daily choices that affect long-term planning. Together, the participants and Dr. Barbera will work through business development scenarios and reflect on the decisions we make and the ones we neglect. Participants will learn to assess personal decision-making, recognize methods of objective decision-making and evidence-based planning.

Part 2 of the series is entitled Expect the Best, But Plan for the Worst. Participants will face real-world challenges and train their brains to respond accordingly. They will also assess time management and project management structure and design – a dynamic planning framework for forward-thinking, planning, and resilient management.

The third part of Dr. Barbera’s series is Unlocking Entrepreneurial Success with Measurable Metrics Tied to Your Professional Goals. Participants will learn to become masters of adaptability and business strategy by identifying key performance indicators and evaluating the priority of tasks and projects for time management and business development. Attendees will also learn how to use objective metrics and SMART goals for decision-making and planning.

The FREE virtual sessions take place:
·         Tuesday, April 27,
·         Tuesday, May 4, and
·         Tuesday, May 11

All three sessions are from 11 am to 12:30 pm, so pack a lunch and join us from the comfort of your desk. Register at: https://www.ncsbc.net/workshop.aspx?ekey=80410123

Coleman’s mantra is, “A business starts with an idea; its success begins with a plan!” Let CFCC’s Small Business Center help you get your business on the right track by developing and implementing your idea, learning to deal with change, making good decisions, and planning for whatever happens next. The SBC offers workshops like these regularly, as well as a full array of support resources.


Jim Morton became President of Cape Fear Community College in April 2018. Prior to becoming President, Mr. Morton served as Executive Vice President and as Vice President of Business and Financial Services at CFCC. Cape Fear Community College is the 6th largest community college of the 58 community colleges in the North Carolina Community College System.