How many of us are business owners?

If you’ve started your own business like we did, then you know it often begins with a dream. Owning a business means we either wear many hats or have many employees to handle customer service, sales, marketing, accounting and much more.  West Brighton Community Local Development Corp. (WBCLDC), has served the Staten Island Business Community since 1981, offering programming to assist new entrepreneurs and existing businesses.  The conference was founded in 2005 by Joann Regan, Business Development Director, to counsel many small-business owners and entrepreneurs at the WBCLDC’s women’s business center. All businesses need a business plan, a brand, tools for growing and expanding your business.  We need support and inspiration to differentiate our product and service and stand out in a crowded market.  How can we do this while running our business?

Join us this Wednesday at the Women’s Business Conference & Awards Mixer set at Li Greci’s Staaten on Forest Avenue.

I’ll be speaking at 2pm on the panel “How and Why They Reinvented Themselves”.  So many of you have asked questions about branding, differentiation and much more.  I hope you can join us Wednesday.  Call to reserve Your ticket today at 718-816-4775 or contact Nina at nina@westbrightonldc.com.

Here’s the schedule for Wednesday:

10:00 a.m. to 11 :00 a.m. -Choose 1 of 2 sessions

A: Strategic Blueprint for Your Business:Inform participants about the benefits of a business plan and the basics of creating one. What are new trends in strategic planning and how to position your business to gain NEW business. Describe how business plans work in single owner businesses as well as large corporations and how business planning is key to inventing or reinventing one’s business. . Speakers: Robert Meyers of Northfield Bank/Commercial Loans and Nina Flores, WBCLDC, Business Development Specialist.

B: Inventing and Reinventing Your Brand: Define branding and describe how it impacts a large or small business. Describe what social media, networking, graphics, and advertising do for branding, how you can invent or reinvent your business, and the new trends in branding. Speaker: Lois Ingram & Co.

11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Networking and Vendor Session

Includes:

Catherine Paulo Financial Planners; Millennium Medical Billing; Guiding Light for Children & Families Inc.; Small Business Administration and NYC Small Business Services/MWBE; Business Outreach Center Network & BOC Capital and More!

11:30 a.m. to 12: 30 p.m. – Choose 1 of 2 Sessions

A:Rethink Import/Export Opportunities for Your Business: Provide participants with insights into what business opportunities exist in the greater NY area or on the internet for importing or exporting products and services. Describe growth areas, potential pitfalls, and legal issues. Talk about how taking a look at import/export opportunities may invent new business or reinvent a current business. Speaker: Manohar Bindi Soodi, V.P. at Citibank -Specialist in International Trade for over 30 years.

B: Take a Fresh Look at Your Financials: Help participants know what critical decisions are driven from financial information about their company…whether they are in start up or tune up. Describe what a small or large business person needs to know about their costs, tax liabilities, cash flow, and P&L statements, etc. Talk about how being on top of one’s financials is key to inventing a new business or reinventing a current business. Speaker: Joann Fleming, C.P.A.  of Fleming and Associates

12:30  to 1:30 Business Lunch ( Three course meal)

1:30 p.m. to 2: p.m. Networking and Vendor Session

2 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Choose one of two sessions

A: Selling Yourself…Who Better than You: Inspire participants to do a more effective job of selling themselves and their product or service in a variety of transactions. Describe how one can reinvent their professional persona, asses their behaviors that get in their way of selling themselves, learn how to instill confidence in their employees. (relevant to audience i.e. bank managers, salesperson, or business professional). Speaker: Samita Loomba of Ingenious You Coaching

B: Panel on How and Why They Reinvented Themselves:Through the telling of personal stories,three business woman will share their story and inspire participants who may be thinking of doing something new or different professionally. Panel includes business woman that “reinvented” themselves. Panelists include: Photographer, Natalie Licini -Financial executives to Photography studio owner Je Revele & Instructor;Fabiola Santos-Gaerlan -former television executive to owner of several Daycare centers Honey Drop Child Care; Amy DeGiulio owner of The Sugar Flower Cake Shop– former professor turned pastry chef and t.v. personality.

3:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Enjoy an Interactive Session!

Laugh At Life-: An interactive presentation on the many roles women play, what motivates women to succeed as business owners, mom, caregivers, etc… inspirational and motivational presentation. . Fran Reali, owner of Better Homes and Garden/Safari Realty

4 p.m. to 5:30- Mixer in the Lounge

Joann Regan Awards Reception & Networking Mixer

Mix & Mingle, as we highlight the history of the annual Business woman Conference and present awards in memory of late Joann Regan, Director of WBCLDC’s Women’s Business Center. We have selected two women who demonstrate character in business and mentoring others;  business and/or career success and community service. Sponsor for the reception is: Richmond County Savings Bank.

—-

Hope you can join us for a day filled with inspiration to empower local woman in business.

Natalie & Cate