Topic 1

Intellectual Property Dos & Don’ts plus Introduction to I-Bridge (Alumni House)
Jon Shackelford (Dickinson Wright PLLC), Katie Petersen (Kauffman)

The news magazine The Economist estimated that up to 75% of the value of U.S. public companies is now based on their intellectual property. So, it is important for the technology startup companies to develop a strategy for protecting intellectual capital. The iBridge Network is an on-line service that is the catalyst for compiling intellectual capital, and collaboration among researchers, universities and other and other research institutions as well as industry.

Topic 2

Facebook and Twitter and Blogs, Oh My! : Profiting from Social Media (Auditorium)
Margot Lester (The Word Factory) & Steve Peha (Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc.)

Social media is a powerful public relations tool. We’ll look at the most popular social media, review how they can be used effectively for your job search, and show you some strategies to create great content.

Topic 3

Organization Expo - Introductions to economic development and entrepreneurship support organizations (Room J)

Individuals from business support organizations will give a 20-30 minute overview of their programs and services. The schedule will be posted outside the room. Organizations and training descriptions include GLEQ, MI-SBTDC, First Step, FastTrac^® New Venture, Sensei Change Associates, FastTrac^® Growth Venture, Bizdom U, FastTrac^® Tech Venture, TechTown SmartStart, BBCetc.

Topic 4

Roadmap to Your Entrepreneurial Adventure! (Room L/M)
Start up experts and coaches from Michigan economic development organizations.

Got an idea for a new business? Come spend a few minutes with a startup expert to find which training program is right for your business. We can help you find the right roadmap to begin your entrepreneurial adventure!

Topic 5

Money Tables - Round Table Discussion on Funding Your Idea (Auditorium)
Ray Waters (ShoreBank Enterprise), Lorenzo Thurman (Detroit Micro-Enterprise Fund), 
Mike Semanco (Hennessy Capital), Andrew Jakimcius (BBC), Mary Seaberg King (Detroit Investment Fund)

It has been increasingly difficult to find funding, whether from banks or private investors. If your business is short on capital, don’t miss this session. We will discuss financing options including bootstrapping, grants, loans, venture capital and angel investing.

Topic 6

This session will explore starting a service business. We will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the service sector, factors to consider in a start-up and the business planning process. Activities are designed to help participants consider their fit with the business and learn how to begin researching their idea.

Topic 7

Have you dreamed of starting your own business, but have no idea what to do first? This interactive session takes the process of starting a business and breaks it apart. It is designed to set you on your way with your ideas to being your entrepreneurial journey!

Topic 8

The chances of entrepreneurs having both the skills and the time to cover all of the important functions of a startup are slim. The key to building a well-rounded startup team is establishing all of the important functional areas and then filling in the gaps. You won’t want to miss this session.

Topic 9

Protecting our borders, preventing catastrophes and responding to emergencies are all a part of Homeland Security, a vital new industry. In this session, we will discuss the business opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Topic 10

Information Technology is a field with endless possibilities. This session explores the types of businesses and different strategies that entrepreneurs can use to be successful in IT.

Topic 11

Logistics – The Business of Efficiently Moving Things from One Place to Another (Alumni House)
Mark Lundquist (Fulcrum Edge, Inc., Halberd Corporation), Fredric Smith (Warner, Norcross & Judd)

Expanding global trade, increasing fuel prices, fluctuating currency exchange rates and deflating prices of goods are issues that we all are facing in today’s economy. These issues are changing how the flow of goods moves from point of manufacture to the end user. Our speaker will give insight into the trends, challenges and supply chain risks that could offer opportunities for today’s entrepreneur.

Topic 12

Franchising (Room B/C)
Barbara Erk (The Entrepreneur’s Source)

The best business for you may not be one that you create yourself. You may the next owner of a McDonald’s^®, Molly Maid^® or Data Doctors^®. This session helps you decide if franchising is right for you and it provides resources to help you select the right franchise for your skills and interests.