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EDC APRIL AND MAY EVENT AND WEBINAR SCHEDULE
The Economic Development Collaborative encourages you to sign up for our no-cost events and webinars. Space is limited. Register today!
Plan ahead! Our full EDC and partner event schedule is updated at the start of each month.
EN ESPAÑOL: PRESENCIAL: QUICKBOOKS ESENCIAL Y DESARROLLO DE HABILIDADES: TALLER INTERACTIVO PARA NEGOCIOS PRESENTADO POR LA CIUDAD DE OXNARD
9 de abril a las 9:00 am
Acompañe a la ciudad de Oxnard, al Colaborativo de Desarrollo Económico y a Accelerate CA en este taller práctico e interactivo, diseñado tanto para usuarios principiantes y usuarios expertos de QuickBooks en Oxnard. Si está comenzando desde cero o lleva años utilizando QuickBooks y desea perfeccionar sus habilidades, esta sesión abordará las funciones esenciales y explorará temas más avanzados en función de las preguntas de los participantes. Registro: 8:30 am. Dirección: Biblioteca Pública de Oxnard – Biblioteca Principal, 251 S A St, Oxnard, CA 93030. El programa Accelerate California: Inclusive Innovation Hub (Accelerate CA) está financiado por el Estado de California y administrado por el Defensor de la Pequeña Empresa de California (CalOSBA, por sus siglas en inglés). Precio: GRATIS.
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IN-PERSON WORKSHOP: AI FOR SMALL BUSINESS: 10 USE CASES YOU CAN APPLY THIS MONTH
April 17 @ 8:30 am
Join SCORE, the City of Moorpark, the Economic Development Collaborative, and Accelerate CA for this information-packed workshop. Turn AI from buzzword into business results. Learn practical, low-cost tools and tips for marketing, sales, and operations, no IT or coding background needed. Leave with prompts, checklists and a 30-day action plan. Note: A free or paid Generative AI Account (e.g. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Co-Pilot) is required to get the most out of the hands-on portions of this workshop. Bring a fully charged laptop or device with your selected AI application installed and signed in to your account. Address: Moorpark City Hall | 323 Science Dr, Moorpark, CA 93021. The Accelerate California: Inclusive Innovation Hub (Accelerate CA Hub) is funded by the State of California and administered by CalOSBA. Price: FREE.
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IN-PERSON WORKSHOP: STOP GUESSING: UNDERSTAND YOUR BUSINESS NUMBERS WITH QUICKBOOKS REPORTS
April 21 @ 8:30 am
QuickBooks Online can generate dozens of reports, but which ones truly matter for running and growing your business? Join SCORE Ventura, City of Ventura, Accelerate CA and Economic Development Collaborative in this practical workshop, business owners will learn how to create and interpret the most important financial reports on QuickBooks Online. Whether you are new to QuickBooks or have been using it for years, understanding your financial reports is essential for making informed decisions and managing your business with confidence. Participants will explore a few of the most critical reports every business owner should review regularly and learn how to interpret the numbers behind them. Check-in: 8:00 am – Coffee and Pastries Provided; Event starts at 8:30 am. Address: Ventura City Hall | 501 Poli St, Ventura, CA 93001 | Community Room. #202. Price: FREE.
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IN-PERSON: QUICKBOOKS ESSENTIALS AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT: AN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP FOR BUSINESSES PRESENTED BY THE CITY OF OXNARD
April 23 @ 9:00 am
Join the City of Oxnard, the Economic Development Collaborative, and the Accelerate CA Hub for this practical, interactive workshop designed for both beginners and experienced QuickBooks users in Oxnard. Whether you are starting from scratch or have been using QuickBooks for years and want to hone your skills, this session will cover essential features and explore more advanced topics based on participants’ questions. Check-in: 8:30 am. Address: Oxnard Public Library – Main Library, 251 S A St, Oxnard, CA 93030. The Accelerate California: Inclusive Innovation Hub Program (Accelerate CA) is funded by the State of California and administered by the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA). Price: FREE.
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RESTAURANT 101
April 23 @ 12:00 pm
The restaurant industry operates on razor-thin margins, and those who survive understand their operational costs. This webinar is presented to give those in the industry, as well as those interested in starting a food business, the background in costs of goods, staffing needs, labor costs, weekly sales projections, Profit and Loss projections, and other cost-cutting best practices and offered as a Zoom meeting so that attendees can ask questions during the presentation. Price: FREE.
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IN-PERSON-WORKSHOP: EMERGING FRAUD THREATS
April 23 @ 5:00 pm
The ever-changing landscape of fraud and growing threats of cyber attacks pose a risk for everyone. In this 2-hour training session provided by City National Bank’s fraud team, you will gain valuable insights about how AI is used to enhance attacks, practical steps to protect your accounts and sensitive information, and tools to prevent these attacks. Check-In: 4:30 pm. Address: Ventura County Community Foundation Building, Board Room, 4001 Mission Oaks Blvd, Camarillo, CA. Price: FREE.
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HOW TO IMPORT COFFEE INTO THE UNITED STATES
May 1 @ 9:00 am
This session focuses on the operational and regulatory aspects of starting a coffee business that sources and imports its own coffee. Participants will learn how coffee moves from origin to the U.S., what is required to import legally, and how to structure their supply chain efficiently. Price: FREE.
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STEP BY STEP – HOW TO OPEN A RESTAURANT
May 7 @12:00 pm
“Step by Step – How to Open a Restaurant” gives an overview of opening a restaurant. Starting with the menu, a plan, and profitability, you can explore your dream before spending money. This webinar is for anyone who is interested in exploring the feasibility of opening a full-service, quick-service, or other brick-and-mortar location. Price: FREE.
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BUILDING YOUR COFFEE BRAND & CHOOSING THE RIGHT PRODUCT
May 18 @ 9:00 am
This session focuses on the commercial side of launching a coffee business. Participants will learn how to choose the right coffee for their target market, build a compelling brand, and create a simple go-to-market strategy. Price: FREE.
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AI 101 FOR SMALL BUSINESSES: WHAT IT IS, HOW IT WORKS, AND HOW TO USE IT TO SAVE TIME AND MAKE MONEY
May 21 @ 10:00 am
Artificial Intelligence is quickly becoming one of the most powerful tools for small business owners to increase productivity, improve marketing, and streamline daily operations. But many entrepreneurs feel overwhelmed by all the new terminology and tools. In this beginner-friendly webinar, you’ll learn the key terminology, how large language models and chatbots work, and real-world business use cases that can save you time and help you grow faster. We’ll also cover important topics that responsible business owners need to understand, including cultural bias in AI, ethical and legal considerations, and how to implement AI to protect your brand and your customers. This session is designed to give you a clear, practical foundation so you can start using AI in your business immediately and confidently. Price: FREE.
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GOOGLE AI TOOLS FOR GROWTH AND SCALE: THE SMALL BUSINESS AI TOOLKIT
May 26 @ 10:00 am
There are powerful Google AI tools available right now that can help you research faster, create content, analyze your market, and scale your business without adding more staff. In this webinar, you’ll be introduced to tools like Gemini with Deep Research, NotebookLM, Flow, Nano Banana, Pomeli, and how each tool fits into your business workflow. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by too many AI platforms, you’ll learn how to build your own AI toolkit, knowing which tools to use for marketing, research, content creation, strategy, and automation. This session is perfect for small business owners who want to work smarter, make better decisions, and grow efficiently using AI. Price: FREE.
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EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND CULTURE
May 28 @ 12:00 pm
As employers nationwide continue to struggle to find quality employees, employers must focus on their current staff and company culture to attract the best candidates for new available positions. This webinar will touch on ways to improve your current staff morale, offer tips for recruiting the best available candidates, and focus on your overall company culture. This webinar is for all industries which rely on employees. Price: FREE.
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EDC PARTNER SCHEDULE
SCORE: HOW TO PITCH LIKE A PRO
April 6 @ 10:00 am
In this workshop, you will learn a few essential levers to make your pitch highly effective. This workshop is not a “what you need to do” but “how to do it”. The two most important aspects of a pitch are how to tell a story on a compelling problem and then wrap it in your novel solution that eliminates this problem. Once you have that, the rest of the slides support this story, including that you and your team can deliver on the novel solution, make a lot of money while doing it and most importantly, make even more money for the investor. SCORE will go over the expected ’10-slide’ structure of the slide deck and how to position it around your core story. Price: FREE.
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SCORE: ETIQUETTE MISTAKES KILLING YOUR CREDIBILITY
April 6 @ 11:00 am
In this candid, high-energy session, SCORE will uncover the common etiquette mistakes that quietly sabotage your credibility and what to do instead. From ghosting and no-shows to accountability and appearance, you’ll learn the basics that should be obvious … but clearly aren’t. Whether you’re a freelancer, small business owner, or up-and-coming entrepreneur, these practical tips will help you earn trust, gain respect, and show up like the pro you are. Price: $10.00.
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SCORE: BLOG TO GROW – WHY BLOGGING IS A SMALL BUSINESS POWER TOOL
April 7 @ 10:00 am
Are you overlooking one of the most powerful tools in your marketing toolbox? You’ll learn why blogging still matters in 2026, how it drives more traffic, improves SEO, and builds trust with your audience. You’ll also discover how to stretch your blog content further, turning one well-written post into social media, email, and promotional material. Price: FREE.
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SCORE: FROM GOOGLE TO AI SEARCH: HOW LOCAL SERVICE BUSINESSES STAY DISCOVERABLE
April 9 @ 1:00 pm
Search is changing fast. Customers are no longer finding local service businesses only through Google; they’re increasingly asking AI tools who to hire. In this practical, non-technical workshop, you’ll learn how local service businesses can stay discoverable as search evolves from traditional Google results to AI-powered search and answers. SCORE will cover how Google Business Profiles, websites, reviews, and structured content now feed both Google and AI systems and what simple steps you can take today to future-proof your online presence. Using real-world examples from home service businesses, you’ll walk away with clear, actionable guidance to improve visibility, earn trust, and attract more customers without chasing buzzwords or complex tools. Price: $10.00.
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SCORE: UPGRADE YOUR WEBSITE FOR BETTER BUSINESS RESULTS
April 10 @ 9:00 am
Your business website is the hub for all your digital marketing. It’s the place where people will come for first impressions and to find their next step with your business. For many business owners, building a website is a challenge that feels overwhelming, and they often struggle to make decisions about technology, hiring designers (or DIYing), content, and search engine optimization. Price: $10.00.
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