One of the best ways to learn about new business strategies and technologies is to attend local small business conferences sponsored by your local Chambers of Commerce or other regional business associations. One in particular that may be of interest for companies in Northeast Ohio is the COSE Small Business Conference.
COSE is the Council of Smaller Enterprises, a part of the Greater Cleveland Growth Partnership. COSE offers its members networking and educational events, advocacy on legislative and regulatory issues and cost-effective group purchasing programs. Most COSE members have less than 20 employees up to about 100 employees.
The Greater Cleveland Growth Partnership serves 8,000 members, and is one of the largest metropolitan chambers of commerce in the nation. The organization was created in 2004 by the consolidation of Cleveland Tomorrow, the Greater Cleveland Growth Association, the Greater Cleveland Roundtable and their primary affiliates— the Northeast Ohio Technology Coalition (NorTech), COSE and the Commission on Economic Inclusion.
The COSE Small Business Conference (branded BizCon Cleveland) is billed as a unique education and networking experience exclusively designed for small and middle-market company CEOs, C-Suite, and their employees. The event features a full day of breakout sessions and workshops as well as keynote speakers and networking opportunities. The event is typically hosted in the Cleveland area in the Fall (mostly in mid October) but the date and location have changed in years past so be sure to check the event website for details for the current event information.
Workshops and sessions are centered on business management, human resources, marketing, sales, and much more. Further, the event includes an expo featuring some of the leading providers of business services, technology, and other products of interest to smaller companies in the region. Some years the event has included a hands-on lab for QuickBooks and other years it’s included more traditional business workshops.
Companies outside Northeast Ohio are likely to find similar small business conferences and events in their respective region by contacting local chambers of commerce.
