Getting out of the office more

I was talking with a business owner last week and he made a comment that made me think about an aspect of business that is often over looked. We spoke about the proverbial “getting out of the office more.”   Naturally it is winter and there is a lot to be said for being in the office because it is cold. However, there is an opportunity to get out of the office in a very productive way. Think education and networking…

I am a huge fan of using the internet for education; however, there is nothing like meeting others, learning together, and making new business contacts. Winter is a great time to take advantage of these types of learning opportunities. After all, it will be more fun networking on the golf course or at CulpeperFest when the weather is nice (yes I did say nice weather and CulpeperFest in the same sentence… lol).

There is a great opportunity on February 28th at the Germanna’s Daniel Technology Center. In a coordinated effort with Germanna, The Culpeper Chamber of Commerce, and many local organizations, we have just the thing to escape the winter office blues…. Take a day or a few hours to learn something new. In fact, it is just as important to take time to “learn what you don’t know” in order to be competitive.

We have assembled subject matter experts from the region in order to give you a great return on your time. The conference is called Business Basics Boot Camp and it is designed to “Strengthen the Business of Non-Profits and Small Business.” We know how hard it is to get out of the office, so we packed lots of learning into one exciting day.

Our lineup of subjects and experts include a highly recognized representative from Constant Contact to share the latest in Email Marketing and Social Media (this alone is worth the time).  We have experts from the Foundation Center in Washington DC coming to talk about “Grant Writing” and another session on “How to Search for Grants” on the Foundation Center database at the Culpeper Library (again this alone is worth the time). We have experts coming to talk about employment & HR issues, record keeping, starting a new business, strategic planning, Federal and State regulations, and more. These are basics and yet they change in subtle and significant ways.

To make this an over the top, off the charts, can’t believe it conference. We have invited Matt Thornhill – a nationally recognized expert on the “Boomer Consumer.” It is clear that the baby boomer generation has had a significant effect on products and services in our economy. Come and hear Matt Thornhill, our keynote speaker to learn how to make profitable adjustments in your business or non-profit organization. The conference is $25 with lunch included. Go to BasicsBootCamp.com to register.

Jim Charapich, President/CEO Email

Culpeper County Chamber of Commerce

Published February 7, 2011 in the Culpeper Star Exponent