Encore Entrepreneur Toolkit

If you're nearing retirement or just thinking ahead to what you'll do when that time rolls around, check out the Encore Entrepreneurs Toolkit from the U.S. Small Business Administration. This online toolkit includes a small business self-assessment, a free "starting a small business" e-course, information about business plans, and access to local resources.

E-Magnify offers no-cost, one-on-one business counseling for people (of all ages) who are thinking about starting a business, as well as for business owners who want to grow an existing business. Learn more about E-Magnify's business counseling services.

Women Veterans: Call to Entrepreneurship

Business & Professional Women of  Pennsylvania and Seton Hill University's E-Magnify invite women veterans to this special program on Friday, November 9, 2012. 

Women veterans are natural entrepreneurs who possess the training, experience, and leadership skills to start businesses that will create U.S. jobs. Attend "Women Veterans Marching Forward: Call to Entrepreneurship" to explore entrepreneurship as a next step, to secure available business resources and tools, and to meet other women veterans who are business owners.

Keynote Speaker: Ana Recio Harvey, Assistant Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Women's Business Ownership

Morning Speaker: Mary Moorhouse, Director, Special Projects, BPW Foundation 

Date: Nov. 9, 2012
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Location: Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh/Southpointe, 1000 Corporate Drive, Canonsburg, PA 15317

Registration fee: $50.00
Student registration: $35.00 (valid ID required)

Register online here.

This event is sponsored in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Huntington, and Prudential.

Spark & Hustle Small Business Boot Camp

Find your business spark and hustle at this year's Pennsylvania Conference for Women on October 2.

The Pennsylvania Conference for Women has partnered with Tory Johnson, CEO of Women For Hire and Spark & Hustle, workplace contributor on “Good Morning America,” and New York Times bestselling author, to provide programming designed specifically for current and aspiring small business owners.

The Pennsylvania Conference for Women Spark & Hustle Small Business Boot Camp will feature solo presenters, panel discussions, interactive exercises, structured networking, and vendor tables.
In this fast-paced, advice-driven track, you'll tackle only the most important topics for entrepreneurial success. In addition to a keynote session, Tory Johnson will lead a line-up of small business owners who will open their playbooks to share the real-world marketing tactics and strategies that work. You’ll leave with fresh ideas to formulate an actionable marketing plan, as well as new contacts—called “BBFs” (business best friends)—to help fuel your small business success.

Learn more about the conference and business boot camp: www.paconferenceforwomen.org/small-business-boot-camp/. (E-magnify is proud to be a Supporting Organization for the conference. Use promo code PACP98 to save on individual and table registrations.)

National Encore Entrepreneur Day (Oct. 2)

Join us in one week for National Encore Entrepreneur Mentor Day.  
Date: October 2, 2012
Location: Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA


What's an encore entrepreneur? 

Someone who starts a business after leaving or retiring from another career path. 

If you're over the age of 40 and interested in receiving free information on the nuts and bolts of starting your own business, join us for this no-cost even.

  

Featured entrepreneurs include a former Mrs. USA, a fashion designer, and a health service executive who have all started "encore" careers by entering the business world after celebrating their fortieth birthday.

 Come out to hear their stories and learn about starting your own business.

Featured Entrepreneurs: 

• Steve Cohen: Keystone By Design
• Laura Roy: Laura Roy's Doll House, The Comfy
• Melanie Patterson, Former Mrs. USA & Former Mrs. Pennsylvania: Retro Retreat
• Dawn Chamberlain: Jean Marie's Flowers & Gifts

National Encore Entrepreneur Mentor Day is part of a larger effort by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) to promote entrepreneurship among individuals ages 50 and older. With one in four individuals ages 44 to 70 interested in becoming entrepreneurs and 63 percent of Americans planning to work during retirement, small business ownership is a good option. Small business owners with long-term counselors see bigger sales, hire more workers, and last longer.

There is no fee to attend this event, but please secure your spot by registering in advance.

Biobased Marketplace Online Seminar (Sept. 27)

Cultivating Opportunities in the Biobased Marketplace 
Discover the potential of the expanding BioEconomy. 
September 27, 2012 (1:30 - 2:30 EDT)

Attend this no cost, live seminar via streaming video or satellite downlink. Learn about business opportunities in the manufacturing and sale of biobased products, as well as Federal programs that assist you in meeting your business goals.

Experts will present information on the following topics: :

• Biobased product opportunities and growth industries
• An introduction to the USDA BioPreferred Program
• How the Federal Procurement Preference program stimulates demand for purchasing
• Federal resources available from the Small Business Administration, Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program

This FREE training seminar is ideal for small businesses, entrepreneurs, agriculturally based organizations, U.S. manufacturing companies, and Federal agencies that support these endeavors. Presented by the USDA BioPreferred Program.

Learn more and register for the September 27 event.

Market Research for Your Small Biz

SizeUp is a new online tool from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) that helps small business owners research data and analytics to start or grow a business. Use it to identify new customers and compare your performance against other businesses in your industry with data collected from hundreds of private and public sources.  

The SizeUp tool provides data analysis in three key ways:

• Benchmarking an existing business to see how it sizes up by comparing performance to all other competitors in the same industry;
• A mapping feature to see where customers and suppliers are located; and
• Finding the best places to advertise by choosing from pre-set reports to find areas with the highest industry revenue and the most underserved markets. Custom demographic reports can also be created.

Try it out at www.sba.gov/sizeup. 

Tomorrow: Alternative Financing Seminar (9/24)

Join E-Magnify and Sue Malone at this special event to learn how alternative financing can help you to start or expand your business.    

Date: Monday, September 24, 2012
Time: 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Location: Administration Building, 3rd floor, Room 303, Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA

Who should attend?  Those thinking about starting a business and current business owners

Meet Sue Malone
Sue Malone is the founder of Strategies For Small Business, and her sole mission for the last five years has been to help people obtain access to capital to start or expand their businesses. In doing so, one of her specialties has been small business start-up loans. And she has done so exceptionally well. She is the undisputed, number one SBA loan provider for the Community Express Loan Program in the nation. As of April 2008, she is responsible for closing more than 20,000 of these much needed loans.




Register today for just $10.
 
For more information, contact Debra Mason, E-Magnify Education and Training Manager, at (724) 830-4614.
 
This event is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.