Newsletter?
We have one. Sign up here.
Another good one by our dear friend Eleanor Hecks — founder and managing editor of Designerly Magazine. The Founding Moms is a community for mom entrepreneurs. We share a wonderful – yet hectic – life full of goals & dreams. We know we thrive better together. We’re a community of learners and motivators. And we want you! Check out TFM for free.
Busy mompreneurs and solopreneurs have to consider every potential benefit and drawback to the things they invest their time and money in. Knowing which conferences give you the most potential bang for your buck is a crucial part of growing your business and increasing networking opportunities.
The United States has over 31.7 million small businesses, so choosing a conference that aligns with your company values and industry is a fairly easy proposition. Unfortunately, choosing the most obvious option isn’t always the best one, particularly for smaller startups or moms just starting to build a company.
Some of the things all excellent conferences have in common include:
Once you have an idea of the things you want to get out of attending a conference, you can narrow down the list of options and choose the one that makes the most sense for you and your brand.
We spent some time looking over what’s out there and came up with a few we think most mompreneurs will enjoy.
Mom entrepreneurs are busy juggling family and business life. Setting aside too much time to go to conferences might be a stretch for people without childcare or who just don’t want to be gone from their families for long periods of time. The great thing about The Mompreneur Summit is that it happens on one day and wraps up around four in the afternoon, giving you a chance to make it home in time for dinner with the kids.
Listen to the keynote speaker, network with other solopreneurs and visit vendor booths to gain additional tools and insight. The summit happens in Orlando, Florida on March 22nd. Childcare is available.
Event Information: allevents.in/orlando/the-mompreneur-summit-2023
The Hustle event is set up more like a conversation with smart mompreneurs. Four speakers will appear on December 1st, 2023, including the co-founders of The Granola Bar. You can learn about topics such as how to fund your business ideas and what other entrepreneurs do when they run into cash flow issues.
The event also includes light drinks and snacks, so you’ll have a chance to talk one-on-one with other attendees and some of the presenters.
Event Information: www.hustlelikeamom.com/events
Head to Silicon Valley April 11th to the 12th or attend the event online. The event is organized by Microsoft for Startups and gives mompreneurs an opportunity to meet other business owners, investors and share ideas with all types of people. The focus for 2023 is human-first customer experience.
However, there are other events solopreneurs can attend as well that run just a couple of days or have a narrow focus.
Event Information: www.startupgrind.com
The ACA Summit happens every year and brings investors and entrepreneurs together. Although you will find a mix of mompreneurs, solopreneurs and others at the event, you’ll also have an opportunity to seek investors, especially if you are still in the planning stages of opening your small business.
Experts estimate it takes around $3,000 to start a small business so angel investors are one way to get the funds you need to launch. The 2023 ACA Summit happens in Las Vegas, Nevada over three days–May 16 to 18.
Event Information: www.angelcapitalassociation.org
If you’re looking for a free event and you live in one of the 15 cities this traveling expo is going to be in, you’ll want to check out this one-day event. The focus is on how to increase revenue and grow your company. You’ll mix with other attendees/business owners, attend workshops by leaders in small business and check out vendors for fresh ideas and insight.
Event Information: www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com
If you’re looking for a startup competition with large cash prizes on the line, this is the one for you. The grand prize is a cool one million dollars. You’ll gain access to more than 500 speakers, 50,000 other attendees from around the world and 2,500 investors.
Events happen around the globe leading up to the grand finale. Visit locations such as Dubai, Prague, Canada, Egypt, the United States, Israel, Mexico and Hong Kong. Locations and dates may change slightly each year.
Event Information: www.startupworldcup.io
This virtual conference is for solopreneurs from all walks of life. The event is 100% free.
In 2023, the flagship conference happens on April 22nd and includes speakers such as business coach Kevin B. Jennings, author and solopreneur Marc Pimsler and executive video coach James Cooper. The topics are widely varied and intended to help small business owners grow their brands.
Event Information: solocon.com
Choosing the best conference to suit your needs as a mompreneur involves deciding whether you want to attend in-person or online and the skills you’d prefer to build. Consider how far away events occur, the cost of attending and what you’ll do for childcare during the time the event occurs.
If you want to stay current on workshops and news for mompreneurs, sign up for The Founding Mom membership.