Conference to help area businesses

BANGOR – There is something for everyone at the SMBIZ4ME Governor’s Regional Conference on Small Business and Entrepreneurship set for Wednesday, May 21, at Eastern Maine Community College. Business professionals, owners, students and those considering starting a business will find workshops to help them to grow professionally and acquire tools for success.

“This is really exciting to have so many great workshops to offer our business community” said Ann McAlhany of Maine Small Business Development Center. “I’m having a tough time choosing which ones I will attend.”

Workshops include pricing product, panels of successful businesses, business basics, tax strategies, marketing, human relations, using new media, customer service, QuickBooks, retirement plans, utilizing resources, sales, networking and more. Sessions are available to address the needs of both experienced businesses and those considering starting a first-time business.

“Small businesses dominate our community, with over 80 percent of our Chamber’s membership having 20 or fewer employees,” said Melanie Israel of the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce. “Our future depends on strengthening small business in the area and the SMBIZ4ME conference will help to do just that.”

Registration is $25 for the event.

“We wanted to keep the registration costs low so all could attend and benefit from what SMBIZ4ME has to offer,” said Danny Williams of the University of Maine Foundation. “Between the networking, resource fair, workshops and keynote speaker, anyone related to business can benefit from attending.”

Bion Foster, business development consultant, real estate developer and Maine’s 2001 Entrepreneur of the Year, will provide the keynote address.

A networking reception featuring Laurie Lachance, president and CEO of the Maine Development Foundation and formerly a Maine state economist, will be held at the college the evening before to allow attendees to network with each other and meet with sponsors.

The daylong conference is sponsored by Bangor Savings Bank, Oxford Networks and Eastern Maine Community College.

SMBIZ4ME is one of four governor’s regional conferences in a three-year pilot project testing a concept to marshal local resources and expertise to meet regional small-business needs. A key element is that it provides an opportunity to build leadership skills among local planning team members, including small-business owners in the region.

“The involvement of the 2008 class members of Bangor Region Leadership Institute in this planning effort clearly supports that goal,” said Kate Arno, chairwoman of the statewide steering committee. “In the end, it will be the small-business owners and local economy that benefit from their efforts.”

Attendance is open to those in the region, For information, visit www.smbiz4me.com or call Arlene MacLeod, 974-4810.