Invest in Success Small Business Conference

The Montana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network will be hosting their sixth annual Invest in Success small business conference on April 29 and 30, 2015 in Helena at the Great Northern Hotel. The Montana Small Business Development Centers are a statewide network of ten regional centers serving all 56 counties in Montana. The SBDC staff offer professional business counseling to emerging and growing small businesses in all stages of business.
The Montana SBDC Invest in Success conference’s theme “Be the Best at What Matters Most” will focus on what effective leaders do and how they think to create and sustain success. The diversity and number of renowned speakers lined up for the 2015 conference should make the event very appealing for small business owners, who are often limited in the amount of time spent on professional development.
One of the highlights will be the Shark Tank Competition on April 30 where entrepreneurs will pitch their business idea to a panel of investors, lenders and business consultants. The first prize winner will receive $5,000 and the second prize winner will receive $2,500.
The Montana SBDC is excited to have Joe Calloway, business author, consultant and international speaker for 30 years, as the keynote speaker for the conference. Joe has worked with companies like Coca Cola, IBM, Cadillac, and American Express as well as with small to mid-sized business groups including franchisees, medical practices, law firms and a range of professional services groups.
On April 29, the conference will kick off with a behind-the-scenes tour of Boeing, the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners. There will be a networking reception that evening at the Holter Museum of Art. Space is limited, so attendees should register in advance to ensure a spot.
Brandon Orr, Conference Committee Chair and SBDC Director at Helena College in Helena, is excited to host the 2015 conference. In particular, Orr feels that “Joe Calloway is a great choice as a keynote presenter since all business owners need to master the habits of effective leadership to grow their businesses.” Orr comments that the 2015 conference will “focus on building small businesses and providing resources that will help bring entrepreneurs to the next level of business.”
The Montana SBDC continues to build on the success of past conferences in Butte, Great Falls, Billings and Missoula, and has high hopes that this will be the most exciting conference yet.
Interested individuals are encouraged to register early to take advantage of the early bird registration discount. Early bird deadline is April 15, 2015. For more information, visit the conference registration website at http://www.regonline.com/investinsuccess2015 or contact Brandon Orr at 406-447-6376.
The Montana SBDC is 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.