Event Notices From June 8-10
Walsh College to Hold Finance Degree Webinar June 21: Busy, working professionals interested in obtaining a finance degree from Walsh College can join a free Walsh College Webinar from their own desktop or laptop from 12:15 - 1 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, June 21. Participants can register by visiting www.walshcollege.edu/webinars. Webinar content will include an introduction to Walsh College and outline finance degrees and programs offered by Walsh at both the bachelor's and master's levels. Additionally, the Webinar will cover services offered to students and alumni through the Walsh College career services department; information regarding application to Walsh College, including admissions requirements, registration process and academic calendar; and will also include a question and answer session from attendees. Summer enrollment is currently in progress and summer classes begin Wednesday, June 27. For more information on finance degrees or admission to Walsh College, visit www.walshcollege.edu/finance or contact Dr. Linda Wiechowski at lwiechowski@walshcollege.edu
AimWest To Talk Engagement Through Gamification: The fine folks at the Grand Rapids tech professionals networking group AimWest will sponsor "Engagement Through Gamification" Wednesday, June 20 at the San Chez Banquet Space, third floor. Networking begins at 5:30 p.m. and the presentation at 6:15. Register at this link. Take two parts real-life, one part game-like thinking, and mix well in a non-game environment -- what do you get? Gamification! Some may call it the next wave of incentivizing, but the proliferation of smart phones and modern Web applications are fueling the fire behind the rapid rise of these engagement techniques. Gamification takes the expertise of decades developing high-engagement games and applies those formulas to real life. Reward programs, loyalty programs, and even your frequent flyer programs all stem from game theory: making something ordinary, fun. Leader boards, badges, and achievements are finding their way into everything from networking events to higher education. Join aimWest and our panel of local experts to learn how some of these activities have succeeded and where they are heading: How can game theory impact your business and customers? Where does gamification have significant opportunity to impact our culture? Is this a temporary trend or the future of customer engagement? Featured panelists are Aaron Kamphuis of OST, Jeff Kwiatkowski of Johnson Controls Inc., Diane Vermeesch of Ideomed and Eric Petroelje of CQL, moderated by Dave Valko of DVS Creative.
New Enterprise Forum To Talk JOBS Act: The Ann Arbor New Enterprise Forum will meet Thursday, June 21 on how the new Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act will affect area businesses. The JOBS Act was meant to create jobs by helping small firms raise capital, and was amended during passage through Congress to strip regulatory restrictions on investments in small companies. The meting will feature a panel of experts what the new legislation will mean for entrepreneurs and investors. Panelists are to include Alon Hillel-Tuch, co-founder of RocketHub, a crowdfunding platform; Ken Kousky, president and CEO of IP3 and CEO of Midland's MidMichigan Innovation Center, a privately funded, nonprofit business incubator; and Thomas S. Vaughn, an attorney in Dykema Gossett's corporate finance group. The moderator is Michael Cole, president of the Technology Industry Group at Bank of Ann Arbor. This month's showcase presenter is Hal Zaima, president and co-founder of Sterilogy LLC, which has developed a patent pending compact, body worn hand hygiene compliance and monitoring system. The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn North Campus, 3600 Plymouth Road in Ann Arbor, beginning with networking at 5 p.m. and the program at 5:45. It's free to NEF members, $20 for non-members, $5 for students. For more information, visit www.NewEnterpriseForum.org.
July Business Workshops Offered by Oakland County
WATERFORD TOWNSHIP -- Business owners and entrepreneurs who need assistance are invited to attend seminars in July offered by the Oakland County One Stop Shop/Business Center. Business Basics workshops are now offered in the evenings on alternating months.
Wednesday, July 11: CEED Microloan Orientation – Many small business owners face obstacles when trying to obtain a business loan. The recognition of the serious need for working capital for existing businesses, start-up or expansion, equipment purchases, and job creation is not the priority it once was. If you have a need for alternative financing consider the MicroLoan Program. Discover the requirements and process necessary to apply and obtain a microloan. Program presented by the Center for Empowerment & Economic Development (C.E.E.D.). The program runs from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford Township. For pre-registration and location specifics, visit www.oakgov.com/peds/calendar or call (248) 858-0783. This workshop is free but pre-registration is required.
Thursday, July 12: Business Research: Feasibility to Expansion – Are you thinking of starting your own business and want to research your business idea? Are you a business owner who wants to benchmark your profit margin and other measures against similar size businesses in your industry? Do you want to know about market trends and opportunities to grow your sales? Are you looking for new customers or to diversify your market base? Business Research will show you ways to find your ideal customers, find your competitors, perform competitive analysis and more! Presented by Oakland County's Business Center, Market Research Division and an Oakland County Public Library business reference librarian. This session runs from 9 a.m. to noon at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford Township, For pre-registration and location specifics, visit www.oakgov.com/peds/calendar or call (248) 858-0783. This workshop is free but pre-registration is required.
Wednesdya, July 18: 5 Keys to Achieving Fiscal Fitness – Fiscal management tools for the non-financial manager. This workshop provides the business owner an in-depth look at the essentials of using financial information to make effective decisions about improving their business performance. Topics include Ways to improve your company's cash flow, How to use the balance sheet and income statement to diagnose business problems and opportunities, how breakeven analysis helps you make better pricing and business decisions and How to insure you have enough working capital to support growth. This session runs from 8 a.m. to noon at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford Township. For pre-registration and location specifics, visit www.oakgov.com/peds/calendar or call (248) 858-0783. The fee is $25 per person.
Thursday, July 19: Fundamentals of Writing a Business Plan – A workshop for small business owners who are developing a plan to serve as their road map to success. Workshop participants learn what elements are commonly found in effective plans and work on developing each of these for their own business. Assistance in the process as well as information on resources is provided. The session runs from 9 a.m. to noon at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford Township. For pre-registration and location specifics, visit www.oakgov.com/peds/calendar or call (248) 858-0783. The fee is $40 per person. No refunds.
Tuesday, July 31: Legal & Financial Basics for Small Business - "Legal & Financial Basics" provides new and existing Michigan entrepreneurs an understanding of the "key" legal and financial considerations when starting and operating a business in Michigan. The program addresses "how to" select the best legal entity for your business, "how to" protect your business interests when dealing with customers, suppliers or independent contractors and important information and guidelines for establishing short and long term succession plans for your business. Presented by Witzke Berry & Carter PLLC. The session runs from 9 a.m. to noon at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, Waterford Township. For pre-registration and location specifics, visit www.oakgov.com/peds/calendar or call (248) 858-0783. This workshop is free, but pre-registration is required.
