January 15 & 16: Larta University, Marketing and Sales
Effective marketing and sales for a company has to become a primary part of the business plan, as the company can fail or flourish depending on the marketing and sales strategy implemented. This workshop covers issues such as: determining and defining the total addressable market, competitive analysis, brand placement, P.R., viral campaigns, and the selling process. We will also be helping you refine your selling skills.
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January 29: Larta University, Mergers & Acquisitions
It is virtually every entrepreneur's dream to build a business that eventually provides a significant monetary return to the company's shareholders through a liquidity event - primarily an IPO or a partial or complete sale of the business. In 2001 and the first half of 2002, there were approximately 140 IPO's versus approximately 15,000 M&A transactions. Clearly M&A has better odds. This session will provide you the knowledge necessary to take you business through the "path to liquidity". The course will discuss (i) what makes a successful acquisition candidate and what a business can do to maximize value before the sale process and (ii) how the M&A process works and how to maximize value during the sale process. The instructor is Adam Roseman, who heads Barrington Associates' Technology practice.
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January 30: Larta University, Less is Better: Persuasive Business Writing That Creates a Powerful Impact
In this three hour, interactive workshop, you'll learn that the longer you take to say things, the weaker you come across and the more you risk blurring important ideas. Let your writing sell your proposals. Become more persuasive through clear, precise communication. Cut down on the time it takes to organize your writing and create the right impression the first time. Using actual examples from business plans, executive letters, and sales proposals, Dr. Gary Seigel, trainer, writer, and entrepreneur, will show you fast, easy methods to organize ideas, delete excess words and sentences, target your audience, re-phrase complicated ideas into persuasive language, and reinvent your writing so that the message is always readable and appreciated. Instructor: Dr. Gary Seigel, The Writing Institute.
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February 4: Larta University, Management Law 101
Every company has at least one employee. Companies succeed based on the quality of their product or service and the quality of their human capital - employees. Therefore, every company leader must know how to properly manage his or her employees with an eye toward applicable employment laws. This seminar will teach company leaders the fundamental employment laws, which if violated can lead to six and seven figure exposure, as well as management techniques to develop a cohesive, forward-moving work force. Laws discussed will include discrimination, harassment, disability, basic wage and hour, fundamental company policies and more.
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February 5: Larta University, Preparing the Financial Forecast Model
This workshop will show you how to build a financial forecast model. Using Excel, you will learn how to build your forecast from the bottom up, taking the primary elements of your business (sales, cost of goods sold, staffing and overhead) and translating them into a forecasted Income Statement, Cash Flow Statement and Balance Sheet in a format that potential investors will find attractive.
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February 7: China Compass Conference, Navigating U.S. - China Business Opportunities
China Compass Conference (C3) is a major conference that brings together executives, investors, innovators, and strategic players, interested in market trends in U.S. - China business and the reality of doing business today. C3 features incisive and provocative minds at the forefront of business and finance in the U.S. and China. Speakers include DONALD TANG (Chairman, Bear Stearns Asia); DANIEL FUNG (Board of Directors, Hong Kong Stock and Futures Exchange Commission); RICHARD PENG (Senior Vice President, China Development and Listing Promotion of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited); GARETH CHANG (Click2Asia; former Executive Chairman, Star TV); CHENG WEN CHENG (President & CEO, AcrossAsia Multimedia Limited; former COO, Philips Electronics China Group); WILLIAM OVERHOLT (RAND; author of "The Rise of China"); DESMOND SHUM (HuaQing Investment; former Chief Representative, ChinaVest);
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> Larta University Presents
PricewaterhouseCoopers Expert Access Series

THE PROGRAM: PricewaterhouseCoopers' expertise is available to you in a series of informative, classroom-style seminars. In its seventeenth year, the program offers courses covering a variety of practical accounting and finance topics for businesses of all sizes. Choose from a list of classes or choose all for a reduced rate.

THE EXPERTS: PricewaterhouseCoopers specializes in providing business advisory services to emerging technology companies. We provide audit, tax, accounting and business advice that is vital to the success of your company.

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Class 1 - Start-Up Accounting and Tax Issues
February 18: Los Angeles; February 26: Orange County
Have you recently formed a new business? Along with all the other concerns of starting a new venture, you will need to consider various tax and accounting issues. This seminar will address issues including stock-based compensation and cheap stock, start-up costs, tax loss and credit preservation, maximizing research tax credits, and other matters.
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Class 2 - Accounting Issues for Emerging Technology Companies
March 11: Los Angeles; March 26: Orange County
Stock Compensation, Revenue Recognition, Equity Transactions, Research and Development are four areas of fundamental importance to emerging technology companies and four areas that have unique and often complex accounting issues. The goal of the course is to highlight key accounting and reporting matters and to give you a working understanding of what impact these areas have on your business and your business decisions.
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Class 3 - Stock Based Compensation and Equity Instruments
April 15: Los Angeles; April 30: Orange County
Issuing preferred stock, stock options and warrants are a few of the equity related areas that give rise to complex accounting issues. To avoid surprises in your reported results and understand the "cost to your company" for issuing such instruments, an understanding of the financial statement impact for these items is necessary. This course will discuss the impact of the issuance of these instruments in terms understandable to emerging technology companies.
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Class 4 - Revenue Recognition
May 28: Los Angeles; TBD: Orange County
Why can't revenue be recorded if the cash has been received and it is non-refundable? Revenue recognition continues to be a focus of the financial community, particularly in the tech sector. Penalties for not properly recognizing revenue include loss of management credibility, impact to a company's valuation, and potential investor and legal issues. The goal of this course is to focus on the key revenue recognition principles that can be used by emerging technology companies to guide them in this ever changing and complex area.
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> Other Events To Check Out

February 5-7: Infocast: NBIC Convergence 2003
The convergence of nanoscience, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive science ("NBIC") offers immense opportunities for the improvement of human abilities, social outcomes, the nation's productivity and its quality of life, and also represents a major new frontier in research and development. The NBIC Convergence 2003 conference will feature a remarkable panel of nationally recognized experts, and will analyze the opportunities NBIC convergence presents for human performance improvements, including work efficiency, learning, sensory and cognitive capabilities, communications, human-machine interface, life extension, defense and human health. The conference will be co-chaired by Mihail C. Roco, Ph.D., Senior Advisor, NSF, and Chair of the National Science and Technology Council's subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology; and Carlo D. Montemagno, Ph.D., Co-Director of the Institute for Cell Mimetic Space Exploration (CMISE) and the Chair of the Department of Bioengineering at UCLA.
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February 9-10: IBF Conference: 2nd Annual Nanotechnology Investing Forum
IBF Conferences and the NanoBusiness Alliance have gathered the leading nanotech investors and the leading research institutions in nanotechnology. Hear from the experts about the opportunities, challenges and potential opportunities of investing in nanotechnology today.
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Full Event Calendar >