The new year is well underway and any small business owner that is in the midst of revamping or looking to grow their business in 2017 should attend one of the many Small Business Expos scheduled throughout the year in numerous major metropolitan cities across the United States. Small Business Expo is America’s largest, and free, business-to-business trade show, conference and networking event, which helps small business owners, start-ups and entrepreneurs take their business to the next level.

Small Business Expo, which was ranked by Intuit as the No. 1 “Must-attend conference” for small business owners, features more than 25 business-critical workshops, seminars and presentations from top industry experts, speed-networking, industry-leading exhibitors with innovative products/services to help one’s business, a business card exchange and much more. It is an ideal opportunity to develop business leads and new customers, gain invaluable industry insights and network with peers in one’s specific industry, which is one of the major strategies for small business success.

Small Business Expo also allows businesses the opportunity to exhibit their products and/or services that are beneficial to small businesses. Furthermore, businesspeople can submit an application to speak if they have an insightful workshop topic they want to share with other small business owners. Its free workshops include business-critical topics such as social media, search engine optimization (SEO), business planning, insurance, increasing sales, creating successful marketing plans, financial and tax planning and more.

Upcoming Small Business Expos are scheduled for Thursday, February 16, in Miami, FL, at the James L. Knight Center, Riverfront Hall; Wednesday, March 8, in Philadelphia, PA, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Hall A; Thursday, April 13, in Boston, MA, at Hynes Convention Center, Hall A; Wednesday, April 19, in Washington, D.C., at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center, Hall C; Thursday, May 11, in New York, NY, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, Hall 1B; and Thursday, May 18, in Minneapolis, MN, at the Minneapolis Convention Center, Hall E. For more information and a full list of Small Business Expos in 2017, visit www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com.

Blog by Dale Myers. the NALA's Head Writer.