#SheOwnsIt Seminar Series

The #SheOwnsIt series convenes women entrepreneurs and leaders to build a stronger community of support and enhance the entrepreneurship eco-system. The seminars will feature time for networking with peers, thought-provoking breakout sessions, food and beverages, and expert lectures. Event Details: Time: 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm Dates: July 31: The Lean Start-Up Model August 7: Developing Your Brand August 14: Triple Bottom Line August 21: Brand Storytelling* August 28: Managing Social Media in 2019 Location: ASPIRE Ventures 100 North Queen Street #300 *Seminar on August 21 will be held in the Candy Factory at 342 North Queen Street Pricing: $25 per ticket; $100 for all five seminars Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requrested at least two weeks in advance. Contact Andrea Smith at andrea.smith@assetspa.org or 717-393-6089 What to Expect Community: Peer networking and light appetizers Support: Q&A with local women business leaders Learn It: Expert lectures Engage: Breakout table talks SheOwnsIt. Not just a slogan. A motion to connect entrepreneurs and leaders to innovative ideas and solutions. A forum to discover ways to shift in the needle in building an equitable community. An empowering of women ownership as the means to create social and economic change. SheOwnsIt. Not just a slogan, but a movement. About the lectures: Lean Start-Up Model Women-Owned Business: Laurie Myers, Owner of Cafe301 Speaker: Melisa Baez-Snyder, ASSETS' Director of Entrepreneur Training Description:  The traditional method of starting a business requires entrepreneurs to build a comprehensive business plan and launch their products or services without being certain of whether the idea will be successful. In contrast, the lean start-up model enables entrepreneurs to strategize a minimum viable product around the needs and desires of their customers and more easily adapt to changes as they grow their business. In this session, we will equip you with a new framework for learning directly from customers and rapidly testing and iterating your ideas with the end goal of developing a streamlined business plan. You will also learn how to incorporate impact- social or environmental- from the idea phase of your lean start-up model. ––– Developing Your Brand Women-Owned Business: Nicole Vazquez, Owner of Nicole Taylor Boutique Speaker: Lindsay High, Branding Specialist Description:  Everything starts with your brand. Having a clear and compelling brand is one of the most important things you can do to create a successful business—it shouldn’t be an afterthought or something to be ignored altogether. Your brand is the sum of your identity, logo, value, reputation and community service. It’s how and why and what you communicate visually and verbally. This workshop will address the five key components of a strong brand and help you create your company’s Brand Concept Brief: 1) A Clear Why, 2) A Clear Brand Promise, 3) A Clear Target Market, 4) Clear Branding & Design Consistency, and 5) Clear Marketing Strategy. ––– Triple Bottom Line Women-Owned Business: Timbrel Chyatee, Owner of Lush Bazar Speaker: Crystal Weaver, Co-Owner of Commons Company Description:  More than ever before, successful businesses are considering factors beyond simply making a profit. Entrepreneurs and business leaders who look at the “triple bottom line” of People, Planet, and Profit are seeing higher retention rates amongst employees, stronger customer connections, and more overall resiliency.  With over 40 social enterprises and 18 Certified B Corporation, Lancaster is already a nationwide leader in creating an ecosystem for triple bottom line businesses.  This session will help entrepreneurs consider how they can use their business for good, maximizing positive community and environmental impact, alongside profits. ––– Brand Storytelling Women-Owned Business: Aiyana Ehrman and Michelle Kime, Co-Owners of Imagine Goods Speaker: Kasey Hults & Julia Mosemann, Infantree Brand Strategists Description:  Storytelling is an art, and learning to do it well on social media and in your marketing will help you develop a compelling brand that your target audience will rally around. Those who tell good stories communicate more clearly; write better books, blogs, and articles; give better speeches, and are chosen as leaders. In this workshop, we’ll address the key components of every strong story structure, help you begin developing your brand’s story, and give you some guidelines on content. ––– Managing Social Media in 2019 Women-Owned Business: Brit Chandler, Owner of Social Strategy Co. Speaker: Rachel Kline, Owner of Rachel Kline Creative Description:  What do entrepreneurs and small businesses need to know in order to stay up to date with social media? Today’s social media platforms set and follow trends, add to social fads and make room for different voices, but with constant adaptation comes constant change. This workshop will focus on what business owners need to know today about the logistics and mechanics of their preferred social platforms and in order to be successful on social media, how to best utilize the tools at their disposal to increase productivity and not be burdened by them. BACKGROUND:  Hosted by the Women's Business Center at ASSETS, this is the third annual #SheOwnsIt event.  Women have a powerful role to play in transforming communities through business. Women represent 51% of the population in Lancaster County, but only 29% of businesses are women-owned. In order for women to reach parity, they would have to add 2,675 businesses. Formed in partnership with the Small Business Association in 2015, The Women’s Business Center at ASSETS seeks to create economic opportunity and cultivate entrepreneurial leadership for women in Lancaster. Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration