Area Events of Interest to WIRE-Net Members

To have one of your events listed, please contact Pamela Holmes at (216) 588-1440 ext 104.

Do you have a new idea that will help grow Cleveland?

The Civic Innovation Lab, a project of The Cleveland Foundation, is providing seed capital of up to $30,000 for innovative ideas that will grow our economy.  For information see their website.

JumpStart Annual Public Meeting

JumpStart's Annual Public Meeting is designed to celebrate entrepreneurship and economic development in our region by communicating the progress of our organization, our Portfolio Companies, and our donors. Distinguished members of the economic development community will provide valuable insight into the last year's growth and offer predictions for what the future may hold. This is a wonderful opportunity to network and immerse yourself in all things venture development.

Date:
Thursday, May 15, 2008

Venue:
Corporate College East
4400 Richmond Road
Warrensville Heights, Ohio 44128
Directions

Registration:
Register for this event before Monday, May 12, 2008.

Matchmaker 2008 

Matchmaker 2008, a unique small business contracting event, will be held at the Terrace Club at Progressive Field in Cleveland on May 20th & 21st. This is the fifth event of its kind in Cleveland and all past events have sold out. This year’s event is coordinated by the Urban League of Greater Cleveland’s Small Business Development Center in conjunction with the Cleveland District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration with the support of the Dominion East Ohio, FirstEnergy FirstMerit Bank and Wal-Mart.

The event will present a great opportunity for small businesses to gain access to buyers that represent million of dollars in purchasing. The goal of this event is to create future contract opportunities for small businesses through one-on-one sessions between buyer and sellers.

Just follow this link http://www.clevelandb2bmatchmaker.com/bmp/, read the instructions

and click the registration button at the bottom of the page. Once you access the portal, you will need to complete your company profile; including your NAICS codes. If you are unfamiliar with NAICS we recommend you check out information at:  http://www.naics.com/sba_sizestandards.htm

After you complete your profile, the system will automatically match you with buyers that are looking for your products and services and you will be notified of these matches. You will then have the opportunity to schedule a 15 minute, timed meeting with the buyer. The more complete the profile, the higher the likelihood of making good matches.

If you know of any other business owners who may be interested in this event, please forward this e-mail. If you have any questions about the event, please contact The U.S. Small Business Administration at (216) 522-4180 or, preferably, via e-mail, james.duffy@sba.gov