Event Archive
April 2010
4/1/2010
Michigan Energy Forum presents: Renewable Portfolio Standards
Ann Arbor SPARK
What are Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards? How do changes in these impact the utility industry? How do clean tech entrepreneurs stand to benefit from possible changes? To learn the answers to these and other questions, be sure to register now for this interesting and current program.
4/2/2010
Entrepreneurship Hour
Center for Entrepreneurship
Join MPowered and the Center for Entrepreneurship as they present "The Solar Car Experience"
4/7/2010
Entrepreneur Education 1.0: Entrepreneurial Finance
Ann Arbor SPARK
How will you find investors and other sources of capital? Start with a compelling and well-rehearsed business pitch. Then add a finance plan that explains where your business is going and the milestones that lie ahead. Learn how to determine the amounts and timing of your capital requirements as well as the sources of funding that are best for your company.
4/8/2010
Mingle and Match
Ann Arbor SPARK
If you are launching a startup, and need people to help you, come to this high energy event where you can have 1 minute to tell about your business and what kind of help you are seeking, (advisory board member, co-founder, employee that is willing to work for stock, consultant, etc.) followed by a networking session. To be a presenter, send a one paragraph description of your business concept, along with a description of the talent that you are seeking, to Amy@AnnArborSPARK.org.
4/9/2010
B Side of A One Day
The Business Side of Youth : The B. Side
B. Side of A. (Business Side of Art) One Day is a day of skills instruction in Screen Printing, Animation, Video Production and Music Production, for youths aged 13-24 who are WIA certified through Michigan Works!. If you know of a youth who is a current Michigan Works! customer, who is interested in learning about these artistic disciplines, as well as the creative industry then please have them register through Michigan Works!. We hope they can join us on April 9 from 8:30a.m.-5:30p.m. in the hopes that they will get the entrepreneurial bug and continue with other B. Side programs!
4/9/2010
Entrepreneurship Hour
Center for Entrepreneurship
Join U-M's College of Engineering alumni Joshua Aaron, founder and president of Business Technology Partners and Entrepreneurship Organization: NY Chapter Member, for an Entrepreneurship Hour. He'll discuss the challenges and triumphs of entrepreneurship and how he built his company into a well-respected technology consulting firm.
4/13/2010
Ann Arbor OpenCoffee
Ann Arbor SPARK
This is a networking event for entrepreneurs, investors and those who work with technology & innovation businesses, particularly in IT, cleantech and life sciences.
4/13/2010
Fundamentals of Writing a Business Plan
MI-SBTDC
An Essential Tool for your Small Business. Every existing or prospective business needs a plan, but every plan is unique. This workshop will help you understand the necessary content and best format for your business plan, and show you the resources to create it.
4/13/2010
Marketing Roundtable - Marketing for the Start-Up
Ann Arbor SPARK
Start-ups have a unique marketing challenge: A critical need to be visible in the market
but little or no funding to support marketing. Learn from a panel of experts DIY marketing,
including how to do the right homework, what to say about your start-up, how to
get noticed and cost-effective marketing tactics that really work. Attendees will also
learn when it’s important to call in a pro and how to choose a marketing guru to guide
your company from start-up to the next big thing. From messaging to defining your
brand to standing out in the crowd, April’s Marketing for Start-Ups will help you learn
the marketing challenges you can conquer, and when to ask for help.
4/13/2010
FastTrac Tech Venture
MI-SBTDC
Beyond theories and conjecture, FastTrac TechVenture takes an analytical look at your business. Discover what you need to consider in starting, operating, funding, or growing a technology or life sciences-based business, in an entrepreneurial forum.
4/14/2010
Structure Lab
Ross School of Business
Structure Lab is a day-long structured process that explores corporate structures and hybrid
forms and engages choices for financing, governance, growth, market interaction and exit.
Grounded in a framework that legal structures exist to manage relationships, the system of
Structure Lab enables you to navigate new forms - from PRIs to L3Cs - and to sort through
dozens of other forms that have been around for decades or centuries.
4/14/2010
B-to-B Demand Generation
LA2M - Lunch Ann Arbor Marketing
Prospective buyers take a journey from awareness, through consideration, selection, and to purchase (and repeat purchase, we hope!). Learn how you can align your marketing programs to sales to help prospects take this journey. We’ll explore how messaging and medium selection impact the process, as well as how to develop a process that works in your selling cycle.
4/15/2010
Discover How To Use FourSquare To Boost Sales For Your Business
PR Easy - Social Media Michigan
Foursquare is a location-based social media game. Foursquare is primarily used for letting your friends know where you are and figuring out where they are. Secondarily, it's for collecting points, prize "badges," and eventually, coupons, for going about your everyday business. Foursquare now has over 275,000 users in less than a year.
4/16/2010
Donuts and Search Marketing
Pure Visibility, Inc.
Overwhelmed by the vast world of Internet marketing? Pure Visibility can help with its Donuts and Search Engine Marketing seminar. This no-charge group session will give you an overview of search engine marketing, including search engine optimization, paid search advertising, and social media. You will have the chance to pose questions and we'll talk at whatever level is comfortable for the people that show up.
Donuts, coffee, and search marketing experts provided. Space is limited. Registration required.
4/16/2010
FastTrac MEDC Orientation
MI-SBTDC, LEDC, MEDC, & SBA
An orientation session required to register for the Fast Trac® Courses in Washtenaw, Lenawee, Hillsdale, and Jackson Counties. This half day session will orient you to the Fast Trac® program and what commitment will be required of you as the entrepreneur. At this session you will spend time with an advisor who will help you select, and enroll in the Fast Trac® entrepreneurial program best suited for you and your business.
4/16/2010
Starting Your Own Business
Ann Arbor SPARK
At this forum you will learn about personality traits that impact entrepreneurialism, create a marketing plan for your business, learn about legal, accounting, franchises, business plans and financing options. You will receive one on one counseling with a business expert and have an opportunity to get advice from a variety of business experts and organizations that are available to support new ventures.
4/16/2010
Entrepreneurship Hour
Center for Entrepreneurship
Join Jay Adelson, former CEO of Digg.com for an Entrepreneurship Hour
4/19/2010
Small Giants Community Mixer & Whole Brain Group Open House
The Whole Brain Group and MacDonald Group will host an open house and Small Giants mixer for companies interested in learning more about the Small Giants Community from Marisa Smith, who serves on the planning committee. Come meet Bo Burlingham, the author of “Small Giants: Companies that Chose to be Great Instead of Big,” mingle with other Small Giants in the Ann Arbor area and tour the Whole Brain Group office. The Small Giants Mixer is free, but registration is required.
4/20/2010
2010 Michigan Wind Conference
Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association
Join the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association at the 2010 Michigan Wind Conference and meet exhibitors, attend breakout sessions and network with wind industry professionals. For more information visit www.glrea.org.
4/20/2010
Ann Arbor New Tech April Meetup
a2geeks
Five presenters this month take the stage for ten minutes each, five minutes to demo and five minutes to answer questions, followed by open announcements and community networking.
4/21/2010
Morning Edition
Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce
Held monthly, this lively morning program is designed to keep members up-to-date on community issues.
4/21/2010
Visual Storytelling: Creating a Compelling and Engaging Brand Experience
LA2M - Lunch Ann Arbor Marketing
Visual Storytelling has always been a part of the human experience - from cave paintings and comic strips to training films and documentaries, visual narratives are an extremely effective way to engage participants in a virtual experience and establish a point of view that is truly unique.
Technology has given us a plethora of affordable, high-quality visual options that has leveled the playing field allowing global participation and exposure. The sheer number and accessibility of this information has its drawbacks – creating a pool of want-to-be authors with pages of image content that is ubiquitous, uninteresting, inconsistent or perhaps counterproductive to the client’s communication and branding objectives.
In this session, you will learn best practices of effective visual storytelling to supercharge your communications in a compelling and relevant way and enhance your brand identity.
4/22/2010
IEEE SEM Spring Conference
IEEE Southeast Michigan
IEEE Southeastern Michigan will present 4 technical tracks and a Professional Development Track authored by experts in their fields. Topics will range from Wireless Networks to RFID Applications to Diesel Aftertreatments. The Dinner Keynote Speaker is Charles Wampler who will speak on "Engineering Humanoid Robots." Please visit www.ieee-sem.org for more information.
4/27/2010
Marketing Your Small Business-Part I
MI-SBTDC
This is the first in a series of two marketing workshops that will focus on the development of your sales & marketing plan. Part one will define your busines, the competition, and your target market. We will also be covering the components of an elevator speech and how to correctly brand your business. Throughout these workshops we will be taking a hands-on approach that will enable you to leave withthe actual beginnings of your own sales and marketing plan.
4/27/2010
Hot Shots: Career Connections at Melange
Ann Arbor SPARK
Bring your resume, and come and mingle with growing, innovative companies in a fun and relaxed environment! This event is only for talent seeking opportunities for themselves. Recruiters and staffing companies should use other venues to meet with these company representatives. If you would like your company to participate, contact Amy Cell at Amy@AnnArborUSA.org.
4/27/2010
Retirement Planning for Women
Investment Solution Services, LLC
Don’t miss Retirement Planning for Women
This complimentary, no obligation seminar will provide practical tips on how you can save more and spend it longer. It explains the challenges women may face in retirement and what you can do today to better prepare for tomorrow.
4/28/2010
Maximizing your Sales Process by Choosing the Right CRM
LA2M - Lunch Ann Arbor Marketing
If you are still using excel or sticky notes to manage your sales leads then this talk is for you. I will dive into explaining what a CRM (Customer Relationship Manager) is and how it can help streamline your sales process. I will review a number of the popular web based CRM systems that are available and help identify which one works best for you.
There is no one glove fits all when it comes to CRM software, so I will help you identify the pros and cons of each system. Even if you are already using a system, most offer the ability to export and import contacts making the switch relatively painless. Use a CRM system to get all your leads out of your head and unto the web.
4/29/2010
Destination: Innovation - A WWJ Newsradio 950 Business Breakfast
WWJ Newsradio 950
How can the state of Michigan – businesses, leaders, workforce, universities – create a culture of innovation? Our state’s thriving economy in the first half of the twentieth century was built on innovation, yet somehow we fell asleep at the wheel. And what is innovation, anyway? Join us at the MSU Management Center in Troy on Thursday, April 29th as WWJ and the University Research Corridor tackle these important questions and provide answers for the future.
4/29/2010
Where Did All the Leaders Go? Today's Leadership Benchstrength Challenge
Denison Consulting
Denison Consulting's Thought Leadership Lecture Series presents a captivating live presentation for organizational leaders.
Denison Consulting invites you to meet with Jean Hauser for a provocative discussion on how the shortage of qualified leadership is affecting the growth, innovation and productivity of today's organizations.
4/30/2010
Executive Job Networking: Gray Hair Management
Gray Hair Management and The Entrepreneur's Source
Gray Hair Management is a networking group for seasoned professionals who are seeking their next job opportunity.
Guest Speaker is Amy Cell, Director, Talent Enhancement Ann Arbor SPARK. Amy will discuss SPARK programs for job seekers.