Business calendar

THIS WEEK

- Tuesday: Retirement Planning & Distribution Strategies free workshop/seminar; make the most of your retirement investments; 10-11 a.m. and 6:30-8 p.m., morning session at Aiken Chamber of Commerce, evening at Houndslake Country Club; (803) 279-0420, ext. 6005.

- Wednesday: Independent Contractors - Avoiding the Risk of Avoiding the Law; speaker Jim Allen, of Nece Allen, explains how and when you can use independent contractors without the risks of future liability; 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., Augusta Inn & Conference Center; 1075 Stevens Creek Road; $15, R.S.V.P. to Paula Kitchens at paula.kitchens@ augustametrofcu.org.

- Thursday: Retirement Planning & Distribution Strategies free workshop/seminar; make the most of your retirement investments; 10-11 a.m. and 6:30-8 p.m., morning session at North Augusta Community Center, evening at The River Club; (803) 279-0420, ext. 6005.

- Thursday: The Three W's and Beyond: Board Roles and Responsibilities, part one of four-part series for executive directors and their boards, by Dr. Eleanor Hooks, of the Georgia Center for Nonprofits; topics include trends in board governance and annual board renewal; 8:30 a.m. to noon, Enterprise Mill Conference Center, Suite 125; $30 members, $50 nonmembers for single half-day workshop; $110 for entire series for members, $180 for nonmembers; call (706) 823-9718 or e-mail dmorris@gcn.org to register.

- Friday: North Augusta Chamber Business After Hours; 5-9 p.m., Georgia Golf Hall of Fame and Botanical Gardens; includes children's activities, entertainment and refreshments; free for members and their families.

- Friday: Business After Hours, Greater North Augusta Chamber of Commerce business networking event, 5-9 p.m., Georgia Golf Hall of Fame's Botanical Gardens.

UPCOMING

- Oct. 3-4: Third annual Regional Minority Enterprise Conference & Expo; National Science Center's Fort Discovery; keynote speaker James R. Mundy, the president and CEO of BankBlackwell, the nation's first black Internet bank; 5 p.m. on Oct. 3; 8 a.m. on Oct. 4.; advance registration $59; contact Helen Blocker-Adams at hba@hbagroup-intl.com or (706) 792-1427.

- Oct. 11: Retirement Planning and Will and Trust Planning, free dinner seminar by Chuck Smith, of Edward Jones, and Aubrey Rhodes, of Rhodes & Enoch PC; 6 p.m., North Augusta Country Club; reservation required; call Debby at 279-6065 or Allison at 724-0405.

- Oct. 13: Are We in This Together? The Board-Executive Director Relationship, part two of four-part series for executive directors and their boards by Dr. Eleanor Hooks, of the Georgia Center for Nonprofits; topics include working with a distant, detached or micromanaging board; 8:30 a.m. to noon, Enterprise Mill Conference Center, Suite 125; $30 members, $50 nonmembers for single half-day workshop; $110 for entire series for members, $180 for nonmembers; call (706) 823-9718 or e-mail dmorris@gcn.org to register.

- Oct. 17-20: Introduction to Mediation; Georgia Southern University course designed to prepare supervisors, managers and other professionals for the mediation process; Augusta Suites Inn; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; $895, includes reference materials; register at http://ceps.georgia southern.edu/conted or call (912) 681-5551.

- Oct. 27: Smart Recruitment, Retention and Succession of Board Members, part three of four-part series for executive directors and their boards by Dr. Eleanor Hooks, of the Georgia Center for Nonprofits; topics include thoughtful recruitment, planned retention and succession strategies; 8:30 a.m. to noon, Enterprise Mill Conference Center, Suite 125; $30 members, $50 nonmembers for single half-day workshop; $110 for entire series for members, $180 for nonmembers; call (706) 823-9718 or e-mail dmorris@gcn.org to register.

- Nov. 8: Retirement Planning and Will and Trust Planning, free dinner seminar by Chuck Smith, of Edward Jones, and Aubrey Rhodes, of Rhodes & Enoch PC; 6 p.m., Enterprise Mill; reservation required; call Debby at 279-6065 or Allison at 724-0405.

- Nov. 10: What to Do When an Executive Leaves: Executive Transitions Management; part four of four-part series for executive directors and their boards by Dr. Eleanor Hooks, of the Georgia Center for Nonprofits; topics include executive-transition management and sustaining an organization during critical times; 8:30 a.m. to noon, Enterprise Mill Conference Center, Suite 125; $30 members, $50 nonmembers for single half-day workshop; $110 for entire series for members, $180 for nonmembers; call (706) 823-9718 or e-mail dmorris@gcn.org to register.

- Nov. 11: Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce 2005 Women in Business Signature Event; guest speaker Carolyn Kepcher, executive vice president of the Trump Organization; 6:30 p.m.; Radisson Riverfront Hotel Augusta; 10-seat corporate table $450, individuals $50 for members and $60 for nonmembers; contact Allison Hopkins at 821-1324 or ahopkins@augustagausa.com.

- Nov. 15: Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce Small Business Expo & Small Business Person of the Year Awards Luncheon; 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for luncheon; expo lasts until 8 p.m., Radisson Riverfront Hotel Augusta; corporate tables $180, booths are available for $150, includes ticket to the awards luncheon and Business After Hours; luncheon-only tickets $20; Business After Hours tickets only $12; contact Allison Hopkins at 821-1324 or ahopkins@augusta gausa.com.

ONGOING

- Free help for small-business owners and entrepreneurs, Service Corps of Retired Executives, a nonprofit volunteer counseling organization, call (706) 793-9998 in Augusta or (803) 641-1111 in Aiken.

- Preparation course for PHR/SPHR human resources certification; Augusta-Aiken Society for Human Resource Management; $25 members, $50 nonmembers; Augusta State University; contact Dalton Brannen at (706) 667-4524 or visit www.augusta-aikenshrm.org.

- Instructor-led online courses; Augusta State University Education to Go program; call 736-1636 for schedule or go to www.ced.aug.edu and click on "courses."

- Software training for Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office and other applications; daytime and evening classes offered Monday through Saturday; Computer Link, (706) 860-8313, 596 Bobby Jones Expressway.

- Microsoft Office User Specialist tests; MCSE, A+, N+, and I-NET+; Savannah River College; call Shannon Thomas at (706) 738-5046.

- The NoonTime Network-ers, area chapter of Business Network International; 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays; Club House on Washington Road.

- The Augusta Network Club, a group of noncompeting business people who have informal meetings; 8 a.m. every other Thursday; no dues; call Charles Scavullo Sr. at (706) 737-9177.

- The Leads at Lunch chapter of Business Networking International meets every Tuesday at 11:30 at T-Bonz Banquet Hall at 2860 Washington Road; noncompeting professionals whose purpose is to exchange business referrals; current opening for a printer; call Debbie at 364-6612

- The Referrals at Breakfast meeting of Business Network International, every Thursday at 7 a.m. at the Marriott Courtyard on Stevens Creek Road; call Wesley Ott at (706) 832-2848.

- Augusta Residential Network Club, group of noncompeting business people who deal with residential customers on a daily basis, 8 a.m. every other Thursday; no dues; call Heath Jefferson at (706) 267-2228.

- The Entrepreneur's Source, an international network of self-employment coaches who work with individuals and companies looking for opportunities for business ownership and expansion; call Angela Payne at 868-9420.

- In-store training and certification classes for home and office software; PRONET Computer Stores; call 855-9070.

- Microsoft Small Business Server; install-it-yourself workshop for small-business owners by Network Consultants; $99, visit augustasoftware training.com for details.

- Work From Home; one-hour seminar on being your own boss; The Guest House Inn; Tuesdays; call (877) 821-5542.

- Foreign Accent and Southern Accent Reduction; classes for improving business and professional skills; Snyder Speech Therapy Services; to register, call (706) 860-9385.

- Seminar on construction management; learn the process and potential risks before hiring a contractor for commercial construction project; PCM Construction Consultants; (706) 373-0585.

- Keller Williams Realty; personalized sessions for anyone considering a real estate career; The Atrium, 3633 Wheeler Road; call (706) 868-3772.

- Online computer certification courses delivered via Internet; Augusta State University/Education to Go; courses include Novell IntranetWare, Microsoft and Cisco CCNA; scheduled at your convenience; (706) 737-1636.

- Free financial retirement seminar to develop your "Plan B." Call (706) 798-7626 or (706) 414-7313.

- How to Get Started in Real Estate; Sherman and Hemstreet GMAC; call Tom Horner at (706) 738- 6641.

THE BUSINESS CALENDAR IS A FREE PUBLIC-SERVICE LISTING OF THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE. WE SHOULD RECEIVE TYPEWRITTEN INFORMATION BY NOON TUESDAY. FILL OUT OUR ONLINE FORM AT WWW.AUGUSTACHRONICLE.COM/BUSINESS/ONTHEMOVE OR SEND ITEMS TO THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE, C/O DAMON CLINE, NEWSROOM, P.O. BOX 1928, AUGUSTA, GA 30903; OR SEND A FAX TO (706) 722-7403.