The Increase CDC Entreprenuers Conference & Expo is scheduled for Thursday, October 11, 2012 from 8am to 4pm at the Embassy Suites Columbus Airport, 2886 Airport Drive, Columbus, Ohio. This is an excellent opportunity for business owners bto grow their business beyond where it is today. Connect with other entreprenuers, learn new strategies for business growth and prepare yourself for success.

This year keynote speakers include:
Dwight Smith, CEO of Sophisticated Systems
James Schimmer, Director of Franklin County Economic Development & Planning Department

To learn more, visit www.bizconferencecolumbus.com

M.J. Design & Associates Inc. started in 1998 by Molly and Joel John (the mj), who both graduated from OSU with landscape architecture degrees, but actually love plants (most LA’s could care less about plants, they just want to design).  They began the business out of their home, then moved into a couple storage facilities, and finally moved to our current location in 2003.  We cater to small commercial and residential, with 60% of our work in landscape maintenance and 40% design/landscape install  service.  Our commercial customers are Wendy’s corporate and Tim Horton franchisee stores all over Central Ohio, but most concentrated in Columbus and the suburbs.  Our residential is a mix of high-end to middle class clients, but who really love their landscapes and want it to be the best year round and they understand attention to detail which along with our customer service is our biggest attribute.  We are more than just a landscape company; we are our clients outside property manager.

Listen to this interview with Gail Reinhart, Sales and Account Manager, and learn more about the landscaping industry and tips about lawn care!

Tanya Smith is a small business internet coach that helps you with strategies and techniques to create business success and think strategically about your  business. Tanya Smith is fiercely committed to guiding micro and other small business owners to excel in business by creating efficient & profitable online marketing systems to free up their time so they can focus on what’s most important to them.Tanya has 20 years of combined experience in corporate, leadership and entrepreneur training, marketing, and sales. Tanya has an MBA as well as a number of professional certifications such as the Certified Purposeful Branding & Marketing Coach ™, Certified Career Management Coach ™, Certified Leadership & Talent Management Coach ™, Professional in HR
(PHR), Reach Certified Online Identity Strategist and more. Be sure to visit her on http://www.tanyasmithonline.com.

Tanya Smith is a small business internet coach that helps you with strategies and techniques to create business success and think strategically about your  business. Tanya Smith is fiercely committed to guiding micro and other small business owners to excel in business by creating efficient & profitable online marketing systems to free up their time so they can focus on what’s most important to them.Tanya has 20 years of combined experience in corporate, leadership and entrepreneur training, marketing, and sales. Tanya has an MBA as well as a number of professional certifications such as the Certified Purposeful Branding & Marketing Coach ™, Certified Career Management Coach ™, Certified Leadership & Talent Management Coach ™, Professional in HR
(PHR), Reach Certified Online Identity Strategist and more. Be sure to visit her on http://www.tanyasmithonline.com.

Mike Michalowicz (mi-CAL-o-witz) started his first business at the age of 24, moving his young family to the only safe place he could afford – a retirement village. With no experience, contacts, or savings, he systematically bootstrapped a multi-million dollar business. Then he did it again. And again.
His experience building three multi-million dollar companies fostered a philosophy rarely taught to entrepreneurs: the lack of money, experience and resources is, in fact, your greatest asset. Because, all these “limitations” bring about the key ingredient to entrepreneurial success: innovation.
Mike is the president of a behavioral e-marketing firm, Obsidian Launch; is the small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal; is the “business makeover” specialist on MSNBNC; and is the author of cult classic book, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. He is currently writing his second book, to be released in 2012 by Portfolio, an imprint of the Penguin Group.

Shelly Hunt is the Founder and CEO of Social Media Success, LLC and specializes in technology and relationship building. Débuting Social Media-Success in 2010, Shelly offers her technical, business, and relationship acumen to small businesses. As a social media consultant and trainer she specializes in working with her clients to define their existing online footprint, create a roadmap to social media success, and train her clients to administer her plans to maximize impressions, target market reach, and return on investment.

Complementing Shelly’s business background is 20+ years in the IT field with the State of Ohio, Franklin University MBA alumni, designation as a Project Management Professional and Social Media training certification. Community involvement includes Toastmasters, Increase Community Development Corporation and Franklin University coaching, mentoring & ambassador programs.

As a member of First Church of God, she serves as a role model and mentor to young women. When not exploring a new technology, studying social media, or facilitating a presentation, you will find Shelly reading, gardening, interior decorating, traveling or spending time with family. Her favorite quote is the Serenity Prayer.

Shama is author of the best-selling book, “The Zen of Social Marketing,” and is an oft-quoted social media expert. Shama has been featured by Business Week, Dallas Morning News, Entrepreneur, Fast company, Inc. Magazine, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, the Wall Street Journal and hundreds of blogs and social media outlets. She’s also an accomplished international speaker and hosts her own Web TV show, Shama.TV. The show addresses new media marketing topics, trends, people and relevant perspectives. She also hosts Tech Zen with Shama and Socially Sound with Shama on CW 33.

Shama formed The Marketing Zen Group in 2009. Since then, the company has grown, includes 25 employees and clients that range from publicly held, Fortune 1000 companies to privately held small businesses and non-profit organizations. The company serves clients worldwide, including companies in Europe, Asia and Central and South Americas. Since its start in 2009, average company growth is 400 percent.

She holds a Masters degree in Organizational Communication from the University of Texas at Austin, and prides herself in being a constant learner. In 2009, Business Week honored Shama as one of the Top 25 under 25 entrepreneurs in North America. In 2010, Shama won the prestigious Technology Titan Emerging Company CEO award. In 2011, Entrepreneur Magazine featured her as one of four Super Sonic Youth, dubbing her a “Zen Master of Marketing.”

When not working directly with her clients or shooting her shows for the media, Shama travels the world speaking on business, entrepreneurship, and technology. The 2nd edition of her best-selling book, The Zen of Social Media Marketing, is due out in the spring of 2012.

sideNOW description:

sideNOW is a social debating application that allows friends to challenge each other to debates and invite all their other friends to pick a side and declare a winner. Users can state their sides via text, webcam, youtube embed or images. sideNOW also serves as a tool for brands to increase fan engagement on their fan pages.

Startup Weekend – Full from Eighteen Eighty on Vimeo.

Shelly Hunt is the Founder and CEO of Social Media Success, LLC and specializes in technology and relationship building. Débuting Social Media-Success in 2010, Shelly offers her technical, business, and relationship acumen to small businesses. As a social media consultant and trainer she specializes in working with her clients to define their existing online footprint, create a roadmap to social media success, and train her clients to administer her plans to maximize impressions, target market reach, and return on investment.

Complementing Shelly’s business background is 20+ years in the IT field with the State of Ohio, Franklin University MBA alumni, designation as a Project Management Professional and Social Media training certification. Community involvement includes Toastmasters, Increase Community Development Corporation and Franklin University coaching, mentoring & ambassador programs.

Member of First Church of God. She serves as a role model and mentor to young women. When not exploring a new technology, studying social media, or facilitating a presentation, you will find Shelly reading, gardening, interior decorating, traveling or spending time with family. Her favorite quote is the Serenity Prayer.