Every month, we compile the internet’s biggest list of free skill-building webinars. Thought-leaders, entrepreneurs and business owners are always looking for innovative ways to adapt to the challenges of working remotely, all while trying to grow their skills and projects. It’s more important than ever for us to come together and share our knowledge and resources. The webinars below cover a variety of skills, news, and advice to help. Topics include business strategy and innovations, thought leadership,business practices, HR, TED talks, economy, renewals, eCommerce, and DEI. Now onto this month’s webinars. Please note, all times are indicated in ET (unless otherwise noted). The Top 24 Security Predictions for 2024 January 9, 11:00 AM What will come next in our world of cybersecurity as we head into 2024? What will be hot, and what will not? The best security predictions do much more than just make educated guesses at what might happen in the next year or two. They examine the vendors who study global security incident trends; analyze what’s working and what’s not; consider new cyber solution alternatives, and use science and data to gaze into the future and make forecasts. How To Start an Online Store – An E-commerce Business Guide January 9, 1:00 PM Join this webinar as it dives into the essential elements of starting and managing an online store. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or an established business owner looking to expand online, it’ll equip you with the knowledge needed to create a thriving e-commerce business. An expert presenter will help ensure your online store is set up for long-term success by guiding you through building and growing an e-commerce business. Web Presence 101 – Ensuring Your Foundation Is Set January 9, 3:00 PM Your customers are on the web. Having a strategy for your online presence allows you to market your small business online so customers can easily find you. In this workshop hosted by the Toronto Digital Service Squad, the organization will discuss the importance of getting your business online and where to start with developing your online presence. The Corporate Transparency Act – What Small Businesses Need To Know January 10, 1:00 PM Whether you’re considering starting a business or are already a business owner, you need to be aware of The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), which introduces new compliance requirements for small businesses in 2024. This webinar will break down the key provisions of the CTA, the purpose of this new law and how it might impact your business. It’ll also guide you through the compliance requirements and reporting procedures to ensure you meet the deadlines. Mastering Transformation: Essential Skills for Change Management January 11, 12:00 PM Transformation programs are hard. Once you have the support and backing of senior leaders, achieving the intended outcomes of a transformation effort hinges on the transformation office doing several things well, including: setting clear objectives, goals, and success metrics and correctly scoping work in each phase of the journey, equipping people moving through the changes to adopt the changes successfully, effectively managing initiatives throughout their lifecycle, and more. Risk Management Practices for Student and Employee Mental Health Issues January 11, 3:00 PM Schools not only bear an ethical duty to assist employees and students facing mental health challenges but carry some legal obligations under the ADA and other relevant laws. This webinar brings together an experienced business officer with legal experts to discuss the most complex issues surrounding claims of mental disabilities, including possible roadblocks in the interactive process and common ADA accommodation requests. Presenters will also provide practical tools for schools to properly handle these requests, all with an eye toward avoiding litigation. 3 Magical Components of Transformation January 12, 10:00 AM Transformation programs are hard. Once you have the support and backing of senior Everyone is transforming. Opportunities to expand leadership at the executive level are growing, driven by the imperative to create new value. But there is an alarming gap between ambition and execution, and a sense of transformation fatigue has set in. Executive leaders need to examine ideas beyond industry boundaries and redefine value propositions that will deliver on business outcomes. What if we told you there are three essential components that executives consistently miss when trying to transform? Join this complimentary leadership webinar that delves into the three most important and overlooked ways to accelerate your transformation. Social Media for Your Business January 16, 10:00 AM Social media is an invaluable tool for today’s business, whether you are just starting out or have been established for years. Not understanding how to use social media effectively can leave you overwhelmed and ultimately hurt your bottom line as your potential customers can easily find your competitors. This workshop will leave you with a better understanding of how to leverage the power of social media to grow your online community, drive sales and reduce marketing costs.. The Basics of Money Management January 16, 1:00 PM Whether you are looking to start a business or existing small business owner, understanding how to manage your finances is the foundation for making sound business decisions and reaching your goals. In this webinar, an expert presenter will help you enhance your financial management skills so you can chart your course into the future, adjust your direction when needed, and reach your business goals. Choosing the Right Tech to Run Your Business January 16, 2:00 PM In this session, you’ll discover the affordable tech tools you can use to automate your customer experience – from how you acquire new customers, sell to them, deliver your products and services, invoice and get paid easier! Sara from REPLY-ALL will show you how you can save time by making use of automation to take some admin off your plate! Women Who Mean Business: Skills CFOs Need Now for Career Growth January 18, 5:00 AM Female CFOs have made great strides in recent years and are even expected to exceed 50% representation in the next 10 years. As the CFO role has continued to push for a strategic mindset, female CFOs have stood out by developing and honing communication skills, adapting to both organizational and technological changes, and driving empathic leadership. Join this session to learn more about the skills that set female leaders apart and how they are specifically suited to success in the CFO role and beyond. Steppingstones of E-Commerce: Part 1 – Expanding into E-Commerce January 18, 11:30 AM Explore how to maximize your online presence by leveraging an e-commerce solution. Get e-commerce ready with Digital Main Street! In an evolving digital world, e-commerce dependency is prominent and driving growth for small businesses. The series, Steppingstones of E-Commerce breaks down the state of the industry and explores how to maximize your online presence by leveraging an e-commerce solution. Part 1 – Expanding into E-Commerce will cover the importance of the modern e-commerce landscape, establishing your digital hub, and how to get e-commerce ready as Digital Main Street supports your small businesses journey. 2024 Hottest Business Ideas, Trends & Markets January 18, 1:00 PM Don’t get left behind! 2024 is looking to be a strong year for America’s small businesses. To take advantage of these opportunities, you need to keep up with the latest business trends, startup ideas, and consumer behaviors or risk getting left behind. This webinar will talk about breakthrough small business ideas and industries that are exciting entrepreneurs in 2024 and how existing businesses can update their offerings to appeal to today’s new consumers. From Candidate to Employee: Brand Your Business to Attract and Retain Top Talent January 18, 1:00 PM This session will focus on proactive recruitment strategies to help you find highly skilled workers by improving your company’s branding, taught by two recruiting experts with decades of combined experience building the best teams for companies of all sizes and industries. It’ll tell you everything you must show today’s job candidates to get them interested in your firm, as well as what they are looking for as they take you through the entire candidate journey from start to finish, with recommendations and case studies to show you how to win the war for talent. Don’t Just Own Innovation; Enable It Across the Business January 19, 10:00 PM Every organization in every industry across the globe faces the same directive: Innovate or risk becoming obsolete. Leaders across the enterprise must embrace new ideas and technologies, and often from new sources of inspiration. Companies increasingly involve business technologists in innovation initiatives, but to leverage them as force multipliers, IT leaders must move from owning innovation to enabling others to innovate autonomously. eCommerce 101: What, Why, and How January 23, 10:00 AM More consumers than ever before are turning to online shopping for greater convenience, safety, and variety. In this webinar, you will learn the basic steps to setting up an online store. We will cover everything from what you need to prepare before launching a store, to choosing an e-commerce platform, to providing excellent customer service online. You’ll finish this session feeling excited about how e-commerce can help you reach new customers and expand into different markets. 7 Simple Ways to Protect Yourself Legally When Starting a Business January 23, 1:00 PM In this webinar, you will learn seven smart steps you can take as an entrepreneur to keep your business on solid legal ground, from building a foundation to maintaining compliance. This webinar will break down these simple practices that can help you confidently run your business. Instead of looking back and being weighed down by legal question marks, you can look forward to bringing your dream to life. Automations & AI for Small Business Operations January 23, 2:00 PM In this session, you’ll discover the affordable tech tools you can use to automate your customer experience – from how you acquire new customers, sell to them, deliver your products and services, invoice and get paid easier! Sara from REPLY-ALL will show you how you can save time by making use of automation and AI… in a way that still feels human! How to Empower Employee Self-Care Amid Challenging Current Events January 23, 3:00 PM Does your organization have the right mix of resources and support that can help your employees manage their mental well-being? How do you know where to begin? To help you get started, join psychology and HR experts from Calm as they discuss how HR & benefit leaders can more effectively address the impact of global events on the workplace. In this one-hour webinar, learn how to empower employees to better manage stress and anxiety during difficult times. Building on Inclusivity: Supporting Social Impact Business Goals and ERGs with Family-Building & Reproductive Benefits January 24, 12:00 PM To build a genuine culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion, organizations must expand the benefits they offer, and address the needs of individuals who have been overlooked in the past. Today, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are asking for culturally competent solutions that consider the needs of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, single parents, and those pursuing a family outside of a heterosexual, cisgender couple. Businesses can support the needs of ERGs for diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts alongside their own business goals by implementing inclusive family-building benefits. When they do, organizations can foster a sense of belonging and equity. Privacy Law: Navigating Regulations and Avoiding Breaches January 25, 1:00 PM Today many small businesses are working remotely, empowering employees to work from home where possible. Unfortunately, this has created an environment where data breaches and unintended privacy leaks have become all too common. During Data Privacy Week, join this informative and fast-paced webinar and learn the key points of BC’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). You’ll discover what businesses must do to comply with PIPA, the regulator’s role and the consequences relating to non-compliance. The session will conclude with best practices for improving your business’ privacy and how to foster a strong culture of data protection. How to Create a Financial Plan – Financial Planning Basics January 25, 1:00 PM Starting a business can be daunting, but creating a financial plan can help you make confident and informed decisions, giving you a better chance at long-term business success. Join this educational webinar that will break down the critical elements of business financial planning into simple terms so you are more informed, understand your numbers and can make better financial decisions. The Importance of Paid Advertising in a Digital Space January 30, 10:00 AM Advertising in the digital space can be complicated, especially with different ad formats, multiple platforms, budgeting, and running your own business! If you are not sure where to begin, or are confused on what kind of ad to run, this session is for you! How to Use Artificial Intelligence in Your Business: A Step-by-Step Guide January 30, 1:00 PM Artificial intelligence has emerged as a revolutionary tool for start-ups and small businesses. However, using AI successfully requires strategy and a good understanding of the AI tool’s applications, challenges and best practices. In this webinar, an expert presenter will break down the different AI tools available to you and guide you through a six-step process for effectively deploying AI into your business operations. Better Customer Relations – Using Tech January 30, 2:00 PM If you’re using a notebook, a spreadsheet, and/or your brain to remember your clients and their details… this session is for you. In this session, Sara from REPLY-ALL will help you learn about the latest tools and tips for capturing information about contacts in a way that helps you identify opportunities with ease.