Urban League of Louisiana

QuickBooks for Beginners - S3: Accounting Concepts & Maintenance Tasks
2025-08-25 17:30 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | LA
As a business owner, having your financials in order is the most important step to running your business effectively and profitability. Now is the time to get the education and support that you need to set up your accounting system and processes the right way.
Join the Urban League of Louisiana’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation department on August 11, 18, and 25, from 5:30pm-7:30pm CST, for its 3-part “QuickBooks Online for Beginners” series. During this series, participants will learn the foundations for setting up QuickBooks online, managing everyday transactions and financial reports, and the key concepts and tasks that you must know for ongoing maintenance. Registration is required for each session.
The series includes the following workshops:

Session 1: Foundations – Get Started and Setup the Right Way
Session 2: Everyday Transactions and Financial Reports
Session 3: Ongoing Accounting Concepts & Maintenance Tasks

QuickBooks Online – Session 3: Ongoing Accounting Concepts and Maintenance Tasks You Must Know
Monday, August 25 | 5:30pm-7:30pm
During this session, participants will be guided through a deeper understanding of the reporting process in QuickBooks Online and how to set up your Chart of Accounts for optimal clarity into your business financials. Participants will learn how to run the three primary financial reports (income statement, balance sheet, statement of cash flows), how to read these reports, how to reconcile accounts and how to create custom fields to track income/expenses. Attendees will also learn how to run other reports that are specific to your business that will help with optimizing operations.
Facilitator: Bridget Kaigler, CPA, CGMA, Principal, Bringing Leadership Back, LLC and Board Chair, Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants (LCPA)
This series is funded [in part] through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and sponsored by Mastercard and Louisiana Economic Development’s Small and Emerging Business Development Program. To participate, attendees must be or become certified through the LED Small and Emerging Business Development Program.
Visit https://www.opportunitylouisiana.gov/program/small-and-emerging-business-development-program to get certified today!
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the training.

Magnetic Marketing: Session 1: Brand Foundation & Strategic Direction
2025-09-05 10:00 - 12:00
Join the Urban League of Louisiana this September and October for the 6-part marketing series, “Magnetic Marketing: Leveraging the Power of AI to Grow Your Small Business,” sponsored by Louisiana Economic Development and Mastercard.
This series is designed to guide small business owners and marketing leaders through a structured, hands-on process of building a strategic, actionable marketing plan that aligns with your business goals – with a focus on brand development, digital marketing, customer engagement, and AI tools – using Orhan McMillan’s Strategic Marketing Workbook as a foundation.
Session 1: Brand Foundation & Strategic Direction
Friday, September 5, 2025 I 10:00am-12:00pm
During this session, participants will learn how to define who they are, what they offer, and why it matters.
This session will cover:

Your Story, Mission, and Vision
Core Values and Brand Voice
Company Messaging
Defining Your Target Audience
The Strategic Marketing Plan

This session will be facilitated by Orhan McMillan, Founder, dezinsINTERACTIVE and Orhan McMillan, LLC.
This series is sponsored by Mastercard and Louisiana Economic Development’s Small and Emerging Business Development Program, and funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. To participate, attendees must be or become certified by the LED Small and Emerging Business Development Program.
Visit https://www.opportunitylouisiana.gov/program/small-and-emerging-business-development-program to get certified today!
If you’re planning to strengthen your brand presence and grow your small business, this series is for you. Register today for each session individually to reserve your spot! There is no cost to attend this series. All classes will be held online via the GoToWebinar online platform.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Email us at WBRC@urbanleaguela.org for any issues receiving it.

Magnetic Marketing: Session 2: Crafting Your Unique Message & Market Fit
2025-09-12 10:00 - 12:00
Join the Urban League of Louisiana this September and October for the 6-part marketing series, “Magnetic Marketing: Leveraging the Power of AI to Grow Your Small Business,” sponsored by Louisiana Economic Development and Mastercard.
This series is designed to guide small business owners and marketing leaders through a structured, hands-on process of building a strategic, actionable marketing plan that aligns with your business goals – with a focus on brand development, digital marketing, customer engagement, and AI tools – using Orhan McMillan’s Strategic Marketing Workbook as a foundation.
Session 2: Crafting Your Unique Message & Market Fit
Friday, Sept 12, 2025 I 10:00am-12:00pm
During this session, participants will learn how to develop a strong Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and clear customer targeting.
This session will cover:

Market problems → Solution Benefits
Defining Your Unique Selling Proposition
Crafting a compelling elevator pitch
Introduction to the Customer Decision Journey
Ideal Customer and Target Market

This session will be facilitated by Orhan McMillan, Founder, dezinsINTERACTIVE and Orhan McMillan, LLC.
This series is sponsored by Mastercard and Louisiana Economic Development’s Small and Emerging Business Development Program, and funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. To participate, attendees must be or become certified by the LED Small and Emerging Business Development Program.
Visit https://www.opportunitylouisiana.gov/program/small-and-emerging-business-development-program to get certified today!
If you’re planning to strengthen your brand presence and grow your small business, this series is for you. Register today for each session individually to reserve your spot! There is no cost to attend this series. All classes will be held online via the GoToWebinar online platform.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Email us at WBRC@urbanleaguela.org for any issues receiving it.

Magnetic Marketing: Session 3: Website Strategy & SEO Essentials
2025-09-19 10:00 - 12:00
Join the Urban League of Louisiana this September and October for the 6-part marketing series, “Magnetic Marketing: Leveraging the Power of AI to Grow Your Small Business,” sponsored by Louisiana Economic Development and Mastercard.
This series is designed to guide small business owners and marketing leaders through a structured, hands-on process of building a strategic, actionable marketing plan that aligns with your business goals – with a focus on brand development, digital marketing, customer engagement, and AI tools – using Orhan McMillan’s Strategic Marketing Workbook as a foundation.
Session 3: Website Strategy & SEO Essentials
Friday, September 19, 2025 I 10:00am-12:00pm
During this session, participants will learn how to evaluate and strengthen their website presence and performance.
This session will cover:

Website must-haves
Calls to Action (CTAs) that convert
SEO 101
Outlining a website improvement plan

This session will be facilitated by Orhan McMillan, Founder, dezinsINTERACTIVE and Orhan McMillan, LLC.
This series is sponsored by Mastercard and Louisiana Economic Development’s Small and Emerging Business Development Program, and funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. To participate, attendees must be or become certified by the LED Small and Emerging Business Development Program.
Visit https://www.opportunitylouisiana.gov/program/small-and-emerging-business-development-program to get certified today!
If you’re planning to strengthen your brand presence and grow your small business, this series is for you. Register today for each session individually to reserve your spot! There is no cost to attend this series. All classes will be held online via the GoToWebinar online platform.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Email us at WBRC@urbanleaguela.org for any issues receiving it.

Creating a Business Development Plan for Your Construction Business
2025-09-25 10:00 - 12:00
Join the Urban League of Louisiana on Thursday, September 25, 10:00am-11:30am, for “Opportunity and Preparation: Creating a Business Development Plan for Your Construction Business.” This virtual session is a part of a series of monthly workshops hosted in collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development’s DBE Supportive Services program.
Business development in construction management refers to a strategic and actionable plan for pursuing new business and fostering relationships with your most preferred clients. Your business development plan outlines how you identify prospects, share your capabilities, and nurture business relationships so that prospects become clients when the time is right.
During this session, contractors will learn how to increase profitability and scalability, by creating and managing a business development strategy – one that maximizes its strengths and experience and one that targets and converts its most preferred client types. The goal is to convert prospects to clients and to turn bids into awards!
This session will be facilitated by Courtney Elzey, Principal, MCDS, LLC.
There is no cost to attend, however, registration is required. Register today to reserve your spot!
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the training.

Magnetic Marketing: Session 4: Social Media & Content Strategy
2025-09-26 10:00 - 12:00
oin the Urban League of Louisiana this September and October for the 6-part marketing series, “Magnetic Marketing: Leveraging the Power of AI to Grow Your Small Business,” sponsored by Louisiana Economic Development and Mastercard.
This series is designed to guide small business owners and marketing leaders through a structured, hands-on process of building a strategic, actionable marketing plan that aligns with your business goals – with a focus on brand development, digital marketing, customer engagement, and AI tools – using Orhan McMillan’s Strategic Marketing Workbook as a foundation.
Session 4: Social Media & Content Strategy
Friday, September 26, 2025 I 10:00am-12:00pm
During this session, participants will learn how to plan and align content with brand and customer journey.
This session will cover:

How to choose the right social media platforms
Defining content pillars and voice consistency
Content calendars & batching content
Tracking engagement

This session will be facilitated by Orhan McMillan, Founder, dezinsINTERACTIVE and Orhan McMillan, LLC.
This series is sponsored by Mastercard and Louisiana Economic Development’s Small and Emerging Business Development Program, and funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. To participate, attendees must be or become certified by the LED Small and Emerging Business Development Program.
Visit https://www.opportunitylouisiana.gov/program/small-and-emerging-business-development-program to get certified today!
If you’re planning to strengthen your brand presence and grow your small business, this series is for you. Register today for each session individually to reserve your spot! There is no cost to attend this series. All classes will be held online via the GoToWebinar online platform.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Email us at WBRC@urbanleaguela.org for any issues receiving it.

Magnetic Marketing: Session 5: Email, Ads, & Budget Planning
2025-10-03 10:00 - 12:00
Join the Urban League of Louisiana this September and October for the 6-part marketing series, “Magnetic Marketing: Leveraging the Power of AI to Grow Your Small Business,” sponsored by Louisiana Economic Development and Mastercard.
This series is designed to guide small business owners and marketing leaders through a structured, hands-on process of building a strategic, actionable marketing plan that aligns with your business goals – with a focus on brand development, digital marketing, customer engagement, and AI tools – using Orhan McMillan’s Strategic Marketing Workbook as a foundation.
Session 5: Email, Ads, & Budget Planning
Friday, October 3, 2025 I 10:00am-12:00pm
During this session, participants will learn how to build connection and conversion through outreach strategies.
This session will cover:

Lead magnets, list-building, and email funnels
Paid Ads: where to start, boosting vs. strategy
Marketing Budget planning
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Mailchimp & Meta Ad Manager basics

This session will be facilitated by Orhan McMillan, Founder, dezinsINTERACTIVE and Orhan McMillan, LLC.
This series is sponsored by Mastercard and Louisiana Economic Development’s Small and Emerging Business Development Program, and funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. To participate, attendees must be or become certified by the LED Small and Emerging Business Development Program.
Visit https://www.opportunitylouisiana.gov/program/small-and-emerging-business-development-program to get certified today!
If you’re planning to strengthen your brand presence and grow your small business, this series is for you. Register today for each session individually to reserve your spot! There is no cost to attend this series. All classes will be held online via the GoToWebinar online platform.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Email us at WBRC@urbanleaguela.org for any issues receiving it.

Magnetic Marketing: Session 6: Analytics, KPIs & Action Plan
2025-10-10 10:00 - 12:00
Join the Urban League of Louisiana this September and October for the 6-part marketing series, “Magnetic Marketing: Leveraging the Power of AI to Grow Your Small Business,” sponsored by Louisiana Economic Development and Mastercard.
This series is designed to guide small business owners and marketing leaders through a structured, hands-on process of building a strategic, actionable marketing plan that aligns with your business goals – with a focus on brand development, digital marketing, customer engagement, and AI tools – using Orhan McMillan’s Strategic Marketing Workbook as a foundation.
Session 6: Pulling It All Together: Analytics, KPIs & Action Plan
Friday, October 10, 2025 I 10:00am-12:00pm
During this session, participants will finalize their marketing strategy and set up a 30-day plan
This session will cover:

Workshop Review
Campaign mapping: What to launch, how to measure
Finalizing your strategic marketing plan
30-day Action Plan

This session will be facilitated by Orhan McMillan, Founder, dezinsINTERACTIVE and Orhan McMillan, LLC.
This series is sponsored by Mastercard and Louisiana Economic Development’s Small and Emerging Business Development Program, and funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. To participate, attendees must be or become certified by the LED Small and Emerging Business Development Program.
Visit https://www.opportunitylouisiana.gov/program/small-and-emerging-business-development-program to get certified today!
If you’re planning to strengthen your brand presence and grow your small business, this series is for you. Register today for each session individually to reserve your spot! There is no cost to attend this series. All classes will be held online via the GoToWebinar online platform.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Email us at WBRC@urbanleaguela.org for any issues receiving it.

Visibility Matters: Crafting a Winning Capability Statement
2026-02-04 10:00 - 11:30
Join the Urban League of Louisiana on Wednesday, February 4, 10:00am-11:30am, for “Visibility Matters: Crafting a Winning Capability Statement.” This virtual session is hosted in collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development’s DBE Supportive Services program. During this interactive workshop, participants will learn the key components of a capabilities statement and will be given guidance on crafting these elements to fit their business model and offerings.
With an increase in the number of viable contractors available to support public and private projects, contracting across the region is now more competitive than ever. However, the critical factors are the same. Procurement leads need to understand your capabilities, your value proposition, cost competitiveness, and how well you have performed on previous projects. But, with a sea of contenders, these elements need to be even more clearly and effectively conveyed than ever before.
As a contractor, whether you are providing labor, materials, or professional services, your capability statement serves as your business card and should set your apart from your competitors. It is a tool that will show potential clients how your achievements, core competencies, accreditations, financial health, and experience will create value for their projects. Writing a capability statement is not easy. However, it is worth the time and effort, and will produce positive outcomes if done right.
This session will be facilitated by Courtney Elzey, Principal, MCDS, LLC. There is no cost to attend, however, registration is required. Register today to reserve your spot!
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the training.
Link

Creating a Business Development Plan for Your Business
2026-03-04 10:00 - 11:30
Join the Urban League of Louisiana on Wednesday, March 4, 10:00am-11:30am, for “Opportunity and Preparation: Creating a Business Development Plan for Your Business.” This virtual session is hosted in collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development’s DBE Supportive Services program.
Business development in construction management refers to a strategic and actionable plan for pursuing new business and fostering relationships with your most preferred clients. Your business development plan outlines how you identify prospects, share your capabilities, and nurture business relationships so that prospects become clients when the time is right.
Business development is strategic integration of marketing, sales and customer service efforts. It also is most successful when everyone in the business understands and works towards a common goal for bringing on new business.
During this session, contractors will learn how to increase profitability and scalability by creating and managing a business development strategy – one that maximizes its strengths and experience and one that targets and converts its most preferred client types. The goal is to convert prospects to clients and to turn bids into awards!
This session will be facilitated by Courtney Elzey, Principal, MCDS, LLC. There is no cost to attend, however, registration is required. Register today to reserve your spot!
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the training.
Link

Utilizing Bid Platforms to Identify Contracting Opportunities
2026-04-08 10:00 - 11:30
Join the Urban League of Louisiana on Wednesday, April 8, 10:00am-11:30am, for “Utilizing Bid Platforms to Identify Contracting Opportunities”. This virtual session is a part of a series of monthly workshops hosted in collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development’s DBE Supportive Services program.
This session will equip construction professionals, subcontractors, and small contractor business owners with the skills needed to effectively navigate and leverage online construction bid platforms. Attendees will learn how to identify and evaluate contracting opportunities, as well as , how to strategically position their firm for competitive bidding. By the end of this course, participants will be able to confidently use platforms to discover high-potential projects to bid and expand their contracting pipeline.
This session will be facilitated by Frank Johnson, Director, Contractor’s Resource Center, Urban League of Louisiana.
There is no cost to attend, however, registration is required. Register today to reserve your spot!
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the training.
Link
