Charter Communications' Spectrum Business has formed a partnership with SCORE, the country's largest network of business mentors, to sponsor a series of free webinars for business owners and entrepreneurs beginning April 23.

The two-hour webinars are open to Spectrum Business customers and non-customers, are led by an expert from SCORE and focus on how to set up, run and grow a small business. The webinars will run through June 28. 

“Our goal is to help small businesses grow and thrive in the communities Spectrum services,” Jennifer Ingram, Charter VP for small and medium business, said in a press release. “For new business owners, these free workshops are the perfect opportunity to gain insights from SCORE experts with real-world experience about how to establish and run a successful small business, and for established owners to learn how to grow their existing businesses and boost overall productivity.”

Also Read: Charter Reaches $18 Per Hour Minimum Wage Milestone

Registration for the webinar series, including the Friday, April 23, session, “Why a Business Plan is Critical (and How to Create it),” is open here. Additional webinars will cover how to fund a new business, market a business on a shoestring budget, and how to price products and services effectively. 

The SCORE webinars are available at no cost through a sponsorship from Spectrum Business, and participants may sign up for as many webinars as they want.

“SCORE understands how challenging the past year has been for small business owners, and we are proud to partner with Spectrum Business to offer this valuable webinar series,” SCORE CEO Bridget Weston said in the press release. “Since our founding in 1964, SCORE has helped 11 million entrepreneurs to start, grow or troubleshoot a business. Our 10,000 volunteer mentors have firsthand business expertise that they are eager to share with other entrepreneurs. We are here to help small businesses succeed.”

Also Read: Charter Launches $5 Billion, Multi-Year Plan to Expand Broadband to 1 Million New Homes

The full schedule of webinars is:

· “Why a Business Plan is Critical (and How to Create it),” Friday, April 23, 2 p.m. ET.

· “Why You Shouldn’t Go It Alone: Legal, Accounting and Insurance for Your Business,” Monday, May 10, 2 p.m. ET.

· “Creative Marketing on a Shoestring Budget,” Monday, May 24, 2 p.m. ET.

· “Managing Funds and Funding in 2021,” Friday, June 11, 2 p.m. ET.

· “Panel Discussion: Navigating these Uncertain Times,” Friday, June 18, 2 p.m. ET.

· “Successful Small Business Pricing Strategies,” Monday, June 28, 2 p.m. ET.

Information about how to register is available here.

In the evolving media landscape, full-time channel distribution over IP requires satellite-beating capabilities. When Gray Television and Ryman Hospitality Properties launched Circle, an American country music lifestyle network that multicasts from the Grand Ole Opry, they seized the opportunity to deploy a novel transport, monitoring, and control workflow. David Burke and Rick Young discuss the new requirements to consider for a network launch, meeting your channel objectives in the face of any challenge, and how broadcasters and service providers can collaborate to win the future of video.

SPEAKERS:

Wes Simpson, Moderator and Contributing Editor

Wes Simpson has always been interested in delivering media signals over networks. After starting his career in mobile telephony and then moving into fiber optics, he has focused on high performance video transport for the past 25 years. Wes has developed and delivered well-received training seminars covering IP video and media networking technology for a wide range of private clients and organizations such as the VSF, the IEEE BTS, and SMPTE. He is a contributing editor for TV Technology and frequently speaks at events including VidTrans, SMPTE, NAB, and IBC. He has written two books which have both been released as second editions: “IPTV and Internet Video” and Video Over IP.”

Rick Young, SVP & Head of Global Products, LTN Global

A media technology and services executive, Rick Young directs global product strategy for the LTN Ecosystem. Rick has held senior leadership roles at news organizations, content owners, and technology providers ranging from startups to global brands. Throughout his career, Rick has focused on the intersection of media and technology, from content creation and delivery to consumer experience perspectives.

David Burke, SVP, CTO, Gray TV

Mr. David Burke was appointed SVP, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), for Gray TV on January 1, 2019. Prior to that position, David served as the VP, CTO, for Raycom Media since January 2015. Mr. Burke held various IT and technology related positions since his employment began with Raycom Media in September 1997. Prior to Raycom Media, Mr. Burke served as an officer in the United States Air Force and then held various technology related positions in private industry. Mr. Burke has been involved in several Industry and professional associations over his career. Mr. Burke graduated from The Citadel in 1983 with a degree in Mathematics and earned an M.B.A. from the University of West Florida in 1986.

To register and view this webcast, click here. 

While virtual MVPDs (multichannel video programming distributors) and over-the-top competitors are each trying to outdo the other with increased service flexibility and lower prices, top-notch customer care is becoming the differentiator for traditional pay TV service providers today.

Cable operators, who have spent the past several years focusing on the nuts and bolts of customer care -- narrowing appointment windows, improving on-time service and increasing network capacity and reliability -- are now taking a more macro approach, concentrating on bettering the overall customer experience and ensuring that the customer journey is an enjoyable one.

Join B&C /Multichannel News Senior Editor Michael Farrell, along with two of the cable industry's top customer care professionals, and learn tips about the following:

•  Customer experience and customer journey mapping
• How terms like "trust," "effort," "reliability," "likability" and "forgiveness" are becoming essential pieces in the overall approach to customer service
• What role customer service and improving customer experience has in rebranding efforts

Have a scheduling Conflict? We have you covered! Register for the live event and we’ll send you the on-demand recording shortly after the broadcast date.

Speakers

Dr. Patti has deep international experience through consulting and academic appointments throughout Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia, with extensive experience in building, delivering, and evaluating curriculum in a wide range of settings, including doctoral seminars, MBA and other specialized postgraduate courses, undergraduate programs, and professional and corporate learning. He has special expertise in case method learning and has coordinated several case learning workshops, including a Harvard Business School case workshop. Dr. Patti holds a A.B. (history and literature), an M.S. (advertising) and a Ph.D., all from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.

Courtney has been an integral member of the Atlantic Broadband Customer Care organization for the past 12 years. In her role, Courtney and her team work to ensure the company is delivering an outstanding customer care experience. She oversees residential and business call center operations including phone, chat and dispatch across all four operating regions. Courtney holds a BA from the University of Pittsburgh and is currently pursuing an MBA from St. Francis University. She is also a member of the Young Professionals of the Alleghenies.

Click here to watch!