SBA Offers Small Business Week Education Program

In celebration of Small Business Week [1], from May 20 - 22 the Small Business Administration will be offering educational programming on social media, federal contracting, selling to large companies, and business matchmaking with major corporations and government agencies. SBA is inviting small business owners looking for ways to grow and develop their businesses to take part in the free networking and educational forums in person in Washington, D.C., or online via webcasts. 

The National Small Business Week Conference [1] will take place at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Conference Center, 1330 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. All NSBW events will be webcast except for the Opening Reception and the State Department reception.

The free forums include a town hall with SBA Administrator Karen Mills on why small businesses are good for the long-term health of any economy; a social media forum on best practices for putting new media tools to work for small businesses; and an exporting forum on how SBA can help businesses find customers abroad.

The town hall and forum events will be webcast live to allow business owners across the country to participate. While registration is required to attend forums and sessions in person (onsite registration will be provided), the live online webcast will be available free at NationalSmallBusinessWeek.com [1].

Below is a quick look at the schedule. Registration, information on the live webcast, and a detailed schedule of events and speakers are available at the National Small Business Week website [2].

May 20

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. : “How Small Businesses Can Win Big With Large Companies,” featuring Holly Bohn, founder and creative director of See Jane Work

May 21

10:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.: Town Hall “Small Businesses Creating an Economy Built to Last” with SBA Administrator Karen Mills

11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. : “Taking Your Business Global” Exporting Forum

May 22

10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. : “Business Matchmaking”

10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 3:00 p.m.: At Federal Contracting Educational Sessions, small businesses will learn how to market themselves to the federal government and pursue government contracting opportunities.

 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. : “Social Media Forum,” join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #SBW2012)

 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.: “Business Matchmaking”