Eastern NC Business Events in Late January, February 2018

January 26, 2018 Kay Whatley business, local-nc
Business Happenings 2018
Business Happenings 2018

By Kay Whatley, Editor

Area Chambers of Commerce, business groups, and local businesses/organizations hold educational events and provide free business training or networking opportunities. Events listed below may take place in the five-county area — Franklin, Nash, Johnston, Wake, Wilson counties — or around the area in Edgecombe, Pitt, and other counties.

Some business-educational events are organized by SCORE at area locations. SCORE — the Service Corps of Retired Executives — is a nonprofit association dedicated to “helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship.”  More information about SCORE is online at www.score.org.

In addition to opportunities listed below, North Carolina’s community colleges offer free business workshops across the state. Find free “Small Business Center Network” classes by searching at www.ncsbc.net. Topics cover finance, marketing, fundraising, and general business/nonprofit issues alongside specialized classes such as food business creation.

Getting It All Done – Time Management

On Monday, February 12, 2018, 6-9pm, this time management workshop will be held at the Business Development Center, 121 W Nash Street, Wilson NC. Learn more about getting things done, setting priorities, working effectively with others, and balancing life better. Instructed by Mike Collins.  See agenda items and register via this constant contact event. Organized by the Upper Coastal Plain Business Development Center.

Hampton Inn “Business After Hours” & Ribbon Cutting

On Thursday, February 8, 2018, 5:30-7:30pm, join the Knightdale Chamber of Commerce for the Hampton Inn’s Business After Hours (BAH) and celebrate the grand opening of this new hotel. The Hampton Inn & Suites is located at 405 Hinton Oaks Blvd, Knightdale NC.

Tours of the new facility will be offered. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and register to win raffle prizes..This should be an evening of fun, relaxed engagement in a business-friendly environment. Register for this free gathering via this Knightdale Chamber web page.

Seven Secrets to Financial Success for Small Business Owners

On Tuesday, February 6, 2018, 6:30-8:30pm, this event will be held at South East Regional Library, 908 7th Avenue, Garner NC.

“If you are an entrepreneur and you are not making the profits that you want and need in the business, don’t fully understand the numbers in running your business, and are wishing you could get a better handle on the finances in order to spend more time with your family, come learn the secrets to financial success. Find out what many real-life entrepreneurs learned the hard and expensive way,with easy-to-understand solutions. The event speaker is Sylvia Inks, a small business financial coach, bestselling author, and speaker.”

To register, click this link. For more information or with questions, contact Bill Wagner, Raleigh SCORE via email or 919.869.4151.

Alimentaire Wholesome Breads Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting

On Friday, February 2, 2018, 10am-6pm, join the Tarboro-Edgecombe Chamber of Commerce, Board of Members, and local officials in welcoming Alimentaire Wholesome Breads to Tarboro. Ribbon Cutting at 10am, followed by Grand Opening. Come support a new business and network at Alimentaire Wholesome Breads, 600 Trade Street, Tarboro NC.

Business After Hours-Zebulon

Join the Zebulon Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, February 1, 2018, 5:30-7pm at Nomaco, 501 Innovative Way, Zebulon NC. See Nomaco’s newly-renovated headquarters, enjoy light refreshments, and network with local business leaders. Details at zebulonchamber.chambermaster.com.

Business After Hours-Clayton

Enjoy an evening of food and networking with the Clayton Chamber of Commerce. Bring business cards. Originally scheduled for early January, this event was rescheduled to Thursday, February 1, 2018, 5:30-7pm. Held at, and sponsored by, Matthews Motors, 11315 Hwy 70 West, Clayton NC. Admission is free.

2018 Economic Forecast Luncheon-Greenville

On January 30, 2018, 11:30am-1pm, join the Greenville Pitt County Chamber of Commerce for lunch, networking, and a program designed to provides attendees with high level data and projections for the upcoming year. Local, regional, and statewide projections are discussed along with emerging trends and attitudes toward future growth. Find out what challenges and opportunities lie ahead as our economy continues to grow. Speaker is Dr. Rick Niswander, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance at ECU.

Held at the Holiday Inn, 203 SW Greenville Blvd, Greenville NC, the registration fee is $25 for Chamber members and $30 for non-members. Registration is available here.

DreamFest 2018 Live-Wilson

The live “Shark Tank-like” event is scheduled for Saturday, January 27, 2018, 8:30am- 2pm, at the Edna Boykin Cultural Center, 108 Nash Street W, Wilson NC. Hosted by Upper Coastal Plain Business Development Center, tickets will be sold for those interested in watching the event and being part of the audience. In addition to the main event, two speakers are scheduled.

Audience tickets are $25 per person, available via dreamfest2018.info. ​Also on that site, enter to win a free ticket to the event, a $25 value. Winning names will be drawn January 4, 2018.

DreamFest 2018 will begin at 9am with registration and festivities in Historic Downtown Wilson. Historic Downtown Wilson restaurants and retail stores will be open for business, food trucks will be out, and downtown will be alive with much anticipation, music, dance, marching bands, and more.

At 10:15am, settle in at the Edna Boykin Cultural Center and hear two fabulous speakers talk about their journeys in the development of their businesses. Learn from speakers Ken Adelglass (Waxhaw Kid Coders) and Julius Tillery (Farmers of Color).

Around 11:30am, the business dreamers pre-selected will give their Oral Presentations to judges. The judges will rate the oral presentations, add the small business plan scores, and come up with the top three winners. Winners will be announced in the afternoon.

Area Chambers/Organizations

The list below includes business organizations in or near the five-county area of North Carolina. Regular chamber member meetings or semi-closed leads group meetings are not included above, but may be found via the links below. Check with, or join, your local Chamber to find out more about regular meetings near your business.

 

 

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About Kay Whatley 2309 Articles
Kay Whatley serves as Editor and Reporter with The Grey Area News. Kay is a published author with over 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. Kay Whatley is wife to Frank Whatley, founder of The Grey Area™ newspaper and The Grey Area News online news website.