The Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) is holding its seventh annual small business conference on October 19th and 20^th at the I-X Center in Cleveland. The event is the only one of its kind designed specifically for small business owners looking for an opportunity to learn, network and work together with other small businesses.

“Basically we put this together because we saw a gap in the marketplace for this kind of conference,” says Steve Millard, COSE president and executive director. “There aren’t a whole lot of places you can go as a small business owner. This two day conference is a chance to come together and be with other small business owners who understand the pressures of what they go through.”

The conference will feature 55 workshops on sales, marketing, HR, money, social media, technology, as well as personal and professional development. There will also be a 75-booth trade show, networking opportunities, interactive learning labs, and peer-to-peer roundtables on topics pertinent to small businesses.

Keynote speakers will be Daymond John, creator of FUBU and panelist on the ABC reality show “Shark Tank” and Jeffrey Rapport, a digital marketing, sales and e-commerce expert and founder and chairman of Marketspace, LLC.

Additionally, a panel of four local successful business owners will share their stories and the ups and downs of becoming successful. “It’s an opportunity to learn from others,” says Millard. “It’s a lot of energy, a lot of fun.”

The conference has earned a national reputation, and attendees have come from as far as California and Canada, says Millard. Organizers expect 2,000 small business owners to attend this year.

Source: Steve Millard
Writer: Karin Connelly