Vcourse

We heard you.

You’re eager to use LinkedIn to find high-wealth donors, board members, volunteers, and partners who will be passionate about your mission. You know that LinkedIn is a tool every nonprofit can afford -- it’s free! -- but you’re not sure how to put zing in your profile and how to find the gold in that massive database. Having a great profile is a basic tool for connecting with major donors. If you, your team, and your nonprofit don’t shine brightly, you’ll get passed over.

LinkedIn is a treasure trove for nonprofit development and outreach. What’s more, it is a great way to find potential board members who have a passion for your mission and the skills your nonprofit needs now.

The profile of your next board member is in there. So, too, are the profiles of corporate and individual donors.

Do you know how to find them quickly? You may already have connections to them. Do you know how to find out and get an introduction? After taking this course, you will know.
 

• Completion of LinkedIn for Beginners, which is offered Jan. 11, 2011

• a profile that is at least 70 percent complete and at least 10 connections.

OK, you've spruced up your LinkedIn profile so it tells the world why they should work with you. Now you need to build your network by seeking out and getting involved with groups of like-minded people. 

Social media is being approached like medical research once was: If it's good for the men, then a smaller, pink pill must be good for women. No way!

Women invented social media. After all, who recommends more products and services than women? No one. If we're the originators of "word of mouth," shouldn't our businesses benefit from our invention? 

Extending women's communication skills to web-based information exchanges is a natural. Women have nothing to fear from such technology, as long as it's explained well, in plain English.  

And that's just what Real Women Do Social Media is all about: clear explanations with practical advice on implementing what you learn.

What don't most classes consider that we do? Well, how about:

• Women don't have the time (or the inclination) to "poke around" or "figure it out." We're not stupid. We recognize the value of social media, but we want marketing tools that show measurable progress in a reasonable amount of time.
• From a time-management perspective, women need to do the right things, at the right times for the right reasons to get the right results. No matter how much we've "evolved," women are still responsible for the bulk of child and family care. We have friendships to maintain, lives to shape and lead and, oh, there's that minor matter of personal time.
• When women learn, they teach others. Hence, women want information that is easy to pass on. That's why the Real Women Do Social Media takes a common-sense, step-by-step, nitty-gritty approach.
• Social media lends itself to the way women naturally communicate and share ideas. Historically, most storytellers were women. Women exchange "secrets" to build trust, which men do not. These nuances carry through online. (The good news is, we get to define whether a "secret" is something marginally personal or soul-baring.) Social media is all about being genuine, open and sharing. Sound familiar?
   

• Weekly 60-minute working calls and, for those who want more, Q&A following each call. Our instructor is gifted at drawing out questions without making you feel silly that you asked.
• Assignments related to your business needs and feedback that will help you deal with your particular challenges.
• Comfortable, travel-free classes via phone and Internet so you can join in wherever you are.
• Real Women Do Social Media Case Studies (so you can learn from other women like you).
• Access to recordings of all classes in case you miss a session or want to review.
• Online, private Real Women Do Social Media forums so you can interact with one another and ask questions on the fly.
• A step-by-step outline to create your own social media strategy once and for all. Good for at LEAST a year! You know how women like maps and men don't? Well, this is GPS on steroids.
• Discounted access to Social Media Concierge Agents aka "social media elves."
• Insider recommendations for no- and low-cost social media tools that will save you time and aggravation.
• Access to a proven social media system that has worked wonders for women business owners like you.
• A surprise bonus!

At the end of the 8-weeks, you'll have, IN WRITING and ready to implement, your own social media marketing plan. If you don't wish to implement it on your own, you'll also qualify for a discount on access to our team of Social Media Concierge agents.

Syllabus

It's back!

Because it works.

LinkedIn for the Uninitiated in 4 Easy Steps gives solo-preneurs, small business owners, and nonprofit leaders (yes, you are running a business!) access to the benefits of LinkedIn without overwhelming you with techno-babble. When you know how to use it, LinkedIn is a powerful, free tool for making the connections small businesses and nonprofits need.

The price is right and the results impressive ... with both LinkedIn and our class. That's why we're offering it again.

Nonprofits and small businesses need to use every tool available to tap new resources. LinkedIn is one such tool; Ventureneer's Vcourse, with personal attention to your questions and problems, is another.

"I had no idea that LinkedIn had such potential as a marketing and business development tool. Not only did I find the information presented useful in expanding my organization's reach, but the clients I serve have benefited immensely." Jaci Hirschfeld of FY Eye

Ventureneer's reprise of its popular LinkedIn for the Uninitiated in 4 Easy Steps will be held from 12 noon to 1 p.m. EDT on Thursdays beginning May 20 through June 10. The Vcourse, like our popular  webinars, will be taught by Marc Halpert.



"Thank you so much for your specific, detailed instructions and tips about how to maximize the LinkedIn profile networking tool. Even though your target audience was nonprofit, there was tons of helpful information applicable to for-profit businesses, too." says Emily Cox, of PowerwoRx.



LinkedIn is a marketing and networking powerhouse for small businesses and nonprofits. Ventureneer's Vcourse will show you how to use that power effectively.

• You'll get one-on-one guidance from the instructor and your questions about your particular situation will be answered.
  
  
• You'll meet -- virtually -- fellow classmates with whom you can brainstorm and network.

• You'll develop an effective LinkedIn profile for your business, not learn about profiles in general.

In just 4 weeks, with minimal homework assignments, you will create and learn to manage your profile so it is attractive to the people you want to reach. When you finish the course, you'll have access to more than 50 million people around the world who use LinkedIn as a business/networking tool, that's 50 million potential customers, investors, donors, volunteers or board members.



That's a lot of reach for only $250 (or even $300)!



The Vcourse gives leaders of both small businesses and nonprofits an in-depth, hands-on experience that will result in a highly visible LinkedIn presence for their organizations. This is a practical, not a theoretical, course. 



A LinkedIn discussion group will also be set up so participants can network and converse beyond the confines of the course. And you'll know how to use it effectively.


The Vcourse format allows both the quality learning and the peer support that business owners and nonprofit leaders need to succeed. It is flexible and convenient. If you can’t make a class, you’ll have access to recordings and a copy of the PowerPoint.

Check out the curriculum.

This workshop will help you to determine if starting a social enterprise is right for your nonprofit.

WE WILL DISCUSS HOW TO:

• Educate your organization on the benefits of social enterprise
• Evaluate the needs of stakeholders
• Overcome resource and organization barriers and constraints
• Analyze the marketplace to determine opportunities
• Create a screening process for evaluating business ideas
• Balance your mission with your business goals
• Develop a business plan
• Put together a strong management team for a for-profit business

You will receive materials to guide you through a revenue generation process that is realistic, practical and flexible.

Nonprofit organizations routinely look to individuals working in the corporate sector to serve on their boards. Popular belief is that these individuals may bring expanded resources and expertise to the table. This isn't always the case. Come to this exciting session to learn about how nonprofit boards should search for potential board members within the corporate community and how nonprofits can properly onboard someone from the corporate sector, including breaking down misperceptions among the corporate community about nonprofits. Panelists include decades of experience working in both the nonprofit and corporate community and can provide great insight into this dynamic.