Ongoing Business Classes

• The Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village Chamber of Commerce New Referral Group meets Mondays at 11:45 a.m. at Plug Nickel Restaurant, 717 Lakefield Road, Suite 1, Westlake Village. Contact Bob Lotto at 805-469-5688.

• Free Career Shops For Job Seekers - presented throughout the month by the Ventura County Job & Career Centers with support from the Workforce Investment Board and the Human Services Agency of Ventura County. Career Shop topics include resume writing and job interview techniques. For descriptions of workshops, upcoming dates and locations, call (800) 500-7705.

• Career Transitions-Now, a values-based business support group in Westlake Village, offers an accelerated eight-week evening workshop for both job seekers and career changers. Visit www.careertransitionsnow.org or call (818) 575-2225.

• Cuesta College’s Small Business Development Center offers free monthly workshops on marketing, business start-up info, access to capital and more. Information and registration at (805) 549-0401.

• The San Luis Obispo Economic Vitality Corp. will host a series of new business seminars. Visit www.sloevc.org.

• Job & Career Center has employment programs for job-seekers. Call the East County branch at (805) 955-2287 and the Oxnard branch at (805) 382-6521.

• Women’s Economic Ventures, a nonprofit organization in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, is offering self-employment training classes for women and men. Call WEV at (805) 965-6073.

• The Ventura County Small Business Development Center offers a continuous series of business classes and consulting services. Call (805) 648-8925 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

• The Economic Development Collaborative – Ventura County is offering small-business assistance through the Small Business Success Series on Thursdays at the offices of EDC-VC, 1601 Carmen Drive, Camarillo from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call (805) 384-1800, ext. 21.

• Mission Community Services offers on-going self-employment training classes in San Luis Obispo County. Call (805) 595-1357 or visit www.mcscorp.org.

• ExecuTrain offers a variety of computer application training classes at their Thousand Oaks office, 223 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. No. 401. Visit www.ExecuTrainWest.com for a complete class schedule.

• The Small Business Entrepreneurship Center and Inventors Workshop International and SCORE hold educational workshops on the first Wednesday of every month from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Santa Barbara Business & Technology Center, 402 E. Gutierrez St. Santa Barbara. A workshop will also be held on the second Wednesday of the month from 6 to 7 p.m. at Your People Professionals at 910 E. Stowell, Suite 106 in Santa Maria. Another workshop will be held at the same time on the third Wednesday of the month at theVentura College, West Campus, on Telegraph Road, classroom J-4. Call (805) 879-1729.

• TechXpress offers a variety of computer application training classes at its San Luis Obispo office, 3450 Broad St., Suite 101. Visit www.techxpress.net or call (805) 782-8324 for schedule and course descriptions.

• Hancock College, 800 S. College Drive in Santa Maria, offers computer training classes on a variety of programs for $20 per unit. Visit www.hancockcollege.edu or call (805) 922-6966.

Networking Groups

• The Camarillo Chamber of Commerce offers three referral groups. The first meets Mondays at Ottavio’s Italian Restaurant, 1620 E. Ventura Blvd., from noon to 1 p.m. The second is on Tuesdays at JJ Brewskys Restaurant and Bar, 2433 E. Ventura Blvd., from 8 to 9 a.m. The third is Thursdays at Ric’s Restaurant, 2500 Las Posas Road, Ste. A from 8 to 9 a.m. For more information, call (805) 484-4383 ext. 7.

• Santa Barbara Referral Associates hosts its business networking lunch on the second Thursday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Opal Restaurant, 1325 State St. The cost is $18 for lunch, paid quarterly. Call Michael Kramer (805) 455-2399 or visit www.sbreferrals.com.

• The Wellness Community Valley/Ventura offers various programs for cancer education and support. Visit www.twcvv.org.

• Business Network Int’l has 20 chapters in Ventura County, each with weekly meetings. Call (805) 815-3658 or visit www.bni-venturacounty.com.

• The Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village Regional Chamber of Commerce offers various networking groups. Call Marlene Batey at (805) 370-0035 or visit www.towlvchamber.org.

• The Leads to Business Through Marketing networking group has chapters and meeting throughout the Tri-Counties. Call Chuck Smith at (805) 385-3530.

• Toastmasters Int’l meets various days and locations. Visit www.toastmasters.org.

• Business Network International has 20 chapters in Ventura County. Contact Linda McCarthy at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.bni-venturacounty.com.

• Visit www.vcpwn.org for a list of meetings and times for the Ventura County Professional Women’s Network.

• The Camarillo Chamber of Commerce offers various networking groups. Call Julie Merrick at (805) 484-4383, ext. 4, for schedules and locations.

Monday

• Women of Worth (WOW), the Ventura County group of the American Business Women's Association, meets monthly on the first Monday of the month at 11:30 a.m. for networking and business growth.  Meetings are held at the Los Robles Country Club in Thousand Oaks. For further information go visist www.wow-abwa.org

Tuesdays

Wednesdays

• The Association for Women in Communications meets the first Wednesday of every month at the Canary Hotel, 31 West Carrillo, Santa Barbara from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. For more information, contact Lois Phillips at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.awcsb.org.

• The Central Coast Chapter of the California Society of Enrolled Agents meets the third Wednesday of every month (except February, March and April), at the Pelican Point Restaurant, 2555 Price St., Pismo Beach. For more information, contact Lisa Gonzalez, (805) 544-2895 or visit www.ccccsea.org

• The Conejo Leads Club meets at Mimi’s Café, 400 N. Moorpark Road, from 7 to 8:30 a.m. Contact Julie Paris at (818) 707-3770 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

• The Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village Chamber of Commerce Westlake Leaders group meets every Wednesday at 11:45 a.m. at the Greenhouse Café Banquet Room, 625 E. Janns Road. Contact Alan Cohen (805) 445-7581.

• SCORE, SBEC and Inventors Workshop International present free business workshops at different times and locations. Contact (805) 879-1729 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

• The Santa Maria Women’s Network meets the first Wednesday of each month at the Santa Maria Inn. Networking from 11:30 a.m., luncheon at noon. Call (805) 929-7489.

• Women’s Information Network of Simi Valley meets the fourth Wednesday of every month at 11:30 a.m. at the Secret Garden Restaurant, 255 E. High St., Moorpark. Visit www.womensinfonetwork.com.

• The Conejo Valley Optimist Club meets at the Plug Nickel Restaurant, 717 Lakefield Road, at 12:15 p.m. Call Steve Willmont at (805) 523-7613.

• The Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village Chamber of Commerce Westlake Leaders Business Connections group meets at 7:15 a.m. at Mimi’s Café, 400 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks. Call Greg Ceyala at (805) 371-6144.

• The Camarillo Chamber of Commerce meets at 11:30 a.m. for networking lunches at the Crab House, 350 N. Lantana St. Lunch is over at 1 p.m. Call Julie Merrick at (805) 484-4384 ext. 4.

Thursdays