Event Features Awards, Forums, and the Naming of National Small Business Person of the Year – Events Open To The Public

WASHINGTON – Small business owners, the news media and others are invited to attend the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Small Business Week where the nation’s top entrepreneurs will be hailed during events held May 23-25, 2010, in Washington, D.C.  Interested parties can register online at www.nationalsmallbusinessweek.com where additional information is available.  The event will also be webcast live at the web site.

Small business owners and entrepreneurs from across the country will be honored for their accomplishments as the nation’s leading small businesses. The highlight of events will be the announcement of the National Small Business Person of the Year.

“America’s small businesses are proving their resiliency as they continue to drive economic growth and job creation,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. “During National Small Business Week we’ll honor the spirit of entrepreneurship, innovation and determination that makes small businesses the engine of our economy and our nation’s economic recovery.  We’ll celebrate the contributions that small businesses make to our economy, to our global competitiveness, and to our daily lives.”

Oxford, NC, 2/26/10 –  Third time is the charm. That's what people are saying about the Granville County Habitat for Humanity (GCHFH) ReStore, which has now opened their doors on a third day.  GCHFH has recently opened their ReStore on Thursdays, in addition to Tuesdays and Saturdays. There are new hours on Tuesdays too.

Agency plans to restart Recovery loan approvals on March 10

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama signed legislation Tuesday extending until March 28 the U.S. Small Business Administration’s ability to provide small business loans that are enhanced with special provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), including a higher guarantee of SBA-backed loans and a waiver of loan fees normally paid by borrowers.

SBA estimates the additional funding will support about $1.8 billion in small business lending.

Raleigh, NC. - Greg Hyer, Founder of LinkingRaleighNC.com,  is pleased to announce that Christina Blandi-James, President at CBJ Promotional Avenues will serve as primary organizer of upcoming networking events, seminars and job fairs.  CBJ Promotional Avenues is an Event Management and Promotional Marketing company based in the Raleigh-Durham area that helps small to medium sized businesses gain the exposure in the market place through events, promotional marketing materials and promotional products. Christina will take the lead role in planning and coordinating the majority of LinkingRaleighNC.com's events. 

With all the focus on layoffs and unemployment rates, it is sometimes hard to remember that the majority of Americans are still employed. Implement the advice below to give yourself the best shot at keeping your job, and not being on the top of your manager’s downsizing list if your company restructures.

You have a position in the market place.  A position you have either carefully crafted after much consideration or one that you’ve defaulted into unwittingly. 

Let’s assume you have actually done the work; the soul searching of the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats); the research and analysis of your competition – and, let me say that even if you’re developing a PERSONAL brand there is de-facto ‘competition’; the interviews with your customers, team and advisors.  You’ve labored and examined every word in that 100 word statement and feel satisfied that you’ve found ‘it’ – a positioning statement of which you can be proud.  A position you can support and in turn, can support you.  Let’s not forget that positioning statements provide a solid foundation to guide our actions – to keep us on course.  They give back ten-fold for all that hair-pulling and gnashing of teeth.

Raleigh, NC - 2/16/2010– LinkingRaleighNC.com will be hosting its fourth speed networking event, called  SpeedLink, at the Wyndham Hotel just off I40 and South Miami Boulevard in RTP on March 16 from 5:45pm to 8:45pm.

Speed networking is based on the popular concept of speed dating where you meet a new professional every five  minutes and see if there is potential for a new business relationship. "Time is the most valuable asset small  business owners and working professionals have these days. It has become criticaly important to carefully  consider how you spend your time when it comes to professional networking. This event is designed to be one solution to this common issue." says Greg Hyer, Founder of LinkingRaleighNC.com.

Elissa James, owner of Elissa James Designs (www.elissajames.synthasite.com) says, "I have attended each of the  three SpeedLink Speed Networking events and I find them to be extremely beneficial. I am a freelance graphic designer, so building a professional network is essential to the survival of my business, and speed networking has been the most efficient way to do that, of any of the networking events I've attended. I find myself running out of business cards during speed networking, which was never a problem at other events, but it's a problem I like having! Speed networking allows one to meet a maximum of potential business contacts during the given time of the event, whereas at traditional networking events you may get bogged down in a conversation with someone you have no intention of creating a business relationship with. While it is never a waste of time meeting good people at tradition networking/social events, speed networking gets directly to the point of why you are there in the first place. If expanding your professional network is an integral part in your business' success, or your success in a career, then speed networking is for you."

CSR Program Provides 1% of Time, Product, Money and Equity to 501(c)(3) Organizations

Durham, NC (January 12, 2010) - iContact Corporation is today unveiling its expanded Corporate Social Responsibility Program. The 4-1s Program is a way for the email marketing firm to give back to the community in a more formal way.

The 4-1s Program is made up of four parts:

• 1% of Employee time - equivalent to 2.5 paid work days per employee - that can be used to volunteer with a non-profit organization.
• 1% of Product - the use of iContact's email marketing software for up to 10,000 subscribers to qualified organizations in North Carolina.
• 1% of Payroll - the equivalent of 1% of iContact's payroll each year is given to 501(c)(3) organizations along with matching contributions made by employees up to $300 per year.
• 1% of Equity - 1% of the ownership of iContact has been committed to the iContact Foundation, forming in 2010.

Raleigh, NC - On December 2, 2009 LinkingRaleighNC.com hosted their Holiday OpenLink Networking Event and Food Drive presented by Duke Realty at the CAPTRUST Tower in North Hills. This event occurred on the currently vacant 15th floor, overlooking MidTown. Over 225 people were in attendance.

The event was organized by Greg Hyer, Founder of LinkingRaleighNC.com, with the assistance of volunteer members of the LinkingRaleighNC.com professional networking group. This is the second large format networking event LinkingRaleighNC.com has organized this year. This event's purpose was to bring members of the group together to get ready for next year by making new business contacts and refresh old ones. In addition to general networking, Hyer felt that there was an opportunity to show the generosity of its members by promoting a food drive. While it was not required, attendees were asked to bring one can of non perishable food which would be collected and donated to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.