Celebrate Small Business in Brooklyn: Find Hidden Markets For Your Business

Opportunity doesn’t actually knock. Do you know how and where to look for new ideas?

Whether you already have a business or are starting one, this conference will offer insights and teach new skills.

Become more adept at finding opportunity and applying it to tap new markets, customers, clients and revenue streams, improving your business processes and tweaking your business models.

This four-hour conference will provide you with insight and tools to increase your ability to identify, validate and take advantage of opportunities that are right for you. 

AGENDA

• 12:00-12:15PM | Opening Remarks/ Welcome
• 12:15-1:15PM | Keynote Address: 10 Ways to Undercover New Business Opportunity
  • Malla Haridat, CEO and Founder of New Designs For Life, will share strategies for uncovering new business opportunities.
• 1:30-2:30PM | Five Industry-Focused Panel Discussions
  Choose between:
  • Succeeding in CONSULTING: Learn how these businesses kept services relevant to their clients in the face of changing demands and realities.
    • Moderator: Sandra Elisa Garcia (Encounter Your Potential)
    • Panelists: Ayme Sinclair (Sinclair Social), Sarah Lux-Lee (Mindr Global), Alex Tabar (Yucalab) 
  • Succeeding in FASHION/APPAREL: These businesses developed new strategies and offerings for fashion that captured the new fashion sensibilities.
    • Moderator: Sonia Park​ (Economic Development Corporation)
    • Panelists: Carrie Peterson​ (Beacon’s Closet), Aysha Saeed​ (AYSHA NY Studio), Tania Stel​ (Sterl on Style)
  • Succeeding in HOSPITALITY/TOURISM: Discover how these businesses found new opportunity in a changed world that is prioritizing safety and social distancing.
    • Moderator: Sue Shapiro​ (SCORE NYC) ​
    • Panelists: Martine Dominique (MAD New York Tours), ​Cheryl Gentry (Glow Global Events), Emelyn Stuart (Stuart Cinema & Cafe​)
  • Succeeding in FOOD PRODUCTS: People gotta eat, but the what, when and how have shifted. Find out how these food businesses adapted to the new realities
    • Moderator: Terry Frishman (Culinest)
    • Panelists: Anna Gordon (The Good Batch Bakery), Nidhi Jalan (Masala Mama), Paula Rimer (Crepini) 
  • Succeeding in NONPROFIT & SOCIAL ENTERPRISE: For mission-driven businesses, it's not about cancelling but converting. Find out how these businesses are doing this to continue on.
    • Moderator: Barbara Grumet (SCORE NYC)
    • Panelists: Sarah Edwards (Diaperkind & Esembly),  Andrea Mills (FMA), Caroline Mak (Hot Bread Kitchen), Cheryl Pipia (Mission & Movement) 
• 2:45-3:45PM | Five Expert-Led Workshops
  Choose between:
  • How to Generate Great Business Ideas: Ideation is the creative process of generating new ideas and identifying the right problem to solve and how to solve it. Learn some ideation techniques, such as brainstorming and mind-mapping to break out of a box to see things differently.
    Presenter: Betty Wong​ (Stage2Startups)
  • Questions to Ask Before Starting A Business: Find out the basic questions you should answer before investing $1 in any new business. Start developing a roadmap to guide you from business concept or idea to writing a business plan.  
    Presenter: Malla Haridat​ (New Designs For Life)
  • Growing a Successful E-Commerce Business: Whether you are pivoting your business, adding a revenue stream or have been doing this for a while, learn new skills to help you become more effective and successful selling online.
    Presenter: Maisha Walker​ (Message Medium)
  • Creative Ways to Finance Your Business: Small businesses and startups seeking financing can't count on bank credit lines or angel investors. Learn about"private crowdfunding," presales of some sort on your own, memberships, gift cards and other creative funding options
    Presenter: Carolyn Katz​ (SCORE NYC)
  • How Good Are Your Ideas Really? Your idea may be the world's best mousetrap. But is there truly a market for it and will people pay money to buy it? Learn about online databases that can help you quantify and monetize the opportunity and research you can do  to get a better feel for its  potential.
    Presenters: Maud Andrew and Randi Mason (Brooklyn Public Library Business & Career Center) 
• 3:45-4:00PM | Wrap Up

Attendance is free, but you must register to attend. You will receive links to the conference after you register. Watch your email for these links.

Celebrate Small Business in Brooklyn: Find Hidden Markets For Your Business is sponsored by: