BizCamp is a casual unconference designed to help entrepreneurs share tips for success. Rather than featuring professional conference speakers, sessions are led by other entrepreneurs like you to give you the best down-to-earth, practical advice from people who’ve been through the same struggles you’re facing. And you get the chance to pass on the best information you’ve learned to help those coming up behind you.
The schedule is not set in advance, and the planners have no list of topics. We give attendees a chance to tell the group what they can teach, and what they want to learn, and engaging, useful sessions start flying up on the board to fill the day.
It’s an informal and fun way to connect with successful local entrepreneurs, possible business partners, or that accountant/graphic designer/printer/cleaning service/salesperson/investor/lawyer you’ve been looking for!
And, oh yeah, BizCamp is completely free, and we’re throwing in a complimentary lunch to keep you fed.
That all sounds great, but how will it work?
We’ll start at 10am with a group meeting to hear what everyone has to teach and what folks want to learn. After the meeting, we’ll take a few minutes to let people write down session ideas they’d like to lead and put them up on our schedule. By 11:30, the first sessions will have started, and we’ll go through a couple of session rounds before breaking for our free lunch. In addition to being well-fed, you’ll have time then to get to know all the exciting people you’ve been learning from and with earlier in the day. We’ll also have some special guests speak briefly about some new exciting funding and mentorship opportunities in town.
What kind of sessions were taught last year?
There was a huge variety, but here’s a list of a few examples:
- Basics of Business Plans
- Five things entrepreneurs do to ruin their companies
- Raising money in New Orleans
- Web tools & iPhone apps to help you take control of your personal finances
- Preparing to raise equity; how to protect your ownership position
- How to build your niche doing what you love
- Basics of Marketing on the Web
- Monetizing Content on the Web
What can I expect to get from participating in BizCamp?
A day of connecting and learning from successful entrepreneurs, being better equipped to run your own business, a better understanding of the tools that small businesses use, and knowledge of resources available to entrepreneurs. You’ll get a free lunch (who said there was no such thing?), and a bunch of new contacts in the entrepreneurial world of New Orleans.
I want to come. What should I do?
Head over to our sign up. page to let us know you’re coming and what you might be able to share. If you have the time, you can prepare a presentation on you computer to present in a session. Then come on down Saturday, March 19, 2011 to the IP Building (643 Magazine St) at 10a.m. There’ll be plenty of time to network, share, meet, greet, learn, dance, whatever!