One entrepreneur's story of success, failure, and lessons learned can inspire another entrepreneur to try new things, conquer fear, and ultimately create their own thriving business. And those thriving businesses are the building blocks of a thriving community.
That's the logic behind the upcoming 2016 statewide
Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference, coming to the
Greater Port Huron Region this year. The annual event is the sponsored by
Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce,
Economic Development Alliance, Michigan State University Extension and other local community planning partners.
Much of the annual conference is taking place in downtown Port Huron, in small business offices, meeting places and dining rooms. Conference planners believe it is the perfect place to host an event created to support small businesses. Thelma Castillo, president/CEO of the Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce said she and her staff have worked with state and local teams for two years to bring the event to Port Huron.
"It is so important that we support the entrepreneurs in our community and give them the tools to help and support them," she says. She added that having the chance to show off the town a little will be rewarding, as well.
"It's a great way to showcase what we are doing here in our small businesses," she says. She sees a definite upward trend happening in the downtown area and says the Chamber has plans well into 2017 to help continue growth among the small businesses.
The event features more than 25 speakers from across the state and Canada. Starting on Oct. 5 at 11:30 a.m., participants will learn from those who realized their dreams of owning their own business. The event ends O. 6 at noon with a farewell lunch. The registration fee is $85 and includes opening and closing lunches, an evening networking event, plus all conference materials.
Andy Northrop, MSU Extension Educator, is working with community leaders on the event. He has lived in the Port Huron area for about four years, so he has observed up close the improvements in the downtown area. "There have been tremendous efforts underway from groups like Blue Meets Green from the EDA," he says.
Of all the rural towns, Port Huron is the largest to host the CEC so far, he says. Other CEC conferences throughout the state, which use the same innovative format of staying local.for the keynote speakers and breakout sessions, have been noticed by out-of-towners.
"The conference puts the people right in the businesses, which brings tremendous results," he says. "We have people from Nebraska, Oklahoma and Kansas who are developing their own programs and coming to observe us."
Northrop says going it alone is becoming a thing of the past as more networking tools and information are becoming available. From the time the CEC event begins, he says, the participants are given many chances to collaborate, share and support other attendees, which promotes a great atmosphere throughout the two day event.
Three keynote speakers, Mark Walker, Chuck Reid, and David Lorenz will give their presentations at the Port Huron Administration Building, with a beautiful view of the water as a backdrop. Breakout sessions throughout the conference will allow for networking and conversation among the participants. Seeing an entrepreneurial community at work first-hand during these sessions may be one of the most valuable offerings of the event.
Tina Frazer, the marketing manager for the EDA, says the speakers are coming from all over, including Detroit, Grand Rapids, Sturgis and Ontario.
There is something for everyone, she says: "Whether you work in economic development, business, arts and culture, government, philanthropy, the nonprofit sector or education, you have an important part to play in supporting local businesses and entrepreneurial development in our communities."
During registration, participants pick out seven of the most pertinent topics for them from the list of 26 breakout sessions. The list includes: "Co-Working to Build an Entrepreneurial Pipeline," "Placemaking as an Economic Development Tool," "At Risk Student Leaders – Our Best Entrepreneurs," and "Discover the Blue" – given by speakers who are already living out their message.
Georgia Phelan of
Marine City Area Chamber of Commerce will speak on the strategies that led to the Marine City's rise to success in "Now we're Talkin' - Open for Business!"
As Phelan tells it, the same program from the MSU Extension came to a dying Marine City eight years ago. "It was called Creating Entrepreneurial Communities back then," she says. "It cost us $5,000 to participate. We had to have a team, and a three day 'camp' training program was required. It was all very helpful." Principles from the program inspired community leaders to use tourism as a catalyst for economic development in Marine City's downtown.
Phelan and a number of local community leaders, with the help of organizations like the MSU Extension, now know what it takes to build a community with limited resources. "Although recent media stated that Marine City’s resurgence was a 'miracle,' I think we all know much more goes into something like this community’s turn around," she says. "The CEC program was a big part of Marine City’s 'luck,' with luck often defined as 'preparation meeting opportunity.' The CEC program was a big part of our community preparation to 'get lucky.'"
The Michigan State University Extension mission is to help people "improve their lives through an educational process that applies knowledge to critical issues, needs and opportunities." One of the topics at the conference is "Cash flow management: Planning for a safe and steady course." Mark Thomas of the MSU Extension Product Center, will be the speaker: "Proper attention to the flow of cash in business will reduce the chance of crashing on the rocky shoals of financial embarrassment. Every business needs to make something, market it and then manage it. Cash flow management, while a quiet part of the production, provides a vital linkage between the cost of production and the collection of invoices of sales," he states in the conference material.
The CEC team is recognizing each business and organization that hosts a breakout session during the event. So far, the
Exquisite Corpse Coffee House.
Ben’s Fine Furniture, Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce,
Chef Shell's,
Elite Feet,
Loft 912,
Joy's Bridal Boutique,
Kate's Downtown, the
Knowlton's Ice Museum in Port Huron will be hosting breakout sessions, and the list is growing.
Register or sign up to be a host at link.