Third Annual Moving Your Business Forward Conference Set For October 3 In Atlanta
The third annual Moving Your Business Forward conference, sponsored by the Governor's Entrepreneur and Small Business Office of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) and the Atlanta Tribune, is tailored to meet the needs of small to medium-sized business owners. Conference attendees will have an opportunity to participate in a number of educational workshops, present their services to key Georgia government and business entities, learn about international procurement, receive valuable instruction from successful entrepreneurs and network with a host of decision makers.
ATLANTA, GA (PRWEB) July 8, 2005
The third annual Moving Your Business Forward conference, sponsored by the Governor's Entrepreneur and Small Business Office of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) and Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine, will take place on Monday, October 3, 2005, at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Atlanta. This informative conference is tailored to meet the needs of small to medium-sized business owners. Conference attendees will have an opportunity to participate in a number of educational workshops, present their services to key Georgia government and business entities, learn about international procurement, receive valuable instruction from successful entrepreneurs and network with a host of decision makers.
“The Moving Your Business Forward Conference offers Georgia’s small-to-mid-sized companies information from expert panelists on timely topics, and opportunities to build relationships with leading companies for future business partnerships,” said Gilda Watters, Division Director for Small Business and Innovation at GDEcD. “Corporations and governmental entities gain access to hundreds of potential suppliers, whereby they might broaden their base of suppliers. This conference is a win-win for all who attend.”
The theme for the 2005 conference is Moving Your Business Forward: The Power of Mentoring. Scheduled workshops and plenary sessions are as follows:
-More Than Just a Good Idea: What It Takes to Build a Business from the Ground Up - This plenary session will offer insight on strategies for establishing and maintaining a successful business model.
-Business Case for Supplier Diversity – This plenary session will detail supplier diversity programs facilitated by major corporations and ways in which a business owner can take part in these programs.
-Franchising 101: The Basics of Financing and Owning a Franchise - This workshop will highlight the benefits and risks of franchising a proven and recognized product or service. Franchisers will share tips on how conference attendees can find and purchase the franchise opportunity that is right for them.
-How to Build and Retain a Customer Base Through the Use of Technology - This workshop will feature tools and technologies that assist businesses with measuring every aspect of the all-important sales cycle.
-Mentoring – The Value of Giving Back - This workshop will underscore how mentoring programs contribute to a business owner’s knowledge base and expand their network of strategic alliances.
-Choosing Your Team: Strategies for Successful Hiring – This workshop will discuss essential steps a business owner should take in recruiting and hiring employees who will help to keep their business competitive.
Added, Pat Lottier, Publisher of the Atlanta Tribune, “This year’s conference will focus on the importance of business relationships – whether through franchiser/franchisee arrangements, mentoring and supplier diversity programs, or other collaborations – and how they help an entrepreneur to grow his or her business.”
Keynote speaker for Moving Your Business Forward: The Power of Mentoring is Phil Wilkins, an in-demand speaker, consultant, and author. Wilkins owns a training and consulting organization: Diverse Wealth Systems; four McDonald’s® restaurants in Lexington, Kentucky; and PJK Holdings, a real estate investment company. He is the author of "The Wealthy Entrepreneur." The conference will also include speakers and exhibitors representing a number of companies such as AirTran, BellSouth, Sunrise Bank of Atlanta, Delta Air Lines, Choice Hotels International, Home Depot, InterContinental Hotels Group, Macy’s, Cingular Wireless, IBM, Georgia Power, CRM Essentials, 57 Main St. Wine Co., Wade Ford, Shell Oil, Washington Mutual, BB&T, Wachovia and Enterprise Leasing Company as well as government agencies such as the Georgia Department of Labor.
The conference will take place from 8 a. m. to 4 p. m. at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta (265 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta 30303). The early-bird registration fee is $75 per person through August 1; $95 per person, August 2-September 25; and $105 per person, September 26-October 3. Conference registration includes continental breakfast, lunch, a 12-month subscription to the Atlanta Tribune; AirTran Airways domestic upgrade coupons; admission to conference workshops and plenary sessions; and one-on-one interviews with procurement professionals from the public and private sector. To request registration and exhibitor information, call (770) 587-0501, ext. 206 or send an email to infobus@atlantatribune. com. To register and to learn more about the conference, visit www. georgia. org/gsbc (http://www. georgia. org/gsbc) or www. atlantatribune. com.
About the Governor's Entrepreneur and Small Business Office
The Governor's Entrepreneur and Small Business Office (ESBO), a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, provides Georgia's communities resources to help small businesses and entrepreneurs become and remain successful, through training and development, as well as, access to resources and bid opportunities. ESBO seeks to positively impact economic development in the state through services including the Governor's Mentor Protégé Program; community-based entrepreneur development/"Entrepreneur Friendly" designation; procurement services and counseling; and statewide outreach connecting business-to-business and communities to opportunities. For more information, visit www. georgia. org.
About Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine
Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine (www. atlantatribune. com) is a resource for African Americans to grow their businesses, advance their careers, keep up with advancing technology and build wealth for their families and communities. Its readers include owners of some of the nationÂ’s 100 top Black-owned businesses, executives at AtlantaÂ’s private and public firms, GeorgiaÂ’s leading government and political figures and leaders of the nationÂ’s most powerful professional, civic and community organizations.
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