SBDC Southern Maryland - Friday's FAQ 
Serving Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's Counties 
Visit us online!          Tel:   301.934.7583
Congratulations - Charles Street Bakery!
Charles Street Bakery and Cafe
offers a variety of products for lunch - but their key to success has been quality cakes and customer service. Special occasion and wedding cakes have been their "staple" item for the past 15 years. 

SBDC shares in their successes as Business Consultant, Bill Hitte, has been working with owner, Deborah, consistently for the full 15 years. SBDC assistance has included general management, marketing, and obtaining financing through Charles County Economic Development in mid-2014. In 2015 and again in 2016,  Charles Street Bakery and Cafe was awarded the WeddingWire.com customer ­voted "5-Star Award" in the "Best Wedding Cake" category. 

Their latest success is appearing in the "Ingredients" of a Real Weddings article in the Summer 2017 issue of t h e  k n o t . Charles Street Bakery and Cafe is credited for the wedding cake of a Fall 2016 Southern Maryland Wedding featured in the magazine.  t h e k n o t is the most prestigious wedding magazine in the United States. Today,  t h e   k n o t publishes regional magazines in 17 markets in the US. Online, the company hosts wedding vendor listings in its online directories. 

Couples and wedding planners will find  Charles Street Bakery and Cafe on the knot's website - complete with a 5 star rating!
Read the full article from the magazine and see the beautiful photos  here.


This exposure is . . . priceless.
Focus on Y o u r Success with SBDC Courses
Strategic Business Management - 3 Franklin Series Classes
This new series is designed for the business owner that is ready to grow. There are many excellent reasons to pursue business growth. With business expansion comes increased revenue, wider brand recognition, and increased relevance in the industry. Most businesses, however, start small and stay there. If that's not good enough for you—or if you recognize that staying small doesn't necessarily guarantee your business's survival the Franklin Entrepreneurial Series is for you.
With a documented business strategy, you’ll be in a better position to avoid the risks of business growth and, instead, amplify the rewards. Turning a small business into a big one is never easy. By documenting your growth strategy, you can minimize these risks. Some common growth strategies in business include market expansion, product expansion, diversification and talent acquisition. We will explore each of these with you and help you develop the skills and mindset needed to grow your company with a strategy that is constant at its core, and flexible in its adaptation to changing markets and competitive responses. Come GROW with us.
Choose SBC-6110 Strategic Business Management and get all 3 of the Franklin Entrepreneurial Series classes for one low price.
tuition: $13 / fees: $135
Or choose any of these 3 separately 
SBC-6640 | Developing Your Business Mindset January 24th
SBC-6650 | Presenting Your Business Value February 7th
SBC-6670 | Obtaining and Retaining Talent February 21st

Start Right for Success
If you are thinking about starting a business, attend this course for a summary of the business information you need right now. Evaluate your business concept and determine the market potential of your products/services. Gain an understanding of your potential customers. Identify the best type of business organization to fit your idea. Determine your record keeping needs and learn how to create a financial plan. Begin working on the concepts for a business plan. Prepare yourself to effectively use the SBDCs confidential one-on-one counseling to your best advantage.
Financing Your Small Business
Whether you are starting a new business or expanding a successful existing business, it is essential to know the financial sources that are available to you. Evaluate sources of business financing to determine which would best serve your needs. Prepare for the process of securing business financing; identify the lenders considerations in granting credit. Discuss federal, state and local loan/loan guarantee programs. Prepare yourself to work with an SBDC counselor to finalize your business plan and loan application. 
Building a Successful Business Plan
Essential for the start-up business owner and for the entrepreneur preparing to expand a successful business. Discuss strategic planning, marketing, administration, personnel, finance, and accounting. Learn to - develop an effective business plan to manage your business; create a marketing action plan that will help you achieve your sales goals; prepare financial projections; use financial information to make better and more informed decisions. The business plan is still a most important factor in a lender’s decision-making process. Make sure your business plan will generate the financing you need and provide informed strategies to ensure you will be successful. 
QuickBooks Advanced (Practical Applications)
Designed to enhance and enrich the knowledge of current QuickBooks users. Topics include working with inventory, creating estimates, using “classes,” job costing, time tracking, and creating budgets. This hands-on interactive course offers the opportunity to present specific questions and scenarios in order to address your individual QuickBooks needs, as well as the opportunity to interact with peers encountering similar situations.
Buying a Franchise
RICHARD BOCK, FRANCHISE BUSINESS CONSULTANT OF WASHINGTON D.C. & MARYLAND For more than 25 years,  FranNet has educated people just like you on the pros and cons of the different opportunities to own a business: Starting your own, buying someone else's, and opening a franchise. When you understand what each opportunity entails, you can make an informed decision about what's right for you. If you decide to consider opening a franchised business, there's a great deal I can do to help.  
Ellen Flowers-Fields | Regional Director |  Email
Lisa Creason | Program Assistant for Region |  Email   
Bill Hitte | Business Consultant Charles County |  Email
Kathy MacAdams | Business Consultant Calvert County |  Email 
Wynne Briscoe | Business Consultant St. Mary's County |  Email