Compete Smart 2014
 
What are the Hot Seats? How Do I Sign Up?
Compete Smart 2014
Thursday, October 9th - Friday, October 10th, 2014
The HOT SEAT! is a chance to wave your magic wand for a free 15-minute 1-on-1 with an expert in the HOT SEAT! to open opportunities for more success!!  Use the HOT SEAT! for  1-on-1 professional consultations -- FREE to anyone registered for the conference.  These special consults are being made available by the Montana Department of Commerce.

How to Put an Expert in the HOT SEAT! for 15-minutes
Stop by the Hot Seat Sign Up table to find out more and receive a free gift!  You sign up on-site in the conference registration area of the MCC Building at the Holiday Inn Grand MT in Billings on Oct 9 and 10. Select an available time/topic that fits your schedule with experts in access to capital, manufacturing and business issues, exporting and great resources, growth planning,  trade adjustment assistance; niche marketing; government contracting,  and more!.
 
Check these descriptions below for topics that fit your needs and things you might think about before arriving.

Growth Strategy HOT SEAT!

Learn more about Fast Strategizing that Works

Your chance to put  MMEC in the HOT SEAT! for 15 minutes to explore tools that help you overcome barriers to growth and begin setting action plans that work.  

 
Access to Capital to finance your innovation and assistance for funding new technology development 

Bringing Ideas to Reality

You have a good idea for an innovative new technology, product, or service, but don’t know how to get financing to develop it?   Forget about chasing Venture Capital (VC)!  Sign up for a 15-minute HOT SEAT! session with with an MTIP specialist or SBIR guru to see how you can improve your odds of success while keeping control of your own company. The SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) and/or STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) programs from 11 federal agencies could help you bring that idea to reality:  

    Discuss your idea in technical depth and in confidentiality; determine which agencies are most appropriate and how to best approach them, and what type of collaborations might increase your chances of success. 


    NWTAAC Trade Adjustment Grants HOT SEAT!

    Opportunities for Assistance for U.S. Companies Impacted by Import Competition

    Wondering if your business has been impacted by import competition and resources?   This HOT SEAT!  with Patrick Meuleman, NWTAAC, may answer some of your questions about how Trade Adjustment that might offset that impact.

    Ask yourself:        

    • Has your business lost sales and employees because of foreign competition in the marketplace?
    • Are you looking for financial assistance to become more competitive against foreign competition?

     If the answers are yes, check out opportunities for assistance to overcome impacts and how you can apply. TAAC can help pay for marketing, export assistance, employee training, website redesign, lean manufacturing, quality control certification and product or facility design, or other possible projects. 

     

    Niche Marketing  HOT SEAT!
    Reveal Areas You Can Work on to Innovate & Grow

    Looking for ways to refine your marketing approach to better reach more lucrative niche markets; wonder if you need a Sales Department and Marketing? Want to explore how to differentiate your product or hone into "What's In It For Me" as your customers see it? Sign up with a marketing specialist n a 15-minute HOT SEAT! to answer deep dive questions to learn more about developing new customers/new markets.  Get tips on refining your marketing tactics to reach appropriate markets, know when you're ready to take on new markets and how to attract more Most Valuable Customers. 
     

    Manufacturing Issues Hot Seat!
    Explore Your Bottlenecks, Pros and Cons of Incentives, and more

    Need some candid conversation about manufacturing issues you have. Sign up for a 15-minute opportunity to put an MMEC Field Engineer in the HOT SEAT! 
             Ask Yourself
     

    Government Contracting HOT SEAT!
    Getting Government Down to Business -- Is the government an appropriate market for your business. Opportunities abound if you understand the marketplace for federal, state and local government procurement needs, your readiness and needed tools for dealing with the world of government e-commerce.

    Wondering what it takes to do business with the government?  You may want to consider the following questions before you put PTAC in the HOT SEAT!

    • Does the government buy what I sell?    How - when - where - how much?
    • Do I have the resources to effectively approach the government markets.
               Personnel - Capacity - Time - Money (cash flow) - supply chaining 
    • Will my product or service be competitive?
         The government is a big customer. Is it right for you? Sign up for 15-minute HOT SEATS! from several Montana PTAC (Procurement Technical Assistance Center) experts and find out.