Getting your money's worth from conferences

Going to conferences and events can have huge benefits. You get face-to-face interaction, opportunities to learn, and chance encounters that can change everything. But here's the limitation:

Pasture tour during the
Tri-state Agritourism Conference

What you get out of a conference depends on what you put into it. 

So we put together a series of posts on conferences and events.

First, you have to get the funding to get there.

• Finding local conference sponsors. How to work with local businesses to sponsor you to that big event, and what is in it for them.
• Not finding conference sponsors? Then sponsor yourself. How to budget and prepare to get yourself to the big event. 

Then there is the event itself. Here are the guides to make the most of it before, during and after. 

• Getting the most out of conferences before you go. The five W's of getting ready long before you arrive at the venue. 
• Make the most of being at a conference. What I've learned from many smart conference-goers. 
• After the conference. Making time to follow up, even as you get back in the rush of the day-to-day, is crucial. 

Nothing else can replace getting together in person with interesting and inspiring people. So get out there and have a great time at an event!

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Lessons from WeKan rural tourism conference

[Longtime reader Johnita Crawford sent me this terrific report from the WeKan conference, all about rural tourism in Kansas. Many great ideas in here, ripe for the picking! --Becky ]

By Johnita Crawford

Wow! I’m still flying from the great day I spent at the WeKan conference I attended in Salina!

Johnita Crawford and Mary Arlington
at the WeKan Conference
Photo by WenDee LaPlant

Every two years the Kansas Sampler Foundation ran by Marci Penner and WenDee LaPlant puts on the WeKan conference to bring together people interested in tourism and rural Kansas. This is always a well done event, but I think they out did themselves this year.

A new group was announced at the beginning, people from 21 to 39 and have been dubbed the PowerUps. What energy and character this group had! If you weren’t energized by them, I don’t think you were listening. A group to get people to realize that the young folks in our state have great ideas and want to show case what Kansas is all about, living rural and loving it because they are "Rural By Choice."

The breakout sessions were next on the program, and the ones I got to attend were wonderful. Mary Arlington talked about the wonderful RV parks in our state and what it takes to get people to stop at her park. She has everything from miniture golf, to hot tubs and an organic free garden for her guest to use. A wonderful place in Kansas to stop and visit and rest for awhile.

Then there was Connie Lewis telling the story of how the Meatloaf Festival in Paxico started from someone saying they loved meatloaf and had the best recipe, but someone else thought they had the best, it became a contest. Now they have a contest every year to see who has the best and people from all over come to little Paxico, Kansas to show case their meatloaf creations. Prizes and fun all in a great day.

Then a great PowerUp Erika Nelson showing us how to brand our towns. She had all kinds of ideas on how to make costumes that you wear made out of card board boxes to show case what your town is known for. What enthusiasm this young lady had. Can you believe that was just the first hour?

I also attended sessions given by Tanner Lucas on using social media and the awesome things that can come from that. He showed us how to use facebook and twitter to promote our town and how one person leads to lots of other people finding out great information. Needless to say I couldn’t attend all the sessions, but the ones I did kept my heart beating rapidly and the energy flowing.

A great lunch was served and then it was back for more great sessions. I can’t tell you all the fabulous things that went on all day but will tell you that the PowerUps (21-39) and the PowerOns (40-80) were energized and excited at the end of the day.

On a little personal note I got to meet a facebook freind at the conference that I’d never actually talked to face to face. What a wonderful way to connect.

So if you ever want to spend 8 hours of fun, tourism, connecting and energy you should check out the WeKan conference put on by the Kansas Sampler Foundation. The next one will be in 2013, I hope to see you there. I’ll be the gal with the big smile and great energy, it may be a little hard to pick me out because that’s how everyone looked yesterday.

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A small business technology solution

I've known Matt Mansfield on Twitter for a long time. I've also known a lot of small business owners with technology problems. So I'm excited that Matt has created a place for small business owners to get technology answers, Matt About Solutions.

I've been inside and looked around, and I decided to do more than just encourage Matt; I decided to be an affiliate, too.

UPDATE: Matt has decided to close Matt About Solutions. It is no longer available.

It's a place to get answers to complex tech questions.

• This is not tech support, i.e. "my email is broken!"
• It is more like technology support, i.e. "what email solution would work for my business?"

For example, I keep putting off a big technology upgrade in my liquor store. I know I want to go to a point of sale (POS) system, but it's going to be a pain. I can't ask a vendor, because I'm sure they'll just tell me to use their system. I don't want to do the amount of research it would take to sort out all the hardware, software and integration issues. I could start by asking Matt, and then go from there. (Please don't jump in the comments offering me your POS solution. You're missing the point, and I will delete those ads/comments.)

And that's the problem we all have. We can ask a vendor, but that is guaranteed to get a biased answer. We can ask our nephew who is really great with computers, but what does he know about business? We can search (and search and search) online. I always find too many long lists of possible solutions and not enough actual comparisons. We could hire a consultant just for that issue, or maybe not.

Imagine taking any big technology decision for your small business, and getting some honest unbiased feedback from someone who knows technology well and knows small business. That's what I see as the big benefit of Matt About Solutions. It's that expert you can't afford to keep on retainer just to ask questions. I'm really glad Matt made it affordable, $19.99 per month, or $149 for a full year.

Too many of us are letting technology problems get in the way of doing business. I know Matt will be covering accounting, project management, CRM (customer relationship management), collaboration tools and even marketing. Those are all huge issues that would take forever to research yourself, and maybe not end up with any better idea of what would work for you. That makes them perfect to turn to a technology expert for some help.

And he is taking questions. There is a big "Ask Matt" button on almost every page so you can get in there with your specific question.

There is a special discount, now through Friday, April 8, 2011 only.

• For monthly accounts, you can get $10 off your first month. Use the code speciallaunchprice when you sign up.
• For annual accounts, you can take $50 off your first year! Use the code speciallaunchpriceannual when you sign up. 

So if you need someplace to go for smart advice on technology for your small business, consider Matt About Solutions.

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Ups and Downs in the Brag Basket

We all have our ups and downs. Share your "ups" in the Brag Basket. The basket is always free and open all weekend, from March 25-27, 2011.

We all have our ups and downs.
This week's basket photo by Liz West.

Even though I call this the Brag Basket, it's not really about bragging. It's about sharing. It's here so you can introduce yourself, share some good news, or congratulate a friend.

Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community.

How does it work? You write a comment on this post, email me, tweet me, or comment on Facebook. You tell something great about your week, or you give applause to someone who did good stuff this week. Or you celebrate something wonderful that you tried that failed.

This is not an ad. (I delete the ads.) It's a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other.

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Tourism idea of the day: envelopes

Nebraska Tourism uses the back of their envelopes to list key attractions.

I got this catalog-size envelope from Nebraska Tourism. As you can see, the back is covered with driving tours, ideas for visits and popular attractions. Excellent use of an otherwise wasted space.

Let's extend this idea for any destination.

Add a web address or URL for an info page on each of these categories. Putting that URL into a QR code would make it very easy for people to look up on their phone. (Need the QR Code basics? Read Steven Streight's QR Code as Mobile Marketing Tool.)

Add some video to that web page, and mention that on the envelope. "Go to (URL) for a video of this tour."

Add some color by using stamps or stickers. Here are some ideas for promoting with stamps and stickers that integrate with your high-tech promotions, too.

What would you add?

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We need employee handbook resources

Reader Denise Kerns asked,

Do you have any resources for developing an employee handbook for small businesses? I've never had one, but think I should and don't know where to start.
I love your publication. I find encouraging and insightful info very regularly. So nice to find something specifically addressing small town businesses!

So I'm asking you. Do you have any resources for developing an employee handbook, especially for small towns?

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Share your accomplishments in the Brag Basket

What wonderful news will you choose to share? The basket is always free and open all weekend, from March 18-20, 2011.

Share your accomplishments
This week's basket photo by Dunbar Gardens

Even though I call this the Brag Basket, it's not really about bragging. It's about sharing. It's here so you can introduce yourself, share some good news, or congratulate a friend.

Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community.

How does it work? You write a comment on this post, email me, tweet me, or comment on Facebook. You tell something great about your week, or you give applause to someone who did good stuff this week. Or you celebrate something wonderful that you tried that failed.

This is not an ad. (I delete the ads.) It's a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other.

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Prosperous small towns are built on prosperous entrepreneurs

Talking events and festivals
at Red Carpet Country meeting.

At the Red Carpet Country annual meeting, one of the big hits was the panel on events and festivals. They shared stories of local events that started with a few dozen or a few hundred attendees, and have grown to thousands. The total economic impact of those events would be hard to calculate, but it would be enormous. The panel was made up of volunteers who work on these events in their communities. Who were those volunteers? Local business owners, and successful local entrepreneurs.

It was a good reminder of one of my key beliefs:

Prosperous entrepreneurs build prosperous communities.

That is why Small Biz Survival exists. It's my way of creating more prosperous local entrepreneurs. I can't solve all the problems small towns face. The people best equipped to help any small town are the entrepreneurs who live and work there.

It goes back to a familiar theme that I noticed at the Midwest Rural Assembly: The best solutions come from within.

And that means the best solutions come from local people, local business owners. The more I can do to make them prosper, the more they make their communities prosper. That's why I'm here.

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Your secret weapon directory

If you do much work on local tourism, you know that you get asked for basic information and photos over and over. If you're like most of us, you have to search through folder after folder of photos, or dig for descriptions you wrote up last year.

Time to create your Secret Weapon for dealing with these requests.

Make a new folder on your computer. 
For bonus points, put it on a shared drive, a shared cloud service like Box.net or Evernote.
Call it your Secret Weapon.

Start filling it with photos. 
Put in reusable photos from attractions, events, people, activities. Include the details in the file name or file properties.
Every time you upload photos, pick the few great ones to add to the Secret Weapon.

Throw in descriptions. 
Make text files or documents with commonly used descriptions including websites, physical addresses, driving directions, etc.
If you have to type it once for something, send a copy to the Secret Weapon.
When you write something with just the right words, or you see the best description ever on a local attraction's site, put a copy (with proper attribution) in your Secret Weapon. Even if you don't use those exact words again, you can call on them for inspiration.

Add bookmarks. 
Remember that great blog post by the travel writer who visited your big festival? Well, let's get a bookmark in the Secret Weapon. Add the bookmarks to news articles. Include the text of those posts and articles along with the bookmark. (You can do that as a note in Evernote, or as a document.)
Important: always, always, always cite the source if you use a quote from other authors in your future work.

When you get that next request for info, just smile and open up your Secret Weapon.

Hey, I know this sounds basic, but how many of you actually do it?

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The New Small and The Entrepreneur Equation

Two small business books to talk about this week. The New Small by Phil Simon and The Entrepreneur Equation by Carol Roth. Both were sent to me for review, and both have good value for small business.

The New Small
Phil Simon

Phil gets that small business now has an advantage over big business. He pinpoints some technology that has changed to get us here. I sent Phil some questions about how this relates specifically to small towns.

1. You clearly say that small companies now have an advantage over big companies because of 5 changes in technology. Do you think that extends to small towns, too? Will small town businesses still be able to carry off those advantages?

"It sure does, although some towns in the US and other countries still have challenges with respect to broadband penetration and high speed internet access. Many small towns benefit from increased speeds and the decrease in the price of storage, but many doesn't mean all. So, to answer your second question, it depends. In theory, no."

2. Are there any of the 5 enablers that you think are especially potent for small town businesses?
"They all are. Not one is exclusive to big cities."

3. What do you mean by long term greedy, and why do you think it's a good thing? (I think there is some relation to a small town environment there.)
"The New Small understands that bad business exists. You don't want to take on a client knowing that red flags will make it success untenable. Yes, it's a good thing. Long-term relationships based upon trust and past performance inhibit clients from searching for the lowest cost solution. Remember, we live in a flat world now."

4. Do you have any small town examples of The New Small?
"Well, only one of the companies profiled in the book (DODOcase) is located in a big city. Ten of the eleven companies would qualify--and there are others not profiled in the book!"

5. Ultimately, how do we help more small business owners step up and join the New Small in adopting these technologies?
"Read the book! Beyond that, don't be afraid of technology. Jump in. Experiment. Don't be afraid to fail. You'll make progress and see results. It's not rocket science."

6. What about keeping up? Where do normal everyday small town business owners find out about the most enabling new tools and technologies, and how do they keep from falling behind?
"Ah, that is the challenge. Paying attention to key people, blogs, resources, webinars, and etc. is essential. I struggle myself sometimes. It's a very fast moving world."

7. Anything else you'd like to share or emphasize?
"There's never been a better time to be small. Emerging technologies do not obviate the need for a solid business model, service, or product. They can help, but major business fundamentals still exist."

Overall, I recommend this one if you want to get a better understanding of the types of technology now available to small business and why they matter. Find more at The New Small.

The Entrepreneur Equation
Carol Roth

One of Carol's strengths is dissuading those ill-suited for entrepreneurship. She cultivates a reputation as a blunt truth-speaker.

I sent Carol only one question. How does this apply for small town business?

"The Entrepreneur Equation is very applicable to small town business owners because it creates a framework that’s based on the entrepreneur’s goals, circumstances and objectives. While many business book take a point of view and try to make it one-size-fits-all, that’s not reality. The small town business owner is going to have different objectives, as well as risk/reward trade-offs that are unique to the circumstances of the individual as well as being located in a small town. That’s why I wanted to create a dynamic framework that anyone could layer on top of their own situation for individual decision making at any point in time."

If you're questioning whether going into business is for you, then this book can be a good guide to deciding. Find more information at The Entrepreneur Equation. 

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Texas and Bluebonnets in the Brag Basket

What wonderful news will you choose to share? The basket is always free and open all weekend, from March 11-13, 2011. Since I'm in Texas for SXSW this week, you'll have the cheer for each other this week. I leave you these Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrushes to encourage you.

Not a regular basket picture. Bluebonnets
in honor of my Texas trip for SXSW.
Photo by John Rogers

Even though I call this the Brag Basket, it's not really about bragging. It's about sharing. It's here so you can introduce yourself, share some good news, or congratulate a friend.

Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community.

How does it work? You write a comment on this post, email me, tweet me, or comment on Facebook. You tell something great about your week, or you give applause to someone who did good stuff this week. Or you celebrate something wonderful that you tried that failed.

This is not an ad. (I delete the ads.) It's a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other.

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After the Conference

Last week, we talked about how to Make the most of being at a conference. Now, let's talk about what to do when you get home.

Aliza Sherman making notes at the first ever
140 Characters Conference in NYC

Here is my best piece of advice.

Immediately after the event, write down the top five ideas from the event: five business ideas and five blog posts.

Follow up 
Take the five most promising people you met, and follow up with them. Send them an email that starts by reminding them of the details of where you met and what you discussed, and ends with a next step to move forward.

Report out
Report on the event online. Post it to your blog, Facebook, and any local forums that welcome event reports.

Get some local press: In a small town, you can probably write up your own report and submit it along with photos. 

Post your photos from the event to Flickr and Facebook. Tag them with key words about the event and all the people pictured. 

Report to your sponsors or potential sponsors for next time.  Now, the champion at this has to be Adele McAlear. Here's what she did:

I videotaped sessions that my sponsors were interested in, then transcribed the video so that the content could be sliced, diced and searchable. I also went out of my way to meet people that were pertinent to my sponsors' businesses and provided a report of those conversations and their contact information. I did an executive summary of the experience, relevant to my sponsors' needs, and had the whole thing (1 1/2 inches thick) spiral bound. I burned the video to DVD and sent that along too. 

I don't know if you'll do as well as Adele, but then again, you might not do as well at finding sponsors either. This is one place it pays to over-deliver, I think. In fact, why not send a thorough report to someone who was on the fence about sponsoring you? Consider it an investment in gaining future sponsorship. 

Connect with others

Search for event posts and photos from other attendees. Comment and connect. 

Ask for permission to use photos of you that you find. If you get a yes, save those photos to your computer and rename them to include the name of the photographer. "Me at TACVB by Doug Harmon" or something like that. The purpose is to give that photographer the credit if and when you use the pic. If you don't get permission, then don't use it. 

Find the time
Afraid you'll never get this done? I know about that post-conference rush to get back to work. The solution is to make an appointment with yourself. In fact, make several so you can do this in small bites.

And that's it
That is the end of our events series. What did we miss?


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How To Start A Coworking Space in Your Small Town

[Reader Joel Bennett got really excited over last week's post on, Is it time to rent office space? That's because he is a big force behind a co-working space in a small town, called Veel Hoeden. I asked him to share some of what he has learned chasing that dream. -Becky]

Coworking spaces have been touted as great resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs who are looking for a place to call their own.  Although they can be found across the world in large metropolitan areas, many entrepreneurs don’t expect to find them in their local small town.  But that is changing quickly.

Co-working at Veel Hoeden.
See more pictures from their opening week.

Veel Hoeden was launched in October of 2010 in Pella, Iowa, population 10,000.  Our focus was to provide a space where local small business people and entrepreneurs could work and collaborate in an environment that felt more professional than a coffee shop, more interactive than a home office, and more interesting than a table at the public library.

Attracting group tours to your small town

[Our friend Deb Brown wrote up some terrific notes on attracting group tours to small towns, and she was kind enough to share them with us. -Becky]

By Deb Brown

Last week I went to the Central Iowa Tourism Quarterly Meeting. The first part of the day was Creating Pop Off the Page Itineraries. There was a panel of experts who talked about the kind of itineraries that group tour planners were looking for. A couple of Iowa communities were represented and talked about what they’ve done to attract tourists and travelers to their areas.

What's your Municipal Band?
NWOSU Alumni Band in Alva, Oklahoma

It got me to thinking. What can small towns do to create a buzz and make tourists want to visit? Most home town people take for granted the things they have. Doesn’t everyone have a Carnegie Library? Doesn’t the Municipal Band play in the summer where you live? Who doesn’t have old historical sites? Why would anyone want to come here?

March into the Brag Basket

What wonderful news will you choose to share? The basket is always free and open all weekend, from March 4-6, 2011.

"March" basket by Dunbar Gardens

Even though I call this the Brag Basket, it's not really about bragging. It's about sharing. It's here so you can introduce yourself, share some good news, or congratulate a friend.

Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community.

How does it work? You write a comment on this post, email me, tweet me, or comment on Facebook. You tell something great about your week, or you give applause to someone who did good stuff this week. Or you celebrate something wonderful that you tried that failed.

This is not an ad. (I delete the ads.) It's a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other.

New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.

Make the most of being at a conference

You prepared ahead of time for that big conference. Now you find yourself at the event. What can you do to get more out of it?

@AmberCadabra and @ThinkMaya
at BlogWorld Expo 2009

Be somebody. 
Be your friendliest self. Act like you're in a small town. Say hello to everyone. Talk to your neighbors, whether in line or at a table or where ever you find yourself. Pretend you are hosting a big party, and all of these people have chosen to attend with you. When you're sitting in the partially empty room before a session, take the initiative to break the ice. It's your party, after all!

Know how you plan to introduce yourself, what you want people at this event to know about you. Give people hooks, so they know how you might be useful to them. Don't worry as much about handing out your card as you do about getting their card. That way you can be sure you follow up, not rely on them to remember. I got those ideas from Chris Brogan.

Keeping up your online listings

Seems like every week you discover another website that lists one of your local events, usually with some key piece of information wrong! And then there's another directory listing your town, asking you to send them updated information monthly or yearly. And there's the state tourism site, and the regional site, and your neighboring town has offered to trade event calendars.... How can you possibly ever keep all these up to date?

A Word About Keywords
Before you get started, you need to know your area's keywords. Start with your town name, add in attractions, event names, and important tourism-related businesses. You'll want that set of keywords to do monitoring online and other projects, so you might as well make a decent list now.

Find all the listings.
Do a simple search at Google, and another at Bing, looking for listings of your town and events. Bookmark all those listings.