Business Center News

11th ANNUAL WOMEN'S BUSINESS CONFERENCE APRIL 10, 2014

Featuring 100 Exhibitors and 20 Educational Sessions

The 11th Annual Women's Business Conference, presented by the Western Dairyland Women's Business Center, will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 10th, 2014 at the Plaza Hotel & Suites in Eau Claire.

The conference is expected to attract more than 500 business owners, aspiring business owners, entrepreneurs and exhibitors from five states. This year's conference features 100 exhibitors and 20 educational sessions on business basics, marketing, finance, and current trends in business. One-on-one business counseling will be available throughout the day.

Sarah Stokes, owner of Queen of the Castle Magazine, will present the welcome address at 8:15 a.m. After years in broadcast news, Stokes made a huge leap out of the studio and into small business ownership. She had to channel the fear of change and uncertainty into determination. Stokes has discovered that a healthy dose of caution is not a bad thing, but fear can derail your future.

Stokes, an award-winning journalist and blogger with more than 15 years of experience, purchased Queen of the Castle Magazine after 8 years as main anchor of the WEAU 13 News evening newscasts. She moved into her new role to allow for more time to raise her children. Stokes is spearheading a makeover and expansion of the magazine. She has big plans for the future and is passionate about helping other small businesses thrive in western Wisconsin.

The keynote address will be delivered by Dagmar Beckel-Machyckova, owner and general manager of Golden Calf Company. Beckel-Machyckova was born in communistic Czechoslovakia and arrived in the United States in 2001 on a one-year academic scholarship. Thirteen years later, she shares with us her American Dream; a story of jumping on every opportunity offered and recognizing the word "never" as motivation in disguise. Beckel-Machyckova holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Management and a Master of Science in International Business, Speech/Communication and Spanish.

Her career in economic development began at the City of Eau Claire and led her to work at the state level for both the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. She worked with many entrepreneurs and greatly admired them, but thought she could never become one herself. Today, Beckel-Machyckova and her husband own Golden Calf Company, LLC, a business dedicated to changing neo-natal calf care in the dairy industry. Golden Calf Company has customers across the United States, Canada, Latin America and Europe. With dealers in Europe and Canada, their rural Wisconsin company is positioned for strong growth.

Conference participants will attend four educational sessions throughout the day and may choose from the following topics:

Business Plan Basics
OSHA Regulations for Small Businesses
Understanding the Affordable Care Act
HR Things to Do When Starting Your Company
Leadership and the Life Puzzle
Empowerment Through Finances
Core Values: Creating a Foundation for Your Business
Confidently Marketing Yourself
Business Funding
Beyond Recordkeeping
Getting Real With Your Goals
What Lies Beneath: The Psychology of Money
Fast Track Your Entrepreneurial Success to the Next Level
6 Social Media Marketing Tips for Small Businesses
Understanding and Managing Generations in the Workplace
Freelancer Roundtable
Direct Sellers Roundtable
Food Industry Roundtable
Contracts & Certifications Roundtable

The 2014 Women's Business Conference is presented by the non-profit Western Dairyland Community Action Agency and the Western Dairyland Women's Business Center, which is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. The conference is sponsored by more than 40 businesses and organizations, including ClearChannel Radio, WQOW TV-18, the Leader-Telegram, The Plaza Hotel & Suites, Mainstream Boutique, Molly Marie Photography and Green Oasis Gardens.

Registration for the full day is $59 per person and includes lunch. Partial scholarships are available for students and income-eligible individuals. For more information or to register, call 715-836-7511, ext. 1171 or visit www.WomensBusinessConference.com.

ABOUT WESTERN DAIRYLAND COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY

Western Dairyland Community Action Agency is a non-profit human services organization serving Buffalo, Eau Claire, Jackson, and Trempealeau Counties. The agency was established in 1966 to alleviate poverty related conditions and provide opportunities that enable people to advance economically and socially. More information is available at www.westerndairyland.org

The Western Dairyland Business Centers work with startup, existing, and expanding businesses in the Western Dairyland Community Action Agency's service area of Eau Claire, Jackson, Trempealeau and Buffalo counties. The Business Centers' services are designed to provide entrepreneurs with access to individualized as well as group business training, referrals, financing, technology, and ongoing business case management services. For more info go to www.SuccessfulBusiness.org.

Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact Western Dairyland, 418 Wisconsin St., Eau Claire, WI, 715-836-7511 ext. 1171 to make arrangements. This agency is an equal opportunity provider.

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A program of Western Dairyland. Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business
Administration. Agreements for persons with disabilities will be made at all times in accordance with the
Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 and associated amendments. Arrangements for persons with special needs
will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. This Institution is an Equal Opportunity Provider.
Language assistance services are available for limited English proficient individuals