http:\/\/www.vamboa.org<\/a> <\/p>\nOwners of minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses will have a chance to learn about pursuing contracts with the government and private companies, as well as ways to secure loans and funding, at a daylong conference in Thousand Oaks on April 26.<\/p>\n
The Power Your Business event, hosted by Amgen in the biotechnology company\u2019s conference center, will highlight how small-business owners can capitalize on their status as diverse suppliers.<\/p>\n
A wide range of business owners have signed up for the event, said Debbie Gregory, owner of MilitaryConnection.com, an online directory of resources, and founder of Veteran and Military Business Owners Association, an organizer of the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cVeterans make wonderful entrepreneurs,\u201d Gregory said, emphasizing the skills and discipline they bring to their work.<\/p>\n
The idea of the conference is to give them and others resources they can use in their businesses.<\/p>\n
Keynote speakers will include personal finance expert Jordan Goodman, known as the \u201cmoney answers man\u201d; motivational speaker Linda Larsen; and Rocky Chavez, acting California Department of Veterans Affairs secretary.<\/p>\n
Gregory said the day also will include panel discussions covering certification and verification, finance and loans, government contracting and how to win business from top corporations. Corporate participants will include Toyota, Microsoft, AT&T, Pfizer and others. The federal Department of Veterans Affairs, Labor Department and Small Business Administration also will be involved.<\/p>\n
Goodman has written several books and co-wrote the Barron\u2019s Dictionary of Finance and Investment Terms.<\/p>\n
He said personal finance is closely tied to business finances when it comes to small-business owners. He said his role is to make them aware of programs that can help land jobs with government agencies or large corporations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey offer great services, the companies need them and they just don\u2019t know how to reach each other,\u201d he said. That\u2019s what the conference and organizations such as the Veteran and Military Business Owners Association are all about, he said.<\/p>\n
Veterans in particular bring great technical and management skills to their businesses, but sometimes have the challenge of not having worked in the corporate world, he said. Many don\u2019t realize that companies are looking for them as suppliers to meet certain requirements and mandates \u2014 something that can provide opportunities for their businesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese programs exist, but in many cases, they\u2019re not really communicated well to veterans and minorities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Farryn Melton, Amgen\u2019s vice president of strategic sourcing, said Amgen seeks to enhance its own supplier diversity program through partnerships and by hosting events, such as the conference.<\/p>\n
Gregory commended Amgen for its role in the conference.<\/p>\n
\u201cAmgen reaches out and is a company that doesn\u2019t just talk, but walks the walk when it comes to supplier diversity,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The conference is open to a limited number of attendees in person as well as online.<\/p>\n
In addition to Amgen and the Veteran and Military Business Owners Association, the event is being organized by the National Association of Women Business Owners, Ventura County; National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce; Southern California Minority Business Development Council; and Women\u2019s Business Enterprise National Council.<\/p>\n
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