Breena Fain – As an Indiana small business owner or employee, you understand the importance of networking to grow your brand, as well as the importance of finding effective, cost-saving solutions for your business. As an Indy business ourselves, we want to spread the word about how local cloud-based solutions can connect organizations within the city and grow small businesses as a whole. This is why Formstack launched Build Indy. Now until May 16, we will be promoting small business growth within the Indianapolis community. We’re doing this in a few ways: through a free half-day conference (that’s right, free. You’ll even get bagels and fruit.), through customer stories on our website and blog, and through a $5,000 grant we’re awarding to a local small business or nonprofit.

The Build Indy campaign was launched in an effort to create an ongoing dialogue among the Indianapolis small business community that includes a strong focus in cloud computing education. “The Cloud” has become a hot buzzword in the technology and small business industries. However, there are still many small business owners that are unsure of the ways cloud computing can help grow their companies. Through Build Indy, we hope to educate the small business community on the ways cloud-based services can streamline their work processes and save money. There seems to be a strong gap that can be filled in creating a healthy and non-intimidating discussion around tech resources for local small businesses, and we hope through the ongoing content, the free half-day conference on Wednesday, March 20, and the $5,000 giveaway, we can help support that cause.

Visitors to the Build Indy website can nominate a local small business or nonprofit to win $5,000, which can be used toward whatever the winner needs to grow his or her business. The winner of the grant will be decided by a panel of Indianapolis professionals and will be announced at the Build Indy concluding party on May 16. Join us at The Speak Easy as we reveal the grant winner and host a silent auction. However, you’ll need to nominate a winner before April 20 – that’s the deadline for the initial round of nominations.

Additionally, we’ll be hosting the “Collect, Engage, and Grow” Half-Day Conference, featuring three local small business leaders. The conference will be on Wednesday, March 20 from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Launch Fishers, Indy’s newest co-working space. With three local small business leaders covering the importance of cloud computing for small businesses, you’ll have a chance to learn and connect with other professionals in the community. The conference is free, but we are capping registration at 50 people, so interested readers will need to register quickly.

To register for the event or nominate a local small business or nonprofit for the $5,000 award, visit formstack.com/buildindy. On the Build Indy page, we will also be highlighting Indy customers in a video series spanning the campaign. We’ll be posting several Indy use cases on the Formstack blog throughout the campaign, so let us know if you are a Formstack customer and interested in being featured.

Breena Fain is the marketing manager at Formstack. Please direct questions about the Build Indy campaign to breena@formstack.com.

Thursday, May 17

Marion Ivy Tech Conference Center, 261 S. Commerce Drive, Marion, IN 46953

Image via http://disneyinstitute.com/

Business Expo starts the day by getting down to business. From 11am-3pm every business in Bloomington and the surrounding area are invited to attend. Exhibitors will have only business-to-business traffic so your message can be targeted to a business audience.

From 3pm-7pm the event will be open to the public. Starting at 5pm, we bring back the “Taste of Expo”, with local BIRA restaurants providing free food. Great prizes are also available to be won. We’re expecting heavy attendance during this portion of the event, which means your products and services will be seen by a huge number of people.

If you’ve been an Expo exhibitor in the past, now’s the time to come back. If you’ve never exhibited, what are you waiting for? To reserve your booth for the 28^th annual Business Expo on Thursday, April 19th at the Bloomington/Monroe County Convention Center visit our website, www.bloomingtonbusinessexpo.com or call 812.334.4070 today!

*Image courtesy of http://www.bloomingtonbusinessexpo.com/

Business Expo starts the day by getting down to business. From 11am-2pm, Expo is by invitation only. Every business in Bloomington and the surrounding area are invited to attend and receive a free catered lunch from 11:30am-1:30pm. Exhibitors will have only business-to-business traffic so your message can be targeted to a business audience.

Are you a business that hasn’t received your invitation? We want you to attend! Visit bloomingtonbusinessexpo.com and click the green “I’m Going” link to RSVP, or call us at 812-334-4070.

From 3pm-7pm the event will be open to the public. Starting at 5pm, we bring back the “Taste of Expo”, with five local BIRA restaurants providing free food. Great prizes are also available to be won. We’re expecting heavy attendance during this portion of the event, which means your products and services will be seen by a huge number of people.

If you’ve been an Expo exhibitor in the past, now’s the time to come back. If you’ve never exhibited, what are you waiting for? To reserve your booth for the 27^th annual Business Expo on Thursday, April 21^st at the Bloomington/Monroe County Convention Center visit our website, www.bloomingtonbusinessexpo.com or call 812.334.4070 today!

Showcasing over 100 businesses and organizations, innovations, technologies, future developments, the Get Linked Expo aims to connect thousands of business executives, economic developers, public officials, chambers of commerce and decision makers from Delaware County to Marion County at one jam?packed event on Nov. 4 at Hoosier Park Racing and Casino.

The Expo will feature exhibitors in 9 industry?idea categories presenting their products, services and ideas to more than 1000 anticipated attendees in one location. For area business owners the event will provide a unique opportunity to network with a variety of business and economic development representatives, get in front of key decision makers, and gather new ideas to help expand their businesses not just locally but across business clusters in 6 counties.