UW SBDC Network to Host Post-COVID-19 Economy Competitiveness Virtual Summit Webinar

During COVID-19, shoppers changed how they consume products and services and how they determine which businesses they wish to support. To continue to thrive, small-business owners need to be sure of their next steps and how they fit into the economy of a post-pandemic world.

Strategies to do just that will be the subject of a Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network virtual summit webinar, “Finding Your Competitive Advantage,” at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 30. The Wyoming SBDC Network is located at the University of Wyoming.

To register for the free virtual summit, go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2811603387680645133.

“This summit is focused on helping small-business owners find and determine their competitive advantage in a post-COVID-19 world,” says Maureen Johnson, CARES Act recovery program manager for the Wyoming SBDC Network.

Dan Gingiss, a Fortune 500 executive, and Marc Willson, a nationally recognized retail strategist, are the keynote speakers who will discuss determining how a business’s competitive advantage will help it move forward successfully.

Gingiss spent more than 20 years in leadership positions at Discover Card, Humana and McDonald’s. He is the author of two books, “The Experience Maker” and “Winning at Social Customer Care,” and is the host of the “Experience This!” podcast and “The Experience Maker” LinkedIn live show.

Willson has four decades of experience helping retail, restaurant and tourism-related small businesses refine and promote their concepts to the public. In 1975, he started his retail career as co-owner of the largest distributor of Earth Shoes in North America. Since then, Willson has held executive positions at numerous companies, including Britches of Georgetowne, Crown Books, Wilsons Leather, Circuit City, the Bicycle Exchange, eCampus.com and Storetrax Inc. Most recently, he opened the world’s first energy efficiency store for Current Energy LLC in Dallas, Texas.

The webinar schedule is:

-- 10-11 a.m.: “How a Remarkable Customer Experience Can Be Your Best Sales and Marketing Strategy.” Gingiss will teach attendees how customer experience can be a company’s ultimate differentiator, which creates a competitive advantage that cannot be copied. Attendees will learn  how to identify the types of experiences people share most often and why; apply an easy five-step framework for creating remarkable shareable experiences; and leverage examples from many other companies across industries that have been successful with these simple, practical and inexpensive ideas.

-- Noon-1 p.m.: “Wyoming SBDC Business Adviser Panel and Q&A: What Worked for Wyoming Business Owners During the Pandemic?” The Wyoming SBDC Network’s advising and leadership team will discuss strategies that worked for entrepreneurs in the wake of the pandemic’s effects on the Wyoming economy. Attendees are encouraged to submit questions at registration, and Wyoming SBDC Network staff will answer them during the panel discussion.

-- 2-3 p.m.: “A Guide for Retail Renewal Requires Secret Sauce.” This interactive forum will explore opportunities for small-business retailers and restaurants; trends and lessons to take away from the pandemic; and how to use what was learned during the pandemic to benefit businesses moving into the future.

For more information, call Johnson at (307) 343-0925 or email mjohn125@uwyo.edu.

The Wyoming SBDC Network offers business expertise to help Wyoming residents think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by UW with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

For more information, go to www.wyomingsbdc.org.