UHV to host Keeping Up With Economy event for business owners
The economy is constantly changing, and area business owners will have the opportunity to get some expert advice on how to handle those shifts at an event hosted by the University of Houston-Victoria.
Keeping Up With the Economy will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 21 in the Kay and Ron Walker Auditorium in UHV University North, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St. The event will be presented by the UHV School of Business Administration and the UHV Small Business Development Center. Registration will open at 8:30 a.m. The cost is $45 a person, which includes breakfast, lunch and materials. Meals will be served in the University North Multi-Purpose Room.
“The economy always is in a state of change – sometimes things are great, and sometimes you have to figure out how to deal with a slowdown,” UHV SBDC Director Joe Humphreys said. “We asked our speakers to talk about how to harness the changing economy from the standpoint of a business owner or a community looking for economic development opportunities.”
Speakers during the event will include faculty members from the UHV School of Business Administration and guests from outside universities and agencies. The speakers and their topics are:
- Jesse Thompson, business economist at the Houston Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, will give a presentation titled “State of the Gulf Coast Economy.”
- David Summers, UHV associate professor of entrepreneurship, will speak on growing a business.
- Thomas Tunstall, University of Texas at San Antonio Institute for Economic Development research director, will examine community economic development momentum.
- Stephanie Solansky, UHV associate professor of management, will talk about managing change on the people side.
The keynote speaker will be Jifu Wang, UHV professor of management and associate dean for external relations and international programs. He will speak on how international partnerships can help grow businesses.
“It is vital that businesses learn to make connections in the context of a global economy,” Wang said. “Many times, a local business will think there are no connections to international trade or companies, but if business leaders look hard enough, the opportunities are there.”
One major part of the area economy that will be examined is the effects of industry connected to the Eagle Ford Shale activity and how businesses can adjust to the recent slowdown. Attendees also will have the opportunity to look at new data and tools from the U.S. Census Bureau. These new tools are easy to use and meant specifically for small business and chambers.
“In today’s economy, the ability to adapt to changes and prepare for future possibilities is essential for success,” said Farhang Niroomand, dean of the UHV School of Business Administration. “UHV is proud to provide resources for area businesses to learn and prosper in today’s economic environment.”
Those interested can register for the event by Oct. 16 at www.uhvsbdc.org or by calling the UHV SBDC at 361-485-4485.
The UHV SBDC is part of a nationwide small business assistance program serving the small business community in partnership with federal, state and local governments. The center offers business advising, training and technical assistance to existing and start-up businesses in an 11-county area.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
