Event Report: Business Opportunity Fair

On Thursday April 9th, 2015, Fineline Printing Group sponsored the Annual Business Opportunity Fair for the Mid-States Minority Supplier Development Council, held at the JW Marriott in Downtown Indianapolis. Several of Fineline’s own attended the Corporate Luncheon , including Owner & President, Richard Miller (a long-standing member of Mid-States MSDC, actively serving on their Board of Directors). Other top sponsors for the conference included Anthem, Indianapolis Power & Light Company (IPL), Toyota, and Eli Lilly.

The keynote speaker for this year’s Corporate Luncheon was Daymond John, Founder & CEO of FUBU and current TV personality from ABC’s Shark Tank. Not only did he take attendees on a walk down memory lane to where it all began for him, but took them forward along the bumpy road to his current success on Shark Tank. Since grade school he had the entrepreneurial mindset and personality that taught him to never give up, no matter how many times he had to start over with a new idea. “We are always pitching,” said John. His advice can best be summarized by his acronym, SHARK:

  • S – Set your goals, or other people will set them for you.
  • H – Homework. Know your market, do your research, analyze what is working and what is not.
  • A – Adore. Love what you do.
  • R – Remember, you are the brand. Be able to state what you stand for within 2-5 words (or 30 seconds).
  • K – Keep swimming. If your first attempt fails, try a new delivery or a new angle, but never stop trying.

He stated that “your day job will never make you rich; it’s all in your homework.” No one sends out a memo to inform of what the next trend will be. Put in the hard work, effort, learn from your mistakes and the big fish are bound to start biting.

The day concluded with the Business Opportunity Fair trade show, which featured exhibitors of both Minority Business (MBE) and Corporate Member status. The trade show also included a new addition called “Pitch and Advise”, where a select group of MBEs had the opportunity to pitch their ideas to Daymond John and receive consultation on a range of topics from branding to marketing, and more. This year’s annual conference was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We look forward to the other events that Mid-States MSDC has planned throughout the rest of this year.

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