The Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, Inc, (LIAACC) and SUNY Old Westbury presented a Business Boot camp on Friday, October 19, 2018 from 8am-5pm and Saturday, October 20^th from 8am-5pm at SUNY Old Westbury. Corporations, Small Business Owners, Professionals, Service Providers, Chamber Leaders and Chamber Members and Local Leaders of a wide cross section of industries in the New York Metropolitan region participated in the boot camp.

The purpose of the Bootcamp was to empower and motivate business owners, so that would be able to take their business to the next level.  No matter what stage a business is in (start up, growth stage or established stage), it is important to set goals and move to the next level.  It is like having a business “GPS” that recalculates your route when you make a wrong turn.

The Theme of the business boot camp was to “Stay on Track and Take Your Business To The Next Level”.   The events focused on several topics that helped entrepreneurs stay focused on ideas and strategies that made an impact on the future of their business.

Some topics that were covered are:

• Selecting the Business structure that best supports your business model and protects your interest. Frantz Pierre-Louis, CPA, President of Pierre-Louis and Associates.
• How to Brand your Business Effectively will be presented by Winnie Benjamin, a Business Performance Advisor, and graduate of the John Maxwell Leadership certification program.
• Sue Glenn, a social media trainer will teach how to effectively use Digital Marketing to promote business and attract customers.
• Barbara Brudie, Supplier Diversity Manager from PSEG will talk about how to build relationships with procurement officers and get contracts.
• Kyle Griffith and Anthony Citrolo of New York Business Brokerage will discuss How To Prepare And Stay On Track For A Profitable Exit.
• Shalei Simms, Associate Professor and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs from SUNY Old Westbury School of Business, will present on the importance of having a Business Plan.
• Nicole Caesar Mitchell, of Yes, Please Etiquette will discuss the importance of Business Etiquette

The panel discussion “How I Stayed on Track” was moderated by Terri-Arnold Mckenzie of TAM Consulting, Inc. The panel will included Barbara Armand, CEO of Armand Corporation; Deidre Helberg, CEO of Helberg Electrical Supplies; Lloyd Clarke, President of  Money Can Hear;  Frantz Pierre-Louis, President of Pierre-Louis and Associates, and Dr. Linval Frazer of SUNY Old Westbury School of Business.  They empowered their peers by sharing stories about their journey and strategies that worked for them.

The keynote speaker was Deb Ingino, Executive Director of the John Maxwell Leadership team, and a sought after worldwide motivational speaker.  She is a mentor and consultant to business leaders who want to move into a higher level of performance.

All speakers and vendors shared how their product and services  helped businesses “Stay on Track and Take Their Business To The Next Level.”   That is one of the unique aspects of the Bootcamp.

Our sponsors included, SUNY Old Westbury; Armand Corporation; PSEG Long Island; SJ Edwards, Inc., Hofstra National Center for Suburban Studies; NYC Small Business Services; Long Island Development Corporation and Bethpage Federal Credit Union.

The chamber’s goal was to provide attendees with as many tools and resources as possible, so they could increase their market share, generate more revenue, get more customers and impact the economic condition of their communities.  All of that is possible if they “Stay on Track and Take Their Business To The Next Level.”

For more information on the programs and activities of the chamber or to inquire about becoming a member today log on to www.liaacc.org.