7th Annual Women's Business Conference - 04/29/10, Eau Claire WI

SEVENTH ANNUAL WOME;S BUSINESS CONFERENCE TO BE HELD APRIL 29

Featuring 70 Exhibitors, 16 Educational Sessions, Keynote Address, Networking Opportunities

The Seventh Annual Wome-s Business Conference, presented by the Western Dairyland Wome-s Business Center, will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 29th at the Plaza Hotel & Suites in Eau Claire.

The conference brings together hundreds of business owners, aspiring business owners and entrepreneurs from throughout Western Wisconsin for a full day of learning and networking opportunities. This yea's conference features more than 70 regional exhibitors and 16 educational sessions on business basics, advanced business topics, and current trends in business. One-on-one business counseling will be available throughout the day.

Sherri Yukel, owner of Big Dot of Happiness, will present the morning keynote address'Big Dreams with Spunkitudinality'  A decade ago, Yukel was a stay-at-home mom who wanted a hobby, so she started making handcrafted gifts to celebrate babies. By herself, she developed a website to sell the baby gifts and her company started to grow very quickly. Her husband was amazed at the growth of the company, and together they built Big Dot of Happiness into the business it is today, with 40 employees in a 20,000 square foot building in Menomonie.

State Representative Kristen Dexter will present the afternoon keynote address'Women and Wisconsi's Green Economy' From developing new products to adopting sustainable business practices and identifying alternative fuel sources, being'gree' is more than just a trendy topic for today's business owners and entrepreneurs.

According to Representative Dexter, green jobs and the new economy can help make economic security a reality for generations of women. She will discuss Wisconsin's new green economy by providing an overview of current initiatives with the state legislature and their potential ramifications for business women and entrepreneurs.

Conference participants will attend four educational sessions throughout the day and may choose from the following topics:

• Planned, Purposeful & Productive Networking  - Meeting the potential clients, colleagues and advisors who will propel your business forward is no accident. In this interactive workshop, you will learn and practice skills that will allow you to plan ahead and purposefully place yourself in situations where business can follow.
• Record Keeping 101 - This session will help guide you in the right direction for your company bookkeeping.  Information will be presented on setting up a record keeping system that will help you not only during tax season, but also year-round when making business decisions.
• 10 Steps to Maximizing the Power of Your Brand - Whether you're attempting to create a powerful brand for a business, a product, or yourself, some important rules apply. This session will provide a step-by-step process for building a strong brand and will bust some common myths and misperceptions along the way.
• Panel Discussion: Take the Leap! - Ready to launch your small business but not sure how to take that first step? Learn from local business consulting and development experts on how to put your best foot forward while avoiding common pitfalls. The majority of this session will be attendee-driven Q&A.
• Beyond Sales Effectiveness: Creating Sales-Winning Relationships - Strong interpersonal communication skills are a proven factor in creating long-term customer relations. Attendees will leave the session with distinctive tools and resources to build dynamic customer relations”the key to successful sales.
• New Concepts in Business Exit Strategies - Leaving a thriving business can be more difficult than starting one.  Learn what you can do today to prepare for the future, including a seven step process to successful succession and exit planning - for you and your business.
• Mixing a New Media Cocktail - Learn some amazingly practical and engaging ways to mix new media (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter) with traditional media (print ads, press kits, and mailings) to effectively promote just about anything in a market like the Chippewa Valley.
• Panel Discussion: Growing Business Success Stories - Ready to grow your business, but not sure how to take the next step? Learn how several local businesses overcame adversity and grew to achieve success and recognition locally and beyond.
• Balancing Work, Home and Family - Whether you work in your home, from your home or outside your home, you'll encounter additional obstacles when pursuing a healthy balance between work, home and family.  Hear from three local business women and learn tips on how to successfully manage this delicate relationship between professional and personal life.
• Business Mailing & Shipping - If you have a database of customers you would like to contact, are interested in identifying a targeted list of potential customers, or just need to know the best ways to ship products, this session will provide you with the expertise you need for all of your business mailing and shipping goals.
• Surviving an Economic Downturn - Meet with business finance and accounting experts in this panel discussion.  Learn how you can begin to develop a strategy that will ultimately position your business to survive or even thrive in an economic downturn.
• Panel Discussion: Buy Local Initiatives - Meet with area business owners who have made the concept of buying local a priority in their own businesses. Learn why buying local makes sense for the sustainability of your business and also for your entire community.
• Child Care Industry Roundtable - Although an accessible and rewarding option for many women interested in pursuing self-employment, child care is a highly regulated industry.  Meet with child care certification experts and area child care professionals to discuss the process of becoming certified or licensed and the benefits this yields.
• Food Industry Roundtable - Appropriately so, few industries are as heavily regulated as the food industry. Whether you are canning jam or opening a restaurant, you will benefit from this roundtable discussion.
• Arts & Crafts Industry Roundtable - You may be an artist, but you need not be starving! Meet with local artists to discuss the business of art -- branding yourself, marketing your product and making the sale to support you and your family.
• Fitness & Wellness Industry Roundtable - The fitness and wellness industry continues to grow in size and diversity.  Meet with other area professionals to discuss cooperative marketing and share best practices unique to this industry.  How do we increase awareness?  What can we do to reach people we have not been able to serve yet?

The Women's Business Conference is presented by the non-profit Western Dairyland Women's Business Center and sponsored by more than 35 local businesses including ClearChannel Radio, The Leader-Telegram, Charter Media, WQOW TV-18, and Volume One Magazine.

Registration for the full day is $39 per person before April 5, $49 after April 5. Partial scholarships are available for students and income-eligible individuals. For more information or to register, call (715) 836-7511, ext. 171 or visit www.WomensBusinessConference.com.

ABOUT WESTERN DAIRYLAND COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY

Western Dairyland Community Action Agency is a non-profit human services organization serving Buffalo, Eau Claire, Jackson, and Trempealeau Counties.  The agency was established in 1966 to alleviate poverty related conditions and provide opportunities that enable people to advance economically and socially.  More information is available at www.westerndairyland.org

Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance.  Contact Jackie, 418 Wisconsin St., Eau Claire, WI, 715-836-7511 ext. 171 to make arrangements.