Business Plans That Get Companies Funded
Grow your company faster with a superb business plan. Learn what grabs today's investors' attention and what turns them off. The panel will help you get ready for the plan-building effort quickly and show you how to produce a first-class plan.

Different Stages of Equity Funding: What You Need to Know to Get Funded
Seed, early stage, later stage - investors' expectations have changed . . . or have they? Hear what a panel of active investors requires to make investments in today's market. Also, hear about less conventional, non-equity sources of capital that many do not know about.

Executive Summaries: The Fast Track to Investor Meetings
Most VCs and Angel investors receive more business plans than they can possibly read. As a result, investors rarely read more than the first paragraph, and most plans wind up in the "round file." This panel will focus on proven methods for your business plan's Executive Summary that will cause investors to give your business serious consideration.

Financing Strategies for Biomedical Companies:
Winning Financing While Maintaining Control of Your Company
Find out how to cultivate the interest of VCs and corporate partners in your company. Learn the trends in structuring strategic partnerships and alliances to fund your R & D. Find out why biomedical companies are one of the few businesses still being funded.

How To Get An SBA Loan and Vital Banking Services
A panel of seasoned financial experts reveals the secrets of harnessing the government's long-standing small business loan program.

The Role of Investment Bankers in the Small Cap Market (under $25 million)
Most people think that investment bankers are only for large public companies. In fact, most investment banking transactions are done on behalf of smaller private businesses. This panel will help you understand the role, value and method of working with investment bankers.

Survivor Round One: Angel Financing
Always wanted to know how angel investors make their decisions on funding companies? Watch three entrepreneurs compete for funding from a group of seasoned angel investors. Real-time critiques give the entrepreneurs valuable insight into how attractive their pitch is to angels.

Survivor Round Two: Venture Capital Financing
Since the dot.com meltdown, the venture capital community has been in turmoil. Penetrating the mysteries of today's venture capital environment can be a frustrating experience. PricewaterhouseCoopers will reveal how VCs are responding in the current funding climate, followed by a live pitch to a panel of VCs by a venture seeking funding.

Buy, Build & Sell: Lessons From the Field
Building on an established enterprise can be the lowest risk and fastest path to a substantial business. Learn how to identify, evaluate, and acquire a company with significant enhancement potential. Post acquisition, what framework(s) can be used to systematically build shareholder value? In pursuit of a sale or recapitalization, what process can be used to optimize results?

Demystifying Imports: Critical First Steps to Importing
Imports are taking over category after category. Learn from successful importers how to overcome early stage roadblocks. Panelists will focus on how to find overseas manufacturers, build relationships and insure quality, taking cultural differences into account.

How Leaders Unleash Productivity Breakthroughs
Changing how an entrepreneurial organization functions to create breakthrough performance requires compelling communication between leadership and employees. An internationally recognized expert shows you tactical things you can do to motivate your leaders to get everyone willingly pulling in the same direction.

How To Manage and Protect Intellectual Property
In a business driven by technology, your patents, trademarks and other intellectual properties are essential to your value. A well-executed intellectual property strategy can help you take command of new territory or defend your existing turf.

Taking The Leap: Overcome The Fear Of Being An Entrepreneur
Starting your own business can be very intimidating for the first-time entrepreneur. Living without predictable income and dipping into savings can cause considerable anxiety. Learn how to deal with this uncertainty from a panel of people who have gone through it before.

Six Fundamentals for Building Enterprise Value and Accumulating Wealth
Business is about accumulating wealth for you and those connected to your enterprise. Learn how to design an organization to act in today's rapidly changing global marketplace. You will be introduced to little known, but proven techniques that have enabled entrepreneurs to increase the value of their enterprises.

Taking the Technology Advantage: Maximum Performance with Minimum Cost
Today's entrepreneurs CAN build businesses that look, feel and perform as if they are $100 million companies. Savvy entrepreneurs will show you the tools to manage your business profitably and smartly.

Your Business Lifelines: CASH, CASH, CASH
Marketing strategies and management theories are fine, but in the end, your business runs on that vital asset called CASH. Prudent working capital management must emphasize an "integrated company strategy" and not just a numbers approach.

Market Research: The Secret Weapon for Successful Businesses
How does an investor know if your business concept will work with customers? Will customers buy your product or service as is, or does it need changes? Experts experienced in using cost-effective research to help early stage businesses succeed will share their secrets.

"Outside Of The Box" Sales Strategies
It is easy to make money when the economy is growing. But, when times get tough, successful business people must be creative to generate revenue. This panel explores untraditional routes to sales that keep companies afloat in tough times, and create a competitive advantage.

Why Building A Brand Is Even More Important In Tough Times
All recessions end. Having your company's brand in customers' minds during and after a recession is critical to long-term success and value. This panel will explore how you can maintain your brand, cost-effectively, during a recession.

As service to business education in Orange County, the Entrepreneur Conference has sponsored for 13 years a forum where business faculty members can gather information from each other and share their experiences in improving entrepreneur education. The schools represent all levels of teaching institutions from Community College through Masters Programs and Senior Executive Programs. The Faculty Forum is restricted to faculty members.