#19 Small Business Panel: Survival tips during this downturn from top experts

We discussed few things including:1. How small businesses are responding during crisis2. What strategies can entrepreneurs implement now3. What support programs can they take advantage of4. How can we as  a community help themPanelists:Rieva Lesonsky  is CEO of GrowBiz Media, a content and consulting company specializing in covering small businesses and entrepreneurship. Before co-founding GrowBiz Media, Lesonsky was Editorial Director of Entrepreneur Magazine. A nationally known speaker and authority on entrepreneurship, Rieva has been covering America's entrepreneurs for more than 26 years. Lesonsky has appeared on hundreds of radio shows and numerous local and national television programs, including the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, Fox Business News, The Martha Stewart show and Oprah and can regularly be seen on MSNBC's Your Business. Lesonsky wrote the bestselling book Start Your Own Business, currently in its 4th edition, and has co-authored several other books about small business and entrepreneurship.Brian Moran is the CEO of Brian Moran & Associates, a New Jersey-based consulting firm, dedicated to helping SMBs and entrepreneurs run better businesses.Previously, he worked as an Executive Director of Sales Development at the Wall Street Journal, Associate Publisher at Inc. Magazine, and a Publisher at Entrepreneur. Brian has also managed two content companies, Veracle Media and Moran Media Group, which focused on helping entrepreneurs manage and grow their companies.He currently leads SMB Experts, an Oracle-sponsored panel comprised of today’s SMB thought leaders. He also sits on the board for a number of entrepreneurial organizations, including The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, United Athletes Foundation, and SCORE’s National Marketing Council. Follow Brian on Twitter: @BrianMoran.Dr. Tendai Ndoro has a PhD in Public Administration. She is CEO of three global small businesses and for the past 18 years has been contracted as Regional Director for the NJSBDC at Rutgers University/Rutgers Business School (RBS) - Newark & ASBDC-NJ statewide network. During her tenure with the Small Business Development Center with NJSBD, Dr. Ndoro has designed, developed & implemented innovative, successful small business and economic development programs, including ongoing RBS Student experiential learning initiatives. She has served as Essex County Commissioner for the Essex County Disparity Commission. Dr. Ndoro has participated as a focus group expert for the Obama Administration through the Small Business Administration, US Commercial Services/Dept. of Commerce, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), and White House Entrepreneurship Summit on TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership).  Rana Shanawani is the Executive Director for the Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship Corp. in Chatham, NJ (WCEC). Before working at the WCEC, she was a non-profit consultant helping  international organizations in strategic management. In 2004, after working as a UN consultant for  several years, she served as the CEO of BIDAYA, a chapter of the Prince’s Youth Business International in  Syria. BIDAYA’s main objective was to provide under-served entrepreneurs with training, micro-loans,  and mentoring. During her tenure there she received the Takreem Achievement Award for Best Young  Entrepreneur and was selected to meet with President Barack Obama and Secretary Clinton at the  Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship. Ms. Shanawani has received her Masters in Public Health  from Johns Hopkins, and her Bachelors in biology from Cornell University.