LEARN HOW TO START OR GROW A THRIVING SMALL BUSINESS AT
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS CONFERENCE FOR WOMEN
FEB. 8 – 9 IN SILICON VALLEY

SBA, NAWBO, Forum for Women Entrepreneurs & Executives, Women's Technology Cluster and Other Sponsors Join
Invent Your Future Enterprises to Fast-Track the Success of New and Aspiring Small Business Owners

SAN CARLOS, Calif. – Jan. 18, 2007 – Build valuable skills and know-how to start or run a thriving small
business at The Entrepreneurial Skills Conference, February 8 – 9, 2007, where the nation’s top authors,
experts, business leaders and professors will share their secrets and strategies for success. The event will be
held at the Microsoft Conference Center in Mountain View, CA. Register at http://www.inventyourfuture.
com/conference.html.

Featuring two power-packed days of hands-on sessions designed just for small businesses:

•        Enhance your business skills in negotiation, finance, strategy, selling & decision making;
•        Participate in business simulation exercises and build your business IQ;
•        Understand the key P&L ratios used by top CEOs to assess their business’ strengths and weaknesses
and drive strategic business decisions;
•        Gain a productivity advantage by learning about the latest technology tools: CRM, SEO, Blogs,
smartphones, PDAs and more;
•        Understand how the Internet can drive sales for your company;
•        Exchange best practices with other entrepreneurs and find answers to your toughest questions during
interactive breakout sessions with lots of Q&A;
•        Gain ongoing support to overcome your business challenges by joining an Entrepreneurial Mindset team
that will meet after the event.

“Events like the Entrepreneurial Skills Conference are a very important part of our efforts to provide resources
and tools that enhance and grow small businesses throughout Northern California,” said Darlene McKinnon,
Acting District Director of The San Francisco District Office (SFDO) of the SBA. “With programs like these from
Invent Your Future Enterprises, small business owners and managers will learn practical skills and strategies
to drive immediate improvements in their companies.”

More highlights:

•        Just added: Margaret Heffernan, author of the new book How She Does It: How Women Entrepreneurs
Are Changing the Rules of Business Success;
•        An SBA lender and the co-Founder of the Springboard Venture Forums will ‘springboard’ your success in
founding and funding a new business;
•        Sales expert Joanne Black (author, No More Cold Calling) will share strategies for attracting and
retaining the most profitable customers;
•        Mathilda Khabbaz, Vice President of Citibank will improve your understanding of a P&L - including the key
ratios to watch to identify the problems ahead;
•        Small business and PR experts Kara Swisher (Wall Street Journal) and Aundrea Lacy (Luv's Brownies) will
share tips and inspirational stories;
•        Tech experts Barbara Coll (webmama.com), Jory Des Jardins (BlogHer) and Carolyn Acker (Infusion CRM)
will share technical tools to increase your productivity, reach new customers and boost your profits.

Learn more at http://www.inventyourfuture.com/conference.html.

“With their innovative ideas and ambition to succeed, women-owned businesses are making significant
contributions to our local and global economy,” said Ruth Stergiou, Co-Founder, Invent Your Future
Enterprises. “The Entrepreneurial Skills Conference offers a unique opportunity to enhance their business
skills, participate in real-world business simulations, and share ideas and business opportunities with other
entrepreneurially-minded women.”

Co-Founder Denise Brosseau added, "This conference helps entrepreneurs avoid the school of hard knocks by
packing years of learning experiences into just two days. The event is also backed by a robust network of the
leading entrepreneurial support organizations to assist current or aspiring women small business owners on
their path to success. By building executive's competencies in core areas like sales, finance, business strategy
and decision making, we'll provide them with practical skills they can implement in their businesses right away."

Sponsors include: The SBA; Microsoft; Bridge Bank; New Dimension Enterprises; Burke Williams Spa; and
Townsend and Townsend and Crew, LLP. Partners include: Professional Business Women of California (PBWC);
Alliance of Technology and Women (ATW); BlogHer; Forum for Women Entrepreneurs & Executives;
FountainBlue; Indian Business & Professional Women; NAWBO Silicon Valley; the Renaissance
Entrepreneurship Center; Springboard Enterprises; Women Impacting Public Policy; Women In Consulting; and
Women’s Technology Cluster. Learn about sponsorship opportunities at http://inventyourfuture.
com/conference.html.

Register

Visit http://www.inventyourfuture.com/conference.html to register at the $397 woman small business owner
rate, plus receive gifts valued at $150. Registration includes conference sessions, Business Simulation
Challenge, materials, exhibits, continental breakfast, lunch and reception.

About Invent Your Future Enterprises

Invent Your Future Enterprises is a professional development company that is accelerating the success of the
next generation of corporate and entrepreneurial women leaders through corporate retention and diversity
programs, business simulation training, skill-building conferences, eseminars and toolkits. Built by highly
experienced, connected and committed social entrepreneurs, the company’s products and services fast-track
the success of corporate managers on their way up the career ladder, 'intra'-preneurs who are building
internal corporate ventures, and new or aspiring business owners. Learn more at www.inventyourfuture.com
or call (650) 472-3782.
SBA’s participation in this Cosponsorship is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products
or services of any cosponsor or other person or entity.
All SBA programs, services and cosponsored activities are extended to the public on a
nondiscriminatory basis.
Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two
weeks in advance.  Contact: Kathleen Butler Tom, (415) 744-6777, Kathleen.butler.tom@sba.gov
Cosponsorship Authorization #: 07-0912-10
Press Contact:
Ruth Stergiou
Invent Your Future
email: ruth@inventyourfuture.com
phone: 650-472-3782 X2