
Central Library hosts a small business series of free, in-person workshops and a legal clinic for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. This year workshops will cover essential business topics such as financial statements, law, marketing, certifications, and intellectual property. The Small Business and Intellectual Property Legal Clinic is where you can bring your questions about a legal aspect of starting a business or intellectual property such as trademarks and patents. Read on for all the details and click on the links to register or browse our list of business book recommendations that will inform, inspire, and instruct you, no matter how new or established your business may be.
Schedule and Registration:
The Legal Aspects of Starting a Small Business:
Monday, September 11 from 6–7:30 p.m.
Register for The Legal Aspects of Starting a Small Business
In this workshop you will be introduced to some of the essential legal aspects of starting a small business, such as how to choose a legal structure for your business. This workshop will take place in the auditorium at Central Library.
Presented by Zach Lange
About the Presenter: Zach Lange is a business attorney at Jeselskis Brinkerhoff and Joseph, LLC. His practice areas include contract drafting and negotiation, general business counsel, general government counsel, business formation and transactions, business incentive identification, and economic development projects. He also provides counsel in the areas of corporate governance and regulatory matters.
Certification of MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBEs in the City of Indianapolis
Tuesday, September 12 from 6–7:30 p.m.
Register for Certification of MBE/WBE/VBE/DOBEs in the City of Indianapolis
This workshop will provide an overview of the City of Indianapolis’s Minority, Women, Veteran, and/or Disabled-Owned Business Enterprises program. Topics covered include benefits and requirements of certification, the application process, and recertification. This workshop will take place in the auditorium at Central Library.
Presented by Ava Taylor
About the Presenter: Ava Y. Taylor is the Manager of Planning and Development, City of Indianapolis-Office of Minority and Women Business Development (OMWBD). Prior to joining OMWBD in 2016, she served as the Public Outreach and Events Manager for the Indiana Civil Rights Commission (ICRC). While at the ICRC she honed her skills and passion for helping others and being an advocate for social justice. She has 25+ years of experience in event planning and management, community outreach, partnership development, fundraising, and project management.
Small Business & Intellectual Property Legal Clinic (1:1 Appointments)
Monday, September 18 from 4–6:30 p.m.
Do you have questions about a legal aspect of starting a business, or intellectual property such as trademarks and patents? Drop by the Legal Clinic to meet one-on-one with an attorney (for approximately 15 minutes). Appointments will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign up outside the Riley Room at Central Library. Then, stay for the Protecting Your Business: An Intellectual Property Masterclass for Entrepreneurs workshop, taking place in the auditorium at 6 p.m. See additional details and register to attend this workshop below.
Participating attorneys include members of the Indy Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Section and Business Law Section.
Protecting Your Business: An Intellectual Property Masterclass for Entrepreneurs
Monday, September 18 from 6–7:30 p.m.
Register for Protecting Your Business: An Intellectual Property Masterclass for Entrepreneurs
Matt Metzger, small business owner and Intellectual Property attorney at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, will guide you through the art of identifying and protecting your valuable intellectual property assets. As business owners and entrepreneurs, protecting our ingenious ideas and inventions is of paramount importance. In this workshop you will learn how to safeguard your groundbreaking ideas with patents and protect confidential data with trade secrets. Also learn how to establish a strong brand with trademarks, and secure your creative works with copyrights. This workshop will take place in the auditorium at Central Library
Come to the workshop early for the Small Business & Intellectual Property Legal Clinic, starting at 4 p.m. in the Riley Room. See additional details in the listing above.
Presented by Matt Metzger
About the Presenter: Matt Metzger is an associate in Taft’s distinguished Intellectual Property group. Working with a remarkable portfolio of clients, ranging from individual inventors to billion-dollar international corporations, Matt is adept at securing and safeguarding valuable intellectual property assets. His in-depth understanding of both legal intricacies and business dynamics sets him apart as an advisor for entrepreneurs and business owners. Matt leverages his MBA with a specialization in finance and hands-on experience in running a successful small business. He offers a unique blend of legal and business acumen to elevate companies’ ventures.
Reach Your Target Customer: Creating a Marketing Plan for Your Business:
Tuesday, September 19 from 6–7:30 p.m.
Register for Reach Your Target Customer: Creating a Marketing Plan for Your Business
Learn practical strategies and actionable insights to effectively connect with your desired target audience, including how to develop a robust marketing plan tailored to your unique business objectives; leverage various marketing channels—both online and offline; and craft compelling messages. This workshop takes place in the auditorium at Central Library.
Presented by Ashley Martin
About the Presenter: Ashley Martin is the Founder & CEO of Cerulean Consulting Group, where she and her team of multicultural marketers root clients large and small in the principles of both marketing and community – believing wholeheartedly that “we are better together”. Ashley is a mission driven community builder and her purpose is to connect youth, women, and communities of color to organizations that improve their quality of life. She was recently recognized by Purdue University as a Pioneering Woman, and Junior Achievement of Central Indiana named her a finalist for one of “Indy’s Best and Brightest” awards.
Don’t Fear the Spreadsheet: Financial Statements and Your Small Business:
Tuesday, September 26 from 6–7:30 p.m.
Register for Don’t Fear the Spreadsheet: Financial Statements and Your Small Business
This workshop will explore different types of financial statements, how to understand them, and how to use them to manage your business and make numbers-informed business decisions. This workshop will take place in the auditorium at Central Library.
Presented by Mehnaz Qureshi
About the Presenter: Mehnaz Qureshi is an accountant and entrepreneur in Indianapolis. She has led Indy Tax Service, a woman-owned, minority-owned business, for two decades. Under her leadership, Indy Tax Service has become an example for how businesses can impact the community around them, helping a client base that includes local nonprofits, foreign nationals, and immigrant families with their income tax filing requirements and reporting obligations. Mehnaz’s expertise also includes bookkeeping, payroll, incorporation, personal tax planning, and small business tax preparation.
Questions about the Small Business Series at Central Library? Email Business Librarian Alexandra Loewen or call Central Library and ask to speak with a Business Librarian.
The Small Business Series at Central Library is made possible by Friends of the Library through gifts to The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation.
Thank you to our Partners: Indianapolis Bar Association, Indianapolis Recorder, and the Indy Black Chamber of Commerce.