Events at this location

Explore what business ownership is all about.

We’ll acquaint you with the startup process and the entrepreneurial lifestyle. This session will give you a sense of what starting a business requires and tips to help you decide if you are ready to move forward with your idea. Bring your questions!

Speaker: Ashley Murguia, ASBTDC Startup Specialist

Do you need funding to start a business or expand your operations? Are you interested in how to get a business loan? Want to know the truth about small business grants?

This virtual event is designed to help you separate fact from fiction when it comes to business funding. We will cover specific loan programs and other financing options for both startup and existing businesses.

Topics:

• Business loan and guaranty programs, including SBA loans
• Small business loans for women, minorities, and veterans
• Microloans, grants, and other options
• Business funding challenges and barriers

Speaker: Nick Stevens, ASBTDC

Join ASBTDC and Melissa Forziat to learn five marketing rules you can use in business to put yourself in a position of power.

Marketing is all about sharing your message and understanding the psychology of how you present the message is critical to making the impact you want.

This online presentation shows you how to set yourself up for success in business using five techniques that show your strength, help you adapt to different personality types in the sales process, and put you in the driver’s seat.

Presenter: Melissa Forziat, a Southern California-based marketer, speaker, consultant, and author

When you and your team are working hard to run your business, keeping up with your marketing can be tough. In this virtual session, you’ll learn to optimize your digital marketing strategy to fit your business goals, time, and budget.

By the end of the session, you’ll have a plan to maximize the value of free tools, like your Google listing and social media channels, and to confidently invest your limited marketing dollars in paid strategies that work.

This session will cover:

• How to take control of your FREE Google listing to help customers find you
• How to use your social channels to keep customers engaged
• How to optimize your website to generate sales
• How SEO works and why blogs might give you an extra boost
• When to pay (or not) for digital ads on Google, Facebook, and Instagram

Speaker: Nick Stevens, ASBTDC

Before buying or selling a business, it is important to understand the process and the critical considerations involved.

At this virtual event, hear from and interact with our panel of subject matter experts, including a business broker, a lender, and a CPA.

Panelists: Mark Kincannon, Resolution Equity Partners; Itzel Sims, First Security Bank; and Katie Lejong, Landmark CPAs

Moderator: Matt Lundy, ATU ASBTDC

Special thanks to Landmark CPAs, Resolution Equity Partners, and our 2025 Mission Co-Sponsors: Arvest Bank, Bank OZK, Capital CDC, Centennial Bank, First State Bank, First Security Bank, and Union Bank

Every new business must choose a legal entity type (LLC, sole proprietor, etc.), and each option provides specific legal, tax, and administrative benefits and liabilities that you’ll want to understand up front.

This no-cost session will help you make the best decision for YOUR business.

• Understand the pros and cons of the most common legal entity types
• Identify the structure that best matches your business needs
• Ask questions about your specific business situation to an attorney

Join us online if you are in the idea phase and considering options, ready to legally form your business, or a startup business owner.

Presenter: Eli Bauer, attorney at Wright Lindsey Jennings

In this online session, we will talk about how to build a marketing funnel for your business to grow the relationships with your audience and generate more sales.

Having a lead retention strategy is critical to have a profitable business! We will examine how to drive every conversation forward with the right calls to action so you can generate more sales, referrals, and loyalty from your audience.

Presenter: Melissa Forziat, a Southern California-based marketer, speaker, consultant, and author

Please note, the duration of this webinar is 1.5 hours.

Does your research have commercial potential?

Explore non-dilutive, early-stage funding opportunities available through the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs.

Join ASBTDC and Arkansas APEX Accelerator for an overview of SBIR/STTR, and get the information you need to journey into the competitive world of federal, non-dilutive seed funding to help commercialize your technology.  

This online event will cover SBIR/STTR application processes and much more:

• SBIR and STTR requirements, funder priorities, and application windows
• Key areas to master to appeal to proposal reviewers
• Award winners
• System for Award Management (SAM) registration tips
• ASBTDC and APEX Accelerator services for innovators

Presenters: Karen Bergh, ASBTDC; Kimberly Randle, Arkansas APEX Accelerator

Presented in cooperation with Arkansas APEX Accelerator

All businesses, especially new ventures, need a business plan. Crafting a plan helps you define your concept, evaluate your competition, determine risks, and estimate costs.

Using our “To the Point” outline, learn how to put together a plan that will guide the growth of your business and that you can share with lenders and investors.

Speaker: Nick Stevens, ASBTDC Education and Events Specialist

From tornadoes to floods, it’s not if, but when, the next disaster will threaten Arkansas.

SBA’s Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience is the federal government’s largest source of disaster recovery funds for individuals and businesses. Dylan McNally, Acting Director for Recovery and Region 6 Recovery Coordinator, will describe SBA’s powerful financial tools and recent policy innovations to support individuals, businesses, and communities as you prepare for disaster events.

This live virtual session will also cover additional resources and guides for businesses to become more resilient.

Thinking of starting a daycare, pre-school, or other child care business? In this session, we’ll cover the different types of child care facilities and how to set up your business the right way.

Join us online to learn about business planning, funding considerations, and the child care licensing requirements you’ll need to navigate.

Presenters:

• Heather Robinette, Entrepreneurial Services Manager, ASBTDC
• Mary Oliver, Program Manager, Office of Early Childhood, Arkansas Department of Education