Past Events

Stores are reopening across the State but retail is not the same. This comprehensive webinar covers an extensive range of topics that you as a business owner need to know to make your retail business succeed in these unprecedented times. Areas discussed include: • MARKETING – How will you entice customers to get back in the door, and make them feel safe shopping with you? • STAFF – How will you compete with the incentives that are out there for unemployment? How will you bring them back in safely, and protect their health and the health of your customers? • MERCHANDISE – What are you sitting on now, and how will you convert it to cash? What should your purchases for Fall look like? • VENDORS – Are they ready to come back too? Are they pressuring you to pay invoices? What have they done with your orders, both for Spring and for Fall? • FLOOR LAYOUT – How should your floor look now, and how will you set things up so customers can shop and keep proper social distancing? • SELLING – How do you sell and keep social distance? What do we do about dressing rooms and trying on clothing? What are the alternative selling methodologies to bring into your business to satisfy demand? Webinar hosted by WEV and presented by Dan Jablons, Retail Consultant for Retail Smart Guys, the premier retail consulting company for independent retail with clients around the world. Dan is based out of Westlake Village, CA.

One of the key aspects of business resilience is understanding the importance of being integrated into your community as a business owner — which often comes directly through collaboration. In this exciting WEV Works Webinar, you will learn: how to form successful collaborations, the essential qualities for effective outcomes, the important traits to look for and the skills needed to be a great collaborator. Discover why collaboration is so key for productivity and innovation. Walk away with ideas and tips to create your next collaboration with confidence! Presented by Shelly Jackson Buffington, Executive Director & Co-Founder, The Look & The Feel branding agency.

WEV’s Director of Lending, Marni Brook, discusses the importance of having adequate funding and the different borrowing options available for your business to ensure a successful and sustainable fresh start. If you have been offered an EIDL and don’t know if you should take it, or what amount to borrow, this webinar is for you! We also share the latest important updates concerning PPP forgiveness.

• How should I be reconnecting with my customers? • How should I reexamine my brand? • How do I know if my business model is still viable? • I have a ____ type of business and want to reach new customers; what are some ideas? • What is the best way to advertise my business? As the door reopens to getting back to business, now is a great time to re-examine your business model, assumptions and goals, and ensure you are primed for recovery and growth into the future. Join Simon Dixon, Co-founder and CEO of Branding and Strategic Communications firm, Idea Engineering, and author of The Relational Intersect, for a discussion on business branding, identity, messaging and perception to help you proactively navigate how you adapt and evolve your business during this global pandemic. Simon answers questions and shares his unique perspective in this 75-minute webinar.

WEV’s Nicki Parr and Terri Fivash host an “Office Hours” session to answer questions about the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). • Are you still looking for funds? • Do you know about the loan forgiveness conditions? • Did you also receive an EIDL advance? • Have you been claiming UI/PUA? The first 35 minutes review general PPP guidance, and then we take questions from live viewers to reduce some of the confusion about this funding program.

As businesses start to reopen based on specific State and County guidelines, many small businesses will face difficult choices around meeting payment obligations, such as rent, taxes, vendors, lenders etc. This webinar will discuss alternatives for dealing with obligations of various types, looking at alternatives in the Bankruptcy system for liquidation and reorganization, as well as non-bankruptcy alternatives to resolve past due obligations. Presented by bankruptcy attorney and expert, William Beall of Beall & Burkhardt. **At WEV, we believe knowledge is empowerment. Which is why we are taking a deep breath and addressing the tough subject of dealing with business closure. It’s a topic that we thought long and hard about including in our webinar series but it’s a topic of great importance and relevance during these times, and we want our clients to have the facts so that they can make effective decisions and know where to go for more information.**

COVID-19 has caused online buying to go to new levels, creating an engagement with online buying that will likely remain long after the virus is gone. Whether you are looking at creating an e-commerce site for the first time or you want to improve the one that you have, this webinar distills 20 years of e-commerce expertise into about 90 minutes of essential takeaways. Topics include: • Which platform should you use (WooCommerce, Shopify, etc.)? • How much should you expect to pay? • How do you identify the right consultant? • How do you optimize online sales? • What about selling through Amazon, eBay, and other online market places? Presented by Masen Yaffee, President & Founder, NDIC Web Consultants, WEV Program Instructor and Adviser

Despite many businesses suffering from revenue loss, now is not the time to suspend your online marketing efforts. This webinar includes the ten key steps you can take to reposition your business in this difficult climate. You will learn new ways to reach customers, the tricks and tactics necessary to boost your online presence in the search results, and find the necessary keyword phrases that can help your website gain visibility in the search engines. You will also learn why your Google My Business Page is key for your marketing, social media strategies and more useful online tactics for your business's promotion in light of the pandemic. Facilitated by Michelle Gysan, Founder of LocalSearchability.com, an online marketing company in Santa Barbara, CA.

For the majority of small business owners, the world in which you operate has changed dramatically. This webinar addresses the concepts of branding and pivoting, and how you can redefine and restrategize your online presence in the wake of this current crisis. Facilitated by Chrystal Seals Clifton, Business Growth Strategist and Brand Positioner.

Practical Steps to Eliminate Money Anxiety During COVID-19 & Understanding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) In the first hour, Thrive Business Advisor Laura Azzalina Rigali discusses how to protect your business in the short term, gain access stimulus funding resources, evaluate your profit and cash flow, and calculate your breakeven (how much business can you lose and still cover your expenses.) In the second hour, WEV’s Nicki Parr discusses how to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).