The purpose of this article is to help “spread the word” about the vast amount of resources currently available. With a talent bank ranging from successful multi-national companies to knowledgeable entrepreneurs, there is something for everyone.

On-site training runs the gamut from sales/marketing, accounting/finance, business consulting, to technical and everything in between (i.e. fashion and make-up).

Costs throughout each discipline seemed to be contingent upon the particular client’s needs. They were based on time expenditure, topic area, topic difficulty, and experience of the instructor in general. Therefore, no standard costs are mentioned in this article.

There are a few things you need to consider prior to approaching a potential trainer. First, what are your goals? What are you planning on achieving? Your objectives? Secondly, what time frame are you considering? 2-4 hours, all day, multi-day? What fits into your schedule? And, finally, what is your budgetary constraint/limit? Know your bargaining range. Once you have the answers to all these questions, you are better suited to find your trainer.

As with choosing any professional, it is recommended to interview 2-3 for compatibility of both personality and matching of needs/wants to yours. Ask questions and monitor their response. Questions need to be answered straight-forwardly, with no indication of disinterest or impatience. You need to feel comfortable with this person. Check their credentials, experience and background.

If sales/marketing assistance is what you are interested in, a wonderful organization which contains experienced individuals from all fields is the Business and Professional Women (BPW) — a national organization with local chapters. Silverdale and Port Orchard are but a few of the cities with local chapters. For instance, Goldie Goldsmith, President of the Port Orchard BPW, is a wealth of information with over 30 years experience in sales development and leadership training. Contact her at 360-769-8647.

If accounting software assistance is what you are interested in, most CPA firms and/or accounting firms have specialists certified in various software. Kimberly Brooks, CPA, comes to mind as specializing in QuickBooks. She can be reached at 360-895-0795.

Business consulting is a form of training whereby a qualified individual (i.e. CPA) comes to your firm, assesses your business operations, notes areas needing improvement, and makes recommendations/provides training for improvement. Southard, Beckham, Atwater & Berry, CPAs have many qualified professionals available. Contact them either through their website at www.sbabcpa.com or at 360-876-4491.

Bill Evans is also a local management consultant who specializes in analyzing problems and coming up with solutions. he may be reached at (360) 871-7574, BEvansIPT@aol.com or online at www.billevanspresents.com.

On a more technical note...your firm wants a website and the skills necessary to update it in-house. Look no further. Amongst the many local firms offering top-notch website services, Communicreations and 2Amazing Web Design deserve recognition.. They both offer both website development and on-site training involving website updating techniques for their new clients. Reach Communicreations at (360) 895-6073 or www.communicreations.com and 2Amazing Web Design at (360) 440-5860 becky@2amazing.com, ICQ# 6973819 or www.2amazing.com.

Apart from web sites, another local firm providing technical on-site training is Paladin in Poulsbo. They are the only Microsoft Certified Technical Training Center on the peninsula. If you are looking for training in Microsoft Office Suite and/or Access, find it here. In addition, they provide training in Oracle — a database software. Their classes range from 3-20 students and are interactive. The smaller the class size, of course, the more personalized the attention. Costs vary. Contact them at either www.paladin.com or 360-779-2400.

Of particular interest is Paladin’s public/private partnership with seven local school districts. Teachers are being trained by Paladin to train their students on computers.)

We are blessed to live on this beautiful peninsula and to be amidst high caliber professionals eager to share their knowledge. Due to space constraints, there are numerous well-qualified firms and individuals not mentioned in this article. Please accept my apologies.

(Editor’s Note: Marie Buckner is a freelance writer who has over 15 years administrative experience in performing research, both online and off-line for business owners. Contact her at (360) 613-1085.).