Conference to Focus on the Role of E-Commerce in Competition
Small-business owners lag their larger counterparts in Internet use and e-commerce. But a USC conference Dec. 9 is designed to change that. Small Business Outlook 2000: Competing in the E-Commerce Age aims to demystify the world of electronic commerce for owners of small- and mid-sized enterprises.
Misperceptions and ignorance about the importance of the Internet--even to businesses in non-technology-related fields--have paralyzed many entrepreneurs and will hurt their ability to compete, said Nitin Bhatt, executive director of USC’s Business Expansion Network, which will host the conference with USC’s Small Business Development office.
For example, many government agencies and universities disseminate information on contract opportunities through e-mail lists, and some accept only online bids. Many entrepreneurs are losing out on timely bid information because they aren’t plugged in. Others, meanwhile, slap together a Web site with the mistaken notion that that is all it takes to boost revenue, Bhatt said.
“Businesses that are coming to us are concerned. They know they need to delve into the e-commerce world, but they just don’t know how they fit in,” Bhatt said.
Conference speakers will address the vitals of the Internet economy: how to spot e-commerce-related entrepreneurship opportunities and avoid pitfalls; how to find venture capital; how to set up an e-commerce site; alternatives to traditional e-commerce, such as establishing strategic partnerships with e-tailers; and how to survive a post-Y2K world by saving records and backing up systems now; and how to access government contracts online.
Speakers include Jack Kyser, chief economist of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp.; USC Marshall School of Business professors Kathleen Allen and Xavier Dreze; Frank Creer, managing director of Zone Ventures; Joseph Loeb, chief executive of Break Away Technologies; and Wayne Dobson of the U.S. Commerce Department’s Minority Business Development Agency.
The conference will run from 8 a.m. to noon at USC’s Davidson Conference Center. The cost is $50 and includes breakfast. For more information, contact Jinah Sihn at (213) 743-1837.
