'Ask Us Anything' Town Hall
Join Us for March 21 Virtual Event
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When: Friday, March 21, 2025
Where: Online
Cost: Complimentary
Open to all WBENC Certified members
With so many changes this year in the business ecosystem, many of you are asking questions about how your company and your WBENC relationships will be affected.
We are working with WBENC and our other partners to keep you updated in a timely manner and provide guidance and resources. Please join us for a live event where we will provide the latest information and answer any questions you might have. You must be registered to attend.
We are committed to helping you and your business thrive!
If you'd like to submit any questions in advance, please email them to WBEC Florida Member Experience and Event Coordinator Gena Rider. We look forward to seeing you online!
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WBENC Annual Conference Registration and Hotel Room Block are Now Open
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Mark your calendar for June 23-26, 2025, for a trip to New Orleans for the biggest WBENC event of the year! You will meet more than 5,000 other attendees and get exposure to corporate representatives who are looking for potential suppliers like you.
ACCELERATE is your call to action to break barriers and drive your business forward with purpose. ACCELERATE means embracing every challenge as a steppingstone, using each connection as a catalyst, and setting bold goals that propel you and your business forward.
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Lock in Early Bird Pricing! Register by May 1 to save on your general attendee ticket!
Purchase your exhibitor package now! Early bird pricing ends April 1.
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Sell Your Products at WBENC National Conference!
Apply to Operate a Demo Station or Pop-Up Shop
The 2025 WBENC National Conference will include Women Owned Demo Stations during the Expo on Wednesday, June 25, and Thursday, June 26. The conference will also include Pop-Up Shops during the evening event on Tuesday, June 24. As a participant, you would be required to book your hotel room and register as a Full Conference Attendee for the 2025 National Conference. Selection as a Women Owned vendor does not provide ANY Conference registrations or access for additional assistants for set-up.
For more on this great opportunity or to apply, click here.
Hurry! The deadline to apply is next Monday, March 17.
| | Power Links: Business Connections | | Tampa Event Will Feature Corporate Roundtables | | |
Host: WBEC Florida
When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Where: Carrollwood Country Club, 13903 Clubhouse Drive, Tampa, FL 33618
Cost: $45 includes buffet brunch and free onsite parking
Join WBEC Florida for a half-day, in-person Regional Opportunities event for corporate and government meet-and-greet roundtables, informative panel discussions, and plenty of networking with other business owners.
Meet-and-Greets: Corporate and government representatives will host roundtables for three rounds. Each table will have the name of a corporation or government agency host. Timekeepers will allow 90 seconds for small business owners to make an introduction. Attendees will switch tables every 25 minutes.
Panel Discussions: Hear from corporate and government representatives on two panels titled "Opportunities in Corporate and Government Contracting" and "Following Up for Maximum Results."
Space is limited, so register early! Watch the Events section of our website and this space for a list of corporate and government attendees.
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Feeling Uncertain? Ask for Guidance from Those You Trust
The rest of 2025 promises to be a time of change as businesses pivot to meet new challenges and market demands. How is your company handling this scenario?
It might be time to reach out to people in your world for some feedback. Here are three ways you can do that:
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Conduct an informal focus group. Ask about your products and services, your messaging, your business strategy, and your plans for growth and development. How are these resonating with people you trust, including your current and potential clients, your suppliers, your employees and contractors, and people who know your industry? Is there anything you need to change right now to continue thriving?
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Talk to trusted advisors. Ask people who have mentored you in the past about any potential changes you're thinking of making. What are they hearing from their sources that might be able to help you? And how can you help your mentors shine in exchange?
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Create an advisory board. If you don't have one already, consider putting together a panel of people who are committed to helping you achieve what you set out to do. These must be people who are not afraid to challenge you and make you examine angles you might not have considered.
Want to learn more? This was an excerpt from Chapter #2 in The Decision to Start: 25 Tips for a Second Career as a Woman Businesses Owner by our President and CEO, Nancy G. Allen. All proceeds from the book go back to WBEC Florida to support small businesses.
| | Get Financially Fit with 3-Part WBENC LIFT Program | |
When: Wednesdays in April 2025 | 2-3:30 PM ET
April 2 | Identify the Right Capital Sources
April 16 | Build an Effective Finance Team
April 23 | Cultivate Key External Relationships
Where: Virtual sessions
Cost: Complimentary
This series will equip you with knowledge for making strategic financial decisions that propel your business forward. You'll learn how to:
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Identify the right capital sources. Learn how to align your funding strategy with your business goals and navigate the complexities of debt financing.
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Build an effective finance team. Discover how to structure your finance team for optimal performance, whether you're just starting out or growing a larger organization.
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Cultivate key external relationships. Understand how to leverage the expertise of bankers, accountants, insurance agents and lawyers to support your company's financial health and growth.
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Nominate a Woman Veteran
as Entrepreneur of the Year
From Our Partners at the National Veteran-Owned Business Association
Deadline: April 1, 2025 | 5 p.m. EST
The National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA) is proud to work with our friends at WBENC to recognize the 2025 Women's Veteran’s Business Enterprises® of the Year, a prestigious honor bestowed annually to an elite selection of America’s veteran business owners working as supplier partners to NaVOBA’s Corporate Allies.
Successful awardees will be honored at the WBENC National Conference June 23-26 in New Orleans and will receive a complimentary registration to attend the conference.
Nominate Here
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WBEC Florida and WBENC Anti-Discrimination Policy
As a community of entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and economic development thought leaders, WBENC and the WBEC Florida Regional Partner Organization are committed to the elimination of discrimination in all areas of business and the provision of equal opportunity when accessing capital, contracts, and contacts. In compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, we do not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status in any of our policies, procedures, or practices. This anti-discrimination policy covers admission and access to, and treatment, in all programs and activities.
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