City of Largo, Florida

Upcoming Events for Business Owners in Pinellas County and the Tampa Bay Area

There's no shortage of low-cost or free events for business owners to attend in Pinellas County and in the Tampa Bay area over the next few weeks to enhance your skills or to be engaged in the community. Read more about these events below and click on the links to learn more.

February 27, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. & February 29, 2012 at 2:30 p.m. - Transit Oriented Development Resource Guide Online Web Conference

The Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority's Land Use Working Group is creating a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Resource Guide to help interested communities throughout the Tampa Bay Region better understand and prepare for TOD. The goal of the guide is to provide a menu of options for local jurisdictions to choose what will work best for them to promote compact neighborhoods with housing, jobs, shopping, community services, and recreational opportunities, all within easy walking distance (1/4-mile to 1/2-mile) of transit stations, with an emphasis on pedestrian and bicycle access.

During the online web conferences, there will be an overview of each chapter of the TOD Resource Guide. Participants will be asked for their unique insights on various tools and strategies to improve the guide, as work on the draft document nears completion.

To participate register, visit www.tbarta.com/content/about/luwg and click on the "upcoming meetings" link.

February 28, 2012 at 11:30 a.m. - Aviation Collaborative Industry Forum

Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance and WorkNet Pinellas will be hosting Michael K. Wisniewski, President of National Aviation Academy for Tampa and Boston. Michael will share current regional Aviation economic and industry forecasts. The focus will be on current and emerging Aviation workforce needs for the Tampa Bay area. Current labor market information and training funding opportunities will be discussed. The event will serve as a forum for individuals and businesses to share with public and private educators suggestions to strengthen current curriculums while identifying the need for future class offerings. Lunch will be provided. To register, contact Marilyn Browne, WorkNet's Special Projects Manager at (727) 608-2420 or mbrowne@worknetpinellas.org

February 28, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. - Women's Forum 2012: Why do state and Federal elections matter to working women?

Due to the upcoming election season, the St. Petersburg/Pinellas County Chapter of Business and Professional Women will be hosting a special forum entitled, "Women's Forum 2012: Why do state and Federal elections matter to working women?" The event will take place on Tuesday, February 28^th, beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Marriott St. Petersburg Clearwater, located at 12600 Roosevelt Blvd., St. Petersburg.

This non-partisan event will discuss how voters' decisions impact state governance, how voter registration policies affect working woman, how legislation impacts equity in tax incentives, minimum wage, and health care coverage for working women and much more.

The format of the program will include networking opportunities, a panel forum and discussion, and one-on-one interaction with the panelists. This year's panelists include Pinellas County Commissioner Karen Seel, Former Pinellas County School Board Member Nina Hayden, Pinellas County Supervisory of Elections Deborah Clark, moderated by Dr. Susan MacManus, Distinguished Professor at USF.

Attendance will be limited and the registration cost is $15. To register, visit the St. Petersburg/Pinellas County Chapter of Business and Professional Women website or contact Kristine Ketcham-Szerenyi at 727-366-3439.

February 29, 2012 at 6:00 a.m. - International Trade Networking Reception

The Florida District Export Council (FDEC) and the U.S. Commercial Services is hosting an International Trade Networking Reception at the Wyndham Tampa Westshore Hotel to connect exporters and importers with each other in an effort to expand trade in the Tampa Bay area and Southwest Florida.

The FDEC is a business organization of businessmen and women who have been appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce as advisors, and mentors to local exporters. FDEC members share their international business experience with local exporters and events, such as the International Trade Networking reception.

To register for the trade networking reception, visit the Florida Export Resource Portal page for instructions.

March 5, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. - Small Business Administration Lending Workshop: "How to Utilize the SBA Loan Programs to Improve Cash Flow and Grow your Business"

Have you ever wondered if your company qualifies for Small Business Administration (SBA) financing? Learn how to utilize the SBA loan programs for business start-up, business acquisitions, refinance, real estate purchases and expansion financing at GrowFL's free webinar series persented by Hetal Engineer.

Hetal Engineer presently serves as the SBA Business Development Officer for the Central Florida Region of SunTrust Bank. Mr. Engineer has funded well over $100 million dollars in SBA loans to privately owned small businesses to assist in providing capital to many start-up businesses and expanding established businesses. Mr. Engineer has assisted numerous small business owners achieve their business ownership dreams and see the impact of employment growth and financial success of small businesses. Mr. Engineer has assisted SunTrust Bank achieve #1 ranking in SBA loans closed in the Central Florida region.

To register, please visit GrowFL's webinar registration page.

March 6, 2012 at 8:30 a.m. - TECH Talk: Use Social Media to Building your Business, presented by Antony Francis, CEO, Head of Lettuce Media

Whether you are already engaged in a social network, or are still trying to determine which social network is appropriate for your business you need to know the steps to define and target your online audience.

Antony Francis, CEO of Head of Lettuce Media, will share the steps necessary to use social media to build your business:

• Define and find your audience

• "Educate, Entertain and Engage

• Automate in moderation for success

TECH Talk is the only free monthly breakfast, networking and education event tailored specifically for Tampa Bay's Technology Enterpreneurship Community. This event is hosted by Microsoft, sponsored by CliftonLarsonAllen LLP and presented by the Tampa Bay Innovation Center. To register to attend, please click on the TECH Talk link.

For past stories of the week, click here.