Business Sisters Conference 2024

Are you a woman entrepreneur looking to connect with other Eastern Ontario business owners for QUALITY business education and networking?

Then you belong here!

Women in small towns and rural areas are under-served when it comes to networking and business education opportunities. We need to get to know one another, because as a group, we are incredibly strong. Come and find your community of Business Sisters!

By attending this event you will walk away with:

• Timely and practical information to help you feel empowered and more at ease in your business
• Sound approaches to support your mental health as you ride the rollercoaster of running a business, often while managing family & caregiving obligations
• Connections with partner agencies and professionals willing to invest time and money in you and your business success

BONUS: you get to network with other Business Sisters and strengthen a community!

Agenda: (Subject to change without notice)

8:00         Registration + healthy breakfast

8:45         Opening: The State of Women's Entrepreneurship in Eastern Ontario

Presentation of the latest data from The state of women entrepreneurship in Canada, with Sabine Soumare, Executive Director, Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub & Doreen Ashton Wagner, Founder, Business Sisters | Consœurs en Affaires

9:15         Riding the Emotional Rollercoaster of Entrepreneurship - presented by The Entrepreneur's Therapist

Navigating the emotional rollercoaster of business and life is not for the faint-hearted. Between the normal ups and downs of entrepreneurial life, studies show that the mental health of women entrepreneurs is particularly vulnerable, as they often carry a heavier emotional load outside the business. This session will be facilitated by Shulamit Ber Levtov, MSW, MA, who has been an entrepreneur for over 27 years and a mental health professional for over 15 years.

10:15       Break & visit exhibitors – presented by Scotiabank

10:45       Rapid Fire Sessions

• Small Business Ownership & the Law, with Sophie Reitano and Stephanie Murray, Reitano Law
• Never Waste Money on Marketing Again: Create your irresistible brand message with Diana Lidstone, Diana Lidstone Coaching & Consulting
• From Chaos to Clarity: Navigating Small Business Finances, TBA

12:30     Buffet lunch (vegetarian and gluten-free options) – presented by Manulife | MapleTree Private Wealth

13:15      Expert tables - Lively discussions on practical, hands-on topics.

Choose a topic for the first 35 minutes and move on to another topic for another 35-minute round! (Interim topics – all to be confirmed)

1. Branding 101: Stand out from the competition with a strong, innovative brand – Catherine Chartrand, Impressions Design
2. Effective Email Marketing – Chantal Tranchemontagne, Big Catch Communications
3. Scotiabank Women Initiative – Chris McMartin, Scotiabank
4. From Doubt to Decisiveness: Harnessing the Power of Your Intuition – Josianne Laplante, Holistic Coach
5. How to Protect Your Time & Peace – Leah Lindeman, Author & writing coach
6. Incorporating Your Business: Should you draw a salary or dividends? – Maria Bambara, Manulife Securities
7. Insuring your Business in Cases of Data Breach– Mélissa Martel, BrokerLink
8. Being fair: Avoiding "first-impression" traps – Véronique Dupont, CSEPR
9. Communication Strategies in Moments of Tension – Vicky Papineau, Gold Centre Coaching
10. Using AI to market your business – Tracey Blanchfield-d’Aviero, Your VA Mentor
11. Sole entrepreneurship to incorporation: when to make the move?
12. Are you ready to scale? Why, when, and how to take on business debt
13. Will you ever retire? Creating a succession plan for your business
14. What to cover, when and why: the many faces of insurance
15. Closing the gender wealth gap towards financial independence

14:45      Break & visit exhibitors

15:15       Fireside chat with Pioneering Women Business Owners

A dynamic exchange with pioneering women entrepreneurs, based right herein Prescott-Russell and Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry, who will share their views on success, failure and the judicious balance needed to take care of business, loved ones and oneself!

16:30       Closing remarks - Draws

17:00       Wine and cheese reception

This Conference is proudly supported by The RiverRock Inn, as our host.