The Value of Conferences

A woman entrepreneur recently asked me what was a good guide in budgeting money and time away from her business to attend more professional and sales events this year to help her business grow.  

Since continuing education has been an important part of my entrepreneurial success. I applauded her for including continuing education in her corporate budget.  Typically I budget for one large industry conference, a couple regional business conferences, and numerous local events each year. Annual industry conferences can be more costly because travel and hotel costs are involved along with registration fees. Regional and local events in Central New York can range from $20 – $100 depending on the time, content and location.

I suggested she go online and research 2008 events to help create a budget for attending similar conferences this year. By paying attention to the dates of annual events and regional conferences (because many host events the same month each year) she will have information to help her plan time away from her company. She can also work backward set a specific budget for herself and then decide by looking at her 2009 business goals which events or conferences will be the most beneficial to her professional and corporate development.

Every woman entrepreneur should consider taking time away from their enterprise to educate themselves on the lastest industry trends and business strategies as well as have an opportunity to network with other like-minded individuals.