Heartland Conference for Free Enterprise is March 6

The College of Business Administration and the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will host the 23rd annual Heartland Conference for Free Enterprise March 6 at the Embassy Suites, 1040 P St.

This all-day conference provides opportunities for business leaders and students to learn new business trends and develop the skills needed to successfully start or expand their business.

The conference will feature comedian Juli Burney, who has won multiple awards as a teacher, humorist and author. A nationally recognized speaker, Burney entertains while motivating and instructing. Burney has been commissioned to develop training programs for groups that range from Fortune 500 companies to the National Endowment for the Arts. She has filmed for Showtime and HBO, along with making numerous guest appearances on radio and television programs.

The conference features three tracks. A financial track will include a presentation by Steve Lefever, the chairman and founder of Business Resource Services. Lefever will present "The Cup and The Gap," in addressing the best tools for identifying and managing the "drivers" of profitability and cash flow in a growing or poorly managed business.

A strategic planning track will be presented by Glenn Friendt, director of the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship. This session was created by the Kauffman Foundation to provide managers and owners the critical evaluation questions and action steps needed to maximize growth and profitability. In a couple of focused hours, participants will complete a three-year draft strategic plan to reach their maximum potential.

A marketing track will be presented by Robert Gordman, president of the Gordman Group and author of "The Must Have Customer--7 Steps to Winning The Customer You Haven't Got." Gordman will help owners and managers discover the rules and secrets to creating their company's "$uper $weet $pot," a power niche that will separate the business from all competition.

The conference includes the option for registrants to attend for either a full or half day. Participants can choose which portion of the day to attend, with lunch provided for both. The prices for attending are: professional full day $69, professional half day $49, and university students, faculty, and staff $19. The last day to register is March 3. Register before Feb. 15 and receive a free copy of "The Must Have Customer" and "Secrets of the $uper $weet $pot" by Gordman. Registration is available online at www.entrepreneurship.unl.edu/heartland. For more information, visit the Web site or telephone the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship, (402) 472-3353.

The Heartland Conference for Free Enterprise is an outreach of the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship, the Management Department and the College of Business Administration at UNL. The conference is a regional event for the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization and its Midwest members.

CONTACT: Glenn Friendt, Director, Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship, (402) 472-3353