Governor's Small Business Forum - 2013

Prepare to be inspired!  The Governor's Small Business Forum is coming to the Bastrop Convention & Exhibit Center, located at 1408 Chestnut Street in downtown Bastrop on Thursday, April 18th, featuring speakers Jon Schallert and Dr. Rick Rigsby. This forum, "Growing a Consumer Destination Business With Passion," is designed to educate entrepreneurs and small business owners about the challenges and opportunities facing small businesses in Texas.

 

Jon Schallert is an internationally-recognized speaker and business expert specializing in teaching businesses and communities how to turn themselves into "Consumer Destinations." Schallert speaks to thousands annually about his 14-step "Destination Business" process, in which a business can gain greater number of consumers, from a greater geographic distance, causing increases in sales and profits, while improving the marketplace where the business resides. Schallert's insights are frequently seen in national publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Entrepreneur Magazine.

"Thank you for taking a group of people who have been beaten down by the economy and giving them back the belief that it is possible to be prosperous again by empowering them to take charge of their own business in ways they never thought of before." —Barbara Frederick, Executive Director, Port Angeles Downtown Association, Port Angeles, WA

A powerful voice of reason in a culture of chaos, Dr. Rick Rigsby is a favorite among audiences worldwide. Whether he is motivating financial giants on Wall Street, professional sports organizations including the PGA and the National Football League, or fifth grade teachers at an elementary school, Dr. Rigsby encourages and empowers audience members to become great people who do great things. In addition to academic publications, Dr. Rigsby is the author of Lessons from a Third Grade Dropout—the story of timeless common-sense wisdom learned from his father.

"It was an absolute pleasure to have you as our guest in Ft. Lauderdale last week. Your words of wisdom and motivation have left a lasting IMPACT on each of us. Thank you for your passion and commitment to perseverance and the pursuit of both personal and professional excellence…" —Christopher S. Peters, Therapeutic Specialty Representative, Pratt Sales Division, Pfizer Inc.

 

Other speakers include Bastrop County local Sarah Page with Sarah T. Page Consulting, Sheila Scarborough with Tourism Currents, and Andres Alcantar, Chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission and Commissioner Representing the Public.

 

Agenda

7:30 - Registration
7:50 - Opening Remarks
8:00 - Commissioner Andrade, Workforce Solutions-Rural Capital Area
9:00 - Dr. Rick Rigsby,  "Attitude Adjustment"
10:30 - Jon Schallert, "Building a Consumer Destination Business"
12:30 - Lunch Buffet catered by Southside Market & Barbeque
12:50 - Presentation of the Governor's Small Business Awards
1:00 - Jon Schallert, "Building a Consumer Destination Business"
2:30 - Break Out Sessions with Jon Schallert*
2:30 - Sheila Scarborogh, "Create Once, Use Many Times
3:30 - Sarah Page, "Seeing is Believing: Using Visual Content in Your Social Media Marketing"
4:30 - Closing Remarks
*Break Out Sessions: Individual mentoring/10-minute bootcamps with Jon Schallert

The Governor's Small Business Forum in Bastrop is hosted by the Bastrop EDC. Tickets are $55/person. To register or for more information, click here.