Women’s Business and Leadership Conference – Will You Be There?

“Get up close and personal with some of Oklahoma’s most savvy, accomplished and successful business leaders for full day of discovery, engagement and fun in a learning module format.”

Sound like fun? Of course it does! Deborah Shane, a Small Business Trends expert, and a speaker, author and owner of Train with Shane, will be bringing her Women’s Empowerment Series to Oklahoma later this month.

This interactive conference for professional women will be all about brand power — how to polish your brand and perfect your pitch.  Some of the takeaways will be:

• Discover, strengthen and share your voice
• Develop your leadership style
• Identify the 21st century business skills you need to succeed
• Define your X, It, Wow persona through branding and social media
• Blending and leveraging online and in-person networking activities
  Get more buzz, bang & PR

What:  Oklahoma Women’s Business and Leadership Conference

When: October 29, 2011, 8:30 am to 5:30 pm

Where: Hillsdale College Barber Business Center

How: Registration is easy! (Early Registration: September 12, 2011 – October 16, 2011)

Bonus: A complimentary gift bag full of services and items valued at over $1000 along with lunch and beverage service.

More information at Pitch Engine.

Be sure to join these savvy ladies for the Women’s Business and Leadership Conference. You’re sure to learn more than a thing or two all while enjoying their company and having a great time learning and networking with like-minded individuals.

Small Business Trends and BizSugar are media partners.  Attendees will get a premium gift bag (it’s a BizSugar bag!).

About the Author

Anita Campbell is the Founder of Small Business Trends which has been following trends in small businesses since 2003. She is host of the weekly Small Business Trends Radio Show, with over 400 interviews logged; and owner of BizSugar, a social media site for small businesses.

Connect with Anita Campbell:

 

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Small Business Leadership Primer

Small business leadership can be a tricky endeavor. There is much more involved than simply performing the various tasks involved in running your business day to day. A leader must also set the tone and direction of the business and then encourage others to do their best. Never make the mistake of believing that you must have a large team to be a leader. Even small teams need someone to point the way.

Leadership Basics

7 Ways to lead. Leading and empowering have not always been used synonymously, but perhaps they should be. The reality is that these are complimentary ideas, and leadership is best when it seeks to empower those in the team to do their best as well. How can we lead in a way that empowers others to do the best they can? This post looks at leadership in your small business and how you can bring out the best in your team. SBA Community

Lead your own way. The uncertain economic times encourage adherence to the old philosophy of “playing it safe”. However, if you truly want to be innovative and stay ahead of the crowd, this article encourages you to look at 10 common practices for tough economic times and see the advantages to ignoring them. Certainly this approach merits examination. Inc.com

Tips & Trends

Getting your business beyond the competition. It’s something every business must deal with. Other businesses in your market fighting for your customers and clients. How do you win out and yet avoid the pitfalls that a small business and especially a startup are prone to? Here are some suggestions that will push your startup out in front of the pack. get busy media

Corporate America lends a hand to small business. Corporate America offers various programs and helps to support small businesses and entrepreneurs. Some are worthwhile. Some are not very helpful. EBay, IBM, Intuit, and RatePoint are four who offer the entrepreneur very different types of help, but with the same goal. They give the small business owner more time to work on what’s important to them. Huff Post Small Business

Tech & Innovation

Why small bussinesses (sometimes) aren’t innovative. While it is true that most jobs are created by small businesses, it is wrong to think that all small businesses are similar. Not all are cutting edge operations lead by innovators or entrepreneurs who have a great new idea they want to develop and market.  While all small businesses are invariably lumped together, they are not all the same. Slate

Is your small business investing in tech? Maybe you may want to start. A lot of your competitors may be dedicating resources to technology investments and perhaps with good reason. What about your business? What kind of technology would help your company run more smoothly? Is now the time to invest and where should your business investment in technology get started. WSJ

Client Relations

Is social media advertising a good idea? With so many people using Facebook and many other giant social networking sites out there, certainly the possibility (even probability) of reaching potential customers through those networks has increased. So what do you think? Is social media advertising good for small businesses or could it be a big waste of time and money? WSJ

How to say “no.” There are times you may need to turn down a client or customer, but saying no can be harder than it sounds especially if you have gotten in the habit, like many small business owners, of saying yes to more work. Be prepared with a response that is professional but to the point. The Work At Home Woman

Management & Operations

How to run your business from…anywhere? One of the greatest perks of leading a small business can be not having to be chained to the office anymore…even if that office is in your living room. How do you go about running your business remotely? It’s probably both easier and more challenging than you think. Here’s how to get started. Youngentrepreneur

How to get results. Obviously the best leadership should produce the best results, but how exactly is this put to the test? How can we measure leadership and the benefits it brings? How can we introduce the idea of accountability and results as a way to improve the efforts we make to create a more successful business daily? Partners in Excellence

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Small Business Leadership Today

Leadership can be a key quality in small business operation. Unlike the corporate world, there may be no policy to follow but your own, no sure path to success but the one you create. Have you cultivated the skills of small business leadership? Read on to learn more.

Marketing

6 ways your small business can steal customers from big brands. When you have a small business and have to compete with one or more large businesses, it is easy to be intimidated. You must emphasize the advantages your small business has over your larger competition. Suggestions are given on how to compete and take business away from large companies. Small Business Trends

The Farmers’ Market: a small business boon? In the small business world, creating and nurturing one on one relationships with your customers can be a difficult but highly profitable and satisfying experience. Your local farmers’ market is an excellent example. Your customers come to you. They get to know you and your products.  People who get to spend more time with you are far more likely to buy from someone they have come to know and like. The Boston Globe

Finance

Four ways starting a 401(k) can help your small business. Starting a 401(k) can be a good benefit to you, your small business, and your employees. It is one of the best benefits you can offer because its ratio of financial gain to cost is great. It also has an additional benefit in helping to attract great employees who will stay with your company. This also lowers your costs by reducing monies spent on training new employees. Forbes

Security

Free internet security for small businesses. Until recently, most free Internet security programs have been only available for home or personal use. Today however, there are several firms beginning to offer free Internet security to small businesses. A few of the about 15 systems are discussed. PC World Business Center

Management

Do you lead with intellect or emotion? There are two types of leaders–those who don’t get emotional but can dispassionately remove themselves from the situation or problem and those who get emotional and take the “sleeves-rolled-up” approach. All leaders have characteristics of the two types, but one type is dominant. The successful leader knows how to use each style  and when. Inc.com

How to tell the boss you’re too busy. Some small business owners and some of their workers are too busy to know that they’re too busy. When you finally figure it out, you should be able to explain this to your boss. Approach the matter constructively and do not become argumentative. Ask your boss for help in prioritizing your responsibilities. There are five points listed to help you prepare. eHow Money

Planning

Business planning as a management tool. While many business owners might argue they’re really not important and others that they are the least interesting part of entrepreneurship, the fact is that, if for no other reason, the business plan is important as a management tool. How will you set measurable results for your business? Bplans

Customer suggestions can help you build your business. If you want to increase sales and build your business, there is probably no better way to get started than to ask your customers. Customer suggestions can be a great way of learning what your customers expect from you and giving them more of it. Angel Business Advisors

Resources

Tips for business funding. One of the most important aspects of running a successful business can be finding the funding to start and operate one before you are turning a profit. Here are some tips on how to go about getting the money you need. Open Forum

New Twitter tool for small business. If you own and operate a business, you already know the value of Twitter, but a new Twitter Web analytics tool may make the micro blogging platform even more beneficial for small business owners. Want to know more about what this tool is and how it works? Follow the link above. E-Marketing Associates

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