By: Laura Dempsey
The Small Business Hub’s frequent Colliders are one of the secret weapons in a small-business arsenal. Participation is free, no travel is required, and they usually last between two and four hours – taking an afternoon for “training” is much more cost-effective than traveling or paying hundreds of dollars for an online offering.
Experts, both local and national, are brought in to share experiences and informally advise participants: connections are often made in this setting, given the relatively informal and uncrowded atmosphere.
The beginning of the fiscal year tackled technical areas of interest and ways to bring people together, including:
- The Power of Quantum - the Small Business Hub partnered with the Dayton-Wright Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA) for a Collider that focused on “Issues, Challenges & Solutions in Quantum Computing.” This hybrid (both virtual and in-person) event featured a panel that included experts from industry, academia and government. Quantum computing is seen by many as a game-changing technology that is applicable to virtually every industry across the globe. Many prominent commercial companies have taken notice, including Google, IBM, Microsoft, NASA, Intel, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin.Attendees also learned about potential quantum computing contributions to cryptography and information security, financial analysis, military affairs and intelligence, drug design and discovery, polymer design and material science – the list of possibilities is vast.
- Strengthening Local Ties - the Small Business Hub hosted a Collider sponsored by the Miami Valley Ventures Association, an organization dedicated to the success of the downtown Dayton small business community. Business owners are regularly brought together for a presentation from a local entrepreneur who shares some keys to their success. The local component is essential, given the Dayton area’s diversity encompassing not just Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, but tech start-ups and retail pop-ups that gain traction on a regular basis.October’s Collider featured a presentation from an entrepreneur who took part in Launch Dayton’s Startup Week.
- Supporting Ohio’s Minority-Owned Businesses - The Air Force Small Business office is working to increase contracts awarded to minority-owned small businesses (MOSB); a Collider held Oct. 20, 2022, focused on information for MOSB interested in working with the federal government. The Collider was held in support of Wright Brothers Institute’s Memorandum of Understanding with the Cleveland area’s Minority Business Development Agency Business Center. October’s Collider was Part 2 of a two-part initiative that focused on minority business development and the federal government’s SBIR/STTR program.
Jeff Mellott, Director of Air Force Materiel Command Small Business Programs, finds WBI’s Colliders a valuable resource for his mission.
“A big thank you for presenting at last Thursday's Collider,” he said after the event. “This was our second event teaming with the Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency. What was exciting about this event was the focus on the SBIR/STTR program. I was certainly impressed with what each of you are pursuing and the successes achieved.
“The technology market sector is critical to our nation's economic future and depends on a robust and representative small business industrial base. (WBI’s) efforts are making this happen and are amplified when we come together and leverage events to reach innovators in underserved communities.”
LinkedIn recently published “The Top 10 Reasons Why Networking is Still Important in 2022,” illustrating that good business practices are evergreen. Among the reasons cited: Opportunities. “Connecting with other professionals gets you into their network, giving you an entire list of contacts to seek guidance from.
“Networking in itself produces a great deal of opportunities. When you network with people and start building connections, those connections also connect you with their connections. The opportunities are endless, from finding a new job, client leads, partnerships and more.” 1
A Forbes article titled “Small Business is All About Relationships” pointed out that “small businesses might not have the resources, reach or experience of larger ones, but … small businesses can still hold a huge advantage. After all, business is powered by the relationships we develop; we’re in complete control of them.” 2
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