San Diego is the place to be for entrepreneurs. Not only is it home to a multitude of industries and top MBA programs, but it’s also home to the San Diego Small Business Forum.
The San Diego Small Business Forum helps entrepreneurs and small businesses get on the map. It provides resources through online material, networking events, sales, and growth opportunities, as well as collaboration and support between all entrepreneurs within the forum. It’s the perfect outlet for MBAs in San Diego who are looking to start their own business after graduation.
Shawna Chalmers and Edel Vernazza started the Forum to help businesses get recognized by the community. Vernazza is the owner and specializes in event planning, social media, and marketing. While, Chalmers works on graphic design.
Currently, the duo is working on the Say Hello to Spring at Pier Plaza celebration on May 7, 2016. The event will bring together 31 vendors to sell their products and get their businesses in front of the community. The Forum helps with everything from putting the event together, to marketing, advertising, and getting the word out.
Other opportunities offered by the San Diego Small Business Forum include Creative Marketing Workshops, online newsletters, and highlights in business. “The way the Business Forum helps businesses is by starting with the basics like designing a logo, creating a website, spreading the word through social media and marketing. ‘We work with them step by step. We help all the way until you take it and do it yourself,’” Vernazza told the Imperial Beach News.
For MBAs in San Diego, the Forum is just one of the many unique programs focused on helping new businesses get off the ground. At the University of San Diego School of Business, students can also participate in the V2 Entrepreneur Competition, which offers $100,000 in cash and in-kind support to the best business ideas. It’s an exciting competition that allows students to turn their ideas into reality, and previous winners have gone on to raise almost $2 million in funding. Learn more.