The Cambridge Chamber of Commerce is providing small business leaders and entrepreneurs the opportunity to enhance their businesses by inviting them to its Small Business Summit: Embracing Transformation for Future Success.
The summit takes place Oct. 23 during Small Business Week and will feature three expert speakers who will explore a variety of topics.
These include AI and automation, diversification strategies, as well as community engagement and corporate social responsibility, the Chamber said in a news release.
Also featured will be a 90-minute virtual experience titled "Leadercast: ‘Spark’" that will outline for summit participants the stages surrounding transforming ideas into action.
“The summit will focus on embracing transformation which is something all businesses need to consider given the current economic climate,” Chamber president and CEO Greg Durocher said.
“Local SMEs play such a significant role in the economic fabric of our community and this summit is a great way to provide their operators with actionable insights and strategies to create even more success.”
Defined as businesses with fewer than 100 employees, SMEs constitute about 98% of all businesses in Canada providing employment opportunities to millions of Canadians.
The Chamber said that, according to the City of Cambridge, 70% of the workforce in Cambridge is employed by small businesses with less than 10 employees.
The summit takes place at Tapestry Hall and features the following topics and speakers:
- Building a Resilient Business Model - Yohaan Tommy, MNP partner, will share his knowledge surrounding delivering measurable financial results, revenue growth and sales, and supply chain management as well as how to conduct business process reviews to improve operations.
- Adopting AI and Automation - Atif Khan, Vice President, AI & Data Science at Messagepoint, has extensive experience in cutting edge AI research and big data technologies regarding solving challenges and will share his expertise on AI, information systems as well as data privacy and security.
- Community Engagement and Corporate Social Responsibility - Brittany Silveira, Marketing Manager at Cambridge-based Grosche International Inc., will share her insights on this topic and the impact of CSR on brand reputation and customer loyalty.
- Leadercast: ‘Spark’ – This is a 90-minute virtual experience that will highlight for participants the five stages of transforming an idea into action, including a critical component that is the difference between failure and success on a new goal. The presentation features teaching and interactive exercises that will serve participants’ newest goal or project.
The Chamber said its annual Small Business Summit was created to provide local entrepreneurs with potential ideas that can assist them as "they take their business to the next level".
“We want to ensure local small business operators have the tools they need to help them better navigate the changes facing our economy,” said Durocher.
The Small Business Summit: Embracing Transformation for Future Success takes place 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at Tapestry Hall. Click here to learn more.
