New List of Webinars and Conferences for Growing Companies


The next few weeks are particularly chock full of opportunities to get out there, learn, network, and start 2011 on the right foot.

This bi-weekly list of small business events, conferences and webinars is brought to you as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.

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Three-Night Small Business Revival – Grow any Business Idea in 16 Weeks
January 18-20, 2011, Orlando, FL and via teleconference

This three day seminar will teach attendees how to expand any for profit or nonprofit idea in less time and with less effort. You will learn the 11 principles of turning your concepts into cash, and join a group of committed individuals who can offer the support and encouragement you need to reach your business goals.

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Starting Fresh-Assessing Risk & Threats to your Business in 2011
January 18, 2011, Webinar

Information on gauging your business’s potential vulnerabilities to natural and man-made disasters will be presented in this lastest in a series of free webinars hosted by the SBA and Agility Recovery Solutions. During the hour-long webinar, Agility CEO Bob Boyd and business continuity planner Mark Norton will discuss the basics of risk assessment, the importance of identifying critical small business functions, and employee preparedness.

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SBIC & SBIR: What would you like to know? Come ask the SBA
January 18, 2011, Webinar

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has a number of programs dedicated to assisting new technology companies. In 1958, Congress created the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program to help small U.S. businesses meet their requirements for growth and operating capital not available through banks or other private capital sources. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program funds research and development projects that propose a sound approach to the investigation of an important education or assistive technology, science or engineering question under topics identified each year in the solicitation. This webinar presentation will address such questions as:
– How can technology entrepreneurs get funding from SBIC?
– How to deal with financial institutions when there are no real assets as collateral for a loan (particularly when there is intellectual property or customer commitments to a product)?
– Is there a path that an entrepreneur can take at the SBA when he or she is getting no traction at a financial institution?

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Smart Marketing for Small Business Webinar
January 18, 2011, Webinar

The Smart Marketing for Small Business webinar is based on the experience and expertise of Leslie Wolff, CEO, Smart Marketing Group. His five decades in all facets of the sales, marketing and management spectrum has created an approach and focus on providing practical, pragmatic (not theoretical) creative tactics that can be used immediately.

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Give Me 5: Ready for Prime Time Training: Make your Capability Statement Stand Out
January 19, 2011, Online

Learn how to hone your own Capability Statement into one that gets noticed by agency contracting personnel. A selected WIPP Member will take part in a consultation with Give Me 5 Instructor Gloria Larkin for a critical review of their company’s Capability Statement. During the webinar, you will review the Capability Statement before and after – demonstrating the process of reviewing and editing so that you can apply the process to your own company.

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Rev Up Your Nonprofit, Small Business Revenue with E-marketing
January 20, 2011, Webinar

In this free webinar, you’ll determine where your customers want to find you and how to get to them. You’ll learn to focus your marketing plan so it hits the market: Your most likely customers or donors. What’s more, you’ll be able to prove your return on investment. You’ll learn to measure your marketing mix so you know what’s working and what isn’t. And, most important, how to fix it when it’s not.

In this class, you’ll learn how to tailor online marketing to the specific needs of your business or nonprofit. You’ll learn how to figure out which media will work best for your purpose, whether that purpose is attracting new customers or advocating for a cause.

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Minority & Women Owned Business Workshop
January 20, 2011, Brooklyn, NY

Grow your business with the city, state and other agencies. Become certified as a Minority-and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (EBE) Locally-based Business Enterprise (LBE). Companies that become certified obtain greater access to contracting opportunities with government and private corporations. Attend one of our certification workshops and learn how to become certified!

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Entrepreneur Magazine’s Growth 2011 Conference
January 20, 2011, Atlanta

* Nearly a dozen hands-on seminars to help your business soar to your highest vision
* Growth strategies from top business authors, radicals and visionaries
* Meet and tweet with host Amy Cosper, editor in chief of Entrepreneur
* Networking throughout the day to build partnerships and connections
* Business growth perspectives from the Entrepreneur of 2010 winners

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Women in Denim Conference
January 21-22, 2011, Storm Lake, IA

For women in agriculture from Iowa and the surrounding states, the event offers opportunities for fun, networking, learning and inspiration led by entertaining and knowledgeable speakers. Workshop sessions cover topics such as grain and livestock marketing, starting a small business, entertaining and cooking, digital photography, farm financials, new technology in agronomy, staying healthy, Iowa travel gems, sewing and gardening.

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Vertical Response 2011 Take Action User Seminar Series
Multiple Cities and Dates

January 21, 2011 – San Francisco
March 23, 2011 – Boston
March 25, 2011 – New York City
June 23, 2011 – Chicago
September 30, 2011 – Denver

The Vertical Response 2011 Take Action User Seminar is designed to educate you about e-mail marketing in the age of social media. Complement your attendance with a one-on-one e-mail consultation and get the chance to take what you learn and immediately put it into action!

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NFIB Virginia Small Business Day at the Capitol
January 25, 2011, Richmond, VA

This event is an opportunity to learn what key state lawmakers are planning to achieve during the 2011 legislative session. NFIB can schedule meetings for you with your legislators.

Join NFIB at 7 a.m. for breakfast at the Richmond Marriott and continue on to the capitol to lobby the issues important to the business community. Confirmed to speak at the breakfast are Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. NFIB has invited Governor Bob McDonnell and all 140 legislators. This is a great opportunity for you to network with other businesses and meet directly with lawmakers.

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Governor’s Business Growth Conference
January 26, 2011, Mt. Pleasant, TX

The Texas State Governor’s Office, Texas Workforce Commission, and Northeast/Texarkana Small Business Development Center at Northeast Texas Community College will present an all-day conference for business owners to provide information and resources to grow their businesses. The Governor’s Conference on Business Growth Strategies at the Mount Pleasant Civic Center is one of 20 governor-hosted forums around the State of Texas devoted to strengthening the small business community.

The $20 fee includes the Governor’s Business Awards Luncheon, resource exhibits, sessions on technology, grants, government procurement, international trade, financial solutions, business growth strategies and conference materials. Keynote speakers during the event include Texas Secretary of State Esperanza Andrade and Monica Cornetti, acclaimed author and expert on empowering women in the workplace.

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Small Business Seminar: The Entrepreneurial Equation
January 27, 2011, Brooklyn, NY

Presented by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Seminar Committee. Learn how you can put banking, retirement and insurance tools to work to build and protect your business. Breakfast served.

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Getting a Financial Makeover with Bonnie Nagayama
January 27, 2011, Webinar

QuickBooks is a great cornerstone for building a business, but how do you leverage that data into something that provides quick & easy actionable items to really take your business to the next level?  Join Bonnie J Nagayama, CPA, CEO of 4luvofbiz to learn how to do just that.  Topics include: (1) Take what you know about reports & use that as a spring board to unlimited grouping & subtotals, improved filters, enhanced memorization, granular security, without Excel or report writing tools. (2) Quickly determine who your most profitable customers are so you can make choices about how you will work or maybe even not work with in the future. (3) Review your company’s financial health in 5 minutes.

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Blogging Success Summit 2011
February 1-22, 2011, Online

Blogging Success Summit 2011 is a live online conference designed to help you master blogging, empowering you to quickly attract and connect with customers (and prospects) via your very own platform — a blog.

Join 23 blogging pros, including Technorati CEO Richard Jalichandra, Scott Monty (head of social media, Ford), Darren Rowse (co-author, ProBlogger), Brian Clark (Copyblogger), Debbie Weil (author, The Corporate Blogging Book), Douglas Karr (co-author, Corporate Blogging for Dummies); experts from McDonald’s, Cisco, Southwest Airlines, Sony, and Procter & Gamble; plus Joe Pulizzi (co-author, Get Content Get Customers), Mari Smith (co-author, Facebook Marketing), Jay Baer (co-author, The Now Revolution), Chris Garrett (co-author, ProBlogger), Dave Garland (author, Smarter, Faster, Cheaper), Mike Volpe (VP of marketing, HubSpot), Rick Calvert (CEO, BlogWorld) and Michael Stelzner (Social Media Examiner)—and more.

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Tory Johnson’s 2011 Spark & Hustle National Tour
Multiple Dates & Cities Feb-July 2011

Whether you’re just getting your feet wet with this “business thing,” barely keeping your head above water, or finally ready to swim with the sharks, Spark & Hustle is the place to learn (exactly) how to transform your fledgling (or floundering) business into a wildly profitable venture.

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NAVSEA Small Business Conference
February 1, 2011, Miami

Small business owners are invited to attend the NAVSEA Small Business Conference, sponsored by the Program Executive Offices (PEOs) for Aircraft Carriers, Integrated Warfare Systems (IWS), Littoral and Mine Warfare (LMW), Ships, and Submarines. This conference will provide a forum for small business owners to connect with senior Navy and industry leaders to learn, collaborate and explore ways in which they can offer their products and services in support of Navy warfare programs.

For more information regarding this exciting event, please contact the Small Business Conference Planning Team at (703) 941-0600, or by e-mail at mandi.jackson@sbconference.org.

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BlogWell: How Big Brands Use Social Media
February 2, 2011, Austin, TX

Toyota, REI, Texas Instruments, Kellogg Company and more will share case studies in corporate social media at BlogWell Austin: How Big Brands Use Social Media. You’ll learn how to get started, get past roadblocks, and make your social media program phenomenal — in one afternoon, for just $250. Get practical, how-to advice on creating great content, getting management buy-in, educating employees, keeping lawyers and regulators happy, simple and ethical disclosure, and engaging fans. Presented by GasPedal and SocialMedia.org.

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Digital Marketing Forum 2011
February 2-4, 2011, Austin, TX

Digital Marketing Forum Austin will feature:

  • Keynote sessions from provocative thinkers—get inspired by new perspectives on digital marketing
  • Case studies from leading brand-side marketers—see what’s working NOW and apply those best practices to your own campaigns
  • Actionable advice and how-to’s—leave the event and start immediately improving your e-mail, search, social media, and digital marketing results
  • Day-long, pre-conference workshops—choose in-depth training on social media measurement or content marketing/development
  • Plenty of networking opportunities—learn from other marketers in our unique Peer-to-Peer sessions, and mingle with speakers, thought leaders, and digital marketing enthusiasts during the conference

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Social Media Week
February 7-11, 2011, New York, San Francisco, Rome, Paris, Toronto, Sao Paulo, London, Hong Kong, Istanbul

Social Media Week is a global platform that connects people, content, and conversation around emerging trends in social and mobile media.

Delivered primarily through a network of internationally hosted biannual conferences and online through social and mobile media, Social Media Week brings hundreds of thousands of people together every year through learning experiences that aim to advance our understanding of social media’s role in society.

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Strategic & Financial Planning Seminar
February 24, 2011, Doylestown, PA

This two part seminar for business owners will help you make informed business decisions about where to spend your money and time. The event is organized by Network Now, a business networking group for women.

Part 1 – Strategic Planning. A strategic plan is the road map for your business. You will learn how strategic planning can help you increase your profitability and be guided on how you can easily develop a solid plan for your company.
Part 2 – Financial Planning. Your financial plan should support your strategic plan. You will learn how to create a budget, keep track of your income and expenses, and measure your results to your forecast.

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How to Conduct Market Research for Business Plans, Launching New Ventures
February 28, 2011, New York City

Fordham Marketing Professor Hooman Estelami, in this interactive seminar, discusses techniques for conducting market research for evaluating new products, new markets and competitive landscapes. This seminar will help you address the questions: Is your new product/service idea a good one? Is there a market for the product? How big is the market? How do I learn about the competition? How do I make forecasts?

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Disney Institute’s Business Owner & Management Conferences: Quality Service and Brand Loyalty
February 28-March 2, 2011, Lake Buena Vista, FL

Presented in partnership with Disney Institute and Northpoint Services. “Benchmark your Business to Disney’s” and discover the strategies and practices that contribute to Disney’s world-renowned success at this conference that includes an exclusive “Business Excellence: Behind-The-Scenes” tour.

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Sixth Annual Small Business Summit 2011
March 8, 2011, New York City & Online

Produced by Prime Strategies and SmallBizTechnology.com, this event is an informative, inspiring and productive day. Headline speakers include Chris McCann of 1-800-Flowers and Jim Fowler of Jigsaw, which was acquired by Salesforce.com in early 2010.

At this year’s Summit you will network with your peers, gain insight from business leaders who have built successful businesses – including 1-800-Flowers, Jigsaw, 888 Red Light, ColderICE and more – see demos by the hottest technology companies for small businesses, and hear the success story of this year’s Small Business Strategy Award winner.

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Geek Girl Boot Camp
March 19, 2011, Cape Cod, MA

At this full-day technology “unconference” for women, workshops include PC and Mac, Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.), Location (Foursquare, Gowalla, Yelp) Photoshop, QuickBooks, Blogging, Podcasting, WordPress, Google Tools, Dreamweaver, Video, Inbound Marketing, digital photography and more. The workshops are designed for Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. There are Discussion Groups and an all-day Help Desk. The Mission of Geek Girl Camp is to educate and empower every girl and woman at every age level, on every skill level, at every income level on computer technology with fun and provide a legacy by giving back and paying it forward.

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GROWCO Grow Your Company Conference
April 6-8, 2011, Las Vegas, NV

Inc. created GROWCO, a three-day conference, for business leaders who want brass tacks advice to achieve the next level of growth. GROWCO speakers include founders and CEOs of fast-growing companies, icons in the business community, and authors of definitive business tomes. Learn how to develop a vision, manage a team, create a brand, get the most for your marketing dollar, connect with customers, close deals, and find capital

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12th Annual U.S. Department of Energy Small Business Conference & Expo
May 10-12, 2011, Kansas City, MO

This event will feature plenaries, educational workshops, an Exhibit Hall with over 200 exhibitors/sponsors, as well as business matchmaking sessions. Over 1,600 attendees will represent all levels of federal, state and local government agencies, the small business community, large/prime contractors, minority educational institutions and many more!

The largest civilian contracting agency within the federal government, DOE spent over $25 billion in contracts in FY 2010. The 12th Annual DOE Small Business Conference & Expo is a great opportunity for small business owners, large companies and universities alike to network and partner.

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The Art of Angel Investing: What Investors Look for, and Look Out for, When Investing in Startups
May 24, 2011, New York City

This event is a must-attend for anyone interested in learning more about pitching business ideas, venture capital/angel investing and starting their own business. And for those who are Fordham Students or Alumni, come cheer on your peers in the final round of the Fordham Business Plan Competition!

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140 Characters Conference
June 15-16, 2011, New York City

This event is expected to be the largest worldwide gathering of people interested in the effects of the real-time Internet on both business and “we” the people. It seems like everyone is talking about Facebook and Twitter but so what? Why do they really matter?

#140conf exposes you to the power the Internet has to disrupt businesses, change lives and create serendipity. You will leave with a fresh outlook on how the real-time Web can be used in your business or personal life to actually do something meaningful.

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FAA Small Business Opportunities Training Conference and Trade Show
June 28-July 1, 2011, Oklahoma City, OK

The FAA will host its Annual National Small Business Procurement Opportunities Training Conference and Trade Show on June 28 – July 1, 2010. The conference provides a forum for small businesses (including service-disabled and veteran-owned small businesses and 8(a) certified firms) to participate in technical and procurement opportunities workshops. Sessions will link small businesses with program managers, address business issues and concerns, and provide information that will benefit small businesses seeking to do business with the agency.

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NAWBO Women’s Business Conference 2011
August 31 – September 1, 2011, San Diego, CA

The NAWBO Women’s Business Conference is the only event of its kind focused on connecting women entrepreneurs to real business opportunities that deliver bottom-line results. The conference brings together businesses of all sizes from various industries to provide women entrepreneurs with both personal and professional tools and resources to take their business to the next level of success.

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To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar.

If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through our Events & Contests Submission Form (We do not charge a fee to be included in this listing — it is completely free to list your event.) Only events of interest to small business people, freelancers and entrepreneurs will be considered and included.

3 Comments ▼

Laura Leites Laura Leites plans and manages events for clients through her company, L2 Event Production. Laura's projects include the Small Business Influencer Awards, The Small Business Summit, and many of SmallBizTechnology's live and virtual events, including the five-city Small Business Technology Tour.

3 Reactions
  1. Tynnisha Hamilton

    Thanks for the post!

    I have a hard time keeping up with these seminars and conferences, so these posts help keep me on track.

  2. Lakshmi - Virtual assistant

    Hi,

    I actually second the first comment. Really posts like these help us to keep in track about the conferences and also gives us motivation to go to these and get good results in business we run.

    Thank you
    Lakshmi