The Business of You: 2023 Business Summit

The Business of You, Business Summit 2023 is a virtual and in-person event available for current students and the community. Presentations will educate participants on Career and Professional Development, Entrepreneurship, and Business Ownership.

This second day of the summit features two tracks:

Career Track – Get information and connected to career development and preparation resources. 

• 9:00 a.m. –  Welcome
  JB Buxton, President, Durham Tech and Dr. LaTonya Steele, Director, Business Administration, Durham Tech
• 9:15 a.m. – Career Services Panel - Internships and Apprenticeships
  Dr. Micara Sessoms, Director, Work Based Education, Durham Tech and Candace Rashada, Director, Career Services and Human Resources Development, Durham Tech
• 10:00 a.m. – A Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) conversation
  Trey Lanza-Church, HR Professional & Kelli Slade, DEI Director 
• 11:00 a.m. – Are You Ready to Work?
  Candace Rashada, Director, Career Services and Human Resources Development, Durham Tech
• Noon – Banking and Budgeting
  Erica Vazquez, Professional Financial Wellness Leader II and Assistant Vice President, Truist

Entrepreneurship Track –  Get information and connected to entrepreneurial and business ownership resources.

• 9:00 a.m. –  Welcome
  JB Buxton, President, Durham Tech and LaShon Harley, The Lead Igniter, LAH Companies, Inc.
• 9:15 a.m. –  Entrepreneur/Business Owner Panel 
• 10:00 a.m. –  Analyzing your Competition
  Jonathan Collins, Director, Durham Tech Small Business Center
• 11:00 a.m. –  Website …Am I Doing It Right
  Derek Hairston Jr., Web Design Specialist, Olam Sites
  As an entrepreneur, we don’t even have to tell you how important it is to have a website. But how do you really view that website in relation to your business? Do you look at it merely as an online brochure – mainly to have your contact info out there? Do you see it as a sales engine for your business – active and traffic-attracting? In this presentation, website expert Derek Hairston is going to break down the important things you need to be thinking about regarding your website right now, so you can take a look at yours with fresh eyes and put it to work for your own business!
  In this presentation, you’ll learn:
  • The important role a website plays in setting you apart as a business
  • What aspects of a website leave a good impression
  • 5 right and wrong ways to build a website
  • 5 website myths
     
• Noon –  Your Customers' Journey: How You Keep Them Coming Back For More and Become Your Greatest Ambassadors
  LaShon Harley, The Lead Igniter, LAH Companies, Inc.
  So often we focus and talk about customer service, which is important, yet there is one dynamic that has more sustainable results - what is the journey your customers will experience with your business. Maya Angelou said “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” Come and let’s discuss the importance of understanding how you make your potential and returning customers feel.
   

Register

Contact businessofyou@durhamtech.edu if you have questions.

This event is sponsored by the Business Administration program and Small Business Center.