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Published 12/29/2025 at 9 a.m. Updated 12/29/2025 at 8 a.m.

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12/11/2025 8:36 am

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Small Business Event Calendar

Events held by local small business partners

Updated: Dec 11, 2025

The City of Raleigh enjoys an ecosystem of support organizations that focus on the success of small business owners. This calendar highlights small business-related events offered by these partners in the City of Raleigh. Event types include:

  • Training & resources
  • Public affairs, annual meetings & expos
  • Grant & funding application dates
  • Vendor or foot traffic opportunities
  • Networking events

  • Jan
    21

    Partner Event: Military Spouse Pathway to Business Webinar

    Jan 21–22 • Wednesday–Thursday
    Add to Calendar 2026-01-21 00:00:00 2026-01-22 23:59:59 Partner Event: Military Spouse Pathway to Business Webinar Hosted by SBA Day 1: 1/21/2026 9:00 AM (EST) - 1:00 PM (EST) Day 2: 1/22/2026 9:00 AM (EST) - 1:00 PM (EST) Military spouses make great entrepreneurs and small business ownership can be a transportable, flexible vocation that supports the military lifestyle. Explore the world of entrepreneurship with Military Spouse Pathway to Business, SBA’s business training program for military spouses offered at no cost. Beginning Your Journey“Pathway to Business” CourseWhat is it? The Military Spouse Pathway to Business program is an in-person or virtual course that introduces military spouses to the key elements of entrepreneurship. The course offers military spouses a dedicated curriculum, peer group, and schedule suited to their needs. What will I learn? Military spouses will learn the foundational knowledge required to develop a business plan and to evaluate business concepts. Topics include additional resources available to military spouses for accessing start-up capital, receiving technical assistance, earning contracting opportunities, and more. Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact Sarah Espinosa at 910-672-2683 or sespinos@uncfsu.edu. City of Raleigh America/New_York public
  • Jan
    21

    Partner Event: Selling on Shopify Webinar (E-Commerce Series)

    Jan 21–22 • Wednesday–Thursday
    Add to Calendar 2026-01-21 00:00:00 2026-01-22 23:59:59 Partner Event: Selling on Shopify Webinar (E-Commerce Series) Hosted by SBA Whether you sell online, on social media, in-store, or out of the trunk of your car, Shopify has you covered. Your brand and your way. No design skills are needed.Establish your brand online with a custom domain name and online store. With instant access to hundreds of the best-looking themes and complete control over the look and feel, you finally have a gorgeous store that reflects the personality of your business.Everything is in one place. Selling your products in many places should be every bit as simple as selling in one. With Shopify's eCommerce software, you get one unified platform to run your business with ease.- Fully customize your online store- Add new sales channels like Facebook, Amazon, eBay, & Instagram- Manage unlimited products and inventory- Fulfill orders in a single step- Track sales and growth trends Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact Sarah Espinosa at 910-672-2683 or sespinos@uncfsu.edu. City of Raleigh America/New_York public
  • Jan
    22

    Partner Event: Practical Advice: Prepare for your Free Consultation with Attorney

    12 p.m. • Thursday
    Add to Calendar 2026-01-22 12:00:00 2026-01-22 13:00:00 Partner Event: Practical Advice: Prepare for your Free Consultation with Attorney Hosted by Wake TechEffective collaboration begins with a shared understanding, and this seminar will provide insights into fostering open and productive conversations. Learn to organize your business affairs in a way that not only facilitates legal compliance but also enhances the efficiency of your operations. Develop a set of customized questions to make the most out of your consultation. Understand how to extract pertinent information from your attorney to make informed decisions that align with your business objectives. By the end of this seminar, participants will be well-equipped to approach their free business consultation with confidence, ensuring that legal considerations become a strategic asset rather than a hindrance. This webinar will be presented via Microsoft Teams platform. If you've never used Teams, it will ask you to download it onto your computer. We ask that you proceed with completing this step, using the same First Name, Last Name, and Email address you provided during registration. Once you do this, it will allow you access to the webinar. We recommend signing in to the webinar at least five minutes before the session starts to ensure a smooth experience and avoid any technical issues. For additional Wake Tech offerings, click on this link: WTCC City of Raleigh America/New_York public
  • Jan
    22

    Partner Event: The Inner Work of Entrepreneurship: How to Align Your Mindset for Success

    6:30 p.m. • Thursday
    Add to Calendar 2026-01-22 18:30:00 2026-01-22 20:00:00 Partner Event: The Inner Work of Entrepreneurship: How to Align Your Mindset for Success Hosted by Wake TechDive into “The Inner Work of Entrepreneurship: How to Align Your Mindset for Success,” a dynamic 90-minute interactive webinar designed specifically for aspiring and current small business owners and entrepreneurs. This session is your opportunity to move beyond strategy and focus on the most powerful tool in your business: your mind. You’ll learn to identify and conquer limiting beliefs that sabotage growth, develop the confidence and emotional resilience needed to start a business, and reframe challenges as potent opportunities for expansion. Walk away with the tools to align your long-term vision with your business goals, setting a rock-solid foundation for sustainable, authentic entrepreneurial success. This webinar will be presented via Microsoft Teams platform. If you've never used Teams it will ask you to download onto your computer. We ask that you go ahead and complete this step, utilizing the same First Name, Last Name and Email address used during registration. Once you do this it will allow you access to the webinar. We recommend that you sign in to the webinar at least five minutes prior to the start of the session to ensure you don't have any technical issues. City of Raleigh America/New_York public
  • Jan
    23

    Partner Event: The State of Mobility 2026

    11 a.m. • Friday
    Add to Calendar 2026-01-23 11:00:00 2026-01-23 14:00:00 Partner Event: The State of Mobility 2026 Hosted by Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce The Regional Transportation Alliance (RTA) invites you to join more than 300 regional leaders in January 2026 for the 24th annual meeting of the metropolitan Triangle’s regional business leadership group on transportation. This event will feature The State of RDU Airport, which will provide an update from the leadership of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority and a panel discussion with regional business leaders. This event is a can’t-miss gathering of members of the regional business community, elected officials, transportation partners, and other leaders from across our region and state. The event includes the annual State of Mobility presentation from RTA Executive Director Joe Milazzo II, PE, as well as interactive discussion and engagement opportunities for all attendees. Confirmed speakers, in expected order of appearance:• Sarah Gaskill, FUJIFILM Biotechnologies, RTA Chair• Joe Milazzo, RTA Executive Director• Michael Landguth, Raleigh/Durham Airport Authority, President and CEO• Nicole Niwa, Novo Nordisk, RTA Air Service and Infrastructure Chair City of Raleigh America/New_York public
  • Jan
    27

    Partner Event: Online Sellers Engaged in Business Webinar (NC Dept of Revenue Class)

    6 p.m. • Tuesday
    Add to Calendar 2026-01-27 18:00:00 2026-01-27 20:00:00 Partner Event: Online Sellers Engaged in Business Webinar (NC Dept of Revenue Class) Hosted by SBA Instructor: NC Department of Revenue Online Seller - This webinar will assist online sellers that are “engaged in business” in North Carolina. Areas of discussion within the seminar will include: sellers with a physical presence in N.C., remote sales to N.C., marketplace facilitators and marketplace sellers as well as applying for a N.C. Sales and Use Tax Account ID, if necessary. Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact Sarah Espinosa at 910-672-2683 or sespinos@uncfsu.edu. City of Raleigh America/New_York public
  • Jan
    27

    Partner Event: SMASH! Arts Networking Party

    6 p.m. • Tuesday
    Add to Calendar 2026-01-27 18:00:00 2026-01-27 21:00:00 Partner Event: SMASH! Arts Networking Party Hosted by Triangle ArtWorksSMASH! is the arts networking party of the year. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with artists and arts administrators, get your questions answered and meet all the area’s art superheroes. Come alone or bring your studio, your troupe, your team and your art friends to this event. City of Raleigh America/New_York public
  • Jan
    27

    Partner Event: Designing Surveys That Drive Smart Business Decisions

    6:30 p.m. • Tuesday
    Add to Calendar 2026-01-27 18:30:00 2026-01-27 20:30:00 Partner Event: Designing Surveys That Drive Smart Business Decisions Hosted by Wake TechEvery successful business begins with understanding what customers want and that understanding starts with asking the right questions. This hands-on workshop helps entrepreneurs identify the knowledge gaps in their business, design surveys that gather meaningful feedback, and interpret that feedback to make confident, data-driven decisions. Participants will explore how to use surveys to validate an idea, test a product concept, or refine an existing service. Through guided exercises and a live case study, they’ll learn how to turn opinions into insights and insights into action. By the end of the second session, each participant will leave with a ready-to-launch customer survey designed for their business goals. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Identify what business questions can be answered with customer feedback.Design a short, effective survey that produces useful insights.Interpret data with confidence to make informed business decisions.FORMAT Two sessions | 90 minutes each In-person, highly interactive, with guided exercises, examples, and peer feedback. Participants are encouraged to bring their business ideas or current customer challenges. SESSION 1 Goal: Understand why data matters and how to use it for decision-making. SESSION 2 Goal: Create, test, and finalize a customer survey ready for distribution. City of Raleigh America/New_York public
  • Jan
    28

    Partner Event: Selling on Facebook Shops & Facebook Marketplace Webinar

    6 p.m. • Wednesday
    Add to Calendar 2026-01-28 18:00:00 2026-01-28 20:00:00 Partner Event: Selling on Facebook Shops & Facebook Marketplace Webinar Hosted by SBA If you want to be successful, you can’t just post on your Facebook page anymore, you have to post where the customers are shopping. So where are they? Facebook Shops & Facebook Marketplace.Facebook has more than 1.1 billion people logging in daily to spend an average of 1 hour on the platform, but only 15% say they are shopping. If you sell products online and you don’t have a Facebook Shop or you have a local presence but not using Facebook Marketplace, you’re missing a huge opportunity. Let me show you why you should use Facebook Shops & Facebook Marketplace. Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact Sarah Espinosa at 910-672-2683 or sespinos@uncfsu.edu. City of Raleigh America/New_York public
  • Jan
    29

    Partner Event: ​Chamber Professional Women's Luncheon

    11:30 a.m. • Thursday
    Add to Calendar 2026-01-29 11:30:00 2026-01-29 13:30:00 Partner Event: ​Chamber Professional Women's Luncheon Hosted by Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce BOLD Ownership: The Confidence Gap Join us for the second exciting installment of the B.O.L.D series, where Jes Averhart will guide attendees in taking Ownership over their careers and lives. Standing in YOUR Center of BrillianceIn this session, we will explore The Confidence Gap and how to move beyond it to operate from your authentic center of brilliance.We will tie in interactive tools and activities designed to help you uncover your core values, celebrate your unseen victories, and get real about how you lead in the face of self-doubt. We will round the event out with a panel discussion, offering insight into local leaders' success with bridging The Confidence Gap and taking true Ownership over their careers. By the end, you will walk away with:- A clearer sense of your core values- Stories and strategies from others who’ve leaned into their confidence- Practical steps to step more fully into your “boss” in everyday life City of Raleigh America/New_York public

Contact

 

Jocelyn Sanchez
Small Business and Workforce Development Analyst
jocelyn.sanchez@raleighnc.gov
984-220-2958

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Lead Department:
Economic and Social Advancement
Service Categories:
Small Business Development