5 Tips For Choosing A Workshop
 By Terry M. Blair

A small-business workshop or specialized seminar might be just what you need to get those creative juices flowing again.

Ongoing training and education gives small-business owners the opportunity to hear new ideas, improve hands-on technical skills and see fresh ways of solving old problems.

But there is an art to getting the most from seminars and workshops. To reap big benefits from training events, follow these five tips.

Tip #1: Narrow your choices
There are thousands of workshops and seminars to choose from. Don’t waste your money and time by selecting the wrong one.

First, look for events that cater to small-business owners. Your needs are unique. A seminar on financial statements might be geared toward business owners or toward accounting professionals. But the seminar shouldn’t try to address both groups. Be sure you select a seminar that focuses on your needs as a business owner.

Also look for seminars and workshops that address a specific topic, rather than a general one. For example, a seminar entitled “Time Management for Busy Professionals” might be more specific than one entitled “How to Get Everything Done On Time.”

Tip #2: Read the outline
A top-notch workshop will provide a thorough and detailed outline or agenda. Read it carefully, and be a skeptic.

Many seminar and workshop brochures are exaggerated to maximize sales. Some are pure hype. Try to read between the lines.

For instance, look at the time allotted for the workshop compared to the number of topics promised. Is the seminar attempting to cover too many topics in too short a time? That could be a red flag. It usually means that the topics will be touched on lightly rather than getting down to nitty-gritty details.

Look at the agenda to see if there is time allotted for questions and answers. Also see if the seminar provides time for actually practicing the skills you learn. For example, if you attend a seminar to polish your public speaking skills, will you have the opportunity to make a short presentation to other seminar attendees? And will they provide a critique?

Tip #3: Who offers the workshop?
Evaluate the company or group that is offering the seminar. Professional associations and trade organizations frequently present workshops as education for their members.

Private consulting firms, book authors and industry speakers also conduct workshops. Beware that sometimes their main intent is to sell services or products.

For-profit seminar companies also offer workshops. If you choose one of these, look at who the actual presenter will be. What is her reputation in the industry? What is his company or organization affiliation? Try to evaluate the presenter’s credibility and experience. You might be able to visit a presenter’s Web site or search the Internet for more background information.

Tip #4: Look for practicality
Lots of first-rate seminars focus on business-related practicality, rather than just theory. If the advance brochure asks attendees to bring their real-world dilemmas to the seminar, chances are you’ve found a seminar that will help you apply what you learn.

For instance, a seminar about how to get a business loan might request that you bring your business plan and current financials. Or a workshop about getting more publicity might ask you to show up with samples of your existing press releases.

Tip #5: Stretch yourself
Don’t be content with a seminar or workshop that simply reinforces your current skills. Opt for those that push you out of your comfort zone.

If giving sales presentations makes you nervous, enroll in a workshop that requires you to face your public speaking fear. If you dread making cold calls, find a seminar that gives you new approaches to the task.

(Posted October 2004)

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