When starting a business, there’s usually not a lot of money, but a ton of questions. Wish you could hire a consultant or expert to help you perfect your business without a big paycheck? These Lunch&Learn workshops are perfect for the early stage business owner looking to get specific feedback and advice for their business.

In these hands-on, interactive workshops, learn from professionals how to better your business with feedback that is specific to you. Get help with the formal language of your business plan. Receive real time feedback on your VC pitch, before you’re in front of potential investors. Create a solid marketing statement and brand for your particular product, service, etc. and more…!

Groups are limited in size, purchase a ticket early to reserve your spot!

Students can attend free with the code "BIW15BizStudent" (student tickets are limited)

Spark is located between Rams Head Live and the old Comedy Club. When you go through the entry doors, a set of elevators will be to the right. And you will take it to the 3rd floor.

Agenda

• 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Registration, Networking & Lunch
• 1:30 - 1:40 p.m. Welcoming Remarks & Brief Overview of Workshops
• 1:40 - 2:30 p.m. Breakout into Workshops
• 2:30 - 2:40 p.m. Short Break & Opportunity to Switch Groups
• 2:40 - 3:30 p.m. Workshops Continue
• 3:30 - 4:00 p.m. Networking

Workshop Topics

• Perfect Your Pitch
• How to Hire Technical Talent
• Determining Your Valuation
• Protecting Your Business (or Idea) When Things Go Wrong
• Building a Business Plan

Workshop Descriptions

How to Hire Technical Talent with Yair Flicker, SmartLogic

2hr in-depth interactive session on "hiring a technologist". Come with questions about what kind of technical talent you need on your team, and how to hire the right person for the job.

Perfect Your Pitch with Adam Plotkin, ff Venture Capital

Have a pitch? Want to see what a venture capitalist thinks? Take the opportunity to present your 60-second pitch to a seasoned investor and get immediate feedback on ways to enhance your presentation to attract dollars.

How to Value Your Company with Ian Nabb of Camden Partners and Seth Shuldiner of the Maryland Venture Fund.

Want to know how much your startup should be worth to investors, but aren't sure where to start? Learn the techniques investors use to value a company, and bring all your valuation questions for this interactive Q&A session.

Protecting Your Business (or Idea) When Things Go Wrong with Melissa Burk, Diversified Insurance Industries

Business owners and entrepreneurs usually have a high tolerance for risk or they wouldn’t be starting their own business but where there is risk there is a chance that things can go wrong, sometimes very wrong. A single loss can put you out of business before you really get started and can put your personal assets at risk. Learn what’s at risk, how to properly protect and manage it and how to make your insurance work for you!

Building a Business Plan with Stephen Auvil, TEDCO

You would not build a skyscraper without blueprints, why would you consider starting a business without a plan? Attend the Business Plan Workshop to learn how to construct a solid plan for your business – one that convinces you that you have a good idea and one that can convince investors that your company represents a good investment opportunity. In this highly-interactive workshop, attendees will learn best practices for business plan development and will be encouraged to discuss and develop the various components of their own business plans.

Event Logistics

This event is a part of Baltimore Innovation Week's Business Conference Day. Check out the full list of Business Conference events.

We have partnered with Parking Panda, the nationwide leader in online parking reservations, to allow visitors to purchase guaranteed parking near our Business Conference Day. View real-time availability and pricing at many convenient locations within easy walking distance to Spark Baltimore.

Once purchased, parking is 100% guaranteed even if the location otherwise fills up. Simply present your purchase confirmation at the selected location, and this serves as your payment with no additional payments or fees ever. Parking availability is very limited, so it is strongly recommended that you purchase your parking in advance, if driving.

Reserve your parking