iOWN & Staples Team Up for Small Business

Local business iOWN and Staples, 761 E. Dundee Road, are teaming up all day Tuesday, November 13 for Entrepreneurship Day. 

iOwn founder Carl Mattes created the event in partnership with Staples, based on a passion for helping small businesses to grow. 

"It's time for business owners and executives to take their passion and turn it into a business, to be self-reliant," Mattes said.

Determining what your niche is, and what you do better than others is the first step in creating a financial waterfall, Mattes said. "Now is the time."

The day will consist of a variety of business seminars, ranging from how to find new clients, to utilizing social media to market your business to where to find new capital to grow, among many other topics. 

The 20 minute seminars begin at 9:30 a.m. with the last one starting at 4:30 p.m. The day will culminate with a networking event including food and refreshments, and an opportunity to make contacts in the business community.

The seminars and networking event are free and pre-registration is not required. Business community members are reminded to bring their business cards. 

The Entrepreneurship Day schedule: 

• 9:30am Do You Want New Clients? (marketing your existing business)  
• 10:00am Before You Launch Your New Business (starting a new business)
• 10:30am  Where to Find More Capital (funding options)
• 11:00am  Setting a Social Media Strategy (social media tools)
• 11:30am Staffing – Employee or Contractor (do I hire employee or contractor)
• 12:00pm “Print” leads to Social Media  (print material use with social media)
• 12:30pm Staffing – Employee or Contractor (do I hire employee or contractor)
• 1:00pm Legalizing your Business – Entities (sole prop/partner/corp/llc)
• 1:30pm Networking – I don’t know anyone! (you do know lots of people)
• 2:00pm Planning – “Your Business Story” (creating a business plan)
• 2:30pm Setting a Social Media Strategy (social media tools)
• 3:00pm “Print” leads to Social Media (print material use with social media)
• 3:30pm Prospecting/Mining/Striking Gold - Sales 101 (finding and closing the sale)
• 4:00pm Before You Launch Your New Business (starting a new business)
• 4:30pm Where to Find More Capital
• Celebrate Your Business networking event from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. 

For more information, visit www.iOWNillinois.com or call Carl Mattes at 847-606-7600.