Tools for Business


Tools for Business

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Videos

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  • Looking for Local Connections?

    Business Attorney

    Bookkeeper

    Tax Professional

    Location Advisor

    Hire People

    Computer Help

    Security

    Insurance

    Social Media

    Permit Assistance

    Loans/Funding

    Signage

    Business Plan

    Other 1

     

    Other 2

     

    Stage of Business

    Your email *

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Welcome to the Abilene Business Community!

These resources will help you with starting and growing your business. All businesses are encouraged to visit the SBDC - where you will receive one-on-one help for business plans, research, financing, strategic planning, and much more.

Start a Business

  • Business Entity Wizard

  •  

    Learn about Requirements: Get Forms

  • Calculators

  • Government forms due in the next 90 days

Videos

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Valuing a Business

 

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Texas Tech provides free one-on-one help to people starting a new business. They can help you with determine the feasiability of your business idea, create a business plan, and find funding. Their services are free. Contact them at 325-670-0300 or visit www.ttusbdc.org/abilene/
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Online courses (fee)

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    • Business Tune-Up

      Track your business' progress with this series of tune-ups. Your information is private; no one has access to it.

      Email address

Videos

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AIDA Marketing Strategies - how to Tell a Story that Sells

 

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Texas Tech provides free one-on-one help to businesses looking to expand their business or improve its profitability. The SBDC can help you with identifying the best marketing strategies, understanding your financial situation, and expanding your business through social media. Their services are free. Contact them at 325-670-0300 or visit www.ttusbdc.org/abilene/
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Online courses (fee)

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  • Business Tune-Up

  • SWOT

  • Customer Retention

Grow your Business

Manage your Business

Videos

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5 Minute Breathing Exercise with Music to lower stress

 

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Online courses(fee)

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  • Business Tune-Up

  • SWOT

  • Customer Retention

  • Learn about Requirements: Get Forms

  • Government forms due in the next 90 days

Videos

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Bring your A-Game to Work - soft skills

 

Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas can help you find employees for your business at no cost. The Workforce Center can also help you get funding for training for new and existing employees. Call them at (325) 795-4200 or visit http://www.workforcesystem.org/27/Business-Solutions

Online courses (fee)

  • Business Tune-UP: HR

  • Create a Healthy Workplace

Hire Employees

  • Business Entity Wizard
    • The answers to a few questions usually determines the best business entity for you.

      Entity Wizard

      The answers to a few questions usually determines the best business entity for you.

Videos

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Soft Skills

 

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Texas Tech provides low-cost business training. Contact them at 325-670-0300 or visit http://www.ttusbdc.org/abilene/train/training/

Online courses (fee)

Click on the image for information

  • Business Entity Wizard
    • The answers to a few questions usually determines the best business entity for you.

      Entity Wizard

      The answers to a few questions usually determines the best business entity for you.

  • Business Entity Wizard
    • The answers to a few questions usually determines the best business entity for you.

      Entity Wizard

      The answers to a few questions usually determines the best business entity for you.

Videos

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Online courses (fee)

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    • What's Your Footprint

      Calculate your Business' Carbon and Water Footprint

      Email address

Financing/Managing Money

Videos

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Introduction to Crowdfunding

 

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Texas Tech can help you prepare your financial information so you can apply for a business loan. The SBDC can also provide information on sources of loans for your business. Their services are free. Contact them at 325-670-0300 or visit http://www.ttusbdc.org/abilene/
Turn off other languages

Online courses (fee)

Click on the image for information

  • Business Tune-Up

    Track your business' progress with this series of tune-ups. Your information is private; no one has access to it.

    Email address
  • Disaster Planning: Set Employee Expectations
  • Scam Alert Center

    Report a SCAM
    Scams reported in our area: BBB Scam Tracker
    Small Business Scam research results from the BBB

    • Advance fee for business loan
    • Amazon fake merchants
    • Ask you for your 9-digit FEMA registration number
    • Assignment of Insurance Benefits
    • Attorneys or public adjusters who will protect you for a percentage of your claim
    • Business coaching and promotion
    • Business website domain scam
    • Cashier's check fraud
    • Change your online reviews
    • Changing the contract
    • Charge a fee for a disaster inspection or to fill out forms.
    • Check tampering
    • Check washing
    • Computer alert popup
    • Contract with blanks
    • Contractor puts a lien on your property without your knowledge.
    • Contractor will not provide proof of insurance
    • Credit card equipment hijack
    • Credit repair scams
    • Customer provides override to declined credit card
    • Debt collection scams
    • Dishonest pleas for donations
    • Don't trust caller-id
    • Equipment leasing deposits
    • Equipment leasing evergreen clause
    • Fake email and fake website
    • Fake invoices
    • Fake offer of local or federal aid
    • False refunds or voids
    • Fraudulent building contractors
    • Google scam
    • Government employee demanding money or payment
    • Government grants for businesses
    • Housing inspectors claiming to represent FEMA
    • If contractor pressures you to sign document immediately.
    • If you are pressured to make payments beyond the work that has been done.
    • IRS - iTunes scam
    • Large deposit is required before work is started
    • Overpayment
    • Padding an expense account
    • Password update request
    • Peer lending scam
    • Placement in a directory
    • Potential investor (angel investor) for your business
    • Price gouging
    • Promise to speed up the insurance, disaster assistance or building-permit process for a fee.
    • Quoting an interest rate on a lease agreement
    • Request for employee W-2
    • Request to wire extra funds
    • Returning stolen items in exchange for a gift card
    • SBA assistance scam
    • SBA assistance scam
    • Search engine optimization
    • Stop! Before you wire money
    • Told there is a complaint from BBB or that your bank account has been compromised
    • Trusted, like family - employee fraud
    • TTY pre-pay scam
    • Unordered merchandise
    • Urgent call
    • Utility being disconnected for non-payment
    • Valuation fraud from business broker

Videos

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Signs of Employee Theft

 

Online courses (fee)

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    • Business Tune-Up

      Track your business' progress with this series of tune-ups. Your information is private; no one has access to it.

      Email address
    • Prevent Fraud

      Protect your Business from Fraud. It happens more than you think.

      Email address

Protect your Business

Government Requirements

  • Learn about Requirements: Get Forms

  • Government forms due in the next 90 days

Videos

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Legal Requirements for Small Businesses

 

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Texas Tech provides free one-on-one help to people starting a new business. They can help you with determine the feasiability of your business idea, create a business plan, and find funding. Their services are free. Contact them at 325-670-0300 or visit www.ttusbdc.org/abilene/
Turn off other languages

Online courses (fee)

Click on the image for information

    • Business Tune-Up

      Track your business' progress with this series of tune-ups. Your information is private; no one has access to it.

      Email address

Videos

Click on the image to view the video

Encore Entrepreneurship for Women

Online courses

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Your Assessment

  • Characteristics of "Best in Your Industry"

  • New Ideas

  • Use of Technology

  • Threats to your Industry

  • Your email address

  • Videos

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    The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Texas Tech provides free one-on-one help to veterans seeking to start a business. The SBDC can help you develop a business plan, find funding, work with you on government contracting, and more. Their services are free. Contact them at 325-670-0300 or visit www.ttusbdc.org/abilene/

    Online courses

    Click on the image for information

    Your Assessment

    • Characteristics of "Best in Your Industry"

    • New Ideas

    • Use of Technology

    • Threats to your Industry

  • Your email address

  • Agriculture

    Videos

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    Interpreting Financial Statements and Measures in Agriculture

     

    Taylor County/Texas A&M Agricultural Extension Service can help you with both production and the business part of your agribusiness. Their services are free. Call them at (325) 672-6048 or visit taylor.agrilife.org
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    Online courses

    Click on the image for information

    Your Assessment

    • Characteristics of "Best in Your Industry"

    • New Ideas

    • Use of Technology

    • Threats to your Industry

  • Your email address

  • Videos

    Click on the image to view the video

     

    Be an ArtWalk Vendor. Contact the Center for Contemporary Arts. Visit http://www.center-arts.com/artwalk or call 325 677 8389.

    Online courses

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    Your Assessment

    • Characteristics of "Best in Your Industry"

    • New Ideas

    • Use of Technology

    • Threats to your Industry

  • Your email address

  • Videos

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    Prevention Videos for the Construction Industry
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    Online courses

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    QuickBooks for Construction Contractors

    Your Assessment

    • Characteristics of "Best in Your Industry"

    • New Ideas

    • Use of Technology

    • Threats to your Industry

  • Your email address

  • Sell Globally

    Videos

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    Export-U

    Online courses

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    Your Assessment

    • Characteristics of "Best in Your Industry"

    • New Ideas

    • Use of Technology

    • Threats to your Industry

  • Your email address

  • Videos

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    Backing Accidents: Safety Video
    Turn off other languages

    Online courses

    Click on the image for information

    Your Assessment

    • Characteristics of "Best in Your Industry"

    • New Ideas

    • Use of Technology

    • Threats to your Industry

  • Your email address

  • Videos

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    Understanding Material Data Safety Sheets

     

    Develop Abilene and the Abilene Industrial Foundation assist manufacturing and industrial businesses in Abilene with site, labor, financing, and other needs. Learn more about them at http://developabilene.com/about/abilene-industrial-foundation or call them at (325) 673-7349.

     

    TMAC helps Texas manufacturers with lean manufacturing methods, improving quality, workforce development and more. TMAC serves the entire state. TMAC West Texas is part of Texas Tech in Lubbock. You can contact them at 1.800.625.4876 or by visiting http://www.improvedprocess.org/ They have moderate fees for their services.

    Online courses

    Click on the image for information

    Manufacturing Fundamentals

    Your Assessment

    • Characteristics of "Best in Your Industry"

    • New Ideas

    • Use of Technology

    • Threats to your Industry

  • Your email address

  • Videos

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    Turn off other languages

    Online courses

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    Your Assessment

    • Characteristics of "Best in Your Industry"

    • New Ideas

    • Use of Technology

    • Threats to your Industry

  • Your email address

  • Oil and Gas

    Videos

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    Online courses

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    Your Assessment

    • Characteristics of "Best in Your Industry"

    • New Ideas

    • Use of Technology

    • Threats to your Industry

  • Your email address


  • Videos

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    Best practices for cleaning and disinfecting stainless steel commercial food equipment

     

    Get certified as an Abilene Champion! with Hospitality Training from the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau. Find out more at http://www.abilenevisitors.com/Abilene-CHAMPions-Hospitality-Training
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    Online courses

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    Secrets of the Caterer

    Your Assessment

    • Characteristics of "Best in Your Industry"

    • New Ideas

    • Use of Technology

    • Threats to your Industry

  • Your email address

  • Restaurants/Tourism

    Markup Calculator 

    List Price Markdown Calculator 

    Layaway Calculator 

    Videos

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    Courage to Coach - Retail
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    Online courses

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    Your Assessment

    • Characteristics of "Best in Your Industry"

    • New Ideas

    • Use of Technology

    • Threats to your Industry

  • Your email address

  • Videos

    Click on the image to view the video

    How to Market to the Government

     

    The Abilene Small Business Development Center provides government procurement services on behalf of the Procurement Assistance Center in Lubbock. You can find a list of their services at http://www.nwtpac.com/index.php/services/ Please contact the local SBDC at (325) 670-0300 for more information.

    Online courses

    Click on the image for information

    Your Assessment

    • Characteristics of "Best in Your Industry"

    • New Ideas

    • Use of Technology

    • Threats to your Industry

  • Your email address

  • Selling to Government