Surviving to Thriving Business Conference to be Held on Feb. 16

Surviving to Thriving: Maintaining a Sustainable Venture in Today's Challenging Economy will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16, in the Homeland Security Education Center, Room 1022, at College of DuPage.

The free business conference is open to the public and geared toward small business owners, women and minority business owners, and people who are considering starting a business. During the conference, participants will learn how to best achieve success in the current economic marketplace.

“We decided to expand our focus this year to support anyone who is starting a new business and looking for ways to survive during these tough economic times,” said Joe Cassidy, dean of Continuing Education/Extended Learning at College of DuPage. “One of the best things that happens during a recession is that people are forced to get creative when launching a business.”

The afternoon will consist of several sessions and a panel discussion:

• “Access to Capital” addresses what banks look for and how government loan programs work. Presenter: David Gay, Illinois Small Business Development Center

• “Certification: Process, Possibilities and Profits” examines Women's Business Enterprise certification (WBE), Minority Business Enterprise certification (MBE), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification, 8a and other designations that could help increase your business revenues. Presenter: Rita Haake, Illinois Procurement Technical Assistance Center

• “Should Your Company Be Exporting?” discusses market opportunities and resources in the international marketplace. Presenter: Luanne Mayorga, International Trade Center

• “Government Contracting” offers practical and basic information on governmental contracting and other opportunities. Presenter: Rita Haake, Illinois Procurement Technical Assistance Center

• Corporate Business Panel Discussion: Corporate representatives from AGL Resources (NICOR), COD, and Navistar International Inc. will discuss their own companies, strategies, challenges and how others can fit into their supply chain.

The Surviving to Thriving conference is co-sponsored by the College of DuPage Business Solutions and Center for Entrepreneurship divisions and the DuPage County NAACP.

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o register for this free event, call (630) 942-2679 or email smithcaa@cod.edu.