Small Business Week 2005 calendar of events

One highlight of the week is the May 4 presentation of the W. Curtis Strube Small Business of the Year Award. Finalists for this year are Anderson Engineering, The Carpet Shoppe, Nixon & Lindstrom Insurance, Paperwise and Richardson’s Candy House. Finalist profiles start on page 16.

Eligible businesses must have 50 or fewer employees, and they must be members of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

Other factors considered are company history, business or management philosophy, response to challenges, innovative projects or services and community-oriented contributions.

Local Small Business Week events are a collaborative effort of several organizations, including the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, the Springfield office of the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Small Business Development Center at Southwest Missouri State University.

Monday, May 2

A kickoff breakfast, presented by the local SBA office and Rural Missouri Inc. is at 7:30 a.m. at Heritage Cafeteria, 1364 E. Battlefield. SBA will recognize Small Business Week nominees, and SBA and RMI will recognize top-producing lenders for the 2004 fiscal year. The cost is $6.50 per person; to register, call (417) 890-8501.

Bank of America presents a special edition of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce’s networking event, Business-to-Business Connection, noon-1:30 p.m. Business-to-Business Connection will be held at the chamber offices, 202 S. John Q. Hammons Parkway.

The event focuses on helping small-business owners and managers build referrals and increase company visibility. The cost, including lunch, is $10 per person, and registration is available at www.springfieldchamber.com.

University of Missouri Outreach and Extension presents Networking Power and Marketing Support, 2-4 p.m. at Argentina Steakhouse, 1410 E. Republic Road.

Participants will learn about networking and marketing from experienced

small-business owners and managers and are invited to bring business cards

and brochures. The cost is $10; for registration or information, call (417) 862-9284, ext. 10.

Tuesday, May 3

Class I of Understanding Financial Statements is 9 a.m.-noon at the SMSU Small Business Development Center in the west entrance of Glass Hall on the SMSU campus.

The cost is $79 for Class I or

$207 for the three-part series. Other courses are How to Control Cash Flow

and Predicting Future Cash Needs.

Class I addresses turning financial statements into useful management tools.

For information or to register, call

(417) 836-5685 or visit www.sbdc.

smsu.edu.

Part I of How to Write a Business Plan, is 6-9 p.m. at the SMSU Small Business Development Center in the west entrance of Glass Hall on the SMSU campus. The six-hour series, which addresses translating business knowledge and ideas into a written business plan, continues May 5. The cost, which includes a book, is $129. To register, call (417) 836-5685 or visit www.sbdc.smsu.edu.

Wednesday, May 4

Millwood Golf & Racquet Club presents a small-business focused edition of Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce’s Good Morning, Springfield! breakfast meeting for professionals.

Good Morning, Springfield! is 7:30-8:30 a.m. in the grand ballroom at Clarion Hotel, 3333 S. Glenstone Ave.

The cost, which includes breakfast, is $12.

To register or for more information, call (417) 862-5567 or visit www.springfield

chamber.com.

Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce presents Small Business Showcase, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. in the lobby of the Clarion Hotel, 3333 S. Glenstone Ave. Visitors can browse

tabletop displays from area small businesses. There is no cost or registration required for visitors.

Missouri Enterprise presents Say Goodbye to Costly Waste with “Lean” and “Six Sigma” 8:30-10 a.m. in the Santa Fe Room at the Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell Ave. Dusty Cruise, regional vice president of Missouri Enterprise, and Rich Doerr, Six Sigma black belt, address creating “lean” culture and using “Six Sigma” to enhance productivity and reduce waste. There is no cost and registration is not required.

Part I of Strategic Planning for Future Success is 9 a.m.-noon May 4-5 at SMSU’s Small Business Development Center, in the west entrance of Glass Hall on the SMSU campus.

Participants will learn how to create and manage profitable change, how to create a vision for a business’ future and how to focus activities and employees. The cost is $159, which includes a book. To register, call (417) 836-5685 or visit www.sbdc.

smsu.edu.

Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce presents the Small Business of the Year Luncheon noon-1:30 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom at the Clarion Hotel, 3333 S. Glenstone Ave.

The 2005 W. Curtis Strube Small Business of the Year will be announced. Tickets are $25 per person and must be purchased in advance. For tickets or additional information, call (417) 862-5567 or visit www.springfieldchamber.com.

Score, America’s Counselors to Small Business presents a buying and selling workshop 6-9 p.m. in the Harrison room at the Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell Ave. The cost is $30.

To register or for more information, call (417) 890-8501.

Thursday, May 5

Drury University Students in Free Enterprise presents a fraud seminar 11:30 a.m. in Freeman Hall on the Drury campus. Angela Morelock, senior managing consultant at BKD, provides a professional development workshop about fraud and how to protect company assets, highlighting documented fraud cases.

The cost is $10, which includes lunch. To register or for more information, call (417) 873-6863.

Saturday, May 7

Score presents pre-business workshops 8:30 a.m.-noon and 1-3:30 p.m. at the Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell. The cost is $25 per person or $40 for two. The workshops address ways to start and operate small businesses. To register or for more information, call (417) 890-8501.

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