Chamber of Commerce designating May 21-25 as Small Business Week
By Ty Johnson
Published in News on May 20, 2012 1:50 AM
The Wayne County Chamber of Commerce is devoting the week of May 21-25 to the area's small business community through four days of seminars and a business exposition as part of its first-ever Small Business Week.
Lara Landers, marketing director for the Chamber, said the idea for the event, which is essentially a four-day small business convention, was born in the Chamber's Small Business Advisory Council.
Members of the council asked the Chamber for more resources to help small businesses in Wayne County and Chamber leadership was more than willing to oblige, Ms. Landers said.
"We're a member-driven organization," she said. "So Anything we do should be geared toward them."
Raising awareness of local businesses and asking Wayne County residents is part of the Chamber's plan, she said, leading to Schmoozapalooza, a business expo scheduled for Tuesday from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Dozens of businesses are expected to turn out for the event, which is intended to showcase the area's local companies and increase their exposure to potential customers.
But business exposure is only one facet of Small Business Week, as the Chamber has also scheduled lectures from human resource directors and managers from some of the area and nation's top companies to discuss hiring, firing and retaining employees as well as free options through Google for advertisement. All of the lectures will be held at the Chamber, where admission is free for members. Non-members can attend for $20.
Barbara Bryan with The Bryan Group will lead a lecture titled "How OT Hire the Right Person" from noon until 1 p.m. Monday.
Devin Buell of Google will lead his lecture, "How to Get Your Business Online for Free," Tuesday from 9 a.m. until noon.
From noon until 1 p.m. Wednesday Vicki Lemmond of TA Loving will host her lecture, "How To Fire the Right Way," and Thursday from noon until 1 p.m. Catherine Graham with Strickland Insurance will lead a lecture titled "How To Retain the Best Employees."