Free event aims to connect, celebrate, and inspire on Sept. 30th

Vermont Business Magazine After learning and listening to small business owners statewide, the Community Navigator team has announced the selection of workshops that will be presented at North by Northeast: Navigating Your Small Business, a unique, free conference taking place at Vermont State University’s Randolph Center campus on September 30, 2023, that focuses specifically on Vermont’s small businesses and solopreneurs.

The speakers and topics were selected in response to the small business community’s requests, and attendees may map out their day however they prefer from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., connecting with resources, networking, finding inspiration, and enjoying lunch. For those who arrive later in the morning, workshops offered at 10:00 will be repeated at 11. 

Registration in advance is requested. To learn more and to register for the free event, including lunch, visit: https://www.vtsbdc.org/north-by-northeast/

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Opening 9 am.: Building a community among Vermont’s entrepreneurs

Rajnii Eddins

Start the day with opening speaker, Vermont poet Rajnii Eddins. 

Closing 3 p.m.: Entrepreneurship Redefined: Building and Scaling Your Business Your Way

Troy Sandidge

Wrap up the day with energy and inspiration from Troy Sandidge, award winning growth strategist, top 100 marketing podcaster, author of Strategize Up, business founder, and nationally known keynote speaker. 

MORNING WORKSHOPS: 10 a.m. & 11 a.m.

Choosing the Right Legal Structure for Your Business

Vermont Law & Graduate School Team

What are the options in Vermont for setting up an entity for your business, and what kind of structure will work best for you and your goals?

Understanding Business Insurance

Karianne Scott, Vermont Small Business Development Center

Sole-proprietors and small businesses have different needs for insurance coverage. Learn what types of insurance are available and how to choose what is right for you.

Demystifying Access to Capital: Types of Capital Providers & Business Planning for Capital 101

Juan Adorno, JPX Capital Consulting

Access to capital is among the top priorities for USA Small Businesses so let’s demystify access to capital. Who are capital providers to small businesses? What are their business requirements for funding? How do we – as business owners – prepare our businesses to be positioned for capital?  

Grow (and Maintain) Your Social Media Marketing

Danielle McLin, The McLin Agency

Social media is an essential tool for business but much of the advice is for large teams. Danielle will offer practical strategies and resources to help you grow and maintain your accounts as a solo-preneur or small team. 

Mental Focus for Entrepreneurs

Porter Knight, Productivity Vermont

The hours in a day are finite yet the demands on your time as a small business owner seem limitless. It’s hard to effectively get your work done when you are pulled in so many different directions. But you can train yourself to keep your brain in the game, even in stressful situations.   

More than Money: What your 81-year-old self wants you to know about your future

Sara Kermenski, Spring Hollow Financial

You may decide to slow down or stop working, and sometimes the decision is made for you. Whether it’s a loved one that requires your care, taking care of your own health, or making space for a new chapter, it’s not too late to start.

Learn what to expect and how to prepare when it comes to income, taxes, investments, protection, and lifestyle.

AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS: 1:30 p.m. 

Alternative Capital Access for Small Businesses

Sergio Alvares, Vermont Small Business Development Center

Juan Adorno, JPX Capital Consulting

The financial services industry provides critical services to small businesses. Today, the industry has countless alternative service providers.

This workshop illustrates how financial technology (FinTech) companies can facilitate capital access in conjunction with other financial service providers such as CDFIs. Such alternative multi-lender deals are particularly useful for businesses without an existing relationship with traditional lenders. The workshop presents how these financial service providers work, how small businesses can benefit from their services, and what are the risks involved. 

Preparing to Fund Your Business

Sara McConnell, Brattleboro Development Credit Corp.

Preparing requests to fund your business can be a complicated process. Sara will break down the essentials needed for financing, whether that is loans, grants, or other options, so that you are ready when opportunities arise.

Business Essentials – Better Than Basics

Faye Longo, Center for Women & Enterprise – Vermont

Join Faye Longo, CNPP Project Manager with Center for Women & Enterprise for this better-than-basics session! As a solopreneur or micro business owner, you are your business and that’s a lot. You have little time to research what is available in the way of support, small business or otherwise. This session is geared to ease some of that navigation, get you connected to relevant resources, and help you make the most of your precious time!

Attendees will leave this session with at least one actionable next step to support their small business and themselves!

What’s in a Good Contract and Why Do They Go Wrong?

Vermont Law and Graduate School Team

How can businesses make contracts useful tools? Why do contracts go wrong, and what happens when they do? The Vermont Law and Graduate Entrepreneurial Legal Lab team will explain contract basics, when and why to put things in writing, setting customer expectations, and how contracts can protect your business. They will also explain the other side of contracts—what mistakes lead to lawsuits, what happens when someone breaks a contract, and how to navigate disputes.

Selling with Confidence—Essential Sales Steps to Grow Your Business!

Ronda Berns, Sales Consultant and Coach

This presentation addresses five essential sales steps to confidently navigate a sales conversation, be well-received by your prospects, and grow and thrive in your business. Based on a wealth of results-focused experience, this actionable information will provide the steps to effectively sell your product or service.

QuickConnect & Dessert: 12:30 – 3:00 p.m.

It’s a resource fair with a twist! Being in business for yourself doesn’t have to mean that you are by yourself. Meet people with the services that will help you turn your ideas into a thriving business.

North by Northeast is hosted by the CNPP partners who have joined together to support the growth of small businesses in Vermont, and to ensure that every small business owner knows about, and has access to, the services and support available to help small business owners succeed. 

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Sara Munro: [email protected]

This event is in partnership with the Community Navigator Pilot Program, funded in part through a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Source: RANDOLPH CENTER, Vt. (Sept. 18, 2023) – VTSBDC