Sunday, October 7, 2012

Get Out of the Office This Fall! Go to a Small Biz Event

Get Out of the Office This Fall! Go to a Small Biz Event

Link to Small Business Trends

Get Out of the Office This Fall! Go to a Small Biz Event

Posted: 06 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT

You sit in your office or stay in your shop all the time, and what happens?  You get stale, that’s what!  You skills atrophy. You miss out on new opportunities.  Go meet some new people and invest in your skills.  And send your team members, too.  Your staff can get stale, and then where would your investment in them be?  Below is our hand-chosen list of small business events. Sign up for at least one, and get out there and network and learn.

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SmallBizTechTourSmall Business Tech Tour
October 12 – Phoenix

November 1 – Atlanta
November 8 – Miami

Join Ramon Ray of Smallbiztechnology.com and learn from a group of passionate small business experts how to use technology in your business. Network with other small business owners and learn how they are succeeding in this fun, energized and highly educational series of events.

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Affiliate Management #AMDaysAffiliate Management Days
October 9-10, 2012, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Affiliate Management Days is the world's first and only professional forum devoted to affiliate management. This conference is designed for those who offer an affiliate program or are considering offering an affiliate channel. AM Days offers you valuable insight into how other online retailers are successfully implementing and managing their affiliate programs. If you want your affiliate channel to be more successful and profitable, this is the conference for you. Learn with world experts!

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The New York Enterprise Report 2012 Small Business Awards
October 10, 2012, New York City

The New York Enterprise Report Small Business Awards is the annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of the 500,000+ small businesses throughout the tri-state area. Now in its 7th year, the Awards gala attracts more than 400 business owners and executives and is often referred to as "the networking event of the year." Don't miss the chance to do business with the "who's who" of the New York small business community.

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M/WBE Certified? Marketing How To’s to Secure Goverment Contracts
October 11, 2012, Teleclass

You obtained your M/WBE certification and are now ready to start selling to New York State. You thought that the hard part was behind you. But now you find that you still have to figure out who is authorized to buy your product/service and how to market to them.

Sign up for this WEDC teleclass and learn from Jean Kristensen of MWBE Success about marketing tools to help you secure government contracts.

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Women of Excellence Business Conference
October 10, 2012, Atlanta

NAFE Atlanta is proud to present the first annual Women of Excellence Business Conference (WEBC), an interactive business and career development program. The WEBC will feature motivational workshops, give-a-ways, a luncheon, and numerous networking opportunities. Workshops will cover a wide-range of topics essential to excelling in business, including marketing, human resources, operations and management.

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Pubcon Vegas 2012

October 15-18, 2012

Supported by the industry’s leading businesses, exhibitors and sponsors involved in social media, Internet marketing, search engines, and online advertising, Pubcon Las Vegas 2012 will offer a week-long look at the future of technology presented by over 200 of the world’s best speakers in more than 100 bold cutting-edge sessions.

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New York XPO Small Business ConferenceNew York Business XPO and Conference
October 17, 2012, New York City

The New York Business XPO and Conference is New York’s #1 expo and conference for small and mid-size businesses. Over 10,000 people attend the show floor. Includes presidents, CEOs and top executives of privately held firms entering the next phase of growth. Includes educational seminars and workshops throughout the day, featuring the top small-business speakers from around the country. October 17, 2012 at the Javits Convention Center. Register now.

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Small Business Influencer Awards Gala
October 17, 2012, New York City

The Small Business Influencer Awards will honor the Top 100 small business influencer champions at a festive Awards Gala on the evening of October 17, 2012 at the Javits Convention Center. Last year’s event had a capacity crowd at a smaller venue. This year it will be bigger than ever — with the Awards Gala as the evening event at the New York Business XPO and Conference. One ticket gets you into both! More details. Don’t miss this exciting event! Tickets are just $34 if you use our discount code: INFLUENCER. Register now!

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Web.com Small Business Forum
October 19, 2012, Ponte Verde, FL

You are invited to join Web.com’s Jason Teichman at the Web.com Small Business Forum. This interactive Forum will focus on helping local small businesses learn how to successfully market their business online. Key areas for discussion include the following:

What are the elements of a great website?
How do I increase traffic to my website and to my business?
Is my website “working” for my business?
How do I market my business on Google, Facebook and Twitter?

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COSE Small Biz ConventionCOSE Small Business Convention
October 25-26, 2012, Kalahari Convention Center, Sandusky, OH

This is the 7th year for the COSE Small Business Convention. Due to growth, this year it’s been moved to Ohio’s largest convention center on site at the Kalahari Water Park.

Featuring keynotes and numerous workshops, it will also feature the COSE Business Pitch Competition, with Jeff Hoffman of Priceline, and a keynote by Rhonda Kallman, the co-founder of the Boston Beer Company. Continuing Education Credits are available in the following areas: Legal, Accounting and Human Resources

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Small Business Expo
November 8, 2012, Los Angeles

Small Business Expo is a full day networking event, trade show & small business conference of the year for business owners, C-Level Executives & company decision-makers.

  • Network with other business professionals & check out the exciting exhibitor hall
  • Establish new contacts and reconnect with old ones.
  • Further your education by attending workshops & seminars.
  • Learn about new products and services that will help your business grow.
  • Interact with the movers and shakers of your industry.
  • Discover new and innovative technologies.

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Global Entrepreneurship Week
November 12-18, 2012, 20+ Countries

Global Entrepreneurship Week is the world's largest celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare.
During one week each November, GEW inspires people everywhere through local, national and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators. These activities, from large-scale competitions and events to intimate networking gatherings, connect participants to potential collaborators, mentors and even investors—introducing them to new possibilities and exciting opportunities.

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MacTech Boot Camp
December 5 – Miami, FL

MacTech Boot Camp is a one day event for those that support the home user, and small business market held around the country. MacTech Boot Camp is a single-track, hotel based seminar that is specifically geared to serve the needs of consultants and techs wanting to serve their base better. This event is geared toward those that already support the home and SMB communities, or that want to become a consultant supporting these areas.

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New Media Expo
January 6-8, 2013, Las Vegas

NMX, formerly Blog World & New Media Expo, is the first and only industry-wide conference, tradeshow and media event dedicated to providing valuable content for Bloggers, Podcasters and Web TV producers. Pre-register now and receive Super Early Bird rates.

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Affiliate Summit West 2013
January 13-15, 2013, Las Vegas

This three day conference includes an exhibit hall with affiliate merchants, vendors, and networks, as well as multiple tracks of educational sessions covering the latest trends and information from affiliate marketing experts.

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

If you are putting on a small business event or contest, and want to get the word out, please submit it through our Events & Contests Submission Form (it’s free). Only events of interest to small business people, freelancers and entrepreneurs will be included.

Brought to you as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.

The post Get Out of the Office This Fall! Go to a Small Biz Event appeared first on Small Business Trends.

Twitter’s Redesigned Discover Tab: See Expanded Tweets

Posted: 06 Oct 2012 08:00 AM PDT

Since its launch, Twitter has been known for its simplicity. But sometimes it can be hard to attract new followers when all you have is 140 characters. Particularly for companies or individual users that rely heavily on visual media or lengthy posts to connect with their network.

Twitter's Discover Tab

Twitter's Discover tab got a makeover last week, adding expanded tweets with photos and other media directly on the page to help users find new users to connect with and content to absorb.

The continuous stream of tweets is targeted to users' interests, in an effort to help them discover new stories and users. The Discover tab was first introduced to Twitter users back in December, and was first updated in May to bring more personalized content and a new design.

For this latest update, the page received another new design, but with stronger integrations with the actual content of tweets, including photos, videos, articles, and even product listings.

Tweets displayed on the page could be from users you've already followed, or from users that others in your network follow or otherwise interact with. Along with the tweet and any media or information contained in its links, users can see insights like number of favorites and retweets, or which of your friends follow that particular user.

Since the new update includes easy access to media like photos and videos, companies that use that type of media as part of their Twitter strategy may possibly be able to reach more users.

While some users may not always go out of their way and click links on Twitter, if they visit the new Discover tab they can see the content of tweets without having to. Plus, users who visit the page are likely to be open to following new users or discovering new websites or articles.

So the suggestions of who to follow and sites to visit may be more likely to reach users that are actually interested in what they have to offer.

The new update is rolling out gradually to all Twitter users on both its Web and mobile platforms in the coming weeks.

The post Twitter’s Redesigned Discover Tab: See Expanded Tweets appeared first on Small Business Trends.

Attention Working Moms: Mastering the Mommy Track

Posted: 06 Oct 2012 06:00 AM PDT

Mastering the Mommy TrackFor The Woman Who Doesn’t Know How She Does It

Earlier this year there was a movie out with Sarah Jessica Parker called "I Don't Know How She Does It."  I had read the book a few years ago with my book club and can I just say – it pissed me off!

Here's the short skippy on the book plot (I think the movie is slightly different). The main character is a powerful business woman.  She is one of the top investment bankers in a London firm and loves what she does.  She's got a wonderful husband and a couple of kids to complete the picture.  The only problem is that she's never really happy doing anything.

When she's doing powerful investment deals, she's feeling guilty about not being with her kids and having to purchase pre-made cakes for the bake sale.  When she's doing the mommy thing, she's feeling wistful about not being the powerful executive that she is.  Throughout the book hilarity ensues as you follow her inner conflict.

If you're a working mom – this might resonate with you.  I am a working mom and I just didn't get it.  I mean, no one stuck a gun to her head and forced her into either choice.  She chose her career, she chose her family – but she honestly didn't have a clue about how to manage her choices.  And this is what ultimately softened me up to her plight.

I think she should have had a copy of Mastering the Mommy Track: Juggling Career and Kids in Uncertain Times by Erin Flynn Jay(@ErinFJay).  I received a review copy of the book and read through it fairly quickly – it's under 200 pages and just right for busy moms.

These Days “Working Mom” Isn’t Always A Choice

My favorite thing about this book is Flynn Jay's acknowledgement and focus on the fact that being a working mom isn't always a choice.  When the economy took a tumble and the traditional male head of household turned into a stay-at-home head of household, many women found themselves going into the workforce somewhat forcibly.

While women quickly adapted to the challenge, family routines have been much slower to change;  women were still primarily responsible for housework, organizing children's activities and a variety of other soft, hidden but powerful responsibilities.

Mastering the Mommy Track is just what the doctor ordered for any working mom who is looking to bring some sense of balance and normalcy to the chaos that is often her life.

Mastering the Mommy Track Covers It All

Erin Flynn Jay covers just about anything and everything that impacts a working mom's life.  There are four main categories to the book:

  1. Home:  I think this section will get a lot of stressed-out moms crying or at least sniffing as they read through it.  Working moms who are feeling the stress of over scheduling, finances and not enough time to spend with their partners will find helpful tips and advice that they can implement as they see fit.
  2. Health:  This is a relatively short section dedicated mostly to sleep deprivation and nutrition.  I like that she honed in on the biggest issues and didn't add more to the already overflowing health concerns so many women have.
  3. Parenting: In this section, Flynn Jay offers lots of tips from experts on day care as well as other child care options.
  4. Work-Life Issues:  And the book ends with the idea of balance between home and work.  The primary topic in this section is time-management.  No surprises there, but lots of fantastic advice from several experts.

What You Will Love About Mastering the Mommy Track

Maybe you'll laugh and I'm sure that Erin Flynn Jay will blush at this.  But this is a sort of Dr. Spock book for working moms.  The biggest difference is that while Dr. Spock's books were extremely comprehensive, Mastering the Mommy Track is an easily digestible compilation of just the 20% of the most critical elements of successfully getting through life as a working mom.

Another wonderful feature of this short, but useful, book is that the author has crammed about as many experts in this book as any page or paragraph can hold.  So, even though the book is compact, it's chock full of expert advice.

Hmmm, maybe it's like some of those new laundry detergents on the marketing that have more detergent and less water and come in a smaller container.

What Makes Erin Flynn Jay An Expert?

Erin Flynn Jay is a lot like the working moms she's writing for and about.  Since 2001, Erin has been promoting authors of new books and small businesses in all industries. She has expertise in successfully obtaining print, online and broadcast media placements for experts and authors.  She's also a wife and the mother of two young daughters.  So she speaks from experience.

You'll love her writing style and the way she collects and combines the stories of real people along with the advice of experts.  Erin is proof positive that you don't need a long list of degrees or celebrity to build credibility.  What you need is a strong commitment to providing what your audience is hungry for.

Mastering the Mommy Track is a book that every working mom should read.

The post Attention Working Moms: Mastering the Mommy Track appeared first on Small Business Trends.

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