Queens Night Market, Empire State Development, the economic development arm for New York State, and LaGuardia Community College are hosting a series of free small business seminars in February!

These seminars are free and open to vendors interested in the Queens Night Market, and also open to anyone who wants to start a business in NYC. The seminars will cover a range of topics, including business formation, business plans, branding and marketing, financing, and permits. The seminars will also cover Night Market topics and feature guest speakers, expert panels, networking, and Q&A opportunities. Seminars will be taught by experts from Queens Economic Development Corporation, CAMBA Corporation, Business Center for New Americans, FoodtoEat.com, and more.

Register Above for:

Session III – Accessing Capital & Tips for Running a Successful Business: Monday, February 26th, 6:00-8:30pm
Hear from a panel of lenders about what financing opportunities are available (including crowdfunding) and what creditors/backers look for in a new business. Get candid advice from a panel of guests speakers about the challenges they faced and their success in starting businesses.

Other Sessions in the Small Business Seminars Series are:

Session I – First Steps to Formalize Your Business: Tuesday, February 13th, 6:00-8:30pm
Learn how to organize your business idea into a structured business plan: identify your market and competitors, understand what is needed for your financial projections. Learn about obtaining the proper licenses to operate your business in New York State and New York City. This session will include a presentation by the Queens Night Market to help prepare interested vendors for success at the event and feature a panel of guest speakers. Register Here for Session I

Session II – Serving & Developing Your Customer Base: Tuesday, February 20th, 6:00-8:30pm
Learn how to create an effective marketing and branding strategy. Learn how to leverage technology and social media to attract and engage your customers. This session will also include a presentation by the Queens Night Market to help prepare interested vendors for success at the event and a panel of guest speakers. Register here for Session II

For those interested in the Queens Night Market, the vendor application is available at http://bit.ly/qnm-vendor-2018 and the website is http://www.queensnightmarket.com. Attending the small business seminars will not impact your application to the Night Market in any way.