Small
Business Tools and Resources
To Go or Not to Go…to Industry Events
by Terri Lonier, President, Working Solo, Inc. (www.workingsolo.com)
You've just received a compelling email or visited a Web page
for a conference, seminar, or other industry event. Now you're
looking at your checkbook and your calendar, and wondering if
this is a good investment for your business. How to decide?
Here are seven questions that can serve as guidelines:
1. Is the event a good match for your goals?
Get clear on why you want to go. Is the program content in
line with your business goals? Is there a speaker you'd like
to hear? A competitor you want to check out? The more you can
clearly define your reasons for attending, the more valuable
the event will be.
2. What tangible results can you create by attending?
Can you identify specific information, actions, or
relationships that you'll have at the end of the event? Will
you walk away with a notebook full of important information,
for example, or three new industry contacts? It may be
difficult to answer these questions fully, but being aware of
the things you can immediately put to use in your business can
help you decide the event's value for you.
3. Does the event address a timely need for your business?
Are you currently facing a business challenge that will be
helped or solved by attending the event? For instance, you may
be at a roadblock in your business development, and a session
addresses the issues you're facing. Or, you've been thinking
about expanding into a new area, and there's a program devoted
to that topic.
4. Will the proper people be attending?
A large part of the value of industry conferences and events
is the networking opportunities that arise from the informal
chats over meals and between sessions in the halls. Make sure
the event's target audience is in synch with the types of
people you want to meet, and that the attendees are an
appropriate peer match for you.
5. What's the event's reputation?
Do some homework and find out from past attendees what the
event has been like. Is it two days of solid content, where
you walk away with your head buzzing? Or does the greatest
value come from socializing around the swimming pool? Your
research will enable you to set appropriate expectations, and
help you to strategize the best approach to maximizing your
participation.
6. Can you piggyback other business activities?
Is the event in a location where you need to do other
business, or see other clients? Will current business
colleagues be attending, so you can have some valuable
meetings during the event? How much can you leverage the time
and location of the event so it can do double-duty for your
business?
7. Is the event a good ROI for your business?
Carefully evaluate the return on investment for attending the
event - and calculate more than just dollars. Assess the time
you'll be away from your office, the other demands it may
place on your personal life, and the energy it will require to
be on the road.
By answering these questions, you'll be able to make a better
decision on whether a specific industry event is worth your
time, energy, and money. If you decide to go, have a great
time and make the most of it!
Copyright 2004 Working Solo, Inc. All rights reserved.
Past Terri
Lonier Articles
Bio Note:
Terri Lonier is a business coach who guides business owners on
how to generate greater profits -- and have more fun – while
running your company. One of the nation’s most respected
authorities on self-employment and entrepreneurship, Terri is
author of five books, including the classic startup guide,
“Working Solo.” Her work has been featured in the New York
Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Fast Company, Inc.,
and on CNBC, CNN/fn, and radio stations around the world. You
can learn more about Terri and her Pathfinder Coaching Program
at her Working Solo Web site, http://www.workingsolo.com
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