SMWVBO 2020 Conference

Bexar County & UTSA

SMWBE/HUB/DBE MATCHMAKING and Business Conference

Connecting Small Businesses with Buyers and Resources

December 9th - 11th, 2020 from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

COVID 19 has impacted the way we conduct business in profound and unprecedented ways.  Like so many trade and expo shows, Bexar County’s annual SMWVBO conference is unable to be held in its traditional venue providing for countless in-person, face to face, interactions.  However, just as our local business owners have turned to virtual solutions to execute their daily business needs, so too has the 20th Annual Bexar County Business Virtual Conference! Despite the unexpected change in format this year, our wonderful sponsors have made this year’s first-ever virtual conference a reality. We extend our thanks and gratitude to The Honorable José Menéndez, Texas State Senator, District 26, for his unwavering generosity and continued support.

Bexar County’s Business Virtual Conference will provide educational, as well as, networking opportunities with professionals across all industries. Whether a newly formed or legacy business, the Business Virtual Conference offers opportunities to enhance your business strategy, as well as, learn how and where to compete for work in both the private and public sectors. As composed, this virtual event will host thirteen separate live stream sessions as well as offer multiple recorded sessions from end users and procurement professionals who want to hear from you!!

The virtual conference is designed for those who own or are interested in small business and entrepreneurship. The conference will culminate with virtual sessions of Matchmaking with Service Providers, Buyers and Suppliers.

The conference will feature numerous speakers and moderator, including topics on:

  • Starting a Business
  • Building Business Capacity
  • Doing Business with Public Agencies
  • Working with General Contractors

This year’s Bexar County Business Virtual Conference will offer an additional feature not included in our traditional, in-person, conference. In order to ensure that we optimize your business matches, Bexar County & UTSA have engaged MyBusinessMatches.com to facilitate a registration system.  As designed, the registration process takes measures to aptly link your staff with those suppliers that are most likely to sell a good or service that you are currently seeking or will require in the near future. For the first time, this event will also include a match–process for business owners to connect with technical and financial assistance providers.

Registration for this event is available through the MyBusinessMatches.com portal There is no fee to participate.  We highly encourage you to have as many of your buyers, decision makers, client managers, counselors, and leadership register for this event to maximize your entity’s potential matches.  Please note: each individual seeking to participate in the matching process will need to register separately in order to schedule appointments with business owners.

Attendance to this event, as always, is free to the public. This three-day event will be held completely online so that participants can conveniently participate from anywhere they have access to a computer and the internet. 

Please note: there is no pre-registration required for live stream and recorded sessions. Links to the live stream and recorded sessions will be available December 9-11 and can be found in below Conference Schedule.

To join the conservation on social media, follow @SMWBE on Twitter, SMWBE_BEXAR on Instagram and Bexar County SMWBE on Facebook and use the hashtags #SMWVBO2020.

MatchMaking Guide:

SMWVBO Small Business Matchmaking Guide


For information about Matchmaking and Business Conference, please call 210-335-2478.



Conference Schedule


Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Session Type
Time
Event
Invited Agency/Organization
Live Stream
8:00 AM - 8:45 AM
Opening Session
Bexar County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez, Precinct 2, Frank Almaraz, CPS Energy & Renee Watson, SBED Director
Workshop Live Stream
9:00 AM - 9:45 AM
Recovery Resources
UTSA Accelerator
Workshop Live Stream
9:00 AM - 9:45 AM
Business Formation
UTSA SBDC
Workshop Live Stream
9:00 AM - 9:45 AM
Vendor Registration Public Sector - Commodity Codes
UTSA CGC
Workshop Live Stream
9:00 AM - 9:45 AM
Small Business ProgramsCOSA EDD
Workshop Live Stream
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
Doing Business with Bexar County
Bexar SBED
Workshop Live Stream
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
Financial - Micro Lenders
LiftFund
Workshop Live Stream
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
Utilizing Technology As A Strategic Business Asset
Microsoft
Workshop Live Stream
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
International Business & Financing
EXIM Bank
Workshop Live Stream
11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Skills for Small Business
Alamo Colleges - SPC
Workshop Live Stream
11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Community Partners & Services
SAGE/WDC/SSF/NC
Workshop Live Stream
11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
SMWBE/HUB/DBE Certification
TXDOT/HUB
Workshop Live Stream
11:00 AM - 11:45 AM

Customer Assistance, Burned Veterans’ Discount, and Public Safety & Education

CPS Energy

11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Lunch (on your own)

Live Stream
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Open MIC Sessions - Ask a Business Advisor (Live Only)
UTSA SBDC

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Matchmaking Appointments
My Business Matches

2:30 PM - 2:45 PM
Break


2:45 PM - 5:00 PM
Matchmaking Appointments
My Business Matches
  1. Thu, Dec 10
  2. Fri, Dec 11



Pre-recorded Session links

  1. Starting A Business 
  2. Doing Business - Public Agencies
  3. Building Business Capacity
  4. Doing Business with General Contractors

Pre-Recorded Sessions

Organization
Bexar County Resolution Center Resources:
Intake Coordinator Elena Terrill leads a question and answer formatted presentation explaining those services offered by the Bexar County Dispute Resolution Center and how a small business might best utilize the free resources offered by the entity.
Business Plan:
UTSA SBDC’s business advisor Hector Ramirez offers an overview of what essential elements you want to include when seeking to create your business plan.
COSA Permits:
City of San Antonio’s Small Business Liaison Hugo Villarreal offers an in-depth explanation as to what licenses, permits and processes a small business should anticipate obtaining when operating within the City of San Antonio and Bexar County.
DBA: Assumed Names:
Bexar County Clerk Lucy Adame-Clark discusses the steps involved with filing for your Assumed Name / Doing Business As (DBA) as well as what services the County Clerk’s Office offers to expedite and ease the process.
LaunchSA:
Director Ryan Salts leads a presentation detailing the resources and services offered by the entity as well as training and networking opportunities LaunchSA typically hosts. Additionally, Mr. Salts provides contact information and a guideline for action / steps to be taken to engage LaunchSA as a small business resource.
Starting a Business:
UTSA SBDC’s business advisor Crystal Darby details the most critical steps for starting, forming and filing your small business.
QuickBooks:
Advanced QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor Steve Chase offers a tutorial on basic tools and tips for utilizing QuickBooks, a small business must for those seeking to maintain their own financials.