Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 10/5/98
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple   119

SLU SBDC SPONSORS  STEPS TO SUCCESS  SEMINAR
     HAMMOND -- Southeastern Louisiana University s Small Business Development Center and
the Hammond Chamber of Commerce will co-host  Steps to Success,  a series of seminars for
small business owners managers and employees.
     The seminar sessions are scheduled for Oct. 15 and 21 and Nov. 4 and 12. All sessions are
scheduled for 5:30-8 p.m. in Room 127 of the Southeastern University Center. The cost to attend
each session is $20, $15 for Chamber members. 
     Steps to Success begins Oct. 15 with  Finding, Hiring and Keeping the Best Employees, 
presented by management and human resources specialist Glen Villalobos. Villalobos will
present information on applicant generation, effective and legal interviewing, choosing the best
candidate, retaining employees and  what to do when it doesn t work out. 
      Targeting Your Market,  scheduled for Oct. 21, will focus on helping new and potential small
business owners learn the fundamentals of market research. The seminar, presented by
Southeastern SBDC Director Bill Joubert, will show how to identify, quantify and evaluate
markets and to determine customer profiles. Joubert also will identify sources of free market
data.
     On Nov. 4, Joubert and SBDC Counseling Coordinator Casey Willis will present 
Understanding Financial Statements.  The session will clearly and concisely show small business
owners how to read, understand and use financial statements in decision-making; how to read
and interpret balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements and how to use key
business ratios. Joubert and Willis have worked with hundreds of existing and potential business
owners in developing and expanding business ventures.
      Increasing Sales with Customer Service,  the final session on Nov. 12, will discuss customer
service strategies that can increase sales. Topics include walk-in customers, phone sales,
customer follow-up, personal service and customer profiles. Small business development expert
Ross English, owner of Plain English Seminars of Covington, will present the session.
     Pre-registration is required. For more information, call the SBDC at 504-549-3831.
                                 - SLU -
             Press release available on the World Wide Web:
           www.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsf98.htm