General Business Track – Emerald A&B

Strategies for Starting & Growing your Business: Only Doing the Right Things First!

10:30 AM Matt Westfield and Rod Hosilyk – Startup Growth Strategies

This will be a fun 1-hour "Crash course Version" of its highly acclaimed 4-day workshop which has over 140 graduates. In this fast-paced program we’ll delve into what it takes to start a business, the market viability of your idea for a product or service, and what to do first to garner immediate results (without a lot of money!). Attendees will leave with proven business strategies that they can implement immediately, presented by guys who’ve done it multiple times in various industries.

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Writing a "Winning" Business Plan

11:30 AM Gary Valiere – SCORE

How to write a "winning business plan", the strategy involved in its preparation and the use of the plan internally (for management) and externally (for marketing and financing)

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Product Development & Intellectual Property — Why They Matter

1:30 PM Tim Casey and Jacquelyn Fuzell – SilverSky Group / and Trisha Ruby – Synergy Technology

Strong product development provides engineering support from concept, through system configuration, product specification, detailed component design, design validation, documentation, vendor interaction, procurement, quality control, and manufacturing implementation. Synergy Technology has this vital know-how to share. SilverSky Group will also participate in this session and include what you then need to know about the appropriate types of intellectual property that will then help you to protect your products and technology.

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Top 10 Legal Pitfalls for Start-Up Companies

2:30 PM Fritz Battcher – Holland & Hart LLP

All companies face legal challenges and issues. Entrepreneurs with a small company, or those thinking about starting a company, face many obstacles and decision points. I will discuss legal issues that are important for start-up companies to consider and address, and hopefully, avoid pitfalls that may prove costly in the future. This will be an interactive presentation with Q & A encouraged

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Selling Into Local and Federal Government Markets

3:30 PM Kathy Agee-Dow – Nevada Commission on Economic Development (NCED) / Procurement Opportunity Program

Looking to expand your customer base into local and federal government markets? Last fiscal year, the federal government purchased over $500 billion in goods and services; $98 billion was spent with small businesses. Find out which strategies for selling to local and federal government agencies just might work for your small business.

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Marketing Track – Emerald C&D

Emotional Traits and Values To Maximize Your Entrepreneurial Success!

10:30 AM Shandel Slaten – True Life Coaching

Other Expo speakers will talk about the practical business tools and skills necessary for success. Shandel will help you identify the traits, tendencies and personal values essential to launch and grow your small business. She will also teach you to diagnose the traits that could hinder your success!

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Succeeding In Today’s Economy

11:30 AM Liz Christoffersen – Empower Consulting Group

You will learn how three local companies are succeeding in this down economy, using a combination of low budget, new and old marketing tools, business development, planning and staffing techniques. The owners of Jimmy Beans Wool, the Clean Energy Center and Human Resource Connection will demonstrate how the right product (or service), at the right price, in the right place (distribution), with the right promotion — the 4P’s — still works today.

                 Panelists to be announced

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The 11 Essentials to Marketing Your Business Online

1:30 PM Kelly Smith – Local Web Traffic Solutions

Everyone knows they need to market their business online, but few have succeeded. With all the internet scams, sales promises to "get your business on the 1st page of Google" and constant changes in Google, many people are clueless about to how to get their business found online. With a Master’s Degree in Internet Marketing, Kelly Smith of Local Web Traffic Solutions will show you what you can do right now to help your business get found and properly market your business online.

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The Art of Social Media: What’s trending in social media today?

2:30 PM Lindsay Alford and Vanessa Vancour – Noble Studios

Learn how to visually brand your social sites and how to begin developing your social media strategy. Learn about free analytics tools and what’s new in social media today.

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How to Build Your Brand, Drive Sales and Exhibit Expertise through Public Relations

3:30 PM Abbi Whittaker – Abbi PR

How can you get your product into magazines like INC, Forbes and Entrepreneur without paying $70,000 for an advertisement? Learn how to position yourself and your product as an industry leader and how to grow your market and mind share through target public relations. Learn the secrets behind a successful product launch and an ongoing long term media relations campaign.