Ready to launch your new business but don’t know how to start? Are you baffled by which business structure is the best fit and the liability and tax implications of each? Do you want to understand your funding options and general banking and financial planning resources. How about insurance needs.. and client insurance requirements? 

The WIT WBO 2024 event series will give you the building blocks you need to get your business started. We will explore each of these areas in detail and provide expert insights and advice that will help you get your business off the ground and running! In our first event you learned about financing options, wealth strategies, and insurance needs for your new business. 

Now you need to choose a business structure and establish your business. “The business structure you choose influences everything from day-to-day operations, to taxes and how much of your personal assets are at risk”. This event will explore the common business structures and discuss the legal, tax, and liability implications of each. We will also discuss other crucial topics such as how to secure a business name and register your business, get federal and state tax ID numbers, and apply for licenses and permits.

This session will follow the agenda outline below:

• 6:00-6:15 PM | Welcome and Overview
• 6:15-6:35 PM | Panelist Introductions
• 6:35-7:30 PM | Panel Discussion
  
  

Registration Fees:
FREE for WIT Members
$25 Non-members

Speakers

Bernard Ferret
Senior Business Counselor, Mason Small Business Development Center

Bernard Ferret is a Senior Business Advisor at the Mason SBDC (hosted by GMU’s Mason Enterprise Center in Fairfax City). Since 2012, he has advised hundreds of clients and led many workshops. Bernard is a retired software engineer and serial entrepreneur with over 35 years of experience in the Telecommunications and Internet industries. He developed extensive executive management skills working with his own startups and large IT companies. His accomplishments include selling large software projects, raising venture capital, and closing a successful acquisition. Bernard’s areas of expertise include marketing strategy, financial management, corporate organization (for-profit and non-profit), and venture capital. He holds an MS in Physics from the University of Provence, France, and an MBA from the College of William & Mary School of Business, Williamsburg, Virginia.

Robin Thieme
CEO and CAO, KBS CFO

Robin, supported by the KBS team, provides strategic guidance and system-based solutions for entrepreneurs. She has over 30 years of financial and accounting experience, a passion for the efficiencies that new technologies enable, and a dedication to small businesses. Long before “cloud computing” was a mainstream term, Robin built her own company, KBS, as a virtual organization. She takes this same innovative and thoughtful approach to establishing efficiencies and solutions that fit the current business environment for her clients.

Robin has earned designations from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), including Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP), and Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Recent certifications include Certified Intacct Service Provider, PlanGuru Advisor, and Certified LivePlan Expert. Robin is an active member of the Maryland Association of CPAs (MACPA) and a frequent speaker on accounting technology trends and tools. Her expertise coupled with decades of first-hand knowledge about the unique challenges faced by small businesses, enables her to serve as your trusted strategic advisor.

Kara Dickey
Co-Founder and CEO, SmartCom Solutions, Inc., and Chair, Women Business Owners Committee

For over two decades Kara has helped SmartCom Solutions’ clients gain a competitive advantage through technical innovations and reduce costs through efficiencies and modernization. Kara brings a breadth and depth of experience in employing automation to solve organizations’ mission critical business needs. These efforts typically required full scale business process reengineering, as well as custom application development. Kara has extensive experience managing and participating in all phases of the system development lifecycle. Kara has diverse application and industry experience including Mortgage Origination, Mortgage Services, Mortgage Securitization, Mutual Fund Processing, Financial Management and Accounting, Supply Chain Management, and Claims Processing. In her capacity as Chief Executive Officer, Kara is also responsible for setting the direction of the company, business development, marketing, and obtaining/managing resources. Kara holds a B.S. in Decision Sciences (computer science concentration) from George University and an MBA (finance concentration) from Marymount University.