Small Business Summit and Expo to be held October 21 at VGCC

The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center has announced the complete lineup of presenters for the Small Business Summit and Expo, which will be held Tuesday, October 21, from 11:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., in the Civic Center on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. 

 

The Chamber of Commerce of Warren County and the Lake Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce are partnering with the college to organize the event, which has the theme, “Fueling Small Business Growth.” Other co-sponsors are Express Employment Professionals, The Daily Dispatch, The Warren Record and the Oxford Public Ledger.

 

The summit kicks off with a keynote address during lunch by Rick Burtner, President and CEO of Propel GPS. Burtner’s discussion is entitled “Entrepreneurship in our Current Decade: Allowing Companies to Start and Flourish in Rural, Suburban and Urban Areas Alike.”

 

For the rest of the afternoon, attendees can choose from among several breakout sessions being held simultaneously.

 

During Session 1, from 1:15 until 2:15 p.m., the choices are: “Strategies for Encouraging Small Business Investment: Public-Private Partnerships in North Carolina,” presented by Oxford City Manager Randy Hemann; “Business Essentials” (Taxes) with Rhonda High, customer education officer from the N.C. Department of Revenue; and “Social Media Marketing Your Business, Part 1,” presented by Melanie Diehl, owner of “Your Social Media Gal.”

 

Session 2, from 2:30 until 3:30 p.m., offers these options: “Strategies for Seeking Grant Funding through Corporate Foundations,” with presenter Tanya Evans, district manager for Duke Energy; a repeat of the presentation on taxes by Rhonda High; and “Low-Cost Marketing Ideas” with Alyssa Mako, assistant director of The Women’s Business Center of North Carolina.

 

During the third and final session (3:45 until 4:45 p.m.), Tanya Evans will repeat the session on “Strategies for Seeking Grant Funding Through Corporate Foundations,” Melanie Diehl will present “Social Media Marketing Your Business, Part 2,” and Pat Olmert of Watkins Insurance Agency will discuss “Health Insurance for Small Businesses.”

 

Between breakout sessions, attendees can browse through booths set up by representatives of various resources for small businesses. These include the Small Business Administration, the Chamber of Commerce of Warren County, the Lake Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center, Propel GPS, LLC, NC Rural Economic Development Center, the VGCC Small Business Center, The Support Center, Express Employment Professionals, the City of Oxford, Your Social Media Gal, North Carolina Department of Revenue, North Carolina Department of Commerce – Division of Workforce Solutions, NC REAL, the North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development, and The Women’s Business Center.

 

The purpose of the Small Business Summit and Expo is to engage, empower and enrich participants to help make their small businesses more successful. The event is intended for small business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs and non-profit visionaries.

 

The registration fee is $10, which will include a box lunch and the opportunity to win numerous door prizes. The deadline to register is Oct. 15.

 

For more information, call VGCC Small Business Center Director Tanya Weary at (252) 738-3240 or e-mail her at smallbusiness@vgcc.edu .     

 

You can register online at https://www.ncsbc.net/reg.aspx?mode=event&event=530340044