Panels of marketing experts will provide best practices and actionable tips and strategies for small businesses at September 29, 2009 event at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C.


HERNDON, VA – August 25, 2009 –Top marketing experts will address more than 500 business owners during the session called “Driving Small Business Performance with Marketing and Innovationâ€� at the Network Solutions® GrowSmartBiz Conference, a one-day event on Tuesday, September 29, at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC.


Steve King of Emergent Research and SmallBizLabs, Ramon Ray of SmallBizTechnology, Bob London of London, Ink, Marissa Levin of Information Experts and John Arnold of Constant Contact will provide valuable insight into the importance of marketing for small business, share executable marketing strategies and tactics, and discuss overcoming obstacles through innovation.


“It’s imperative for small businesses, especially startups, to create a practical marketing plan. As a fellow small business owner, I understand that marketing is a commitment of time and money,â€� said Bob London, President and Founder of London, Ink, a marketing and communications consulting firm in Maryland.  “There are many things that entrepreneurs can do to manage their marketing efforts in a cost-effective way – and my fellow panelists and I will share some of those things at the GrowSmartBiz Conference.â€�


The GrowSmartBiz Conference is designed to provide small business owners and entrepreneurs – from startups to well-established companies – with the tools and resources they need to be successful. In addition to Marketing & Innovation, discussion topics include:
• Raising Capital with Effective Finance Strategies
• Getting Ahead in the Current Economy
• Integrating Traditional Media with Social Media


“The idea for the GrowSmartBiz Conference and its specific panel topics stem directly from findings in the Small Business Success Index,“ said Melina Formisano, vice president of marketing for Network Solutions. 


In July, Network Solutions and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business released the second wave of results of the Small Business Success Index (SBSI), an ongoing index designed to measure the overall health of small businesses (http://growsmartbusiness.com/). The SBSI reveals that companies that focus on improving in critical areas such as marketing and innovation and access to capital are ranked as more competitive and more profitable.


“The GrowSmartBiz Conference will provide business owners with actionable tips and tactics from experts that can be used to promote their companies and attract new customers,� added Formisano.


The conference keynote address will be given by Chris Anderson, well-known author and editor-in-chief of Wired Magazine.


To register for the GrowSmartBiz Conference or for more information about the event, please visit the conference Web site at http://cl.gs/0TezD4 . Follow the GrowSmartBiz Conference on Twitter at @GrowSmartBiz and join the conversation by using the #growsmartbiz hashtag.




View the full article at Network Solutions Company Overview