‘Penny Pincher’s Secrets’ revealed

LOCK HAVEN — Small business owners are invited to learn “The Penny Pincher’s Secrets for Building a Profitable Business.”

Gene Marks, author of four bestselling small business books and writer of the popular “Penny Pincher’s Almanac,” which appears biweekly in The Philadelphia Business Journal, will share with workshop participants how a penny pincher can run and build a profitable business without being a cheapskate.

The workshop, sponsored by Lock Haven University Small Business Development Center, will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, April 17 at the Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce. The cost is $40.

Also coming next month, LHU SBDC and Pinnacle Consulting will conduct the four-part workshop “Creating an Employee Handbook.”

All small business owners and professionals who are responsible for managing employees are invited to learn the best practices for creating such a handbook, what should and should not included, the benefits and the downfalls of employee handbooks and more.

The cost is $75, and the sessions will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays, April 1 through 22 at the Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce. The first 10 people to register will receive a free CD with a handbook template on it.

A Web Page Design session at KCnet on downtown Main Street is planned for 9 a.m. to noon Friday, April 18.

Those who view the process of creating or upgrading a Web site as a complex, expensive project that involves an expert can pick up practical, cost-effective knowledge and learn the secrets and techniques of Web pros. The cost is $30.

Also on tap for April are:

n “The Basics of Selling on eBay,” 5-8 p.m. April 10 at the SBDC offices, 301 W. Church St., $30.

n “Beyond the Basics of Selling on eBay,” 9 a.m.-noon April 11 at the SBDC offices, $30. (Discount available to those who register for both eBay sessions.)

n “Visual Merchandising,” 9 a.m.-noon April 12 at the Williamsport chamber, $30.

n “Introduction to Quickbooks,” 8:30 a.m.-noon April 16 at the SBDC offices, $30.

n “The First Step for Starting a New Business,” 5-8 p.m. April 22 at the SBDC offices, a free workshop.

For information and to register, contact Krissy Meeker at 484-2848 or kmeeker@lhup.edu.