COSE SBC11 Brochure

OCTO BER 19 -20

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t o r e g i s t e r f o r t h e c o n f e r e n c e a n d r e c i e v e e - m a i l u p d at e s , v i s i t

COSESMALLBUSINESSCONFERENCE.COM First COSE Member

FREE FREE

AFFILiATE organization Member (non-COSE)

$150 $150

First Non-COSE Member

$499 $499

Each additional attendee (COSE or Non-COSE Member)

$75 $75

Includes breakfasts, lunches, networking reception and the COSE Ten Under 10 Awards.

COSE, Northeast Ohio’s largest small business support organization, strives to help small businesses grow and maintain their independence. Comprised of more than 15,000 member companies – 75 percent of those with between 1 and 10 employees – COSE has a long history of fighting for the rights of all small business owners, whether it’s through group purchasing programs in healthcare, workers’ compensation, payroll services or shipping, or advocating for specific changes in legislation or regulation. COSE also produces more than 150 networking and business education events each year – all focused on connecting our members to each other to increase their productivity and sales.

The Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) is a membership association of more than 15,000 Northeast Ohio companies and organizations and one of the largest metropolitan chambers of commerce in the nation. Working with its small business partner, the Council of Smaller Enterprises, the GCP mobilizes private-sector leadership, expertise and resources to create jobs and leverage investment to improve the economic vitality of the region.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS John * Daymond F o u n d e r a n d C EO o f F U B U

a nd A BC’s “Sh a rk Ta nk” Pa nelist

Daymond John pioneered the art of integrating fashion, culture and music nearly 20 years ago.

From his then unprecedented guerrilla marketing and branding techniques to the continuously innovative ways in which he uses social media, brand integration and expertise on pop culture, Daymond steered FUBU from a mere concept to a global fashion powerhouse and remains a cutting-edge business strategist today. Daymond is also one of four prominent executives helping people launch their company or product to new heights on ABC’s “Shark Tank.” Millions of viewers tune into the show as he demonstrates his marketing prowess and entrepreneurial insights. Take home some of these prized insights for yourself and use them to boost your business success.

* Jeffrey F. Rayport

D i g i t a l M a r k e t i n g , S a l e s a n d Ec o mm e r c e E x p e r t Jeffrey Rayport is one of the world’s most respected authorities on how companies engage and interact with customers using a “how you sell is as important as what you sell” approach. He is a thought leader, consultant, author and a former professor at Harvard Business School who coined the term “viral marketing.” Jeffrey brings an incredible knowledge of the online commerce space and is focused on the strategic opportunities presented by mobility, smart technologies and social networks to drive business growth. Learn how to rethink the way your business interacts with customers by aligning traditional commerce with the virtual world of information.

* LOCAL PANEL

You see stories about successful entrepreneurs on TV, in magazines and in film all the time.

But what about all the thriving businesses making an impact in our own backyard? This panel will feature several inspiring local business owners dedicated to our community, creating jobs, and fueling the economy…all while doing what they love every day. Hear about their roads to success, their challenges along the way and how they have positioned themselves for growth right here at home.

S CHED U LE AT A G LANCE

DAY 1 - W E D NE S DAY, OCTOBE R 1 9 , 2 0 1 1 7:00 – 8:00 am 8:00 – 9:15 am

*

9:15 – 10:15 am 10:15 – 11:15 am 11:15 – 11:45 am 11:45 am – 12:45 pm 12:45 – 1:45 pm 1:45 – 2:45 pm 2:45 – 3:45 pm 3:45 – 4:15 pm 4:15 – 5:15 pm

Registration and Continental Breakfast Welcome/Keynote Speaker: Daymond John - Founder and CEO of FUBU and “Shark Tank” Panelist Exhibit Hall Break Concurrent Workshops Exhibit Hall Break Concurrent Workshops Lunch and Ten Under 10 Awards Exhibit Hall Break Concurrent Workshops Break Concurrent Workshops

DAY 2 - THURS D AY, OCTOBE R 2 0 , 2 0 1 1 7:00 – 8:00 am 8:00 – 9:15 am

*

9:15 – 10:15 am 10:15 – 11:15 am 11:15 – 11:45 am 11:45 am – 12:45 pm 12:45 – 1:45 pm 1:45 – 2:45 pm 2:45 – 3:15 pm 3:15 – 4:15 pm 4:15 – 4:30 pm 4:30 – 6:00 pm 6:00 – 7:30 pm

Registration and Continental Breakfast Keynote Speaker: Jeffrey F. Rayport - Digital Marketing, Sales and Ecommerce Expert Exhibit Hall Break Concurrent Workshops Exhibit Hall Break Concurrent Workshops Lunch in Exhibit Hall Concurrent Workshops Break Concurrent Workshops Break Small Business Success Stories Speaker Panel Networking Reception

*

WORKSHOPS AT A GLANCE

W EDNESDAY, October 19, 2011 10:15-11:15 a.m.

10:10-11 a.m.

101 Tips for Using Your Website and Other Online Tools to Market Your Business

Clarity of Course 速: Using Your Sales and Marketing Skills

Natalie Morris, Morris MC, Ltd.

Diane Helbig, Seize This Day Coaching

Tracks:

Tracks:

Three Huge Profit-Losing Pitfalls Facing Small Business: The Tools You Need to Build a Winning Strategy that Will Outcompete, Outsell and Outperform the Competition!

Roman Jakubowycz and Eugene Shatsman, National Strategic Group

Generational Divides = Success Ruth Ramos and Tameka Taylor, Compass Consulting Services, LLC Tracks:

Tracks:

11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m.

Reality Marketing Revolution - Transform Your Business Into a Money Making Machine

Taking the Pain out of Sales Pitches

Eric Keiles, Square 2 Marketing, Inc.

Phil Stella, Effective Training & Communication, Inc.

Tracks:

Track:

Develop Multisensory Skills To Move Past Your Blind Spots

Business Owner Planning for Family-Owned and Independently-Owned Businesses

Portia Brown-Winston, Bernard Consulting, Inc.

Jim Levine, Lincoln Financial Advisors Tracks:

Track:

2:45-3:45 p.m.

2:30-3:20 p.m.

Hope is Not a Strategy - Building a Plan Eric Kurjan, Six Disciplines NWO Track:

How to Successfully Manage the Sales Force When the Sales Force is You

Physical and Mental Wellness: Changing your Lifestyle and Work Style for a Healthier You!

Protecting Your Intellectual Property and Making It Profitable

Dennis Sommer, Executive Business Advisers

Karin Palmer and Stephanie Patek, The Center for Families & Children/Ease at Work

Howard Cohn, Howard Cohn and Associates

Track:

Tracks:

Track:

4-4:50 p.m.

4:15-5:15 p.m.

Email Marketing Tactics and Strategies for a Successful Campaign

Sales Triage - Selling Strategic Value to Increase Sales Productivity

Conquer Your Key Moments: A Taste of Emotional Intelligence in a Changing World

QuickBooks: 12 Things Every User Should Know

Kristy Amy, OnMark Solutions

Robert Schultek, GrowthPointe Group

Sue Helke, Training@Work, LLC

Tracks:

Track:

Track:

Scott Gregory, Bottom Line Accounting Solutions Track:

Track colors correspo nd with specific track markers in tray.

These small business workshops are designed to offer practical, intensive and interactive information, strategies and ideas that can be immediately applied to your business.

COSE Business Networks sessions are open to anyone, but they are specifically designed to enhance Network Members’ experiences.

W EDNESDAY, October 19, 2011

10:15-11:15 a.m.

What You Need to Know (About Employment Law) Before You Grow

Social Media Trends

Using Thought Leadership

Robert Gilmore, Kohrman Jackson & Krantz PLL

Michael DeAloia, Insivia Track:

Chris Thompson, Fund for Our Economic Future; Deb Mills Scofield, Mills-Scofield LLC; David Hunt, Hammer Financial Services, LLC

Track:

Tracks:

11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m.

11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

2:30-3:20 p.m.

2:45-3:45 p.m.

Liability Issues from Hiring to Firing!

How to Prepare for the Inevitable Crash Securing Your Small Business Data

Time Management and Organization

Jim Kerr, CRU Solutions

Tracey Kastelic, organize my office space

Track:

Tracks:

The Importance of Story: How to Best Utilize Video to Market Your Business

What’s Hot in Tech and What’s Not?

Energy Rebates to Green Your Bottom Line

Kelley Hynds, Hyndsight Productions

Fred Franks, FIT Technologies Track:

John Verdile, XpenseSolution; Jeff Lyon, EcoEngineering; Kurt Allerman, LightingServices, Inc.; Philip Burne, CLS Facility Services; David Gibson, SAIC Energy, Environment & Infrastructure, LLC (SEE&I)

Timothy Dimoff, SACS Consulting, Inc. Track:

Tracks:

Tracks:

4-4:50 p.m.

4:15-5:15 p.m.

Building Trust and Rewarding Employees: Motivating Without Paying for It

How to Stay Out of Legal Trouble with Social Media

Kenyon Mau, Human Capital Advisors

Sharon Toerek, Licata & Toerek

Track:

Tracks:

Arts Network Education Session Track:

How Health Care Reform Will Impact Your Business Brynn Allio and Patty Starr, COSE Tracks:

WORKSHOPS AT A GLANCE

THU RSDAY, October 20, 2011 10:15-11:15 a.m.

10:10-11 a.m.

11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

How to Develop a Successful Marketing Plan

Developing your Online Presence

Marketing and Sales 101 for Innovators

Jack Leary, JP Leary Group

Andy Halko, Insivia

Mitchell Slater, Visible Innovations

Track:

Tracks:

Tracks:

Intimate Leadership - The Authentic Path to High Performing Teams Jeff Nischwitz, Think Again!

Tracks:

B2B Market Research: Using Effective Survey Design and Implementation to Learn About Your Target Markets

Get Off My Bus!: How to Get Clarity, Get in the Driver’s Seat, and Get Moving in Your Life!

Credit and Collection Tips for Small Businesses

Track:

Robin Sacks, Robin J. Sacks

John Doucette, e2b software

Track:

Track:

Developing Your Marketing Strategy in a Technology Driven World

10 Ways to Have MORE and BETTER Sales Conversations

Get It in Writing

Jim Tabaczynski, JPT Group Inc.

Donna Kastner, Enlighten 123, Inc.

YIKES, I Thought I was an Entrepreneur.

Where did this Leadership “Stuff” Come From?

Tracks:

Track:

Stacy Ward-Braxton, SWB Consulting

Tracks:

Carol Staiger, VANTAGE POINT Enterprises

Eight Steps to Success in Sales Roxanne Kaufman, ProLaureate

Tracks:

1:45-2:45 p.m.

Michael Tucci, Mansour, Gavin, Gerlack & Manos

Track:

Power Presentations that Increase Revenue

3:15-4:15 p.m.

Katherine Miracle, Miracle Resources Tracks:

Appreciation Strategies: Grow Your Business, Have More Fun

Leadership in Personal Time Management

Lisa Ryan, Grategy

Track:

Tracks:

Greg Thomas, Leadership Excellence Ltd.

Preparing for Retirement: Lessons We Will Likely Learn Matthew Olver, Spero-Smith Investment Advisers, Inc. Track:

Track colors correspo nd with specific track markers in tray.

THU RSday, October 20, 2011 10:10-11 a.m.

10:15-11:15 a.m.

11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m.

11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

Strategic Workforce Planning

LinkedIn for Business

Arts Network Education Session

Jeff Gross, TopGrade Workforce Planning

Rose DiPietro, COSE

Track:

Track:

Tracks:

The Value of the Employee Handbook

iPad for Business - What’s the Big Deal?

Energy Rebates to Green Your Bottom Line

Wellness for Life: Something for Everyone

Elizabeth Crosby, Licata & Toerek

Donald Tomoff, Thornhill Financial, Inc.

Track:

Track:

John Verdile, XpenseSolution; Jeff Lyon, EcoEngineering; Kurt Allerman, LightingServices, Inc.; Philip Burne, CLS Facility Services; David Gibson, SAIC Energy, Environment & Infrastructure, LLC (SEE&I)

Bob Kaleal CSCS & Titleist II Golf Fitness Professional, Health 360 Group, LLC

Tracks:

1:30-2:20 p.m.

1:45-2:45 p.m.

Fast, Easy, Budget-Friendly Ways to Use Video to Market Your Business

Is Your Future in the Cloud? Benefits and Challenges

Betsy Muller, The Indigo Connection LLC

Laura Pettit Rusick, OPT Solutions, Inc.

Tracks:

Track:

Growing with Your Existing Customers Christian Klein, Klein Studios, Inc.; Ryan Shorts, Warwick Communications, Inc.; Lance Hill, Within3; and Dave Harmon, Sandler Training Tracks:

2:50-3:40 p.m.

3:15-4:15 p.m.

Social Media: It’s Dynamic Impact on Talent and Company Brand

Managing IT / Email Legal Issues / Record Retention

Patricia Wagoner, CareerCurve

Michael Mandato, System Care Inc.

Tracks:

Tracks:

Yes, You Can Play on the Big Stage: Overcome the Barriers to Capturing Big Clients Maia Beatty, Discover Your Powerful Presence Tracks:

Track:

* Conference

Kick-off – COSE shark tank*

t u e s day, O c t o b e r 1 8 | 5 : 3 0 – 8 p. m .

C O N F ERENCE H I G HL I G HTS

Join us for our Conference Kick-Off event featuring a very special guest! Daymond John, founder of FUBU and ABC’s “Shark Tank” panelist will be leading a panel of experts who will help us host our very own COSE Shark Tank. Watch business owners share their vision, prove their concept, and try to WOW the panel. The realistic critiques, chances at investment dollars, and experiential knowledge shared by our panel will make this a can’t miss event!

And to top it off, you can pick up your conference materials and prepare your Small Business Conference experience in advance!

Business-to-Business Trade Show W e d n e s day, O c t o b e r 1 9 | 9 : 1 5 a . m . – 5 : 1 5 p. m .

T h u r s day, O c t o b e r 2 0 | 9 : 1 5 a . m . – 4 : 3 0 p. m .

More than 75 solution providers featuring the latest innovations for small businesses – all in one place!

The Exhibit Hall is the official trade show of the 2011 COSE Small Business Conference. Explore products and services from a wide range of companies and connect with vendors and resources that can help grow your business.

Continuing Education Credits (CEC) Gain continuing education credits by attending the COSE Small Business Conference! Specific conference workshops have been approved as continuing education accredited workshops for human resources professionals, CPAs and lawyers.

Energy Resource Center (ERC) Electric, natural gas, energy efficiency and sustainability - the ERC will introduce you to everything COSE members can take advantage of that helps conserve resources, save money and benefit from being green.

Networking Reception THURSDAY, O c t o b e r 2 0 | 6 – 7 : 3 0 p. m .

Meet and socialize with your fellow conference attendees and our business success story panelists. Join us for food, music and networking with other small businesses in Northeast Ohio as we end the Conference on a high note.

*HANDS ON Learning Labs*

At the Conference, sign up to attend any of our five Hands-On Learning Labs for interactive instruction in the following areas: Social Media Customer Relationship Data Management QuickBooks Tech Gadgets Business Coaching

Cyber Café

* NEW

in

2011

Stay in touch with your business in our Cyber Café sponsored by T-MOBILE. Check your email, download files or surf the net on one of our laptops located in the Café and keep connected.

F r o li c AT Pi ckwi ck & IN D OW NT OW N CLEVELAND

O RY B RATO N CELE NCHE LU

2011 *TEN UNDER 10 AWARDS* WEdnesday, OCTOBER 19 12:45 -1:45 P.M.

IT’ s tim e t o c e l e b r at e !

The COSE Ten Under 10 Awards luncheon recognizes the top 10 companies with 10 or fewer employees for their best practices in innovation, growth/success, value to the community and the environment, diversity promotion and customer service excellence.

2 0 1 1

BALLROOM

WEDNESDAY 10:15-11:15 a.m.

101 Tips For Using Your Website and Other Online Tools to Market Your Business Tracks:

WORKSHOPS

The internet is quickly becoming the #1 way people gather information. If your internet presence is lacking, you may be missing out. We will discuss messaging, using your website, and other internet marketing tools like search engines, social media, PPCs, and directories. We will also give you an overview of what type of costs you can expect, where to save, and where to spend.

Generational Divides = Success Tracks:

Using Thought Leadership Tracks:

Learn how to better understand people, your coworkers, and your clients in today’s multi-generational and diverse environment. We will show you a more current way to view behavior, being that this is the first time in history that there are four generations in the workplace. Culture is one of the key components to a successful – or unsuccessful-company. We’ll talk about the elements of a positive culture and the steps to ensuring you have one. We’ll explore what a positive culture looks like and how anyone within the organization can impact that culture.

Thought Leader is a business phrase used to describe an entity, or person, recognized as having innovative ideas. Leading technology companies like Microsoft, IBM and even Hyland Software are recognized as thought leaders in IT. But smaller technology businesses can be recognized thought leaders too.

How can your company take advantage of thought leadership to gain new clients and grow your market share? What are key elements of an effective thought leadership plan and what are the tools available to use? And better still, once you’re recognized as a thought leader, how do you leverage that to gain clients? Our presenters include recognized experts as well as peer technology companies who’ve successfully positioned their company and are using that recognition to attract clients.

Ruth Ramos and Tameka Taylor, Compass Consulting Services, LLC

Natalie Morris Morris MC,Ltd.

Clarity of Course®: Using Your Sales and Marketing Skills Tracks: Sales and marketing go together yet are distinctly different.

Sometimes the lines get blurry. In this workshop, we will identify exactly what marketing is and what sales is, how to use them to target your customers, and how to communicate with prospects to qualify them. We’ll explore what you are currently doing that is working for you, as well as what isn’t and why. You will leave with the foundation of an effective sales and marketing plan for your company, as well as a better understanding of how marketing and sales work.

Diane Helbig Seize This Day Coaching

SUSTAINABILITY TECHNOLOGY SOCIAL MEDIA SALES MONEY MARKETING HR & LEGAL PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COSE NETWORKS

Three Huge Profit-Losing Pitfalls Facing Small Business: The Tools You Need To Build A Winning Strategy That Will Outcompete, Outsell and Outperform The Competition!

Tracks: Are you frustrated with your marketing results? Do you find yourself discounting price to close a sale or, even worse, keep existing customers? Can your business continue to make you money even without you there? This workshop introduces you to the strategies, tools and techniques that keep Fortune 500 Companies competitive in any business environment. We’ve taken these best practices and adapted them to the unique circumstances of small business. Focusing on only five key business systems, we will lead you through a step-by-step process that guarantees your business predictable and profitable growth.

Roman Jakubowycz and Eugene Shatsman National Strategic Group

What You Need to Know (About Employment Law) Before You Grow Track: This workshop covers what you need to know and have in place before you hire. Learn best strategies for reviewing resumes, using sub-contractors vs. employees, what is appropriate for each, the benefits and risks for each, payroll system, employee manuals and policies handbooks.

Chris Thompson Fund for Our Economic Future Deb Mills Scofield Mills-Scofield LLC David Hunt Hammer Financial Services

WEDNESDAY 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

Robert Gilmore Kohrman Jackson & Krantz PLL Reality Marketing Revolution – Transform Your Business Into a Money Making Machine Tracks: Social Media Trends Tracks: We will discuss and define your goals for social media activity to clearly articulate WHY you want to be in the social media environment. Whether you have extensive experience or none, it’s about creating a marketing strategy to put it all together.

After all, is there any other reason to invest in social media other than marketing?

Michael DeAloia Insivia

You have a plan and a budget. Yet, things are tight and you need to get the word out. How can you appear bigger than you really are? Can you DIY to save money and still appear professional?

Should you? When is it time to ask for help from a professional?

What should you expect to pay for their services? This session will answer these questions and help you get your marketing plan the attention it deserves without breaking the bank.

Eric Keiles Square 2 Marketing, Inc.

Taking the Pain Out of Sales Pitches Track:

Liability Issues from Hiring to Firing Track:

Entrepreneurs and sales professionals often use a presentation format to pitch new business to prospects. While most are comfortable speaking in front of groups, many lack skills in creating customer-centric, focused and results-driven messages with effective handouts or support slides. This session will tap into your experiences and share many best practices through several large group activities. It will be a lively, engaging and interactive learning experience.

The workplace today is full of rules and regulations and they are constantly changing. We have become a litigious society and that includes the workplace. Business owners today cannot be too careful. There are very specific steps you should take to protect yourself and your business. This session will provide you with the knowledge you need to know about business liability issues. You will leave with detailed information and ways to help prevent you and your business from being sued.

Phil Stella Effective Training & Communication Inc.

Tim Dimoff SACS Consulting, Inc.

How Health Care Reform will Impact Your Business Track: Since the passage of the reform bill, COSE has been dedicated to producing resources to guide you through the short-and long-term impact on your business. This session will help you learn more about the potential impact of health care reform on your business, and the opportunity to ask specific questions in person.

Brynn Allio and Patty Starr COSE

WEDNESDAY 2:45 p.m.–3:45 p.m.

Develop MultiSensory Skills to Move Past Your Blind Spots Track:

How to Prepare for the Inevitable Crash– Securing Your Small Business Data Tracks:

Have you forgotten the best part of coming to work? This workshop is designed to introduce leaders and teams to the process of working from their creative edge. Using The Emergent Process, you will discover the power of inner knowing, and spark innovative breakthroughs. See how to work from your deepest core values and put life back into yourself and your organization.

This workshop will help you understand the reasons for data loss and where the risks exist. Learn the pros and cons of on-premise and offsite (cloud) backup options. We will also review the “Five Questions to Ask Your IT Provider” to help you determine what security solution is right for your business.

Portia Brown-Winston Bernard Consulting

Jim Kerr CRU Solutions

Hope is Not a Strategy: Building a Plan Track: This workshop starts with an exercise for brainstorming and consensus building. Then it moves to defining your organization’s vision, and then scoping out the necessary work for accomplishing this vision – breaking it down into three–five year goals, one year initiative projects, and ultimately the work that needs to be done by individuals. Having these things clearly defined brings focus to the organization as a whole and gives purpose and responsibility to individuals.

Eric Kurjan Six Disciplines NWO

Business Owner Planning for Family-Owned and Independently-Owned Businesses Track:

Time Management and Organization Tracks:

What are the issues involved in planning for the succession of your business? Why can choosing a successor be so challenging? How can you evaluate various transfer options along with minimizing the impact of taxes? Learn how to secure your financial future.

When you’re wearing all the hats and running your own show, effectively managing your time and staying organized can be daunting. This session will provide you with tips on staying organized and focused as you go through your day-today operations.

Jim Levine Lincoln Financial Advisors

Tracey Kastelic organize my office space

How to Successfully Manage the Sales Force when the Sales Force is YOU! Track: Being a one or two person shop means that YOU are the sales force. How do you manage the sales process along with your other business responsibilities so you can successfully grow your business? Find out how to be an effective salesperson and business owner all in one. You will learn successful best practices, start to create a sales strategy and establish key metrics to evaluate your success.

Dennis Sommer Executive Business Advisers

Physical and Mental Wellness: Changing Your Lifestyle and Work Style for a Healthier You! Track: This workshop will show you how to incorporate wellness into your business life. Learn how helping yourself will help your business. Find out how focusing on what truly makes you happy and what rejuvenates you will help you to maintain a positive focus. Make your health a priority.

WORKSHOPS

Karin Palmer & Stephanie Patek The Center for Families & Children/Ease@Work

Protecting Your Intellectual Property and Making It Profitable Tracks: Intellectual property is the name given to the group of legal rights primarily associated with patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyrights. This session will teach you how to secure your intellectual property and protect your ideas.

Howard Cohn Howard Cohn & Associates

The Importance of Story: How to Best Utilize Video to Market Your Business Tracks: Video proves to be an incredibly effective marketing tool.

But it isn’t enough to simply have a video. Videos must be memorable, authentic and impactful to be effective in a competitive marketplace. This presentation will teach you about the importance of STORY in creating brand awareness, brand memorability and brand loyalty… and how to get the most out of video.

Kelley Hynds Hyndsight Productions

SUSTAINABILITY TECHNOLOGY SOCIAL MEDIA SALES MONEY MARKETING HR & LEGAL PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COSE NETWORKS

WHATS Hot in tech and what’s not?

Tracks: Small and medium-sized businesses have a competitive advantage over enterprise businesses when it comes to the adoption of consumer technology in the workplace. Previously, enterprise technology trickled down to smaller-sized businesses. Today, the reverse is true. Small businesses are staying nimble by quickly adopting new technology, making them trend setters for what’s hot and what’s not. Learn how new technology can boost your business performance in three areas: portability, collaboration, and communication, and find out which technologies are on the way out. This dynamic session will include a pre- and post-session quiz using interactive response devices to gauge current and expected future use of technology and opinions about the impact of such technology on your businesses.

Fred Franks FIT Technoologies

ENERGY rebates to green your bottom line Tracks: Rising energy costs and their associated volatility continue to pose challenges to businesses and their ability to forecast costs long-term. While many business owners look to energy efficiency as an opportunity to mitigate the financial impact of increasing energy costs, they often encounter challenges in the form of limited information and capital, which prevent them from moving forward. This workshop will provide you with the tools and resources you need to budget your energy costs wisely and become more energy efficient.

Jeff Lyon EcoEngineering Kurt Allerman Lighting-Services, Inc Phillip Burne CLS Facility Services David Gibson SAIC Energy, Environment & infrastructure, LLC (SEE&I) John Verdile Xpense Solutions

WEDNESDAY 4:15-5:15 p.m.

E-mail Marketing Tactics and Strategy for a Successful Campaign Tracks: E-newsletters remain important tools in building a relationship with potential customers and maintaining communications with existing customers. Learn e-newsletter best practices and how to build an e-mail campaign. Learn how to avoid the dreaded spam filter and get your e-mail message opened. At the end of this workshop, you will have the basic tools you’ll need to make e-mail marketing work for your business!

Kristy Amy OnMark Solutions

Sales Triage – Selling Strategic Value to Increase Sales Productivity Track: In this transformed economy, customers care only about the value you can produce for their business. Customerpartnered selling enables you to produce strategic value for your customers, positioning you as a trusted advisor who is committed to helping customers make money rather than as a vendor who wants to take it. This strategy differentiates you from your competitors, earns your customers’ trust and builds enduring customer relationships that increase sales productivity.

Robert Schultek GrowthPointe Group

Conquer Your Key Moments: A Taste of Emotional Intelligence in a Changing World Track: Author Daniel Goleman popularized the concept of Emotional Intelligence in his book by the same name. It is based on the idea that our success is impacted immensely by measures beyond IQ. It begins with a “key moment,” a triggering event or situation which presents a challenge that demands a response.

This session will introduce the concept, the process that we use to view the world and discuss ways to empower ourselves and others as a basis for shifting and improving how you respond in challenging situations.

Sue Helke Training @ Work LLC

QuickBooks: 12 Things Every User Should Know Track: Using QuickBooks (or thinking about it) for your business accounting? It is essential to understand how important good bookkeeping is to the success of your business. This presentation will provide critical insights to help you avoid the common pitfalls in the world of QuickBooks. It will help guide you in making smarter decisions about the use of your time and talents, including discussions on whether QuickBooks is the right choice and how to avoid disasters with QuickBooks information.

Scott Gregory Bottom Line Accounting Solutions

THURSDAY 10:15-11:15 a.m.

How to Develop a Successful Marketing Plan Track: With so many tools available today, how do you develop solid strategies to grow your business? In this session you will learn a prescribed logical sequence of events designed to mitigate risk, and create and implement a comprehensive marketing strategy.

Whether you are marketing a product, service, business-tobusiness or retail, having a disciplined approach dramatically increases your chance of success.

Jack Leary JP Leary Group

Building Trust and Rewarding Employees: Motivating without Paying for it Track: Keeping good employees is paramount for today’s small business owner. It can also be challenging when dealing with tight cash flow. This workshop will address innovative and impactful ways you can motivate and incentivize your employees that do not cost a lot and don’t include pay raises.

Kenyon Mau Human Capital Advisors

How to Stay Out of Legal Trouble with Social Media Tracks: This session will discuss the legal implications of using social media for your business, including how to deal with issues like intellectual property protection, advertising regulations, reputation management, and employment law considerations.

It will also provide guidelines for developing an effective social media policy for your company.

Sharon Toerek Licata & Toerek

Developing Your Online Presence Tracks: Your website is the hub of your marketing strategy. Learn how to develop a site that achieves your goals. From how a site should be designed and improved to converting visitors into leads to content management and all the elements important in having a great site.

Andy Halko Insivia

Intimate Leadership – The Authentic Path to High Performing Teams Tracks: Today’s reality is that leadership is fundamentally a function of creating a working environment where team members are effective at communication, trust and accountability – in other words, where team members build and maintain high quality relationships. In this model, leadership requires people with high levels of emotional intelligence who can empower, engage and align the team members. Key ingredients in building a foundation of trust with and among the team are authenticity, integrity and vulnerability. This workshop will help you connect to a powerful leadership model designed to help you improve your leadership skills and enhance your teams’ effectiveness and execution.

Jeff Nischwitz Think Again!

Strategic Workforce Planning Track: This workshop will bring you the processes used by best-inclass companies in their programs. We will show you six areas to focus on and steps you can take to craft a more competitive workforce. We will focus on: the reality of the business world, global benchmark study, best practices, change management essentials, how to proactively leverage your human capital, how to align training needs and maximize the training investments and the 10 rules for the workforce planning road.

Jeff Gross TopGrade Workforce Planning

Marketing and Sales 101 for Innovators Tracks: You’ve done it! You have created the next big thing that every business or person needs. You’ve written blockbuster software.

You’ve built the better mousetrap. You offer cutting edge services that save like none other. BUT, no one knows you exist.

Worse, you aren’t even selling enough products or services to make ends meet. When the market is not well defined – usually the case for high tech innovators – the problem is significantly amplified. How do you define the market so that your value proposition makes sense? How do you educate the prospect about a need that they didn’t know they had? How do you instill urgency and calls to action in the face of disruptive change? This session will teach you the essential tips, tricks and approaches that will help you effectively market and sell your technology or product to your desired market.

Mitch Slater Visible Innovations

LinkedIn for Business Tracks: Is your LinkedIn account sitting idle? Find out how to do more than just make connections, and to use this professional social network in ways that will help you build credibility, utilize your network to the fullest and use your LinkedIn account more effectively.

Rose DiPietro COSE

THURSDAY 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

B2B Market Research: Using Effective Survey Design and Implementation to Learn About Your Target Markets Tracks:

WORKSHOPS

In this workshop, you will gain an understanding on how to target industries for new customers, market for a new product or new market entry of an existing product. We will also review the best way to create a prospect list to increase sales and how to learn more about a potential customer for increased sales or competitor for strategy formulation. You will learn how market research can help you identify your target audience and how surveys can be helpful to your marketing strategy.

Carol Staiger VANTAGE POINT Enterprises

Eight Steps to Success in Sales Track: Whether you are selling a product or service, or represent a well-known, established company or a new start-up, one fact remains clear, it is unlikely that you will maintain a competitive advantage unless you change and improve the way you have always done things. These eight steps to success in sales will help you do just that!

Roxanne Kaufman ProLaureate

Get Off My Bus! How to Get Clarity, Get in the Driver’s Seat and Get Moving in Your Life!

Track:

SUSTAINABILITY TECHNOLOGY SOCIAL MEDIA SALES MONEY MARKETING HR & LEGAL PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COSE NETWORKS

You are born and you are a bus driver. Certain people take a seat on your bus immediately when you enter the world (mom, dad, family, etc.). Throughout life, you pick people up on your bus and drop them off along the way. People are constantly getting on and off of your bus. Some are invited, while others are just along for the ride by virtue of your decisions about life and work.

You may have people on your bus who are always there, but may move from the front to the back or the back to the front, depending upon your situations. You may even have passengers who you pick up and drop off more than once. Some of these passengers are healthy and some are toxic. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to figure out who needs to Get Off Your Bus! Robin Sacks Robin J. Sacks

Credit and Collections Tips for Small Business Track:

Energy Rebates to Green Your Bottom Line Tracks:

As we all know, cash flow is the lifeblood of every business.

Having sufficient cash can be the difference between success and failure and it is a concern that keeps many small business owners up at night. Accounts receivable is one of the largest assets of most businesses, and reducing the amount of cash tied up in those outstanding receivables – and the associated cost of financing and collecting them – will have a positive impact on a company’s cash flow.

Rising energy costs and their associated volatility continue to pose challenges to businesses and their ability to forecast costs long-term. While many business owners look to measures such as energy efficiency as an opportunity to mitigate the financial impact of increasing energy costs, they often encounter challenges in the form of limited information and capital, which prevent them from moving forward. This session will provide you with the tools and resources you need to budget your energy costs wisely and become more energy efficient.

John Doucette e2b Software

The Value of the Employee Handbook Track: Having a substantial and relevant employee handbook can keep a company out of trouble and future litigation. This workshop will cover the aspects of an effective handbook including essential clauses, optional clauses, new sections you might not be thinking of (i.e. social media). The content will leave you with a clear idea of what you need for your business as well as where to find examples or assistance with creating one.

Elizabeth Crosby Licata & Toerek

iPad for Business - What’s the Big Deal?

Track: This workshop will provide an overview of this new technology environment – why the tablet is the future. Learn how the “cloud” fits in and how it exponentially enhances device capabilities. Leave with information on four “easy win” areas where the iPad can have an immediate impact. This session will help you get started reviewing strategies for implementation and ensuring success.

Donald Tomoff Thornhill Financial, Inc.

Jeff Lyon EcoEngineering Kurt Allerman Lighting-Services, Inc Phillip Burne CLS Facility Services David Gibson SAIC Energy, Environment & infrastructure, LLC (SEE&I) John Verdile Xpense Solutions

Wellness for Life: Something for Everyone Track: Wellness is a lifestyle as well as a strategy for sustainable, healthy businesses of all sizes. Understand how to involve yourself and employees in making healthy behavior changes that will impact overall well-being, and how to make it easy for everyone to get involved daily. Whether you are a business owner or an employee, you will learn how to engage in better health on a personal level, and how to take steps toward positive change. Become a catalyst for optimal health!

Bob Kaleal Health 360 Group, LLC

THURSDAY 1:45-2:45 p.m.

Developing Your Marketing Strategy in a Technology Driven World Tracks: Web 2.0 has leveled the playing field for many organizations. It’s no longer about the size of your marketing budget, or how many impressions you can generate. It’s about how intelligent and innovative you can be in adopting emerging online technologies like blogs, forums, optimized press releases and social networks. By concentrating on the activities that build inbound links, drive website traffic and convert visitors into leads, your organization can grow smarter and faster than the competition.

Get It in Writing Tracks:

Growing with Existing Customers Tracks:

Making sure you have policies and contracts in writing that cover your services, alternative billing and collections so you can concentrate on revenue generation is extremely important as you grow your business. This workshop will review service contracts, key clauses (and when you need them), enforcement with clients, billing arrangements that work, retainers and collections without jeopardizing business relationships. Within this workshop, you can review different clauses for contracts, pick and choose those that apply to your business or issues and be on your way with a good draft contract that meets your needs.

Most vendors and clients like to view their relationships as long-term in nature, providing the same product or service over and over again. While it’s certainly nice to have recurring revenue, growing your relationships with your clients is where real sales growth lies. By identifying opportunities to add value, or helping a client recognize a potential problem that doesn’t even exist yet, your company is better positioned to be the vendor of choice to solve those problems. Whether it’s managing a network, developing custom apps, or offering new solutions from your portfolio, doing more and different business with your existing clients will help your company achieve long-term growth. But how do you position your company that way? How do you get your company’s solutions introduced to other key players at your clients? And most importantly, how do you edge out competitors and ensure your solutions are sought after by your clients?

Michael Tucci Mansour, Gavin, Gerlack & Manos

Jim Tabaczynski JPT Group, Inc.

10 Ways to Have MORE and BETTER Sales Conversations Track: Successful sales people are masters at having the RIGHT conversations with the RIGHT people at the RIGHT time. In this session, you will learn 10 ways to accomplish just that, to find, grow and close more new business opportunities. You will also engage in two table talk chats, where you can connect, collaborate, and share tips with peers.

Donna Kastner Enlighten 123, Inc.

YIKES, I thought I was an entrepreneur. Where did this leadership “stuff” come from?

Track: This workshop will focus on the entrepreneur or the business owner that needs to make a transition and mind shift from working alone to either working with others or considering partnerships. The session will include real life steps to assist the business owners in how to effectively make a shift from being a sole proprietor/entrepreneur to entrepreneurial leadership – knowing what to hold on to, when to let go, and how to keep an open mind in creating new and lasting relationships in this ever changing business world.

Stacy Ward Braxton SWB Consulting

Fast, Easy, Budget-Friendly Ways to Use Video to Market Your Business Tracks: Video is quickly becoming a popular and creative way to get your message out to current and potential customers. Learn how to get beyond the intention and take action to post content on YouTube including WHY it’s beneficial to be on YouTube (the second most popular search engine). Determine how to integrate video into your social media plan and identify video ROI. We will also touch on ideas for content.

Betsy Mueller The Indigo Connection, LLC

Is Your Future in the Cloud? Benefits and Challenges Track: This session will review how internet applications and online data storage can make you work in real-time from anywhere.

Expanding your knowledge on this topic will allow you to deliver service to your customers from anywhere at anytime.

Laura Pettit Rusick OPT Solutions, Inc.

Christian Klein Klein Studios Ryan Shorts Warwick Communications, Inc. Dave Harmon Sandler Training Lance Hill Within 3

THURSDAY 3:15-4:15 p.m.

Power Presentations that Increase Revenue Tracks:

WORKSHOPS

Are you the leader of the wolf pack? Does your idea or product grab your audience? This workshop will help you define and answer those questions from a marketing perspective. This workshop will present ideas on how to brand your business and set you business apart from the ordinary. Learn how to make your message unique and extraordinary!

Katherine Miracle Miracle Resources

Appreciation Strategies: Grow Your Business, Have More Fun Tracks: Did you know that when a customer stops doing business with a company, 68 percent of the time it’s because that customer feels ignored, unappreciated or taken for granted? When you consider that we spend six to 10 times more money to bring in a new customer versus keeping the customers we already have, it becomes apparent that customer retention strategies are crucial to the success of a business. In this fun and interactive workshop, learn three simple strategies that business owners, entrepreneurs and individuals can incorporate for immediate and profitable results.

Lisa Ryan Grategy

Leadership in Personal Time Management Track: This interactive presentation will coach you in learning new skills pertaining to personal time management. The goal is to help you learn to be more productive and effective by using your time more wisely. Learn to organize your time and bring value and efficiency into the tasks you perform!

SUSTAINABILITY TECHNOLOGY SOCIAL MEDIA SALES MONEY MARKETING HR & LEGAL PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COSE NETWORKS

Greg Thomas Leadership Excellence Ltd.

Preparing for Retirement: Lessons We Will Likely Learn Track:

Yes, You Can Play on the Big Stage: Overcome the Barriers to Capturing Big Clients Tracks:

We are facing plenty of challenges at the beginning of this decade after surviving a decade with a bubble in technology stocks, a “normal” type recession, a major terrorist attack, two ongoing wars, a real estate bubble, the Great Recession and a global financial system meltdown. Political, economic, geopolitical and financial risks still abound. As individuals are planning for retirement today, we believe there are a number of “lessons” that will be important to keep top of mind. In this session, we will explore some of these possibilities and discuss ways to navigate through various market environments.

Whether you’re a solopreneur or a small business, dealing with the perception that you’re “just not big enough” to play on the big stage can be difficult to overcome. Sometimes that perception is self-created. This session will help you identify and break down the barriers that keep you from capturing customers of any size.

Matthew Olver Spero-Smith Investment Advisers, Inc.

Social Media: Its Dynamic Impact on Talent and Company Brand Tracks: Successfully navigating today’s competitive business environment takes a clear vision, an unstoppable mind-set and the ability to leverage the power of today’s dynamic social media communities. Social media has changed the way we communicate. The opening up of communication through social media doesn’t just change the interaction between the business and the consumer, but also the interaction between the business and its people. Explore developing trends in social media. Learn how social media impacts your ability to recruit and engage top talent and your company brand. Leave with best practices that you can immediately put into action.

Patricia Wagoner CareerCurve

Managing IT / Email Legal Issues / Record Retention Tracks: In this session, we will examine the considerations for maintaining a healthy technology environment, putting in place the proper support and maintenance of business technology, and look into insuring and managing your e-mail and business records in an efficient manner.

Michael Mandato System Care, Inc.

Maia Beatty Discover Your Powerful Presence

C U RRENTR S E X H I B IT O

1-888-OhioComp

Gca services, Inc.

Ahola Payroll Services

Graystone Properties

Collaborative business solutions

Group Transportation Services (gts)

Cox Business

Huntington Bank

Eric Tolbert & Associates,

Integrys Energy Services, Inc.

A FINancial advisory practice of ameriprise financial services, inc.

KeyBank

Fifth Third Bank

Maximum Value Partners, LLC

FirstEnergy Solutions

Medical Mutual of Ohio

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District Northeast Ohio Small Business Development Centers

The Alpha Group Agency The City Mission The Minute Men HR System

OfficeMax

Time Warner Cable Business Class

Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP

U.S. Bank

Post Up Stand

Vertical Response

Premium Risk Reduction, LLC

Vision Media & Marketing

Ross, Brittain & Schonberg Co., L.P.A.

Vision Service Plan (vsp)

Safety Controls Technology

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Plus, you’ll strengthen your presence in your local community while supporting the economic development of the entire region. Become a COSE Local Affiliate Member, and get the best of both worlds.

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MENTOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE REVISED LOGO OPTIONS Date: 12-16-99 Presented by: C A R A U S TA R C U S TO M PA C K A G I N G G R O U P

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First Attendee (COSE member –FREE; non-member –$499; A ffiliate organization member ( non-cose ) –$150): $

Additional Attendees:

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First COSE member ................................................ free Affiliate organization member (non-cose)............ $150 First Non-COSE member ........................................ $499 EacH additional attendee ..................................... $75 (COSE or Non-COSE member)

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C h ec k N u m b e r ( C h ec k A t tac h e d ): Location: International Exposition Center (I-X Center) One I-X Center Drive Cleveland, OH 44135

All meals are included: Wednesday: Continental breakfast, Ten Under 10 luncheon

Thursday: Continental breakfast, lunch and networking reception

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