Pontiac’s business development agency has organized a full-day conference to help rural business owners become acquainted with some of the ways in which embracing the use of various technologies can make their lives easier.
The SADC’s first Tech Summit, scheduled for Friday at Pine Lodge, will offer a packed schedule of workshops, speakers, and networking opportunities with the vision of bringing local business owners together to learn and discuss digital strategies for making their businesses more efficient.
“Technology can give people the time to work on their business, and not be overwhelmed by the day-to-day,” said SADC business advisor Amy Taylor, one of the organizers of the event. “That’s why we have to embrace it and help people get to that next level.”
The event’s keynote address, titled “From working in your business to working on your business: holistic strategies for digital success,” will be delivered by Kyle Smendziuk, from Ottawa-based digital agencies WebMarketers and Phantom Productions.
He will share digital strategies that small business owners can use to reduce some of the grunt work involved in their everyday operations and open space for them to focus on the bigger picture.
Two workshops will also be offered, one on cybersecurity, hosted by Stéphane Pharand, and one on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and Chat GPT in daily business operations, hosted by Jon Stewart, owner and founder of Pontiac-based Calumet Media.
“What business owner couldn’t use help in number crunching or grant application writing?” Stewart said. “No one is saying to turn over everything to AI, but if you can leverage it to start something that you can personalize and humanize, then you are, at least, becoming more efficient.”
The event will also feature a panel discussion, emceed by Stewart, with three local entrepreneurs who are already incorporating digital systems into their businesses.
The panelists are Kristine Amyotte Beck, who last year installed a robotic milking system on her dairy farm, Gary Johnson from Danford Lake’s Johnson Auto Wreckers, which keeps a highly detailed digital inventory of all the car parts they have available, Jared Hamilton from Mountainview Turf, who Taylor described as “one of the tech-savviest entrepreneurs [she’s] ever met,” and Adam Thompson from Pine Lodge.
“I find it’s great to have a speaker but people also appreciate hearing from a peer who’s been there because it’s relatable,” Taylor said.
The day will close with what Taylor described as an informal mastermind – a networking opportunity for all participants to debrief the day with each other and discuss what they’ve just learned.
She emphasized that while the event is designed for local entrepreneurs, it’s open to everybody, whether in business or not.
The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Friday, Nov. 22. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased through SADC Pontiac’s website.
