Business Development Tracks

Sorting Through Social Media 3 - 3:45 p.m.
The obsession with social networking sites is sweeping the globe, all the while becoming progressively more important to business relationships and operations. Whether it’s LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube, the significance of social media in the workplace is not just about monitoring employees’ tweets – it’s about leveraging them to gain market share. This session explores how viral videos, connections, status updates and the like can be used as marketing tools, along with a rundown on social Web etiquette.
Speaker: Mike O'Neil, President, Integrated Alliances

Startup Strategies for Agents 4 – 4:45 p.m.
If you are a VAR, dealer, former carrier sales rep looking to start or improve your new(er) carrier services agency business, this session is for you. It will cover the most important things a new agent should do to build their business and top-line revenues -- from business planning, budgeting, marketing, lead generation, sales and customer support.
Speaker: Bill Taylor, President, Corporate Ladders

Bulletproofing Your Business 9:30 – 10:15 a.m.
Anyone who has ever reviewed or signed a contract understands that details matter. It only takes one minute detail to ruin a partnership, squash a deal or cause someone to lose thousands of dollars. Therefore, legal agreements should be managed very carefully and proactively. This session will cover contracts, tariffs and other baseline legal considerations that partners need to be sure to have a handle on before pulling any trigger. Learn how to bulletproof your business and avoid mistakes that can lead to litigation.
Speaker: Ross Buntrock, Partner, Arent Fox LLP

Exit Stage Right 10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
Unless you want to remain in the channel forever, it will be necessary to plan for a successful exit. How will you bring your relationships to a close? How much of your recurring revenue do you aim to continue receiving and how will you protect it? What factors will you consider when negotiating agreements with other channel partners in an effort to execute your exit strategy? Partners need to create and maintain value in their businesses along the way, while considering various avenues for transfer of ownership and business continuity. This session will address exit strategy concerns for business owners as well as for individual employees planning their own personal exit strategies.
Speaker: Phil Josephson, Principal, Law Office of Phil Josephson