We’d welcome you to enjoy some of our past presentations. Special thanks to the presenters for allowing us to make this available. Check out our archive for more great programs

How To Effectively Advertise On Internet Search Engines

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:15:38 -0600

Today, effective marketing for many categories of products and services means advertising on Google and other search engines. How can a small business reach its target prospects without spending a lot of money? We have brought in the experts from Google to answer that question.

Barb Gilles and Melissa Lane, who advise companies both large and small for Google, will explain how the advertising features of the search engines work. They will show you how you can be more effective in using those features and how you can control your costs, providing you with five tactics that businesses can implement immediately. From specific search tactics to free planning and management tools, you will walk away with a list of tangible next steps that will enable you to do more with less.

Whether you sell to consumers or other businesses, you need to understand that your customers are looking on the Internet for the products and services that you provide. Recent studies show that, for most categories of consumer products and services, the overwhelming majority of people will initially search the Internet. Similarly, in the B2B space, a survey of business owners this year found that an astounding 93 percent use the Internet to find work-related information such as suppliers, compared to more traditional information sources such as trade publications (75%) or newspapers (69%).

Barb Gilles is a Team Lead at Google working with clients in the B2B space including manufacturers, distributors, and service providers. Prior to joining Google, Barb spent 16 years in broadcast radio in Phoenix and Chicago. Barb is a graduate of Purdue. Melissa Lane develops integrated marketing solutions for B2B advertisers, focusing on industry trends and customer insights. Before coming to Google, she worked with a marketing firm designing programs for clients such as McDonalds and Kellogg. Melissa graduated from the University of Illinois’ School of Business.

Using Web 2.0/Social Networking for Competitive Advantage

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:09:01 -0500

What are the implications of social networks – Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. – for business in the years ahead? Come to hear Chris Rollyson discuss what social networks will mean for businesses in the future.

Executives largely ignored social networking before 2009, but constant media attention and emerging case studies are creating a sense of urgency to "do something." However, many companies have invested carelessly, and a shakeout is imminent.

Chris Rollyson will explain the adoption curve for Web 2.0 and social networks, so you can learn where the technology is going and avoid the mistakes that most firms are making. This will help you to create competitive advantage while competitors are licking their wounds. Learn how to approach Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and others.

Chris Rollyson has guided executives on using disruptive technology to transform business for over 20 years as a veteran of PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG and specialist firms. He has advised Fortune 100 companies on how to assess, pilot and scale their use of the Internet, service-oriented architecture, Web 2.0 and social networks. Last year, his firm CSRA released the Social Network Roadmap, a methodology that helps enterprises adopt social networks faster by mitigating risk. In 2008-2009, CSRA launched the Executive's Guide to LinkedIn, the Executive's Guide to Facebook and the Executive's Guide to Twitter, services that use social networks for innovation.

The Key to Sales Mastery: Understanding How and Why People Buy

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:21:12 -0500

Today, the basic dynamic of the sales process has changed.  Sales is no more primarily about selling products. Rather, it is about building trust and working with prospects to solve problems.  Drawing on Kreutzer’s up-coming book, master sales trainers Dan Kreutzer and Bob Lambert will outline a fundamentally different approach to selling based on scientific research into human perception, motivation and behavior.

Using science-based decision models and real-world case studies, Kreutzer and Lambert will reveal ways to develop long-lasting relationships with customers.  They will discuss how to build such relationships by increasing your understanding of what is important to them and providing them what they really want. Through that process, you can create credibility and trust, changing their perception of you from a vendor to a valuable resource.

A Chicago Booth MBA, Dan Kreutzer has over 25 years’ experience building sales organizations in North America, Europe and Asia.  His new book on selling entitled Put the Win Back in Your Sales is due out shortly.   Bob Lambert has over 30 years experience in strategic business development, marketing and sales for Global 40 and Fortune 500 companies as well as four successful start-up companies. Kreutzer and Lambert are the principals of Samurai Business Group, a leading training and consulting firm specializing in improving performance in sales and business development.

Moving On: Preparing to Sell or Transition Out of Your Business

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:03:38 -0500

Learn the keys of how successful business owners build value and harvest wealth as they transition out of their businesses. Bruce Leech and David Jackson, two former business owners themselves, have talked with many former business owners about how they handled their transition, what worked well and what didn’t. From those talks, they have gleaned important keys to successful transitions.

Nationally, over 50% of middle market businesses will change ownership in the next 5 to 10 years. However, research shows that over 80% of former business owners were dissatisfied with the process or the results of transferring ownership and control. For business owners, departing from the business is always a major transition not only for the owner but also for his/her spouse and family.

Come to hear Bruce and David relate stories of how former business owners prepared for the transfer of their business and the changes in their lives. From those stories and their extensive research, Bruce and David will develop the points to bear in mind as you begin the process of preparing to transfer ownership and control of your business and move on to the next stage of your life.

Bruce Leech founded CrossCom National, Inc. in 1981. The company grew to $90 million in sales, installing and servicing voice and data systems for large U.S. retailers such as Walgreens, CVS, Kohls and Kmart. Bruce sold a majority interest in CrossCom in 2004 to a private equity firm. He has a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State and an MBA from DePaul. David Jackson also owned a business, FirstChoice Healthcare, a home healthcare business in the Midwest. He has degrees in Business Administration and Public Policy from Carthage College.

Bruce and David are co-founders of Evolve, a membership organization where both active and former business owners come together in community for peer mentoring, group meetings and transition planning.

How to Get a Bank Loan Today: What You Need to Know

Sun, 2 Aug 2009 23:31:20 -0500

For owners or buyers of small to mid-sized businesses, now may be the most difficult time to obtain a bank loan in 80 years! So, if your company needs a bank loan, come learn the secrets of finding banks that are actually lending today and learn how to convince those banks that they should lend money to your company.

Our panel features three leading experts on bank lending to mid-sized companies in the Chicago area. They will discuss the practical side of obtaining a loan today:

* Questions to ask bankers in order to determine if their bank is actually lending now
* How to quickly focus on the banks that are most likely to provide a loan
* Information that will facilitate the loan approval process
* Determining the type(s) of financing that are most appropriate for you
* Why an SBA loan may or may not be appropriate for your business
* How to use your professional advisers and contacts to develop credibility

As President of Business Lending Solutions, David Enquist always has a finger on the pulse of the banking market in the Chicago area. David's company assists entrepreneurs on a success basis to find bank financing for expansions, acquisitions and refinancings. So, he constantly needs to know what banks are providing loans to which industries and on what terms.

David Leighton is an experienced commercial lending officer with First Midwest Bank, a bank that focuses on making commercial loans to small and mid-sized companies.

Tom Meyer is an expert on SBA lending, having spent over a decade directing the SBA ;programs in the Chicago area for major banks. He is now with Wells Fargo. Over the past decade, Tom has funded some $200 million in SBA loans.

Making Innovation More Pervasive, Predictable and Profitable

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:14:31 -0500

SPEAKER: Praveen Gupta, Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Innovation Science, IIT Adjunct Faculty and President of Accelper Consulting

“I believe creativity happens, but I also believe that Mr. Gupta has helped uncover a way to make innovation happen.” Dipak Jain, Dean of Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management

Audience Feedback:
“After I left, I was seized with the thought that evolution more or less guarantees that all of our brain is "useful" and "used" in some sense -- and this was confirmed by a simple Google search of some basic medical literature! Thanks for helping me to this discovery! I loved your talk Monday night at the Entrepreneurial Roundtable. My experience with corporate America mirrors the scenario you laid out.”

“I found your presentation thought provoking.”

Innovation is usually considered a flash of genius, a gift received by a few. Praveen Gupta, however, believes that companies can manage the innovation process as they way they manage other business functions such as sales, marketing, finance, engineering, and operations. By doing so, companies can integrate innovation into all sectors of their business and make innovation more predictable and profitable. As Dean Jain says, Mr. Gupta has found a way “to make innovation happen.”

In order to maximize benefits of innovation process, one must be able to connect return and investment in innovation through better understanding of the innovation process. Gupta has developed a simple but powerful framework for breakthrough innovation (Brinnovation™) through which he answers various unknowns about the innovation process.

With better understanding of the innovation process, corporations can enable all employees to innovate in all aspects of organizations for sustaining profitable growth. With the Brinnovation™ framework, organizations can pursue growth through unpredictable R&D as well as predictable market-driven innovations, bring innovations to market profitably faster, and increase return on innovation.

Gupta has authored several books including Business Innovation in the 21st Century, a comprehensive approach to integrating innovation into all types of businesses, professional firms and non-profit organizations. He founded the annual Business Innovation Conference (to be held October 5-7, 2009 in Lisle, IL), and is a popular speaker on innovation and excellence at business and engineering conferences around the world.

Surviving in Hard Times: Strategies & Principles

Mon, 18 May 2009 11:55:57 -0500

In hard economic times like these, certain strategies and principles can help you (and your business) survive and thrive. By implementing these strategies now, proactively, you can position your business to still be in the game and come out on top when the next economic growth spurt comes.

Join Russell J. Wilson, CPA, CCIFP , Audit Partner and Kelley Krowczyk, CPA, MST, Tax Manager for Porte Brown LLC, discuss a variety of topics for business success in an interactive roundtable discussion:
• Assessing your business model for survival
• Adapting to the realities of today’s economic environment
• Lean principles … not just for manufacturing, anymore!
• Differentiation through value
• Communicating with your vendors and suppliers
• Renewing relationships with past clients
• Inventory and products
• Bad debts
• To protect the whole, some parts may need to be sacrificed
• What not to cut
• What to do while waiting …
• What business owners should know … and be looking at

For over 60 years, Porte Brown, an Elk Grove Village based accounting and technology firm, has helped small to mid-sized businesses survive and thrive in a variety of economic climates. To learn more about Porte Brown, please visit its websites at portebrown.com and portebrowntechnology.com

Challenges in Life's Journey: Moving from Fear to Confidence

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:56:26 -0500

In today’s uncertain economic environment, all of us need to know how to tap into our inner resources to overcome hurdles. We need to learn about acceptance and gain a better understanding of why things are happening. Markus Schramm is a well-known authority on living a positive lifestyle. He will share techniques, first-hand experiences and humorous anecdotes, to help us figure out where we are going, how to find meaning in what occurs, and to live a life of purpose, inner peace and equipoise.

Born and raised in Bavaria, Germany, Markus worked as an industrial engineer for Mercedes Benz until he moved to the United States in 1993. Having practiced meditation for over 25 years, Markus has spent the past decade studying the many positive effects of integrating single components into harmoniously functioning systems, first in the mechanical field and now with human interactions. He is a popular speaker and presenter to business and employee groups.

Working with Angel Investors and Venture Capital Firms

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:45:36 -0500

Sam Guren and Ira Weiss discuss the roles of angel investor groups and venture capital firms in financing small businesses, addressing questions like:
• How does working with an angel group differ from working with a VC firm?
• When should I go to an angel group or VC firm?
• What is the process for getting funding?
• How are deal terms determined?

Hyde Park Angels (HPA) provides a forum for members to invest in seed and early-stage businesses. HPA was founded by alumni of Chicago Booth in 2007 and is closely affiliated with the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship.

Sam Guren has over 30 years’ experience investing in early stage, growth and buy-out opportunities at Continental Illinois Venture Corporation. He was cofounder and manager of William Blair Venture Partners where he grew the business to three separate funds. He is currently managing partner of HPA. Ira Weiss is a professor at Chicago Booth. He is also managing director of RK Ventures, which has investments in energy technology, healthcare and biotech. He has an MBA and Ph.D. from Chicago Booth.

Pricing and Margin Improvement: Best Practices in Difficult Economic Times

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:24:34 -0500

For entrepreneurs learning how to price is essential to achieve and maintain maximum profitability. That is particularly true in today’s economy. Dramatic energy and commodity price volatility, unprecedented turmoil in the financial markets, and relentless downward pressure on product prices are putting an incredible strain on a company's profits.

In these times, most companies resort to the tried and tested lever to protect margins - reducing costs. The challenge with this approach is that most companies rapidly run out of cost reduction opportunities - leaving little additional room for margin improvement.
The most important and overlooked driver of profits is price and yet, few companies pay adequate attention to this key strategic lever. Companies that elevate pricing from the back office to the board room, from a tactical lever to a strategic one reap tremendous benefits and ultimately emerge stronger and more profitable than their competitors.
Join Patrick Manning of Vendavo, Inc., a leading consulting firm the focuses on pricing, to get insight into key steps that you can take to resist downward pricing pressure, preserve margins in a downturn and get a leg up on your competition.

Choosing the Appropriate Business Entity

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:19:27 -0600

Monday, February 16, 2009
Michael D. Weis, Barnes & Thornburg LLP

What entity is most appropriate for your business? What are the legal, tax, financial, account, liability/risk and practical considerations of doing business as a:
• Corporation (S or C corporation)
• Partnership
• Limited liability company
• Limited partnership
• Other forms, including trusts

Mike Weis will discuss the pro’s and con’s of various legal forms of doing business, relating them to the nature of the business, investors and risks involved.

Both an attorney and a CPA, Mike is experienced in business and real estate transactions. He is a partner with the Chicago law firm of Barnes & Thornburg.

Working with Private Equity: Session 1 - Thoughts on the U.S. Macroeconomy

Sat, 7 Feb 2009 22:20:48 -0600

Session 1 - Thoughts on the U.S. Macroeconomy
University of Chicago - Booth School of Business
Gleacher Center - February 7, 2009

Dr. Erik Hurst - V. Duane Rath Professor of Economics and Neubauer Family Faculty Fellow, University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Dr. Hurst is widely recognized as one of the world's leading economists. In this program, Dr. Hurst provides his insights into the state of the macroeconomy and the impact of policy choices now being made.

This second annual "Working with Private Equity" was included speakers from nine private equity groups. These firms came from all over the United States and represented a range of investment types (mezzainine, recapitalizations, buy-outs, distressed, etc.). The audience of 176 attendees were primarily owners of mid-size businesses and their professional advisors.

Create Marketplace Disruption

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:25:54 -0600

Monday, January 19, 2009
Adam Hartung, Author and Managing Partner of Spark Partners

In his new book Create Marketplace Disruption: How to Stay Ahead of the Competition (FT Press, August 2008), Adam Hartung describes why most businesses are unable to maintain superior performance. The companies that continue to succeed, such as Apple, Virgin and Nike, are constantly disrupting the market -- by implementing new business models, releasing new technology or changing how customers buy.

Most companies, Hartung notes, become "locked-in" to the ways they achieved success in the past. That keeps them focused on defending their market position and business model rather than making the changesthat they need to seize the opportunities in the dynamic market place. Because companies become "locked-in" to their old ways, they often fail to recognize their own vulnerabilities or the opportunities for accelerating growth. Applying his "Phoenix Principle," Hartung shows how companies can put a process in place for continually repositioning their businesses to create disruptions in the marketplace to break down competitors' defenses and achieve accelerated growth.

Adam Hartung has spent three decades helping companies large and small develop growth, innovation and breakthrough strategies at CSC, Coopers & Lybrand Consulting and the Boston Consulting Group. He is now the Managing Partner of Spark Partners. Mr. Hartung has an MBA with distinction from the Harvard Business School.

How Small Companies Can Do Business in China

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:12:48 -0600

December 15th 2008
Jon B. Anderson, Partner-in-Charge of Shanghai Office, Lake Pointe Partners

Can small and mid-sized companies sell into the Chinese market? How can a smaller company obtain the knowledge and ability to tap the huge market in China?

A U.S. citizen, Jon Anderson lives and works in China assisting companies both large and small to market their products and services to the largest nation in the world. He also works with U.S. companies seeking to have products manufactured in China.

Come to learn how even small and mid-sized businesses can sell into China:

• The characteristics of the Chinese market
• Key to success in marketing products/services into China
• What companies have been most successful and why
• Where to go to learn more and to obtain assistance

Guerrilla Marketing Today

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:05:33 -0600

Al Lautenslager will share strategies, tactics, techniques and examples of how Guerrilla Marketing can cut through the jungle of marketing madness, to take businesses to levels of success they may have deemed unreachable. Al will also discuss things like what to do if your Advertising Budget is virtually non-existent and how to get massive PR without an agency.

Al’s presentation is based on his best-selling book in the Guerrilla Marketing Series, Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days. Distilled from the best-selling "marketing" book series in history (with more than 14 million copies sold worldwide in 39 languages), Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days encourages busy business professionals and CEO’s to hurdle the excuses of time, money, or motivation, and take dynamic strides toward new client acquisition and increased sales

Al is the featured marketing and PR expert for the online version of Entrepreneur Magazine and a member of USA Today’s small business panel. He appears regularly on radio and TV, making numerous appearances to review Super Bowl commercials. Al is the principal of Market for Profits, a Chicago marketing and coaching firm, and of The Ink Well, a commercial printing and mailing company in Wheaton, Illinois.