May 19, 2011  |  12:45 to 5 p.m.  |  Charlotte Convention Center

Cost (includes refreshments):
$30 advance registration for members and nonmembers
$40 at-the-door registration for members and nonmembers

Agenda

12:45 p.m. - Registration opens. SBTDC help desk opens to begin setting one-on-one meetings with funding sources.

1:15 p.m. - Opening Remarks & Event Overview

1:30 - 4:30 p.m.

One-on-One Meetings with Funding Sources
Sit down for 20 minute one-on-one meetings with representatives from national and state commercial banks, community banks, credit unions and angel investors. This is an opportunity for you to hear what lenders are looking for and to discuss what it takes to get funding.

Appointments for the one-on-one meetings with funding sources will be scheduled for you by the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) staff starting at 12:45 p.m. and will continue through the entire event. The SBTDC staff will ask you questions about your business, give you guidance and set appointments for you with funding sources that best fit your business’s needs and interests.

Participating Funding Sources (additions made daily)

Small Business Resource Expo
While not meeting with funding source representatives gain insight and guidance from community resources and government agencies here to help small businesses and entrepreneurs Survive & Thrive!

Small Business Resources (additions made daily)

Preparing to Access Capital:
how-to workshops running throughout the event
These workshops provide you guidance and tactics you can readily apply to your business that will help you gain and or sustain access to capital.

Each workshop lasts 45 minutes and will be presented three times.
Presentation times: 1:30 - 2:15 p.m.   |   2:30 - 3:15 p.m.   |   3:30 - 4:15 p.m.

Putting Together Your Funding Proposal
Presenter: Mike Horrigan, Small Business Counselor, SCORE
A funding proposal is more than just a business plan. You must not only justify why you need the funding but also show how you plan to compensate the funding source for taking a risk. An incomplete proposal may not get a second chance. Learn the elements of a comprehensive funding proposal.

Learning the Language of Funding Sources
Presenter: Maggi Braun, Owner, Business Success Strategies
Be confident when discussing your business with funding sources. Learn the lender lingo and the importance of the terms they use.

Managing Your Customer Base with Your Bottom Line in Mind
Presenter: Mary Bruce, President, Kaleidoscope Business Options, Inc.
We all know some of our customers are not as profitable as we would like. How can we have more profitable customers without breaking the bank? Learn how to strategically manage your customer base while increasing profitability.

Understanding Equity Financing and Other Nontraditional Sources of Funding
Presenter: Paul Wetenhall, President, The Ben Craig Center
What if a traditional bank loan is not an option for your business? Learn about funding options other than traditional loans and how they may apply to your situation.

4:30 p.m. - Closing Remarks

5:00 p.m. - Event Ends

Success Story

Through connections he made at the 2010 Access to Capital and Inclusive Business Community summits, Wayne Davis of EZ-Tixx was selected from a number of applicants to participate in the Inter City Capital Connections (ICCC) program and learned how to get ready to ask investors for capital. ICCC is a partnership between Bank of America and the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC). ICCC focuses on growing inner city companies to scale. EZ-Tixx was one of two Charlotte Chamber member companies selected to participate.

PLATINUM SPONSORS

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SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

Childress Klein Properties  |  McGuireWoods LLP  |  The Simpson Organization, Inc.  |
Time Warner Cable Business Class   |  Wishart Norris Henninger & Pittman

brought to you in partnership by