Google Pittsburgh Hosts Small Business Works Seminar

Pittsburgh, PA – May 25, 2011




Small Business Works Seminar continues at Google Pittsburgh



Building Bridges for Business in conjunction with Allegheny County, The City of Pittsburgh, The Small Business Administration, and Duquesne University – Small Business Development Center, continues their highly successful SMALL BUSINESS WORKS at the Pittsburgh headquarters of GOOGLE on June 28, 2011. Andrew Moore, GOOGLE PITTSBURGH, will address the audience. The event will feature everything you need to improve your GOOGLE knowledge to grow your business. SMALL BUSINESS WORKS SEMINARs educate and empower business owners. The key note speaker will inspire attendees and attendees will see first hand how to use resources to start or grow business. The event will be held at Google Pittsburgh 6425 Penn Ave. Suite 700 Pittsburgh, PA 15206 and registration begins at 5:30pm

“Building Bridges For Business should help eliminate barriers by connecting businesses to resource partners,” says Carl Knoblock of the Small Business Administration. The United States SBA has helped small business owners since 1953 by offering loans, contracts, counseling sessions, and other forms of assistance. The Pittsburgh District Office is located downtown.

The five organizations partnered and will host the June and several other Small Business Works events scheduled in neighborhoods in Allegheny County. Every event will provide access to education and the region’s amazing business resources. Additional Small Business Works events will be held in the fall focusing on Welcome to Oz - How being green can benefit you and your business. Details for the June 2011 Small Business Works event are located on www.buildingbridgesforbusiness.org. These events will allow participants to expand networking opportunities and meet valuable business resources at the same time. Sponsors include The Pittsburgh Technology Council, The Pittsburgh Business Times, C-Leveled; Enterprise Rent a Car, Cold Cypress, Minute Man Press, Louis Plung and Company, Staples, and Solutions for Networks, and Comcast Business Class. Register at www.buildingbridgesforbusiness.org.

"The vision for the Building Bridges for Business community is an environment where entrepreneurs can grow and advance their business, support other business owners, and develop as entrepreneurs giving back to their community,” says Building Bridges for Business founder Linda Handley, an entrepreneur, author and business advisor. “We want to bridge the valuable resources in Western Pennsylvania with business owners and residents who want to start a business," says Amanda Wodzenski, President of Building Bridges. Building Bridges for Business was created based on the need Handley and others saw in the area understanding that small and start up business owners have limited finances.

“Pittsburgh has an exceptional variety of excellent sources to start, grow and build a successful business. Getting business to the right source at the right time is our goal at Building Bridges for Business. The right advice and business guidance is crucial for long term success. Timing is everything in business and this is the time to encourage growth and sustainability in our region,” stated JoAnn R. Forester, BBB Board member, 30 plus year business owner of S. I. Business and 2010 YWCA Tribute to Women Honoree.

Building Bridges for Business focuses on business growth, promotion, management, and people who want to launch a new business. In the past year, Building Bridges has grown and showcases over 30+ Pittsburgh resources. Building Bridge’s goal is to create an organization that truly serves the “small” business owner or struggling entrepreneur.

There is no fee or yearly membership rate to join as a general member of Building Bridges for Business. That is one of the major factors that differentiates Building Bridges from other business and networking groups. Additionally, Building Bridges has plans to offer educational webinars empowering and educating entrepreneurs throughout the year. The variety of programming, allows Building Bridges for Business to provide value to the greatest number of education and business resources regardless of budgetary and time constraints. Visit www.BuildingBridgesForBusiness.org for a full listing of resource partners, educational opportunities and events.

Linda Handley
Building Bridges For Business
342 South Highland Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Contact: 412.475.9010, info@buildingbridgesforbusiness.org , www.BuildingBridgesForBusiness.org

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Empowering Entrepreneurs Theme for SBA National Business Forum

Small Business Administration

News Release


PRESS OFFICE



Release Date: May 16, 2011 Contact: Cecelia Taylor (202) 401-3059

Release Number: 11-32 Internet Address: www.sba.gov/news

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SBA Kicks Off National Small Business Week 2011

In Washington, D.C.

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Business Forums on Social Media, Exporting and Strategies for High Growth, High Impact Firms Free to the Public

WASHINGTON – The nation’s top entrepreneurs will gather this week to be recognized for their entrepreneurship, growth and success during the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Small Business Week celebration, May 18-20, 2011, in Washington, D.C.

Under the theme "Empowering Entrepreneurs,” the three-day event at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Conference Center will highlight business owners from 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, whose business achievements have contributed to job creation, the economy and to the nation’s recovery. The National Small Business Person of the Year will be named from this group on Friday, May 20.

Awards will also be presented for notable achievements in disaster recovery, government procurement, small business advocacy, and to top-performing SBA resource and lending partners.

Featured Speakers at National Small Business Week will include:

Administrator Karen Mills, U.S. Small Business Administration

Deputy Administrator Marie Johns, U.S. Small Business Administration

Valerie B. Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama and Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island)

U.S. Sen. Mary L. Landrieu (D-Louisiana)

Gail McGovern, President and CEO, American Red Cross

Cathy Hughes, Founder and Chairperson of Radio One Inc., and Chair of SBA’s Advisory Council on Underserved Communities

Steve Case, Co-founder of AOL and Chair of Startup America Partnership

Bill Rancic, Reality Show Star, Executive Producer and Author

Seth Goldman, President and TeaEO, Honest Tea

National Small Business Week will also feature a series of small business forums that are open to the public. The forums address real-world topics that affect small businesses, including Growing Your Business While on the Go, Social Media, Exporting Tools for Success and Strategies for High Growth, High Impact Firms.

The public can register for the free forums onsite starting at 1:00 p.m. EDT Wednesday, May 18. Events during National Small Business Week can be viewed virtually through SBA’s free, live webcasting accessible online at www.nationalsmallbusinessweek.com/webcast.php. Visit www.NationalSmallBusinessWeek.com to register for forums, and for the full Small Business Week schedule. A list of the 2011 state winners can be found online at

http://nationalsmallbusinessweek.com/index.php?page=winners.

National Small Business Week 2011 Schedule of Events

(Subject to Change)

Wednesday, May 18

1:00 pm – 6:00 pm Registration Open

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Pre-Function Area

Sponsored by Microsoft

2:30 pm – 4:30 pm Growing Your Business While on the Go - A Road Warrior's Perspective

Mandarin Oriental, Oriental Ballroom

Sponsored by AT&T and SCORE

Speaker: Bill Rancic

Thursday, May 19

8:00 am – 5:00 pm Registration Open

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Pre-Function Area

Sponsored by Microsoft

8:00 am – 5:00 pm Cyber Café Open

Mandarin Oriental, Hillwood Room

Sponsored by Google

8:30 am – 9:45 am National Awards Breakfast Honoring Procurement Award Winners

Mandarin Oriental, Grand Ballroom

Sponsored by Raytheon

10:00 am – 11:15 am Forum #1: Social Media: Get Your Business Connected

Mandarin Oriental, Oriental Ballroom

Sponsored by Intuit

11:30 am –12:45 pm Forum #2: Strategies for High Growth, High Impact Firms

Mandarin Oriental, Oriental Ballroom

Sponsored by Careerbuilder

Speaker: Seth Goldman

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Phoenix Awards Luncheon

Mandarin Oriental, Grand Ballroom

Sponsored by Sam’s Club

Speaker: Sen. Jack Reed

2:30 pm – 5:00 pm Networking Time – Visit Sponsor Tables, SBA Officials and the Cyber Cafe

Mandarin Oriental Exhibit Areas

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Congressional Reception

Hart Senate Office Building, Room SH-902

Speaker: Sen. Mary L. Landrieu

Friday, May 20

8:00 am – 2:00 pm Registration Open

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Pre-Function Area

Sponsored by Microsoft

8:00 am – 5:00 pm Cyber Café Open

Mandarin Oriental, Hillwood Room

Sponsored by Google

8:30 am – 9:45 am Breakfast Honoring the Entrepreneurial Development and Lender Award Winners

Mandarin Oriental, Grand Ballroom

Sponsored by Northrop Grumman

Speaker: Steve Case

10:00 am – 12:00 pm Forum #3: Exporting Tools for Success

Mandarin Oriental, Oriental Ballroom

12:30 pm – 2:30 pm National Awards Luncheon Honoring State Small Business Winners

Mandarin Oriental, Grand Ballroom

Sponsored by Sam’s Club

Speakers: SBA Administrator Mills, Valerie B. Jarrett

2:30 pm – 4:00 pm Networking Time – Visit Sponsor Tables, SBA Officials and the Cyber Café

Mandarin Oriental Exhibit Areas

7:30 pm – 11:00 pm Champion Award Winners Gala

Mandarin Oriental, Grand Ballroom

Sponsored by Visa and Avaya

Speakers: Deputy Administrator Johns, Cathy Hughes

Media Contacts:
Dennis Byrne
dennis.byrne@sba.gov
(202) 205-6567

Cecelia Taylor

cecelia.taylor@sba.gov
 (202) 401-3059



Small Business Week 2011 sponsors and cosponsors include: Association of Small Business Development Companies, AT&T, AVAYA, CareerBuilder, Dun & Bradstreet, Google, International Franchise Association, Intuit, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, National Association of Development Companies, National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, National Association of Small Business Investment Companies, National Association for the Self-Employed, National Small Business Association, Nomadic Display, Northrop Grumman, Office Depot, Raytheon, Sam's Club, SCORE, The Neat Company, Verio, Visa, the Wall Street Journal, and

Women Impacting Public Policy.

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s participation in this cosponsored activity does not constitute an express or implied endorsement of any cosponsor’s, donor’s, grantee’s, contractor’s or participant’s opinions, products, or services. All SBA programs and cosponsored programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made, if requested at least 2 weeks in advance, by contacting sbw@sba.gov. Cosponsorship Authorization #SBW2011.
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