Courses

You can trust Sole Traders United to bring you something so rare it’s virtually unique: inexpensive education. Now, through Sole Traders United you have access to top level tuition at rock bottom prices.

Sole Traders United collates and promotes relevant training programmes where acknowledged leaders in their field present innovative, instructive courses that are pertinent to Sole Traders and Micro-businesses and what you most want to know. If you would like to advertise your courses in any area of the country, or want us to take bookings for you, please contact us.

If the course you need is not listed below, members can use the forum to request training. It may be possible to arrange courses in your area with other interested people.

“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.”
Derek Bok, Former President Harvard University

BRAVE Enterprise Bristol, Training Programme – Spring/Summer 2008

Let’s Talk Starting In Business – 12; 21 & 29 Jan; 12.30-4.30pm – FREE
This course is an excellent starting place for people wanting to discover the ins and outs of setting up and running their own business. The course covers a wide range of issues and is a great way to meet other like-minded people in your area.

Thinking About Business – 7 & 20 Jan, 10am-12noon – FREE
If you’re looking to start a business but need personal clarification regarding your motivations, then this short seminar will be just for you

Marketing Your Website – 21 Jan, 10-4pm – £70 + VAT
If your website plays a key part in your business then this course will help you maximise its potential. Don’t worry if you’re not technical! This course is for business people so techno-babble will be kept to an absolute minimum.
Course Content: how do search engines work? how can you make them work for you? examples of search engine friendly sites; a look at paid advertising; top ten checks and changes your site needs

How to Market your website, Part 1: Search Engine Optimisation – 21 Jan, 10 am-4 pm – £70 + VAT
Ever wondered how to get your website to rank highly in Google’s index? This crash course will equip you with the tools you need to make your site feature more highly in Google’s results pages. Jon Payne an experienced e-commerce and web marketing specialist will help you to gain an understanding of how you site can improve and generate sales. Jargon free.
Course content: How to do search engines work? How can you make them work for you? Examples of search engine friendly sites; Top ten checks and changes your site needs; Suggested improvements to your site

How to Market your Website, Part 2: Google AdWords – 27 Jan, 10 am–4 pm – £70 + VAT
(SAVE £20 if you book with ‘Search Engine Optimisation’)
Want to understand how to set up a Google AdWord Account? Confused by ‘Click Through Rate’, ‘Impressions’ and ‘Conversions’? this course will start out with the basics and will advance to give you the skills to maximise your return on investment. You will gain an understanding of how your AdWords Campaign can improve and generate more sales.
Course content: How does Google AdWords work? Setting up and optimised campaign; Monitoring & improving your campaign; A look at other sites such as Yahoo & Facebook! An explanation of common technical terms & what they mean to you
IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU HAVE ATTENDED ‘SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION’ OR YOU HAVE GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMATION

Introduction to Bookkeeping –27 Jan & 10 Mar, 9.30 am–4.30 pm £60 + VAT
An excellent course for anyone responsible for keeping their own books and accounts. By the end of this course you will understand the importance of good financial record keeping and find out which method is best for you. You will also be able to interpret financial information for the benefit of your business. A great course for anyone unsure of how best to tackle this subject.

Make Your Art Pay – 29 Jan 10am-4pm – £35+ VAT (£25 + VAT students)
This course will be brilliant for anyone in a creative industry who needs help & advice on how to make money from their particular practice. It covers: researching your market; finding where and how to sell; protecting your copyright; pricing your work; finding confidence with your creative products; talking to your customers.

How to profit from Tradeshows – 10 Feb – 10am-4pm– £50 + VAT
The course will be relevant to anyone thinking of exhibiting at a tradeshow and also to people that have already done one who might need further help. By the end of the seminar you will have a clear understanding of how to find the right show for you, how to approach the competition and how to market yourself in the most appropriate way.
Course Content: researching your chosen market; protecting your copyright; forging new contacts; how to present yourself; understanding “branding”; dealing with clients

Choosing a website – 12 Feb, 9.30am-12.30pm – £50 + VAT
The course aims to demystify all the major issues surrounding websites and will help you to understand exactly what your web needs are before shelling out loads of money.
Course Content: Domain names; What is hosting?; Online selling processes and card handling; Engaging a web designer - what to look for and what to look out for; Search engines- truths, myths and how to make them work for you.

PR for free – 18 Feb 12-4pm – £45 + VAT
This half day workshop will be beneficial to anyone looking to learn the basics of PR and will help you select the most appropriate form of PR for your business in order to create a “buzz” and ultimately increase sales.
Course Content: How to write a press release; How to work with the media; How to create “news” about your business; Q and A session

Get more business for your business! – 26 Feb, 10am-4pm – £50 + VAT
This seminar aims to help you get you more business for your business! Come and learn the best ways to make appointments with the right people and how to promote yourself. Course covers: How to speak to the right people, Making professional phone calls; How to just ask for business; What will help people buy from you?

Please call BRAVE on 0117 314 4616 or email info@brave.org.uk for more information or to book a place. Or book via BRAVE’s new-look website www.brave.org.uk