Small Business News: Social Media School

If you think social media is just for marketing your business, well, think again. We took a turn around some of the blogs we frequent this week and discovered another great reason to check out small business content from posts to Facebook and Twitter links to videos. There’s LOTS of information out there! From starting a collections business to mastering the art of product licensing to better ways and better resources to use in the world of social bookmarking sites and better ways to blog, we found an unbelievable volume of information, free information all for entrepreneurs just like you. If you aren’t using social media including social networks the blogosphere and video content to educate yourself as an entrepreneur, here’s just some of what you’re missing.

Resources

How to launch a debt collection business. Though we’re not in the habit of listing business opportunities, this post is a great example of the resources you can find in the blogosphere about other areas where you may want to expand an existing business. Researching information about existing and developing ventures on blogs and through social media is faster than it’s ever been with the steady flow of information making sure what you find is often the most recent data available.Big Money Web

Letting someone else take your idea to market. Has it ever occurred to you that marketing an idea doesn’t necessarily mean having all the resources in place yourself to produce, distribute, market and sell it yourself? Introducing the wonderful world of open innovation and licensing and new way for small businesses and entrepreneurs to get into the game with almost no upfront investment and minimal risk.JonathanFields.com

Everything you want or need to know about SEO. Stoney deGeyter talks about about the misconceptions here that many clients have when thy confront the world of Search Engine Optimization. How in the world do you know what you’re getting when you hire one of these firms to improve your performance online? This article and others may help you learn enough to communicate knowledgeably with your SEO consultant about what you need.Search Engine Guide

How To

Why use social bookmarking sites? Christine McCarthy insists it’s because of the many things people use social bookmarking sites for. Things like research, search, page rank and more. She even includes a big list of her favorite social bookmarking sites (including BizSugar.com. Thanks for the shout-out, Christine!) If you want to get attention for your site, Christine says, you won’t want to forget about these nifty little sites.ChristineBiz

How to blog…the right way. Like anything else in life and in business, blogging has to be done the right way. No, we’re not talking about the style or approach here so much as the commitment for what you do. Social media and advertising consultant Suzanne Vara talks about the key to blogging in a committed way the same way we should be running our business and living our life. Are you“going all in” in everything you do?kherize five

Tools

How to make networking really work for you. Of course, the reason so many small business people are online in the first place is to connect with others and expand their business. This may be a good reason as far as it goes, but the thing is that, like any other resource, small business owners and entrepreneurs need to be realistic about why and how they use it. If you’re confused or sure it isn’t working for you, try this first.International Business Times

Human Resources

How social media may also be a source of employment. Some businesses are hiring specifically to manage social media and these jobs can take many forms. Also, small businesses should educate themselves about the potential dangers of social media in terms of litigation and other problems and in terms of what can and cannot be discussed by employees on social media channels.ABC News

Global

Social media and international trade. Not only can larger companies find the resources they need internationally to provide competitive products and services at a competitive price, but now small businesses can as well. Social media allows not just networking with potential clients and customers but an ability to locate and communicate with potential suppliers and business partners where ever in the world they may be.Pacific VA

Mobile

Is being mobile all it’s cracked up to be? Seth Godin doesn’t think so. Here’s his little riff on why doing your best work on your iPhone is probably something that rarely ever happens. As social media expands the question becomes not just what kind of reach do you have but what environment is best for you? There is a lot of information at your disposal. The question becomes, under what conditions will you use it to get the best results?Seth Godin’s Blog

Customer Relations

Will social media help you“become the buyer?” Really Chris thinks this is important no matter what kind of product, service or business you’re marketing. It’s not enough to know what kind of buyer you want or what you want them to do. But it’s just possible that social media makes this process easier, allows you to listen in ways you could not before, let’s you know and empathise with your customers in whole new ways. How is social media helping you?Chris Brogan

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Small Business News: Ideas for Adventurous Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship is about ideas, lots and lots of them. But it’s also about putting those ideas into action. So, what ideas do you have as you embark on your entrepreneurial adventure? And what ideas do you need? We hope this roundup inspires and empowers. More than anything, entrepreneurship is about learning. Time to begin.

Self-development

Are you permiscuous? OK. This post is NOT about what you think! When it comes to entrepreneurship, sales or any other kind of business, it’s important toget aroundand get ideas from as many sources as possible. Is there a single right answer to any problem you will face in your entrepreneurial adventure? Nope. Just effective and ineffective ones. Get all you can. The Sales Blog

The real spirit of entrepreneurship. Want to know the difference between dazzling innovation, creativity and their opposite? Then read this simple meditation on where the motivation for true achievement comes from. Surprised? Shouldn’t be. Think about customer service, crowdsourcing, customer feedback. Where should the focus of entrepreneurship be and what should it do? What do you think?JonathanFields.com

Tools

How social is your small business blog? We know you’re probably conditioned to think much more in terms of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and the keywords you use in titles, tags and text when you write a blog post, but, in the era of Facebook and Twitter, it’s also important to think about your blog in terms of how you can integrate it into social media. Here’s a starting point for the discussion.BizSugar Blog

How will customers find you? Picking a location-based social media platform for your small business is more important than ever before. But at the same time, choosing one platform or another is much more complicated than it used to be. No, Foursquare is not the only company in the field. Here’s a primer to help you decide which  is right for you.Entrepreneur.com

Research

How do entrepreneurs think? Can you learn how successful entrepreneurs think and then teach these skills to others helping them to become more entrepreneurial in their goals? Maybe, says researcher Saras Sarasvathy who chats and answers questions in this video about a recent study that attempts to peel pack the mysteries of entrepreneurship and how it works.Inc.com

Inside the brain of an entrepreneur. So, what is in the brain of an entrepreneur? How do they think and how does it make them different or similar to, say corporate executives, small business owners, VC or angel investors. The data is out and you may be surprised by the findings.Inc.com

Opinion

Too much entrepreneurship?! It seems hard to believe in a day and age when entrepreneurship is being touted as a solution to a still sluggish economy that anyone in their right mind could say enough is enough. Of course, the real issue is whether the cult of entrepreneurship is becoming just another trend creating little of value.Harvard Business School

Startup

When you know it’s time. Fear holds many beginning entrepreneurs back and makes it difficult to leave the security of a 9-5 job. But in the end, those considering starting their own business, launching their own product or offering their own service should only worry about two factors at the heart of the entrepreneurial mind set.getbusy

Leadership

Traits to recognize in the entrepreneur. Maybe you’ve been trying to fit in somewhere. You’ve taken a job you’re not passionate about. You’ve notice it’s hard to stay focused. Maybe you realize there’s a reason for all of this. Check out the entrepreneurial traits in the post above. Are you an entrepreneur?eMentorMarketing

Why entrepreneurs should be good sales people. This is not your run of the mill advice, but we hope you find it helpful just the same. If nothing else, an entrepreneur needs to be able to sell their idea, first possibly to investors and strategic partners, then to customers. Here are some steps from a number of entrepreneurs. Check them out and enjoy!Open Forum

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New Survey Offers Glimpse of SMB Ad Outlook

Earlier this month local advertising firmBorrell Associatesreleased its annual Outlook survey for 2011, which attempts to gauge where small and medium-sized businesses fall with investing in online advertising. This year’s study was particularly interesting, noting that SMBs actually make up for 95 percent of all local advertising online. They may not spend much on average (the average SMB spends less than $12,000 on all advertising; of that, $2,300 goes to online advertising), but their sheer numbers make them ademographic that everyone is trying to reach, which may help explain why Google has become increasingly aggressive in marketing to SMBs over the past year.

Overall, the numbers are promising and demonstrate a clear shift from offline advertising to online.

According to the survey, 29 percent of SMBs said they will increase their online ad spending in 2011, using that money for creating or maintaining their own websites, building email marketing campaigns and getting involved in social media. Creating a Web presence via a company website appears to be the SMB owner’s preferred way of online advertising. The survey estimated that 86 percent of SMBs had their own website in 2010 and that the number will grow to 91 percent in 2011.  (Personally, I have a very difficult time swallowing those numbers. Either the audience surveyed in the report is majorly tech-skewed or we’re being very loose with the definition of “website.” As much as I’d love to believe that nearly EVERY small business owner has taken the initiative to market themselves online, I simply don’t think we’re there yet. Not even close.)

Building on that, the survey also reported that two-thirds of SMBs who have a website also say they’re participating in social media, which is promising. It makes sense that a SMB that has taken the initial step of putting their brand online would complement it via other avenues. Of the 14 percent of SMBs that still don’t have a site of their own (get one!), more than a third say they’re maintaining some type of social media presence, likely a Facebook page or Twitter account.

Perhaps not surprisingly, as small business owners invest more in the Web and social media to market their businesses and aid in lead generation, they’re not upping their traditional budgets to the same degree. Whereas SMBs say they plan to increase their online advertising budgets 29 percent in 2011, they’ll only up their print Yellow Pages and direct mail buys by 4.5 percent.

Perhaps they’re simply upping their online budgets to match what they’re spending offline, but I imagine that instead, SMBs are looking at the Web to do the bulk of their advertising for them. With the arrival of Google Places, Twitter, Yelp, Facebook, etc., SMBs have much more effective tools for reachingout and communicating with customers.

While I don’t necessarily think the audience surveyed by Borrell Associates represents the average small business owner, I do believe it’s indicative of the direction in which marketing budgets are headed over the next year. As business owners become more familiar with the tools available to them online (creating company websites, social media, email marketing, etc.), they’re investing fewer dollars in traditional areas like local directories, local magazines and local newspapers.

What do you think of the report? Does it fall in line with your own budget? What do you think of the claim that 91 percent of SMBs now have a website?

To check out theOutlook 2011 study, you can download the Executive Summary for free via their Web site.

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GroupHigh: An Easy Way to Research Bloggers

Blogger outreach is something my marketing firm is passionate about. After all, bloggers are the voice for many brands (for better or worse) these days. With a positive brand review, your brand can receive a nice boost in Web traffic and sales.

Until now, my company has been manually visiting blogs and logging contact info for the blogger, traffic details, etcetera. It’s a lot of work. But then I discoveredGroupHigh. GroupHigh is an online research tool that puts together all the information you could need for millions of the most active blogs online.

The information you can gather includes:

• Blog URL
• Contact
• Email
• Twitter and Facebook contact link
• Blog traffic
• Page Rank
• Number of comments
• Most recent post date

And here’s where I fall in love. You can search by term (“iPhone”), and then quantify by blogs that have a certain Page Rank or higher. Or that recently posted. Or only those with Twitter profiles. You can get pretty darn specific, which I love. Here’s an example of a search I did for blogs with thekeyword “iPhone” that had a Page Rank of 5 or higher, and that had their contact email listed (not every blog does, and believe me, it’s a pain to discover that after five minutes of fruitless searching on the site).

GroupHigh is similar to related services for journalists likeMyMediaInfo, but hopefully without the high price tag. The product is still in private beta (although you can get your own free trial right now), and will announce pricing in a month or so.

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Small Business Events for Spring and Beyond

Welcome to our biweekly roundup of small business events, conferences and webinars, brought to you as a community service bySmall Business TrendsandSmallbiztechnology.com.

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Making Sense of Mobile Phones: How to Find the“Right One” for Your Business
March 29, 2011, New York City

2011 promises to be another exciting year in the world of mobile phones– with plenty of new hardware scheduled for release and an ever-expanding complement of apps hitting the marketplace, the possibilities seem limitless. Unfortunately, this can also create a lot of confusion for the average consumer who is trying to figure out the best mobile solution for their life and their business. During this lively and interactive panel discussion, we will delve into a variety of issues, including:
- What new functionality/utility is coming to the market in the coming months?
- How do I ensure that my data is secure?
- What are the major manufacturers doing to distinguish their platform?
- What phone is right for me and my business? iPhone? BlackBerry? Android? Microsoft? Something else?

The 2011 U.S./Israel Venture Summit
March 29-30, 2011, New York City

The U.S./Israel Venture Summit, presented by youngStartup Ventures, is the premier gathering where cutting-edge Israeli startups meet top venture capitalists, angel investors, corporate VCs and investment bankers from throughout North America.

Whether you are an investor seeking new deals, or an emerging company seeking capital and exposure, The U.S./Israel Venture Summit is one event you won’t want to miss.

BlogWell: How Big Brands Use Social Media
March 29, 2011– New York City

This event is all about how big brands use social media. No agencies, no startups— just big companies sharing what they’ve learned and providing practical, how-to advice on creating great content, earning management buy-in, training employees, engaging fans and keeping everything ethical and legal.

Additional BlogWell events:
May 4, 2011– Washington, DC

Dumb Ways Smart Entrepreneurs Fail in Using Technology
March 31, 2011, 8 p.m. EDT, Webinar

In this webinar Tim Berry, President and founder of Palo Alto Software, will be discussing with host Ramon Ray how even very smart small business owners make dumb mistakes when it comes to implementing technology in their companies. You’ll hear:

* Some of the biggest mistakes growing companies make when trying to use technology
* How much of social media is hype, and whether it is for every business
* Some of the best ways companies can keep current customers AND get new ones

BYOB 2011 Conference for Entrepreneurs
April 2, 2011, Philadelphia

This conference will help you plan a strategy to leave your J.O.B. to start your own business and those of you in your own business will learn new skill sets to take your business to the next level. Whether you’re thinking about starting a business or in your first five years in business, this workshop will give you new perspective on how and what you do!

Spring 2011 Miami Small Business Summit
April 2, 2011, Miami

Sponsored by Constant Contact, the day’s sessions include:
–Funding your Business -Available Options
–SBA and Conventional Lending Programs
–Financing Programs for both start-up and existing business– Learn the Process
–Improving your Credit Score
–Preparing a Personal Financial Statement
–Using Constant Contact to Create and Access your customer base
–Staffing- Outsourcing the Job or Hiring the right person
–Internet and Telecommunications– the Smart Choices

Make Mine a Million– M3 1000 Conference
April 4, 2011, Denver, CO

Join Count Me In for this event, to pitch your woman-owned business.

Ready to be one of the 250 women to pitch and compete for prizes at the next M3 1000 event?  Meet the criteria and pitch your business for a chance to“make yours a million.”  Designed for businesses with current revenues between  $85,000– $700,000, that are ready to grow your business to a million dollars within the next 18-36 months.

In addition to pitch opportunities, also includes speakers and breakout educational sessions.  JoinSmall Business TrendsFounder Anita Campbell for breakout sessions on how to develop expert status and promote your business using social media such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and others. Register here.

Morgan Entrepreneurship Series at the Hudson Library
Multiple dates, Hudson, OH

The Entrepreneur’s Edge
Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.
Kirk Neiswander, president of The Entrepreneur’s Edge, which provides services and programs specifically designed to help its member mid-market companies grow in value

BioEnterprise
Thursday, April 21, 2011, at 7:00 p.m.
Baiju Shah, president, CEO and founder of BioEnterprise in Cleveland, an initiative that aids the formation, recruitment and acceleration of health-care companies

Entrepreneur Success Stories
Wednesday, May 4, 2011, at 7:00 p.m.
Entrepreneur success stories will feature a panel of successful Northeast Ohio entrepreneurs who are living the dream of running their own businesses.

GROWCO Grow Your Company Conference
April 6-8, 2011, Las Vegas

Inc. created GROWCO, a three-day conference for business leaders who want brass tacks advice to achieve the next level of growth. GROWCO speakers include founders and CEOs of fast-growing companies, icons in the business community and authors of definitive business tomes. Learn how to develop a vision, manage a team, create a brand, get the most for your marketing dollar, connect with customers, close deals and find capital.  NOTE:  Anita Campbell, Founder ofSmall Business Trends, will be in attendance with sponsor UPS.

Trade Nassau
April 12, 2011, Woodbury, NY

Trade Nassau will bring together premier businesses from Long Island the greater New York Metro region. Exhibitors and attendees will have the opportunity to connect and network with entrepreneurs, local, regional and national corporations, nonprofits, government agencies, business advocacy groups, and the media.

• Meet and explore business opportunities with Long Island’s business elite
• Meet hundreds of exhibitors and over 1,500 key decision makers
• Attend business seminars and panel discussions to learn about the best business practices from experts

Specialty Retail Entrepreneur Expo& Conference
April 12-14, 2011, Las Vegas

SPREE is the world’s largest event for the $12 billion cart and kiosk industry. Whether you are a retailer, specialty leasing manager or prospective entrepreneur looking for the newest concepts, locations or services to start or grow your specialty retail business, or an exhibitor seeking new sales opportunities, SPREE is designed with you in mind!

The Women in Business Conference
April 21, 2011, Colorado Springs, CO

This full day conference will feature a breakfast, lunch and breakout sessions. The breakfast keynote speaker will be Kelli Vrla with“Put on Your Big Girl Panties and Ride Cowgirl.” The breakout sessions will feature Dr. Dianne Stone, Carolyn Strauss, Chuck Kocher and Kathy Hagan Brown.

It will be followed by the luncheon, and keynote speaker Roxanne Emmerich will bring you“Thank God It’s Monday.” The Athena Award Ceremony will take place also during the luncheon. The event will include all kinds of information a woman (or any business owner) needs to succeed in business. You will hear from successful businesswomen who made it and are willing to share how with all of you.

Online Marketing& Social Media Crash Course
Multiple Cities& Dates

Discover how you can harness the power of the Internet to get your business found online (in an affordable way), engage new customers with your brand, and keep old ones coming back. Deluxe for Business and Sprint are proudly sponsoring these FREE small business events across six cities in 2011, with the help of host Entrepreneur EXPO and keynote speaker Starr Hall.

April 21– Houston
May 11– Chicago
June 15– Atlanta
July 14– New York City
August 16– Los Angeles
September 13– Miami

Extreme Business Makeovers
April 29-May 1, 2011, Orlando, FL

This dynamic and transformational“Connectinar” features top-caliber small business thought leaders as well as like-minded,“intentional entrepreneurs” for you to network and form strategic relationships with.

Speakers include such powerhouses as Joel Comm, Frank McKinney and Scott Ginsberg who will teach you how to…
1) Uncover your hidden assets
2) Overcome your challenges
3) Create your action plan to bring you to the next level

12th Annual U.S. Department of Energy Small Business Conference& Expo
May 10-12, 2011, Kansas City, MO

This event will feature plenaries, educational workshops, an Exhibit Hall with over 200 exhibitors/sponsors, as well as business matchmaking sessions. Over 1,600 attendees will represent all levels of federal, state and local government agencies, the small business community, large/prime contractors, minority educational institutions and many more.

The largest civilian contracting agency within the federal government, DOE spent over $25 billion in contracts in FY 2010. The 12th Annual DOE Small Business Conference& Expo is a great opportunity for small business owners, large companies and universities alike to network and partner.

unGeeked Elite
May 12 -14, 2011, Chicago

unGeeked Elite three-day Retreat’s unique format:

* No keynote speakers: unGeeked levels the playing field by presenting you with an influential list of international, national and regionally recognized consultants and authors.
* No Presenters: unGeeked is where you participate in open discussions with“discussion leaders” regarding leveraging your corporate and personal brand.
* Fewer Powerpoints or Prezi’s: Really? We don’t like them. However, if the speaker needs to use one of these tools, they are limited to only five slides.
* More speaker and attendee interaction: We’re changing what to expect from a seminar or conference.

Limited to 125 participants. Note: Anita Campbell, CEO ofSmall Business Trends,will be speaking at this event.

BizTech {Mobile Apps}
May 12, 2011, San Francisco

Discover the coolest and latest mobile apps. Connect with everyone who cares about the mobile industry and learn what’s going on in the mobile technology world today.

Additional upcoming event:
BizTech {Event Technology}- July 12, 2011

America’s Small Business Summit 2011
May 23-25, 2011, Washington, DC

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s annual event — America’s Small Business Summit — unites small business owners, managers and entrepreneurs from across the country to learn, network and discuss common legislative and management concerns. Help influence our nation’s economic and political agenda by advocating for pro-business policies through the Rally on the Hill portion of the program. Register before April 1st for early bird pricing.

The Art of Angel Investing: What Investors Look for, and Look Out for, When Investing in Startups
May 24, 2011, New York City

This event is a must-attend for anyone interested in learning more about pitching business ideas, venture capital/angel investing and starting their own business. And for those who are Fordham students or alumni, come cheer on your peers in the final round of the Fordham Business Plan Competition!

New England XPO for Business
May 25, 2011, Boston

Connect, collaborate and communicate with over 10,000 business owners and professionals from across New England at the 3rd Annual New England XPO for Business. This event is the largest and most profitable B2B networking conference in the Northeast, featuring 36+ educational seminars and over 300 exhibits packed with hundreds of business products and services.

Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers Procurement Conference
June 2, 2011, Warrensburg, MO

More than 1,200 government agencies and prime contractors have been invited to discuss their contracting opportunities with interested businesses. Exhibitors interested in showcasing their products and services at the conference’s trade show should call 573-882-8058 to reserve an exhibition booth. Registration details for businesses interested in attending the conference will be available in April.

The conference is sponsored by Missouri’s senior Sen. McCaskill, MO PTAC, the Missouri Small Business and Technology Development Centers, and the Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies and Development at the University of Central Missouri.

Internet Retailer Conference& Exhibition
June 14-17, San Diego

This year’s event theme is“E-Commerce Shifts Into Overdrive—the Race Is On” and the event is specifically designed to give e-retailers practical information they need to compete in today’s faster-paced e-commerce market. The speaker roster for the 2011 Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition represents the largest group of expert speakers ever assembled in online retailing including: Christopher Payne, VP& GM, North American Marketplaces, eBay; Arianna Huffington; Sona Chawla, President, E-Commerce, Walgreen Co. and more.

Inc. Leadership Conference
June 15-17, 2011, Dallas

The event begins June 15 with a pre-conference reception. The next morning opens on the main stage with a presentation revealing the tangible tools for creating competitive cultures before the day culminates with an awards dinner recognizing this year’s Winning Workplaces honorees— leaders recognized for having created exceptional companies. The final day of the conference will offer additional main stage presentations and more intimate sessions with opportunities for greater networking and education.

140 Characters Conference
June 15-16, 2011, New York City

This event is expected to be the largest worldwide gathering of people interested in the effects of the real-time Internet on both business and“we” the people. It seems like everyone is talking about Facebook and Twitter, but so what? Why do they really matter?

#140conf exposes you to the power the Internet has to disrupt businesses, change lives and create serendipity. You will leave with a fresh outlook on how the real-time Web can be used in your business or personal life to actually do something meaningful.

Vertical Response 2011 Take Action User Seminar Series
Multiple Cities& Dates

June 23, 2011– Chicago
September 30, 2011– Denver

The Vertical Response 2011 Take Action User Seminar is designed to educate you about email marketing in the age of social media. Complement your attendance with a one-on-one email consultation and get the chance to take what you learn and immediately put it into action! Join Smallbiztechnology.com’s Ramon Ray in New York City and get $10 off early bird registration at thislink.

2011 Creative Freelancer Conference
June 23-24, 2011, Chicago

The Creative Freelancer Conference, presented byHOWmagazine and Marketing Mentor, is the only business conference for creative solopreneurs, from designers and writers to illustrators and photographers. Whether you’re a veteran or just starting out, you’ll get the specific tools you need to launch, build and grow a successful freelance business. You’ll also get plenty of time to connect with, learn from and share solutions with your fellow freelancers.
Register by the early bird deadline of April 1 and save $30!

Veteran Entrepreneur Training Symposium
June 27-30, Reno, NV

Do you run a veteran-owned or service-disabled veteran-owned small business (VOSB/SDVOSB) and want to work with the government? Or do you want to team with a veteran-owned company but aren’t sure how? The National Veterans Small Business Coalition has created the Veteran Entrepreneur Training Symposium (VETS) to help you accomplish your small business goals.

Unlike other small business conferences, VETS connects thriving veteran business owners with emerging veteran entrepreneurs to expose the knowledge needed to acquire government contracts and teaming opportunities. While attending, also expect to network with government agencies, large companies, and potential clients and customers.

FAA Small Business Opportunities Training Conference and Trade Show
June 28-July 1, 2011, Oklahoma City, OK

The FAA will host its Annual National Small Business Procurement Opportunities Training Conference and Trade Show on June 28– July 1, 2010. The conference provides a forum for small businesses (including service-disabled and veteran-owned small businesses and 8{a} certified firms) to participate in technical and procurement opportunities workshops. Sessions will link small businesses with program managers, address business issues and concerns, and provide information that will benefit small businesses seeking to do business with the agency.

NAWBO Women’s Business Conference 2011
August 31– September 1, 2011, San Diego

The NAWBO Women’s Business Conference is the only event of its kind focused on connecting women entrepreneurs to real business opportunities that deliver bottom-line results. The conference brings together businesses of all sizes from various industries to provide women entrepreneurs with both personal and professional tools and resources to take their business to the next level of success.

Affiliate Summit East 2011
August 21-23, 2011, New York City

Affiliate Summit East 2011, the premier affiliate marketing conference, is taking place August 21-23, 2011, in New York City. This three-day conference includes an exhibit hall with affiliate merchants, vendors and networks, and multiple tracks of educational sessions covering the latest trends and information from affiliate marketing experts.

The New York Enterprise Report Small Business Awards
September 21, 2011, 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. In its 6th year, the sold-out 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 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.

The Summit for Women in Business
October 6-9, 2011, Pigeon Forge, TN

The Summit For Women in Business is providing and showing you how to implement the needed strategies and tools to remain competitive and current within today’s evolving business climate. Created by women business owners for women business owners, this Summit is designed for SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) entrepreneurs, independent and self-employed professionals.

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

If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through ourEvents& Contests Submission Form.(We do not charge a fee to be included in this listing— it is completely free to list your event.) Only events of interest to small business people, freelancers and entrepreneurs will be considered and included.

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