REDMOND, Wash. — April 30, 2007 —What: Knowing that most small businesses often have limited resources, Microsoft® Office Live is joining with MasterCard Worldwide to sponsor the free Microsoft Office Live Seminar Series, featuring expert advice and insights on topics critical to small-business success. Microsoft Office Live is a set of Internet-based services and tools to help small businesses establish a professional Web presence and promote their business online.
This series gives entrepreneurs access to some of today’s most dynamic business leaders through interactive Web seminars giving practical advice on the hottest topics facing small businesses today, such as marketing on a budget, starting a new business, and franchising. The series is hosted by Susan Wilson Solovic, CEO and chairman of SBTV.com, a Web-based television network focused on small business.
Entrepreneurs can also access on-demand archives and podcasts from previous Microsoft Office Live webcasts. Past speakers include Stephen R. Covey, best-selling author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and co-founder of FranklinCovey; Jack Canfield, co-founder and co-creator of the successful “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series; and Marshall Goldsmith, whose book “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” was a No. 1 business bestseller on Amazon.com.
In addition to these seminars, MasterCard is running the “Run Your Business, LIVE Your LIFE” sweepstakes, designed to help small-business owners better run their business and live their life.* Every time small-business owners use their MasterCard BusinessCard® or Debit MasterCard BusinessCard® between May 1 and June 30, 2007, they will be automatically entered to win a $100,000 cash prize: $50,000 for their business and $50,000 for themselves. Starting May 1, more information about the promotion and seminars can be found on http://www.mastercardbusiness.com.
Who and When: For exact dates, please visit http://www.officeliveseminars.com or http://www.mastercardbusiness.com.
May 1–4
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Margaret McEntire, author of “Candy Bouquet Franchising Success,” explains how franchising works and what you need to know before buying a franchise business.
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Jaclyn Kostner, author of “Cashing in on Webinars,” explains how webinars and webconferencing give small businesses a powerful way to create and sustain critical business relationships when people are not face-to-face but across town or across continents.
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David Roth, author of “From Startup to Franchise,” shares how Cereality, the first cereal restaurant, went from a startup business to a successful franchise.
May 7–11
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Rieva Lesonsky, “Entrepreneurs & Start Ups Tools for Success,” editorial director of Entrepreneur Media Inc., explores the three “dares” you need to overcome when you want to start a new business.
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Julie Morgenstern, best-selling author of “Time Management From the Inside Out,” shares strategies that help small-business owners take control of their life.
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Susan Solovic, series host and author of the “Girls Guide to Building a Million-Dollar Business,” shares empowering guidance to those women who want to gain confidence and knowledge to become successful entrepreneurs.
May 14–18
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George Silverman, “The Secrets of Word-of-Mouth Marketing,” explains how you can dramatically boost your sales by getting customers to sell your products for you.
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Al Lautenslager, “Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days,” presents 10 low- and no-cost marketing tactics that you can put to use immediately to help get more business.
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Andrew Bein, “Trump University Finding New Customers,” explores the different reasons people have for operating independently.
May 21–25
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Gail Evans, author of “Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman,” discusses the importance of women to start playing on “the same team.”
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Jay Contrad Levinson, “Guerilla Marketing,” explores unconventional ways of pursuing conventional marketing goals and guerrilla marketing tactics that help you achieve serious profits with little or no cost.
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Caitlyn Friedman and Kimberly Yorio, “A Girl’s Guide to Being Boss,” offer tips and techniques for mastering the art of delegation.
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Andrew Caffey, “Franchising Fundamentals,” one of today’s foremost franchise attorneys, explains how to locate, evaluate, finance and establish a successful franchised business.
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Michael Gerber, “E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What To Do About It,” focuses on today’s entrepreneurs and how they transform dreams into commercially successful enterprises to make a difference.
May 28–31
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Laurence Haughton, “It’s Not the Big That Eat the Small,” explains how to think and act quickly to stay ahead of your bigger competitors. His seminar draws on research from his book.
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Jeff Thull, author and leading-edge strategist for major companies, provides insights on how to preempt last-minute negotiations to protect your price and profitability.
Where:
Registration for the free live and on-demand seminars is available at http://www.officeliveseminars.com.
* NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. PIN-based/international transactions ineligible. Starts 5/1/07. Ends 6/30/07. Eligibility and other restrictions apply. Effective May 1, call 1-800-MC-ASSIST or visit http://www.mastercardbusiness.com for Official Rules and complete guidelines.
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