​Pontiac, Michigan – Business owners and entrepreneurs who may have had their operations or aspirations interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic have a chance to get back on track with the help of expert business counselors from Oakland County’s small business team.

The center is offering a series of workshops as part of its September schedule that focus on business strategies for responding to the pandemic, including:

• Pivoting Your Business to Thrive in a New Environment
• Market Trends During the Coronavirus Crisis – Consumers Have Changed, Will You?
• How to Write a Business Plan in the New Economy

“We encourage business owners and entrepreneurs to take advantage of these workshops which are tailored to giving useful direction and strategies to help business owners chart a course for success,” County Executive David Coulter said. “Our economic development small business team is anxious to help you and your business through the pandemic or help you formalize your entrepreneurial vision.”

All workshops are free unless otherwise noted and require pre-registration. The September workshop schedule is:

A 360° Perspective on Your Business
Sept. 1 | 11 a.m. – noon | https://bit.ly/33vnohj
When everything is important all the time, the question becomes “what do we focus on now?”
In this workshop, you’ll be introduced to GrowthWheel to help you quickly evaluate where you’re at with your business and where to focus if you want to grow the company. This workshop is designed to help existing businesses.
Cost: Free | Registration required

Starting a Business
Sept. 2 | 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. | https://bit.ly/33zOWC4
Thinking about starting a business? We can help. This virtual workshop is designed for individuals who are at the beginning stages of starting a business. Topics like startup
costs, financing options and business planning are introduced along with the steps to get started. This workshop is for startup businesses.
Cost: Free | Registration required

Startup Cash Analysis – Don’t Get in Over Your Head
Sept. 8 | 1 – 2 p.m. | https://bit.ly/33ygIip
Get ahead of the curve, prepare for the next steps and don’t get in over your head. This virtual workshop helps new entrepreneurs gain a better understanding of the cash demands required to successfully start a business. With 50 percent of small businesses failing within the first five years, proper startup cash analysis is paramount to a successful launch. Concepts found in the Startup Cash Analysis Workbook (course materials) and estimating cash needs will be covered. Don’t be a statistic. Register today. This workshop is for pre-start businesses.
Cost: Free | Registration required

CEED Lending Small Business Loan Orientation
Sept. 9 | 9 – 11 a.m. | https://bit.ly/33Ffrq1
If your business is in Oakland County and you need alternative financing, consider a CEED Lending Small Business Loan. The workshop introduces you to the requirements and process necessary to qualify for a CEED loan. CEED Lending is an initiative of Great Lakes Women’s Business Council.
Cost: Free | Registration required

Pivoting Your Business to Thrive in a New Environment
Sept. 10 | 1 – 2 p.m. | https://bit.ly/3knZb2C
Successful businesses pivot to adjust to changing times. New business realities due to COVID-19 require that many new and well-established businesses re-evaluate their business models. This virtual workshop covers three areas of your business that hold clues on how to successfully pivot your business and stay alive. This workshop is for existing and startup businesses.
Cost: Free | Registration required

Market Trends During the Coronavirus Crisis:
Consumers have Changed, Will You?
Sept. 15 | 1 – 2 p.m. | https://bit.ly/30zJk8Z
New customer expectations necessitate changes in business practices. This virtual workshop will help you understand customer expectations, incomes and spending habits during the era of COVID-19. Learn more about changes in consumer behavior for business-to-customer (B2C) businesses and identify consumer behaviors that are likely to stick long term. This workshop is for existing businesses.
Cost: Free | Registration required

From Good Idea to Great Concept
Sept. 16 | 9 – 11 a.m. | https://bit.ly/3kjtw1Y
A great idea is just the first step along an entrepreneurial journey. Learn how to take your idea and build a great business concept that you can implement. Hear how to move from idea to concept and how successful entrepreneurs adjust their concept to give themselves the best chance at creating a successful business. This workshop is for startup businesses.
Cost: Free | Registration required

How to Write A Business Plan in The New Economy
Sept. 17 | 11 a.m. – Noon | https://bit.ly/3igFAzc
So, you’ve decided that it’s finally time to write that business plan everyone says you need.
Excited? Dreading it? Not sure where to start? We can help! Follow along with our step-by-step Prepare a business plan that gives your business direction, defines your objectives, maps out strategies to achieve your goals and helps you to manage possible bumps in the road. This workshop is designed for entrepreneurs who are interested in writing their first business plan or want to Improve a plan to get their business to the next level. This workshop is for existing and startup businesses.
Cost: Free | Registration required

Projecting Cash Flow – Overcoming Business Interruptions and Beyond
Sept. 22 | 1 – 2 p.m. | https://bit.ly/33AMJqe
This may be the most important class a small business owner will ever take. This virtual workshop helps you gain a greater understanding of the cash demands required to successfully manage a business, including an introduction to the use and concepts found in the Cash Flow Projection Workbook (course materials). A good cash flow management system is paramount to the success of your business. This workshop is for new and existing businesses.
Cost: Free | Registration required.

​Pontiac, Michigan – Four Oakland County residents who took different paths to deliver the same message – everyone should do their part to help stop the spread of the coronavirus – were chosen by a public vote as winners of the Oakland Together COVID-19 Safety Video & Art Contest.

Oakland County Executive David Coulter announced the winners today, celebrating the creativity of the winners while reminding residents that the steps each of us takes makes a difference in stopping the spread of the virus.

“Oakland County is so fortunate to have such wonderfully talented artists and story tellers in our midst,” Coulter said. “Their collective message is simple and to the point. We have an obligation to our families, those we care about, our coworkers, classmates and friends, and even those we don’t know to wear a facial covering to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.”

The contest was open to county residents in two categories: youth ages 10-17 and those 18 and above. The theme was the continuing importance of practicing COVID-19 safety protocols such as wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing and washing your hands frequently. Entrants could submit a video or visual art.

Nearly 4,900 people cast votes in the online contest. The winners are:

• Youth visual art: Steven Lowenberg, 13, of Southfield. His entry was a color pencil and crayon drawing entitled “Stop the Spread” and encourages everyone to wash their hands, practice social distancing and wear a mask. “This is an illustration encouraging everyone to practice proper hygiene, social distancing, and to wear face masks to keep all of us safe and healthy,” Lowenberg said.

• Adult visual art: Sydni Gothard, of Waterford. Her acrylic on canvas entry is entitled “Together,” with characters each wearing masks and the unifying message that we are all in this together. “I want my painting to encourage others to wear a mask for their safety and the safety of others,” Gothard wrote of her entry. “While each of the characters are spaced apart in their own color dividers, they can still show support and feel comfort in the fact that they are all in this together.”

• Youth video: Charlisa Penzak, 12, of Bloomfield Hills. Her video, “We are all in this Together,” features a multi-generational cast of ethnically diverse people relating how their lives have been affected, what they miss and what steps they should each take to stop the spread of the virus. “I incorporated the theme of diversity to show that no matter your race, religion, nationality, or sex, everyone needs to play their part, and everyone needs to help,” she wrote of her entry. “These times have been tough for everyone. People might think that they cannot do much, but by wearing masks and social distancing, they can play their part in stopping the coronavirus.”

• Adult video: Eli Sider of Huntington Woods, a freelance videographer and film major at the University of Michigan. His video, “It Didn’t Have to Be This Way,” chronicles the rapid spread of the virus in a community beginning with an innocent contact between friends. According to his entry, “Eli Sider was motivated to make this video after seeing people in the U.S. who refuse to wear masks because they don’t believe in them. He wanted to share the message that the masks don’t protect you, they protect your loved ones, the ones most vulnerable. As a college senior about to return to University of Michigan for another year surrounded by thousands of people, he hopes his message will urge those in his community to take the necessary steps to protect one another.”

The contest was open to original artwork submitted by the original creator, including but not limited to video, painting, drawing, photography, illustration and printmaking. Artwork was to promote and encourage COVID safety, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state of Michigan protocols.

The winners receive $350. Winning entries will be displayed virtually on the county’s website, www.oakgov.com, social media channels and www.OaklandCountyProsper.com through Sept. 30. The images and videos can be viewed by clicking on the following link: https://www.oakgov.com/covid/contests/Pages/gallery.aspx.

They will also be considered for use in upcoming public service announcements. The artists will be given credit if their creations are used.