Columbus Chamber to Host Business Leadership Sessions at Small Business Forum & Leader Awards Nov. 15

Columbus, Ohio (PRWEB) November 01, 2011

Small business leaders will be armed with knowledge and insights they need to accelerate their business at the Columbus Chambers 2011 Small Business Forum and Leader Awards. The event, hosted in conjunction with the Chambers Small Business Council, will be held Tuesday, Nov. 15 at the Renaissance Columbus Downtown, 50 North Third Street.

Highlighting the forum agenda is keynote speaker Donna James, who is managing director of Lardon & Associates LLC and a corporate director for several public companies including three Fortune 500 companies. In addition to her corporate governance expertise, James has over 25 years of diverse management and leadership experience at the highest corporate levels. James topic will be Persistence toward Good Fortunesharing how in business as in life the ability to rebound, regroup and push forward to a successful conclusion is key.

The Small Business Forum also will feature 24 educational sessions on business-critical topics including Business Development, Funding and Finance, Human Resources, Legal and Regulatory, Marketing and Public Relations and Organizational Leadership. These sessions will be presented by Columbus Chamber members who are thought leaders in their areas of expertise. Topics and presenters include:

Demystifying International Business: The Dos and Donts

Luis Alcalde and Vinita Mehra, Kegler, Brown, Hill & Ritter, LPA

To the Cloud! A Cloud Computing Primer and Roadmap for Small Business

John Massie, Oxford Consulting

Achieving Success with an Advisory Board

Mary McCarthy and Caroline Worley, Your Management Team, Inc.

Diversity Bridge: Your One-Stop Business Resource

Somers Martin, Columbus Chamber; Ellen Harvey, ECDI;

Douglas Sweazy, Small Business Administration

General Financing Options for Small & Emerging Businesses

Thomas Washbush and Ted Motheral, Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff, LLP

Loan Options for Your Small Business

John Mavrouleas, KEMBA Financial Credit Union

Alternatives for Financing Your Business

Parker MacDonell, Invergarry Partners

Taking Advantage of the Commercial Real Estate Market to Add to Your Bottom Line

Brad Kitchen, Alterra Real Estate Advisors

The Human Age Attracting and Retaining Talent for Small Business

Ken Lazar, ManpowerGroup

So You Want Grandma to Get a Job?

Andrea Applegate, Columbus Chamber

Human Resource - Build Your Bunker

Bill Hutter, Sequent

Employers All Atwitter Social Media Legal Problems and Solutions

Marie-Joelle C. Khouzam, Carlile Patchen & Murphy, LLP;

William A. Nolan, Barnes & Thornburg, LLP; Timothy J. Owens, Lane Alton & Horst, LLC

My Generation: Legal Issues in the Changing Organization

Nicholette Hudson and Amy Ruth Ita, Barnes & Thornburg, LLP

2012 Marketing Forecast: Small Businesses Level the Playing Field

C. Lee Smith, Ad-ology Research

Is it Time to Transform Your Marketing Plan? Eight Small Critical Tweaks to Help Change the Way You See Your Plan to Help Change the Results You Get

Christine Adams, Bascom & Adams Business Solutions, LLC

Internal Branding Drives Profitability

Jason Mlicki, Mlicki

Decision-Making in Business: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Brenda Stier-Anstine, Marketing Works; Dave Bianconi, Progressive Medical; Jeanne Gokcen, FutureCom Technologies; Kevin Gadd, Venture Highway

Quality Translations in Marketing Material and Social Media

Madalena Sanchez Zampaulo, Accessible Translation Solutions

Niche Marketing 270

Michael Daniels, Outlook Media, Inc

Leading with a Limp

Anthony Redic, Servant Leadership Development Institute, LLC

Creating Your Leadership Maxims

Mike Figliuolo, thoughtLEADERS, LLC

Passing the Leadership Baton: Succession Planning

Sadicka White, Servant Leadership Development Institute, LLC

Building Small Business Success

Bill Balderaz, Webbed Marketing

Leading: Be Your B.E.S.T.

Dr. Patricia Larkins Hicks, The Outcomes Management Group, Ltd.

To register and find details about forum tracks, sessions and presenters, as well as information about the Small Business Leader Awards, visit http://www.columbus.org/sbfla.

The Small Business Forum & Leader Awards are produced by the Columbus Chamber and presented by Commerce National Bank with presenting partners Columbus Business First and Honorary Chair Mike Rosati, Rosati Windows. Partners include Alterra Real Estate Advisors, Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Bartha, Big Lots, CareWorks, CareWorks Consultants, Inc., Columbus Crew, FASTSIGNS Westerville, Hahn Loeser& Parks, LLP, Integrys Energy Services Inc., Kemba Financial Credit Union, Ohio Environmental Council, OhioHealth, Spinelli's Deli, State Auto Insurance Companies, WMNI-AM 920, WRKZ-FM the Blitz 99.7, and WTDA-FM Classic Hits 103.9.

About the Columbus Chamber

The Columbus Chamber helps businesses thrive. It leads business growth, retention and expansion initiatives in the Columbus Region, enhances the business environment and delivers programs and services that enable its members to be more successful. To learn more about the Columbus Chamber, visit http://www.columbus.org.

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Leading Business Website, Goliath, Offers Access to Top Business Magazines, Newspapers, Journals

Farmington Hills, MI (PRWEB) September 9, 2008

Goliath (http://goliath.ecnext.com ), a top 10 business information and reference website, today announced free trial access to hundreds of top business publications from North America and around the world. Through Goliath Business News, users can take advantage of unlimited online access to hundreds of popular and hard-to-find business magazines, newspapers, newswires, and journals including:

The Washington Times, PRNewswire, Macworld, Los Angeles Business Journal, Information Today, Business Wire, and Kiplinger's Personal Finance as well as recently added publications such as San Francisco Chronicle, eWEEK, and the London Evening Standard.

"There is so much business information out there right now, but who has the time and the money to visit all the different websites and subscribe to all the magazines and newspapers you need to keep up with it all?" said Doug Cohol, Director of Product Management for Goliath. "Goliath Business News compiles these information sources into one, easy-to-use online resource that you can access anytime and all in one place."

From the most recent business news to over 10 years of historical content, Goliath offers unlimited access to search and browse its entire collection of business magazines, newspapers, newswires, and journals.

"The goal of Goliath Business News is to ensure that our business users are able to access the information that they need, when they need it," Cohol added. "Our first-rate publications from around the world provide reliable and accurate information, and since the content is updated daily, users can access the latest news at the click of a mouse."

Unlimited access to Goliath Business News is available through a free 7-day trial. To learn more, please visit http://goliath.ecnext.com .

About Goliath:

Goliath is Gale's online-business content service, providing global company and industry intelligence to business executives. Goliath provides immediate online access to more than three million records including business articles, industry reports, company profiles and executive contacts pulled from business data resources maintained by Gale. The site serves a range of business needs -- from starting a company, to researching an existing company and reviewing best practices, to retrieving recent business news. To learn more visit goliath.ecnext.com.

About Cengage Learning and Gale:

Cengage Learning delivers highly customized learning solutions for colleges, universities, professors, students, libraries, government agencies, corporations and professionals around the world. Gale, part of Cengage Learning, serves the world's information and education needs through its vast and dynamic content pools, which are used by students and consumers in their libraries, schools and on the Internet. It is best known for the accuracy, breadth and convenience of its data, addressing all types of information needs - from homework help to health questions to business profiles - in a variety of formats - books and eBooks, databases and microfilm. For more information visit: http://www.cengage.com or http://www.gale.com .

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More Macworld Announcements Press Releases

No Monkeying Around: Appointment-Plus Adds MailChimp Sync to Industry-Leading Small Business Toolbox

Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) August 31, 2011

Appointment-Plus, the leader in online scheduling calendars for businesses and organizations of all sizes, today announced the release of its MailChimp e-marketing sync, which allows users to quickly and seamlessly transfer customer e-mails and contact information from their scheduler software directly to their MailChimp account. The sync further reinforces Appointment-Plus motto We Work with What You Work With and its standing as the only online scheduling system to marry Web-based appointment-scheduling, payment-processing, accounting and e-marketing solutions, as well as the ability to sync calendar applications, in one easy-to-use scheduling system.

The integration is the latest in a series of upcoming releases that comprise its small business toolbox, which currently includes syncs with QuickBooks, Constant Contact and iContact, as well as online customer payment options through Merchant Warehouse. Upcoming releases include syncs with Google and Microsoft Outlook calendars and a new user interface.

Service-based businesses need more than just a scheduling software program to manage their appointments and reservations, says Bob La Loggia, CEO of Appointment-Plus. They need an integrated solution to sync their scheduler with other applications they routinely use.

Appointment-Plus is the industrys only scheduling system that enables them to accomplish this, as our system works with software programs they already have.

Free to all Appointment-Plus clients, the new sync enables them to seamlessly upload their Appointment-Plus customer information right into their MailChimp account, where they have access to all available applications, such as templates for newsletters and product and event promotions; co-branding options; and tracking and reporting tools. Appointment-Plus users can add their Book Now button in newsletters and e-mail messages, thereby creating a highly-visible image that draws customers attention and encourages them to schedule their services right through the e-marketing message.

The sync also eliminates the need to manage two or more separate customer e-mail lists. A subscription to MailChimp is required to utilize the sync.

The leading provider of Web-based scheduling software since 2001, Appointment-Plus online business calendar provides service-based businesses and organizations the tools they need to automate, streamline and improve their appointment- and reservation-booking processes.

Among the functionality offered in the feature-rich system are:

Online self-scheduling, whereby customers can book their own appointments and reservations at their own convenience, 24 hours a day.
Automated e-mail and text message reminders sent prior to a scheduled appointment or reservation.
Robust record-keeping and reporting capabilities.

Because its Web-based, Appointment-Plus online scheduling calendars require only an Internet connection to use, without any downloads, installations or additional hardware.

Pricing starts at $ 39 per month, with no long-term contracts. All signups receive a complementary training session with a professional set-up coach during their 15-day free trial period.

E-marketing can be an effective and affordable way to drive sales and grow your company, especially when combined with our industry-leading appointment-scheduling software, La Loggia continues. This new sync is an easy and effective way to quickly distribute messages to customers and keep your appointment slots full.

Its just another benefit that illustrates how We Work with What You Work With.

To learn more about Appointment-Plus online scheduler calendar and how it can sync with other software applications you already utilize, click here.

About Appointment-Plus: Appointment-Plus is the leading online appointment-scheduling system, serving organizations in 11 countries ranging from one-person businesses to Fortune 500 companies. With over 15 million end users across 100 industries, Appointment-Plus is the preferred scheduler for colleges and universities, personal fitness trainers, spas, salons, shipping docks, government agencies, health care providers, financial institutions, tour operators, and many other types of organizations. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., over 70 million appointments have been booked through Appointment-Plus since its launch in 2001.

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More College Text Press Releases

A Total Mobile Business Solution with a Virtual Footprint

Addison, TX (PRWEB) November 11, 2011

Clear Advantage Mobile (http://www.ClearAdvantageMobile.com) in conjunction with MagTek, the leader in magnetic card reading products for nearly 40 years, sets a new footprint with their most secure and complete mobile solution to date.

The power of Clear Advantage Mobile and Magteks QwickPay engine for both Android and iPhone/iPad make this design a winning pair for on-the-go payments. With Clear Advantage Mobile, merchants can use their mobile device or i-product to successfully process secure, card-present transactions, anytime and anywhere without the worries of storing sensitive card data.

Clear Advantage Mobile reduces the cost of card acceptance by offering authentic card-present transactions, reducing the scope of PCI compliance, eliminating charge-back costs and hassles while declining counterfeit cards in real time.

Were very excited about the Clear Advantage Mobile product, as we believe it offers complete functionality for mobile payments with a very easy to understand interface that is unparalleled by other mobile solutions in the industry, said Chief Sales Officer, Mark Harrelson.

The QwickPay/Clear Advantage Mobile App is exclusively available through Encore Payment Systems and its sister companies, Prodigy Payment Systems and Momentum Payment Systems at the Android Market and iTunes stores.

For further information visit http://www.clearadvantagemobile.com or contact

Justin Motz, sales(at)mymerchantzone(dot)com, (214) 442-1700 x1327

About Encore Payment Systems

Encore Payment Systems was established for the purpose of providing electronic payment processing solutions and other value-added services to small- and medium-sized merchants throughout the United States. Encore is a leader in the electronic payment processing field providing credit card, debit card, ATM card, gift card, prepaid card, EBT and check processing services. with over seventy years of combined experience in the electronic transaction processing industry, Encores management team set forth a goal of creating a company with a sincere dedication to superior customer service and an honest and ethical approach to acquiring new customers. This vision has enabled Encore to become one of the fastest growing companies in the industry excelling in all aspects of merchant services. Encore Payment Systems is located at 3801 Arapaho Road, Addison, Texas 75001. Please follow us on Twitter @EncorePS or visit http://www.EncorePS.com.

About MagTek

Since 1972, MagTek has been a leading manufacturer of electronic devices and systems for the reliable issuance, reading, transmission and security of cards, checks, PINs and other identification documents. Leading with innovation and engineering excellence, MagTek is known for quality and dependability. Its products include secure card readers, check scanners, PIN pads and distributed credential issuing systems. These products are used worldwide by financial institutions, retailers, hotels, law enforcement agencies and other organizations to provide secure and efficient electronic payment and identification transactions.

Today, MagTek continues to innovate with the development of a new generation of security centric products secured by MagneSafe. By leveraging strong encryption, secure tokenization, real time authentication and dynamic payment card data, MagneSafe products enable users to assess and validate the trustworthiness of credentials used for online identification, payment processing, and other high-value electronic transactions.

MagTek is based in Seal Beach, California and has sales offices throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, with independent distributors in over 40 countries. For more information, please visit http://www.magtek.com.

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Westwood Chamber of Commerce Opens Holiday Season With AMEX Small Business Saturday, Home for the Holidays and Shop Westwood With a Chance to Win $100 Shopping Spree

Westwood, NJ (PRWEB) November 23, 2011

Westwood Chamber of Commerce will open the holiday season in grand style with an Amex sponsored event that is geared toward encouraging holiday consumers to spend their shopping dollars with local merchants. The 2nd annual Small Business Saturday

FitnessProDirectory.com Helps Fitness Professionals, Trainers and Coaches Promote and Build Business Instead of Getting Lost in a Sea of Trainers

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA (PRWEB) November 18, 2011

Developing a fitness business is one thing while succeeding in that business is another. Likewise, having the urge to exercise is a good start, but its not enough. Thats where FitnessProDirectory.com comes in. The 100 percent free site offers online listings for fitness professionals that are searchable by consumers looking to find a local trainer, coach or consultant. It makes the connection between desire and reality.

The site gives fitness pros a global presence that includes free links and social media presence, photos, a bio, embedded video and more as well as the ability to network and share ideas among others in the fitness community. In the tough economy, fitness experts are working ever harder to get more clients and stand out in the crowd. Online, fitness trainers can quickly get pushed down the page on Google. Or worse, never be found. This isn't for lack of effort on the part of the trainers. It has more to do with understanding how google works. FintessproDirectory.com has built-in and customizable SEO (seao engine optimization) for each trainer's profile. This allows the trainer to more easily be found. Further, FitnessProDirectory.com gives consumers the option to search for and compare fitness pros who offer the skills theyre looking to develop or enhance. Consumers can do comparisons of various trainers in their area and decide which one is right based on their own unique goals.

Getting fit and staying fit is so important, and this website makes it very easy for professionals and consumers to connect and build healthy lifestyles together, said John Spencer Ellis, founder of John Spencer Ellis Enterprises, a leading national fitness and personal development solutions company, and the online directory. The site is completely free and customizable, so fitness professionals can advertise their specific skill areas while people looking to boost their fitness level can search for those same areas of excellence. It's a win-win.

In addition, the FitnessProDirectory.com site provides the option to include articles and online ads, increasing search engine optimization (SEO) even more for trainers, coaches and consultants. The site also allows for rankings and comments.

About John Spencer Ellis Enterprises

From the age of 12 when he received his first health club membership as a birthday gift from his father, John Spencer Ellis knew fitness and personal development would be his calling. His unique business success story started in a 400-square-foot studio apartment, and what started as a personal training business has grown into a multimillion dollar group of corporations providing a wide variety of personal development products and services to every continent and more than 55 countries. Within a span of 12 years, Ellis competed in more than 100 fitness events, including the Ironman, and finished fifth in the U.S. National Run/Bike Championships. In 1992, his passion for fitness education led him to found the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association (NESTA), which educates and provides business solutions for fitness professionals. Now with more than 55,000 members in 55 countries, it is one of the largest fitness associations in the world, and the fastest growing association of its kind in the United States. The online Personal Trainer Certification offers the secrets to personal training success. For more information, please visit [http://www.fitnessprodirectory.com

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deskRunner.com is your Business Information Center for Business Start-ups and Small Business Help

Columbus, OH (PRWEB) October 18, 2006

Searching for business help and information on the Internet just got easier. deskRunner, a search engine/directory devoted exclusively to business, legal and accounting resources and information, has added content-rich articles addressing the most relevant business topics searched on the Internet.

deskRunner provides business resources to start your own business, information for your business start up needs, resources and information on how to start a small business, finding the correct IRS tax forms as well as tracking down hard to find state tax forms.

We developed deskRunner to address the online needs of businesses and entrepreneurs as well as the professionals that serve them, Jim Meaney, managing member of eSolve, LLC, the developer of deskRunner, said. Now we have taken the further step of adding content-based articles that offer basic guidance on Starting Your Own Business, Business Start-up, and How to Start a Small Business-all with links to deskRunner's valuable resources.

The Articles page can be directly accessed from 'http://www.deskrunner.coms main navigation page. Additional articles include: finding free business forms and free small business forms, small business help, information and resources on franchising, business name search and multi-state UCC searches.

Meaney adds we want deskRunner to be your Business Information Center-the one place you can come for small business help, starting your own business, IRS and state tax forms as well as reliable information on franchising and business name search, including the interplay of trademarks, company names and domain names.

Nick Sisco, Meaney's partner and the tech wizard behind deskRunner, said that Less is more. deskRunner is a dynamic business tool dedicated to delivering only relevant, responsive business information to folks who want to start their own business, buy a franchise, search for a business name or trademark or might need tax forms and advice from a variety of states.

Sisco notes that the Articles page adds a 3rd dimension to deskRunner's search options. Our users can search deskRunner like Google

The Business Finance Store Suggests Businesses Follow Amazons Lead With the Amazon Kindle Fire and Use a Loss Leader

Fountain Valley, CA (PRWEB) October 06, 2011

Amazon recently launched the new Amazon Kindle Fire. This new tablet is a direct competitor to Apples iPad with the Fires shockingly low price tag of $ 199. The price is so low that, according to Business Insider, Amazon actually loses $ 50 on every Kindle Fire sold. This just might help Amazon take some of Apples market share where the HP tablet couldnt a few months ago. Whats the catch? Amazon is using a loss leader. In the recent blog post Follow Amazons Lead: Use a Loss Leader, the Business Finance Store describes Amazons use of this pricing tool and how small businesses can follow their lead to maintain a profit.

Amazon is pricing their Kindle Fire without making a profit. However, Amazon hopes to make up this profit through sales of other related, complimentary products such as apps, eBooks, movies, etc. Businesses following Amazons lead dont have to make everything artificially cheap to survive. Losing too much money by making your product less expensive than others can be detrimental to business. Choosing the right loss leader is key. Read more about loss leaders and Amazons pricing strategy at the Business Finance Store blog.

The Business Finance Store is a business financing and consulting firm that offers customized Business Financial Solutions. Seasoned professionals offer assistance in a variety of financial solutions to help small businesses succeed such as:Business Financial Solutions, Legal Solutions, and Accounting Solutions.

The staff at The Business Finance Store understand that starting and growing a business is an exciting time. They keep it exciting by taking care of some of the most difficult aspects, by providing legal advice, helping with vital responsibilities like accounting & bookkeeping, and by obtaining business finance. They can quickly and easily guide entrepreneurs through many different complicated processes, and put them on the path to success.

For 10 years The Business Finance Store has been helping startups and other small businesses legally structure their companies, find the right franchises, get the funding they need, and to achieve the American Dream of owning their own successful business. Since expanding nationwide in 2007 they have helped thousands of companies and have funded over $ 60 Million in business credit lines, not including SBA loans. The Business Finance Store sees limitless potential in the current climate, and looks forward to many strong years of growth to come. Take some time to review their services, and give them a call.

For more information, or a free, no-obligation analysis of your business needs, visit The Business Finance Store, visit http://www.businessfinancestore.com. A member of their professional staff will contact you to discuss your business' short and long-term goals. Whatever you need, The Business Finance Store is there.

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