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Upcoming Events for Small Business Owners in DSM

Fall 2023 Events for Small Businesses

August 31, 2023

Looking for ways to help your business grow? Why not attend one of these upcoming small business events this fall? Beyond learning from experts about marketing and raising capital, you can network and get to know others building businesses in Greater Des Moines (DSM), too! Find out what motivates others to succeed in our community and how those business owners are innovating to reach their goals.

Small Business Events in Greater Des Moines

FemCity Beyond Business Conference

The Beyond Business Conference invites everyone to a day of personal and professional growth. This conference will provide a platform for all women and gender non-conforming people to share their knowledge and businesses with others. The day will be full of community, uplifting each other and opportunities to connect with others whether you own a business or support all the remarkable things others are doing. The Beyond Business Conference is sponsored by the Greater Des Moines Partnership and takes place on Thursday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 a.m. at The Monroe in West Des Moines.

Flourish

Flourish seeks to provide a space for community investment in ideas that women and non-gender conforming people have to serve customers in the community. Three finalists will present their idea at the Flourish event on Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 4:30 p.m. at Willow on Grand in Des Moines. Based on a community vote, one finalist will earn the funds raised from ticket sales to be used for their business. Flourish is sponsored by The Partnership.

Top Five for Small Business: The Why Behind the Buy

The Top Five series features experts in human resources, marketing, accounting, IT and more. Presenters will introduce five key points on specific topics that help small business owners be successful. Each event will take place virtually from 9 – 10 a.m. At the Zoom event on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 9 a.m., Simpson Sales Solutions owner Jennifer Simpson will share how attendees can "think like a client" to strengthen the sales process from prospecting efforts, discovery skills, proposal content and post-sale up sale opportunity.

Future World of Work

Looking to find ways to thrive in the work and learning ecosystems of tomorrow? Attend the Future World of Work Summit on Thursday, Oct. 5 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at UnityPoint Health Des Moines Conference & Learning Center in Des Moines. Learn about innovation in the workplace, learning and technology and more!

16th Annual National Immigrant Entrepreneurs Summit

On Saturday, Nov. 18, the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny will hold the National Immigrant Entrepreneurs Summit from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. The event will include business tips for working with immigrant populations, bringing together diverse business owners to celebrate immigrant entrepreneurship. The Summit includes a pitch competition for three new immigrant business owners to compete for $5,000. The deadline to apply is Saturday, Sept. 30. This event is sponsored by The Partnership.

And don’t forget to register for the upcoming Local Business School: Master Your Small Business Marketing series, consisting of 12 sessions over the course of six weeks, as well as Central Iowa Business Academy events, including a Wednesday, Sept. 20 event focused on social media and marketing with Andi Fagen of Creative DSM.

We hope to see you at a few of these upcoming events this fall!

Looking for tools to help grow your startup or small business? Visit the Small Business Resources Hub to find the information you need.

The Greater Des Moines Partnership calendar of events is a one-stop resource for activities taking place throughout the region. Find networking information for Greater Des Moines (DSM) businesses or events specific to Downtown DSM.

Meg Schneider

Meg Schneider is a member of the Forbes Nonprofit Council, an invitation-only organization for senior-level executives in successful nonprofit organizations.