Boost your chances of success for your new or small business and reduce your risks.  Get the latest on planning your business, brainstorming business ideas and a checklist for going into business.  Then learn how to create a business plan, including assessing business feasibility and prepare the management and financial plans.  Then take home a step by step approach to attract and keep customers, with an emphasis on customer-driven marketing decisions and building a strong brand. At the end of this certificate, you will be able to identify the abilities required of successful entrepreneurs and how to acquire them, develop goals to help establish your business, develop an outline for your plan, and take home techniques to successfully manage and market your new business.

CEUs/ILUs: 4.8

Length (in hours): 48

Price in USD $495.00

Part of Mastering Computer Skills for the Workplace

Bring your ideas to life and leave a lasting impression with Microsoft PowerPoint. Master the tools and techniques that turn humdrum slides into dynamic presentations that will captivate your audience. With hands-on practice and real-world examples, learn design principles and multimedia elements such as images, videos, and charts that elevate you to the next level. Acquire critical know-how to deliver your presentations with confidence and ease. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned user, you'll find new ways to work smarter, not harder. You'll leave class with in-demand skills and the ability to create professional, visually appealing presentations that will engage your audience and help you stand out. CEUs/ILUs: 1.6. Length (in hours): 16.

Part of Digital Marketing Certificate

Get the keys to making online advertising work for you and your organization. See how pay-per-click advertising with Google AdWords works. Find out how to test low budget Adword campaigns. Learn how you can target local audiences. Then discover Facebook advertising and how you can determine the demographics and even numbers of people you want to reach. No experience necessary, but if you are at an advanced level, your instructor is an online ad expert and can answer your toughest questions as well. CEUs/ILUs: 1.6. Length (in hours): 16

Get a comprehensive understanding of QuickBooks Online, one of the most popular cloud based accounting programs and preferred choice for small business managers, owners, bookkeepers and accounting professionals. In four hands-on units you will learn how to use QuickBooks Online to enter sales, purchases, receive and make payments and add inventory.

CEUs/ILUs: 1.6Length (in hours): 16Price in USD $195.00

Save time, track money, and get important insights with Quickbooks Online. Quickbooks Online is the leading online accounting platform. It is the preferred choice for small business managers, owners, bookkeepers and accounting professionals. There area patches and regular automatic upgrades to the software.Get a comprehensive understanding of QuickBooks Online. Then learn how to work with more advanced Quickbooks Online topics. A free trial version of the software is provided to use durig the class. 

CEUs/ILUs: 3.2Length (in hours): 32Price in USD $395.00

Sunday, June 9th is the date for this day of fun and exploration with adventurer-extraordinaire Chris Toy! We’ll board the Amtrak Downeaster in Portland and travel in comfort to North Station in Boston.
A quick subway ride takes us close to the John W. Weeks Footbridge on the Charles River in Cambridge where we’ll get to experience many cultural activities along Memorial Drive. Events include: food vendors, parades, dancers, drummers, martial arts demonstrations, cultural arts and crafts. We’ll cheer on our favorite Dragon Boat racers. When we’ve had our fill of excitement, we’ll meander over to Chinatown and choose one of Chris’ favorite dimsum restaurants.
After making our way back to North Station, we’ll hop on the Downeaster’s 4:15 train and relax on our way back to Portland.
Walking shoes are highly recommended.
Plan for “iffy” weather.
Bring funds for souvenir purchases and dimsum lunch.
Trip includes: Round trip Downeaster ticket, subway ticket, professional guiding by Chris Toy!

Enjoy a weekend with your instructor, Chris Toy, the author of 6 popular cookbooks, a private chef, and has taught Asian-fusion cooking for several Maine community education programs. Learn how to prepare a variety of recipes from Asia, Europe, and the Americas incorporating traditional and local ingredients. Each meal will actively engage cooks with the tools, techniques, and stories behind the dishes being created. 

Step back to a time when President Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor, and their family escaped to their “beautiful little island” in the Canadian maritimes, Campobello Island. We will be exclusive guests of the international park, staying in historic Victorian cottages. Workshop participants will be immersed in the same coastal scenery enjoyed by the summer residents at the turn of the 20th century. Register for the retreat then call Sherry Mitchell at 506-752-2922 to make room reservations. Only Acadian Arts Retreats participants will be allowed to reserve overnight accommodations in the park.

Enjoy a weekend retreat with Mary Laury, an accomplished watercolorist and highly esteemed teacher.  She encourages all her students to believe they can be successful .  Painting is an exciting medium; it flows and moves and does beautiful things. If you have never painted in watercolors, we'll start at the beginning. If you have painted before, you will pick up some new tips and tricks as well.  We all learn together!

Step back to a time when President Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor and their family escaped to their “beautiful little island” in the Canadian Maritimes, Campobello Island.  We will be exclusive guests of the international park, staying in historic Victorian cottages.  Workshop participants will explore and paint the same coastal scenery enjoyed by the summer residents at the turn of the 20th century! All meals are included in the workshop fee plus specially planned evening activities designed to extend your learning from the day’s workshops. We convene on Friday, October 6th at 1 pm with classes throughout the weekend and end on Monday, October 9th at 1pm.

Register for the retreat then call Sherry Mitchell at 506-752-2922 to make room reservations.  Only Acadian Arts Retreats will be allowed to reserve overnight accommodations in the park.

​Please note: Included in the registration is a $40 non-refundable fee should you have to cancel.

COVID note: For everyone’s comfort and safety we suggest doing a COVID test 24 hours prior to arrival.  We will be following CDC guidelines according to location and dates.