Workshops & Training

Practical Risk Management for Nonprofits

Running a small nonprofit comes with big responsibilities—and often without the budget or staff capacity of larger organizations. This practical webinar is designed for small and emerging nonprofits in Alexandria and the greater Northern Virginia region that want to strengthen their operations, protect their mission, and minimize risk without overwhelming costs. Join us as we break down what “risk management” really means for community-based nonprofits. We’ll cover easy-to-implement strategies to reduce organizational risks, protect your staff and volunteers, and ensure long-term stability. Whether you’re a small team, volunteer-run, or simply working with limited resources, this session will give you tools you can start using right away (including a risk management worksheet!). In this free webinar, we’ll explore:

– What risk management looks like for small nonprofits (in plain language)

– Insurance to consider

– Unrelated business income

– Volunteer liability

– HR, Cybersecurity and Privacy

Who Should Attend:

Executive directors, program managers, board members, and volunteers from small or emerging nonprofits based in Alexandria and Northern Virginia—especially those working with limited staff or financial resources.

Speaker: Catherine M. Hedgeman, Esq., Hedgeman Law Firm 

Intro to State Government Contracting: eVA Registration

1940 Duke Street, 6th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314

Interested in doing business with the commonwealth of Virginia? Each year Virginia buys goods and services totaling more than $6 billion – learn how your company can be a part of that! This free in-person workshop is designed to educate small business owners about opportunities to sell their goods and services to the Commonwealth of Virginia and many local governments!

What You’ll Learn:
✅ An overview for Virginia’s procurement process (eVA).
✅ Pricing strategies for bids.
✅ Walk through registering in the eVA system in real time.

Who Should Attend:
Small business owners that are interested in state and local procurement opportunities.

SWaM Certification

የንግድ ክሬዲት መገንባት (Building Business Credit for Small Businesses – webinar in Amharic) 

ከፍ ያለ የንግድ ክሬዲት ስኮር፡ ቁጥር ብቻ አይደለም፡፡ ለብዙ ጉዳዮች አስፈላጊ ነው፡- ለፋይናንስና ከባንክ ለመበደር፣ አከፋፋዮችና አቅራቢዎች ጋር ለመደራደር እናም የረጅም ጊዜ እድገትን ለማቀድ ይጠቅማል።

ጠቃሚነቱን በመረዳት የአሌክሳንድሪያ የኢኮኖሚ ልማት ፓርትነርሽፕ ስለ ንግድ ክሬዲት መገንባት በነጻ የዙም (Zoom) ፕሮግራም በአማርኛ አዘጋጅቷል። በዚህ ፕሮግራም ለመሳተፍ እታች ባለው ተመዝግበው ማክሰኞ ዲሴምበር 9 ከቀኑ 12 (Tuesday, December 9 at 12 pm) ተቀላቀሉን።

ምን ይማራሉ፡-
• የንግድ ክሬዲት ለምን እንደሚያስፈልግ እና እድገትዎ ላይ ያለው ተጽእኖዎች
• የንግድ ክሬዲት እንዴት መገንባት እንደሚችሉ መመሪያ
• የግል እና የንግድ ፋይናንስ መለየትን
• ክሬዲት ስኮርን መረዳት እንዲሁም ስለ ክሬዲት ሪፖርትና ሪፖርቲግ ኤጀንሲዎች
• ክሬዲቶን እንዴት እንደሚያሻሽሉ የተረጋገጡ ስልቶች

አዲስ ንግድ የጀመሩ ሆነ ንግድዎን ወደ ላቀ ደረጃ ለማድረስ ለሚጥሩ በነጻ የዙም (Zoom) ፕሮግራም በአማርኛ ተመዝግበው ይሳተፉ።

Strong business credit is more than a number—it’s the foundation for securing financing, negotiating favorable terms with suppliers, and unlocking long-term growth.

Join us for an informative webinar, “Building Business Credit for Small Businesses,” and learn the practical steps to establish and strengthen your business credit profile.

What You’ll Learn:
• Why business credit matters and how it impacts your growth potential
• Step-by-step guidance for building credit from the ground up
• How to separate personal and business finances
• Understanding credit scores, reports, and key agencies
• Proven strategies to improve your credit and expand funding opportunities
Whether you’re launching a new venture or ready to take your business to the next level, this session will equip you with the knowledge and tools to build a strong financial foundation.

Leveraging Customer Loyalty: Building Repeat Business

In today’s competitive market, attracting new customers is only half the battle—keeping them coming back is what truly drives sustainable growth. Join us for an insightful webinar designed specifically for small business owners looking to strengthen customer relationships and turn one-time buyers into lifelong fans.

During this session, we’ll explore:

✅Proven strategies for retaining customers through personalized loyalty programs

✅ Exceptional service experiences

✅ Effective post-transaction engagement

You’ll learn how to create value beyond the initial sale, implement simple yet powerful loyalty initiatives, and nurture ongoing relationships that lead to repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals.

Speaker: Christi Lopez, Propel Business Advisor

Smart Tax Strategies: Maximizing Deductions for Small Businesses

Potomac Meeting Room – ALX Community Waterfront
201 N Union Street, Suite 110, Alexandria, VA 22314

Are you leaving money on the table at tax time? Join Smart Tax Strategies: Maximizing Deductions for Small Businesses to learn how to identify and leverage key tax deductions that can reduce your taxable income and boost your bottom line. This workshop covers practical strategies, common overlooked deductions, and tips for year-round tax planning—empowering small business owners to make smarter financial decisions with confidence. 
 
Presenter: Arthur Lander, Certified Public Accountant and practicing lawyer since 1989 

Is Your Business Bank-Ready?

Opening a business bank account or applying for credit is more than paperwork—it’s about showing that your business is organized, credible, and ready to grow. This interactive webinar will walk you through exactly what “bank-ready” means, what documents and systems you’ll need, and how to build strong relationships with financial partners.

You’ll hear directly from two sides of the financing world:

• A CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution) that works with early-stage and underrepresented entrepreneurs
• A mainstream bank that provides deposit services and credit products for growing businesses

Together, they’ll share practical insights, common mistakes to avoid, and strategies to make your business stand out when approaching a lender.

What You’ll Learn

• The banker’s checklist: the essential documents and profiles you need
• How banks evaluate risk and what that means for you
• The right mix of accounts, services, and fraud controls for your stage
• How CDFIs and banks differ—and how they complement each other
• Practical steps to move from deposits to credit

Intro to State Government Contracting: eVA Registration

Large Meeting Room at Beatley Central Library (5005 Duke St, Alexandria, VA 22304)

Interested in doing business with the commonwealth of Virginia? Each year Virginia buys goods and services totaling more than $6 billion – learn how your company can be a part of that! This free in-person workshop is designed to educate small business owners about opportunities to sell their goods and services to the Commonwealth of Virginia and many local governments!

What You’ll Learn:
✅ An overview for Virginia’s procurement process (eVA).
✅ Pricing strategies for bids.
✅ Walk through registering in the eVA system in real time.

Who Should Attend:
💡 Small business owners that are interested in state and local procurement opportunities.

Joint Ventures: Collaborating for Exponential Growth

You’re invited to our exciting webinar, “Joint Ventures: Collaborating for Exponential Growth,” on October 29th at 12 PM! Come explore how forming strategic partnerships can benefit your business and lead to extraordinary growth. With real-life success stories from Christi’s clients, this session is packed with inspiration and actionable tips.  

Let’s grow together—save your spot today!  

Speaker: Christi Lopez, Propel Business Advisors 

From Vision to Venture: Funding Your Small Business

Creating a Market-Dominating Position: Standing Out from the Competition

Tired of competing solely on price? It’s time to stand out in your industry by mastering the art of differentiation! Join us for an engaging and insightful webinar where we’ll uncover actionable strategies to outshine your competition. Learn how to craft a unique value proposition that resonates with your audience, elevates your brand, and positions your business as the go-to choice in your market.  

What You’ll Learn:  

✅ How businesses can differentiate themselves beyond pricing.  

✅ Tips on crafting unique value propositions.  

Let’s take your business to the next level together! 

Speaker: Christi Lopez, Propel Business Advisors  

SWaM Certification

Who should attend: Small business owners that are interested in state and local procurement opportunities.

Mid-Year Profit Tune-Up Streamline Costs and Increase Margins

Small Business Bookkeeping Basics [Webinar in Amharic]

Marketing on a Budget: High-Impact Strategies for Small Businesses

Lead Generation Basics: Filling Your Funnel with Qualified Leads

Crafting a Winning Business Plan for Startups [Webinar in Dari – فارسی دری ]

The Psychology of Pricing: How to Attract and Retain Customers 

Are you confident in your current pricing model or does it often leave you wondering if there’s room for improvement? Discover the art, science, and psychology behind optimal pricing for your small business in this webinar!  

Investing in Yourself – Financial Wellness for Women Entrepreneurs 

Take the first step towards financial empowerment by joining our hybrid workshop: “Investing in Yourself – Financial Wellness for Women Entrepreneurs.” 

Navigating the world of finance and investment can be daunting. Deciding where, when, and how much to invest can feel like an overwhelming task. That’s why we’ve curated this exclusive session tailored for women entrepreneurs to amplify your understanding, build your confidence, and fuel your entrepreneurial journey with the power of financial knowledge. 

Fundamentals of Commercial Leasing