Tuesday, 23 January 2007 | 6:30-10:00 PM

Update: Download Errol's notes

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2007 | 6:30 TO 10PM

So you’ve hung out your shingle and your invoices are (mostly) getting paid. How do you evaluate your financial health? Financial guru Errol Gerson will explore the basics of building a viable business structure. During the 60 minute presentation, Errol will provide invaluable insight on the basics of entity structure, legal liability, accounting systems, banking and credit, income tax, financial planning, wealth management and creation, investment and retirement strategies.

Since this is the equivalent of a Finance 101 course, we strongly encourage young professionals to attend, keeping in mind there will be discussion about bookkeeping and interpreting financial statements.

Read more about the 2007 BusinessMatters series and speaker Errol Gerson.

Cocktails and snacks 6:30pm
Presentation 7:30pm

This presentation will be held in Brentwood. Details and location will be provided upon confirmation.

Reservation & Ticket Information
$50 for AIGA members
$75 for non-members

Rush special! Discount tickets ($35/session) will be available to the first 15 registrants who are AIGA members.

Call 818.558.3968 to reserve your seat.
You may only register by phone and no tickets will be available at the door.
Only 50 tickets are available for each event and priority is given to AIGA members.

Confirmation Via Email
You will be sent confirmation of your reservation via email with specific details such as location, parking and advance preparation materials. Please provide your phone number and email address when reserving your seat in order to receive timely confirmation. Do not attend without confirmation, seating is limited.

And stay tuned for the next BusinessMatters events:

Financial Stability for Small Businesses
Tuesday, February 20, 2007

If your small design business is thriving, it's the perfect time to start planning to ensure steady growth. In this session, Errol Gerson will focus on managing cash flow: raising and managing capital, effective reinvestment strategies, choosing competent financial counselors, coping with sluggish creditors and outstanding invoices.

This presentation is for leaders from design studios that have been in business for 5-10 years. Attendees should have some exposure to financial management, stemming from day-to-day business.

Evaluating Your Business Plan
Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Remember the Slash & Burn financial plans of the ‘90s? While the Scorched Earth policy of streamlining talent to manage overhead is still hotly debated, managing costs in face of unpredictable and erratic revenue is a must for any healthy company. Errol Gerson will share his thoughts on issues facing established design firms including: managing labor overhead, evaluating the relevance and effectiveness of business plans, envisioning and setting goals with your financial advisors, creative ways to raise capital, effective investment strategies.

For this session, Errol anticipates an audience of seasoned design professionals, currently managing medium to large-sized firms, who are prepared to actively discuss their experience.

About BusinessMatters
One of our greatest challenges as designers is convincing clients that we make valid contributions to their bottom line. If we’re going to be legitimate partners, designers need to provide creative solutions that are relevant to the clients’ business. In other words, our clients must see us as an integral part of the problem-solving process, and not a passive recipient of instructions.

The purpose of BusinessMatters is to furnish AIGA members with tools that will give them confidence and affirm their role as an invaluable member of their client’s team.

BusinessMatters hosts presentations led by professionals in business management and marketing who are sensitive to the creative mind. We use a discussion group format and limit audience size to allow for intimacy and easy access to the speaker. We focus on issues that matter to AIGA members, namely:

. Developing new business
. Managing careers and businesses
. Communicating effectively with the client

Ultimately, our goal is to highlight the value of design.