Upcoming Small Business Events in Ohio
Below is a list of upcoming events in Ohio, courtesy of Alex Kohls of the SBA. For more information or to register, please use the links below. Thank you.
July 10, 2017 – ACENet and SPICE will be hosting Social Media Marketing in New Straitsville. This FREE workshop will educate attendees on how to use Twitter and Instagram basics for business marketing. To register, please call 740-394-2200 or email spiceohio.map@gmail.com.
July 11, 2017 – The Minority Business Assistance Center (MBAC) and Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) will be hosting Do Your Homework: Market Research in Cincinnati. This FREE event will discuss a variety of topics including the difference between registration and certification, agency forecasts, knowing competition, and more! To register, please visit here.
July 11, 2017 – The Women’s Business Center at ECDI will be hosting Marketing Boot Camp in Columbus. This multiple session, hands-on marketing course is perfect for business owners looking to learn the basics of marketing or who are looking for creative marketing ideas on a limited budget. Classes will be four consecutive Tuesdays from July 11 – August 1. To learn more and to register, please visit here.
July 11, 2017 – Cultivate will be hosting Click Sand – How The Snake Oil Pitchmen of Online Marketing Suck You In and Ruin Your Business in Grove City. This FREE workshop will discuss the five ways that online marketing can damage a business, the marketing model that online marketers never talk about, and more! To register, please visit here.
July 11, 2017 – FASTLANE will be hosting Attract Millennials to Strengthen Your Business in Dayton. As part of the Women in Manufacturing Breakfast Series, this workshop provide a greater understanding of this generation and how they see the world. To register, please visit here.
July 11, 2017 – Porter Wright will be hosting Data Breach for Health Care Providers in Columbus. This seminar will cover a variety of topics including technology trends in healthcare, healthcare providers’ duty to protect patients’ data, the importance of due diligence, completing a risk assessment, and more! To register, please visit here.
July 12, 2017 – Dayton SCORE, the SBDC at The Entrepreneurs Center, and the SBA will be hosting Elements of Business: Marketing in Dayton. This FREE session will discuss the methods and venues to market a small business available in today’s environment. To register, please visit here.
July 12, 2017 – Columbus SCORE will be hosting How Creating a Retirement Plan Can Help Your Business Succeed in Columbus. This workshop will cover a variety of topics including the tax advantages, differences in programs (SEP, SIMPLE, 401k, UNI-K, etc.) and what makes the best sense for a business, and more! To register, please visit here.
July 12, 2017 – Cincinnati SCORE and FranNet will be hosting Business Ownership Exploration Series: Starting the Search for a Business in Cincinnati. This workshop will provide attendees a look at franchise ownership, misconceptions about franchising, building equity as a strategy, and how to find the right franchise. To register, please visit here.
July 13, 2017 – The Women’s Business Center at ECDI will be hosting DreamBuilder In-Person Series – Planning Your Dream in Columbus. This session will educate attendees about the different components of a business plan, and some of the different purposes a business plan can serve. For more information and to register, please visit here.
July 13, 2017 – The Dayton Minority Business Assistance Center (MBAC) will be hosting Business Orientation in Dayton. This FREE workshop will provide an overview of business management and assistance services, financial and bonding resources, and regional contracting opportunities. For more information and to register, please call 937-333-1030.
July 13, 2017 – ORV~WBC will be hosting Financial Strategies to Save You Money in Cincinnati. This workshop will discuss the Work Opportunity Tax Credit which allows a tax credit of up to 40% of the first $6,000 in earnings for every qualified employee. To register, please visit here.
July 14, 2017 – Columbus SCORE will be hosting Know Your Highest Goal: What You Want to Offer the World Through Your Business in Westerville. This workshop will educate attendees on the importance of defining the highest goal in order to attract better clients, hire great employees, promote an outstanding company culture, and more! To register, please visit here.
July 14, 2017 – The SBDC in Springfield will be hosting Put Your Website to Work: How to Optimize Your Website for Massive Engagement & Conversion in Springfield. This FREE workshop will educate attendees on how to analyze a website’s performance, how to maximize online product sales, how to rank high with search engines, and more! To register, please visit here.
July 15, 2017 – The Women’s Business Center at ECDI will be hosting Certification 101 in Columbus. This FREE session will discuss various certification programs (MBE, EDGE, WBE, DBE, and LEDE), the certification process, and what documents to submit with your application. To register, please visit here.
July 18, 2017 – The SBDC at Ohio University will be hosting Basis of a Successful Start (BOSS) in Athens. This FREE workshop will educate attendees on the types of ownership, licensing, tax requirements, sources of financing, identifying your customer, and how to market your product or service. To register, please call 740-597-1460 or email sbdc@ohio.edu.
July 18-20, 2017 – DaytonDefense will be hosting the 12th Annual Wright Dialogue with Industry in Dayton. This premier event will offer educational briefings from AFRL Tech Directorates, AFRL Contracting, AFRL Small Business, and NASA, as well as interactive displays for Creating Agility and Speed for Advanced Multi-Domain Operation. To learn more and to register, please visit here.
July 19, 2017 – The Greater Cincinnati Chinese Chamber of Commerce will be hosting Negotiating Skills – China vs. USA in Cincinnati. As part of the Business Networking Breakfast series, this event will discuss the negotiating skills in each country and how to succeed in both. To register, please visit here.
July 20, 2017 – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will be hosting the SBIR Road Tour in Cleveland. This event will feature individual program managers from 12 participating agencies representing $2.5 billion in early stage funding. For more information and to register, please visit here.
July 20, 2017 – The Innovation Center at Ohio University will be hosting Potential Pitfalls in Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights in Athens. As part of their monthly Lunch and Learn Series, this FREE seminar will discuss protecting an idea and how to avoid negatively impacting it in the future. To register, please email twyman@ohio.edu.
July 20, 2017 – The Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce will be hosting Cybersecurity: Protecting Your Business and Personal Information in Yellow Springs. This workshop will educate attendees on the biggest cybersecurity threats to business, how they impact business, and the proactive measures to limit the threat. To register, please visit here.
July 20, 2017 – Columbus SCORE will be hosting Making Your Customers Raving Fans – A Step by Step Guide in Grove City. This workshop will educate attendees on how to implement a 6 step process for developing a strategic relationship with customers. To register, please visit here.
July 20, 2017 – The Dayton Minority Business Assistance Center (MBAC) will be hosting Business Orientation in Dayton. This FREE workshop will provide an overview of business management and assistance services, financial and bonding resources, and regional contracting opportunities. For more information and to register, please call 937-333-1030.
July 21, 2017 – The Dayton Region Israel Trade Alliance will be hosting Exporting to Israel in Dayton. This FREE workshop will feature speakers from the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce and is designed for businesses who want to learn more about exporting goods and products to Israel. To register, please visit here.
July 22, 2017 – Cincinnati SCORE will be hosting Small Business Accounting: Remove the Mystery in Cincinnati. This workshop will cover a variety of topics including reports, balance sheets, budgets, business plan financials, accounting software, bookkeeping tools, and more! To register, please visit here.
July 25, 2017 – FranNet MidAmerica will be hosting Funding Your Business Start-Up, Business Purchase or Franchise in Cincinnati. This FREE session will educate attendees on tax deferred and penalty free financing using an IRA or 401(k) account, getting pre-qualified, SBA lending, conventional lending, funding business expansion, and more! To register, please visit here.
July 25, 2017 – The SBDC at Ohio University will be hosting Basis of a Successful Start (BOSS) in Pomeroy. This FREE workshop will educate attendees on the types of ownership, licensing, tax requirements, sources of financing, identifying your customer, and how to market your product or service. To register, please call 740-597-1460 or email sbdc@ohio.edu.
July 25-26, 2017 – The SBDC at Ohio University will be hosting Accounting 101 – Sessions 1&2 in Athens. This FREE seminar will provide the fundamental basics of understanding business accounting structures and reading and understanding business financial statements. To register, please visit here.
July 26, 2017 – ORV~WBC will be hosting How to Make Your Customer Communications & Advertising Relevant and Impactful in Dayton. This workshop will discuss the importance of personalized marketing and various approaches that can be taken to make data work for a business. To register, please visit here.
July 27, 2017 – Batelle, the SBA, and the Ohio Development Services Agency will be hosting the HUBZone Small Business Summit in Columbus. This FREE session is a one-day education and networking summit for those small business contractors and large business primes interested in selling to the federal government. To learn more and to register, please visit here.
July 27, 2017 – FASTLANE will be hosting Leverage Google to Boost Business and Recruit New Talent in Dayton. As part of the FAST Talk Series, this workshop will discuss the power of branding, video, website, SEO, and online advertising options for manufacturers. To register, please visit here.
July 27, 2017 – Columbus SCORE will be hosting What Owning a Business Could Mean to You: Franchising 101 in Columbus. This workshop will educate attendees on the pros and cons of starting a business, misconceptions about franchises, building equity as a strategy, and more! To register, please visit here.
July 27, 2017 – The Dayton Business Journal will be hosting Improv for Business in Dayton. This unique workshop will educate attendees to recognize deficiencies in listening, identify how the brain works against listening, and implement new approaches to achieve more complete comprehension. To register, please visit here.
July 27, 2017 – Columbus SCORE and the SBA will be hosting Designing a Marketing Plan for Growth in Columbus. As part of the Elements of Business series, this FREE workshop will discuss marketing resources, managing a marketing plan, importance of measuring success, and more! To register, please visit here.
July 27, 2017 – The Dayton Minority Business Assistance Center (MBAC) will be hosting Business Orientation in Dayton. This FREE workshop will provide an overview of business management and assistance services, financial and bonding resources, and regional contracting opportunities. For more information and to register, please call 937-333-1030.
July 27 & August 3, 2017 – The SBDC at Ohio University will be hosting Profit Mastery in St. Clairsville. This FREE two-day class will provide attendees with proven business profitability strategies and business consulting services to support and grow a company’s financial and operational strength. To register, please call 740-597-1460 or email sbdc@ohio.edu.
July 28, 2017 – The SDBC at the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati will be hosting Credit Report/Credit Score in Cincinnati. This FREE session is designed to help attendees better understand credit reports, how to improve credit scores, and discover techniques to build business credit leverage for growth and sustainability of a small business. To register, please visit here.
July 28, 2017 – Columbus SCORE will be hosting Increasing Leads Through Digital Marketing in Columbus. This FREE session will educate attendees on how to leverage digital content across social media and other platforms, elements of a successful lead gen program, and tips for creating an editorial calendar. To register, please visit here.
July 28, 2017 – The SBDC at Warrant County will be hosting BizDev II: Small Business Intro to Guerilla Marketing in Lebanon. This FREE workshop will educate attendees on cost effective marketing strategies to grow a brand, increase sales & profits using social media, steps to implement mobile connectivity, and more! To register, please visit here.
July 29, 2017 – Cincinnati SCORE will be hosting Small Business Dream to Reality – Create the Plan in Cincinnati. This session serves as a guide to the small business startup in explaining the fundamentals of the business plan with emphasis on the marketing, sales, and finance sections. To register, please visit here.
July 31, 2017 – The SBA will be hosting a Small Business Mini Expo in Marietta. This FREE session will educate attendees on the various programs and services available to help small businesses succeed, such as Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), SCORE, Women Business Centers, and more! To register, please visit here.
July 31, 2017 – The SBA will be hosting a Small Business Mini Expo in Cambridge. This FREE session will educate attendees on the various programs and services available to help small businesses succeed, such as Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), SCORE, Women Business Centers, and more! To register, please visit here.
August 1, 2017 – The SBDC in Springfield will be hosting Thought Leader: How to Create Content That Positions You as an Expert in Springfield. This FREE workshop will explore the emerging field of content marketing and how to leverage expertise to increase profits. To register, please visit here.
August 2-3, 2017 – The City of Columbus will be hosting the Ohio Municipalities Conference 2017 in Columbus. This two-day event will provide tangible tips, resources and business opportunities to start-ups, entrepreneurs, and small business owners across the state. To learn more and to register, please visit here.
August 3, 2017 – The Dayton Minority Business Assistance Center (MBAC) will be hosting Business Orientation in Dayton. This FREE workshop will provide an overview of business management and assistance services, financial and bonding resources, and regional contracting opportunities. For more information and to register, please call 937-333-1030.
August 4, 2017 – The Greater Cincinnati Chinese Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the 2017 Asian Small Business Summit in Cincinnati. This event will provide attendees an opportunity to network with Asian businesses, learn how to grow their business, and get connected to helpful resources and opportunities. To register, please visit here.
August 5, 2017 – Cincinnati SCORE will be hosting Business Start Up Basics in Sharonville. This FREE workshop will educate attendees on how to do market research to assess the feasibility of an idea, how to develop a marketing plan, and how to identify sources of funding. To register, please visit here.
August 8, 2017 – The SBDC at Ohio University and the SBA will be hosting Elements of Business: E-presence Setup and Management and Cyber Security in Zanesville. This FREE session will discuss the method to set up and manage social media marketing, as well as the responsibility inherent in using social media. To register, please call 740-597-1460 or email sbdc@ohio.edu.
August 9, 2017 – Dayton SCORE, the SBDC at The Entrepreneurs Center, and the SBA will be hosting Elements of Business: E-presence Setup and Management and Cyber Security in Dayton. This FREE session will discuss the method to set up and manage social media marketing, as well as the responsibility inherent in using social media. To register, please visit here.
August 10, 2017 – The Ohio Development Services Agency, Ohio State, and Youngstown State will be hosting the 2017 Ohio Export Internship Program Showcase in Columbus. This event will highlight the accomplishments of the OEIP Class of 2017 and demonstrate the positive impact of partnerships between the State of Ohio, its universities, and private industry. Registration information will be forthcoming.
August 10, 2017 – The Dayton Minority Business Assistance Center (MBAC) will be hosting Business Orientation in Dayton. This FREE workshop will provide an overview of business management and assistance services, financial and bonding resources, and regional contracting opportunities. For more information and to register, please call 937-333-1030.
August 10, 2017 – Columbus SCORE, ECDI, the SBA, and the Women’s Small Business Accelerator will be hosting Customer Service vs. Customer Satisfaction in Westerville. This workshop will feature a panel of successful business owners that will discuss how to deliver five-star customer service for a five-star return in customer satisfaction. To register, please visit here.
August 11, 2017 – The SBDC at Columbus State will be hosting Successful Selling for the Small Business Owner in Dublin. This FREE workshop will educate attendees on various techniques and approaches to increase the sales of their business. To register, please visit here.
August 14, 2017 – FASTLANE will be hosting Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Training in Dayton. This course will provide attendees with a the tools to solve problems and streamline a business, as well as a full Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification. To register, please visit here.
August 15, 2017 – The SBDC at Kent State-Tuscarawas will be hosting Transitioning to ISO 9001:2015 in New Philadelphia. This FREE seminar will provide an overview of the changes required for a successful transition to ISO 9001:2015. To register, please visit here.
August 15, 2017 – The Minority Business Assistance Center (MBAC) and Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) will be hosting Understanding the Estimating Process: Submitting Your Bid in Cincinnati. This FREE event will discuss a variety of topics including things to consider when bidding a project, estimating process flow steps, and calculating project cost. To register, please visit here.
August 17, 2017 – The Dayton Minority Business Assistance Center (MBAC) will be hosting Business Orientation in Dayton. This FREE workshop will provide an overview of business management and assistance services, financial and bonding resources, and regional contracting opportunities. For more information and to register, please call 937-333-1030.
August 17, 2017 – SODEC will be hosting Why a Balanced World Trade Regulation is Imperative for the Well Being of All in Cincinnati. This FREE seminar will discuss world trade flows, current trends in WTO and FTA negotiations, and protectionist trade measures. Registration information will be forthcoming.
August 19, 2017 – Cincinnati SCORE will be hosting Business Start Up Basics in Harrison. This FREE workshop will educate attendees on how to do market research to assess the feasibility of an idea, how to develop a marketing plan, and how to identify sources of funding. To register, please visit here.
August 24, 2017 – The Dayton Minority Business Assistance Center (MBAC) will be hosting Business Orientation in Dayton. This FREE workshop will provide an overview of business management and assistance services, financial and bonding resources, and regional contracting opportunities. For more information and to register, please call 937-333-1030.
August 24, 2017 – The Northern Kentucky International Trade Association (NKITA) will be hosting Doing Business with Europe Regional Symposium in Newport, KY. This seminar will discuss what it is like to operate a European company in the US, as well as the challenges, rewards, and surprises of Doing Business in Europe. To register, please visit here.
August 24-25, 2017 – The Xavier Center for Artificial Intelligence will be hosting the AI Summit 2017 in Cincinnati. This conference will cover a variety of topics including current AI innovation in pharma and device, FDA perspective and strategic priorities for AI use, solution development, implementing AI innovation, and more! To register, please visit here.
August 30, 2017 – The SBDC in Springfield will be hosting Pass the Torch: A Small Business Owner’s Guide to Succession Planning in Springfield. This FREE workshop will guide attendees through a simple, step-by-step process to transition the day-to-day responsibilities to the person who will eventually take over for you. To register, please visit here.
Ohio EPA Resource Guide for Businesses and Communities
Ohio EPA’s Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance (DEFA) provides several compliance, technical and financial assistance programs available to help Ohio communities and businesses with their environmental needs. These services and relevant contact information are summarized in their “Resource Guide” which is available to view and download at:
http://epa.ohio.gov/Portals/29/documents/ocs/ResourceGuide.pdf
For questions about the guide, please contact Pejmaan Fallah at Pejmaan.Fallah@epa.ohio.gov or (614) 644-3666.
International Market Access Grant for Exporters (IMAGE)
The Ohio IMAGE Grant, funded by the State of Ohio and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), is designed to increase exports and create jobs. The IMAGE grant offers financial assistance for small businesses to promote their products and services in international markets. The grant will provide a 50% reimbursement up to $10,000 per fiscal year for qualifying activities. For more information, please visit https://development.ohio.gov/bs/bs_image.htm.
Dayton Better Business Bureau and Women in Business Networking Programs
The BBB and WiBN host Hot Topics Koffee Talks in various locations in the region. All Koffee Talks are from 8:00am-9:30am. Below is the on-going schedule:
1st Friday – Springboro and Preble County
2nd Friday – Centerville and Springfield
3rd Friday – North Dayton and West Chester
4th Friday – Beavercreek and Oakwood
For information on speakers and how to register, please visit http://www.bbb.org/dayton/events-/.
USDA Rural Development Business & Cooperative Programs
Rural Development is pleased to announce important changes to the Business & Industry (B&I) Loan Guarantee Program. These changes will better serve rural communities by helping lenders provide loans to businesses and helping to increase employment opportunities for rural residents. These changes include but are not limited to:
- Removal of the U.S. Citizenship requirement for companies wanting to use the B&I loan guarantee to increase employment in rural areas. The applicant company will need to demonstrate the loan funds will remain in the United States and will be invested in the rural community to create and retain employment opportunities.
- Owner subordinated debt may be included as equity provided the debt was established in exchange for cash and the debt remains in the company for the life of the guaranteed loan. This change can help applicants meet the minimum tangible balance sheet equity requirements of the program. Minimum tangible balance sheet equity for an existing business is 10% while a startup business is 20%. All financial statements must be prepared according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
- New Market Tax Credit projects are now be eligible for assistance through the B&I program. Subordinated debt made by the Community Development Entity can be considered as equity into a project. This is another means of helping the business meet the minimum tangible balance sheet equity requirements.
- The guarantee fee can be reduced to 1% of the guaranteed portion for businesses that support value added agriculture; promotes access to healthy foods; or is a high impact business development investment.
- Loan guarantees can for agricultural production can be 50% or $5MM, whichever is less, of vertically integrated businesses. This is a substantial increase from the previous agricultural production maximum amount of $1,000,000.
Should you have any questions regarding these changes or if you would like additional information on the B&I Loan Guarantee Program, please contact one the Business Programs Staff listed below. We are willing to provide training or outreach on these new regulations should that be necessary to effectively implement this program within your organization.
Christie Hooks Christie.Hooks@oh.usda.gov 614-255-2397
Cindy Musshel Cindy.Musshel@oh.usda.gov 614-255-2427
Debbie Rausch Deborah.Rausch@oh.usda.gov 614-255-2425
Jennifer Brown Jennifer.Brown@oh.usda.gov 614-255-2423
Randy Monhemius Randy.Monhemius@oh.usda.gov 614-255-2424
SBA webinars and events – For an updated list of SBA webinars and events for Ohio, please visit here. Topics include healthcare, contracting, financing, and more.
Small Business Seminars – The Ohio Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) offer many seminars and workshops to small businesses throughout Ohio. Topics include certifications, mentoring, social media, business strategy, finance, and more! To learn more about these events, please visit here.
Upcoming International Trade Missions and Webinars – The Ohio Development Services Agency and the U.S. Department of Commerce provide numerous opportunities to companies interested in participating in international trade missions. To see a list of upcoming missions through the State of Ohio, please visit here. To see a list of upcoming trade missions through Commerce, please visit here and for upcoming webinars, please visit here.
Alexander Kohls
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
Dayton Senior Area Manager
District International Trade Officer
200 West 2nd Street
Office 400
Dayton, OH 45402
614-633-6372