By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— Members of the Shelby County Referral Network are hosting a Small Business Seminar Nov. 12 at the ServPro, located at 2000 Huntley Parkway, in Pelham.

Speakers will cover a variety of issues facing small business owners and entrepreneurs in a fast-paced setting. Each speaker will be allotted 15 minutes to speak on his or her topic from 8 a.m. to noon.

“This is a way for us, we thought, to take our expertise in our different areas and allow small business people to come in and hear what we have to say and to also connect with those businesses,” said John Aaron of Aaron Law Firm.

Aaron will be discussing top legal issues that can hurt businesses.

Other topics consist of using staffing companies to recruit new employees and staff offices, why every company needs to have a human resources and payroll department, marketing on a shoestring budget, retirement and the small business owner, the importance of up to date financial and tax records, first impressions of your office or facility, protecting your business in case of divorce, how to protect your business and its assets, the importance of the initial contact with a potential customer and office safety and responding to an active shooter situation.

Aaron said he is looking forward to sharing his expertise and to answering the questions people come in with. When guests walk in to the seminar, they will be asked to write down the three questions they would like answered.

When the speakers finish their portion of the seminar, everyone will sit down for a round table discussion and address each question. Aaron said they will go back and forth among the industry leaders.

This is the first Small Business Seminar the Referral Network has hosted, and Aaron said anyone is welcome to attend even if they don’t own a business. They also plan to host a real estate seminar in February or March of next year.

“We are trying to do more as the group grows,” Aaron said. “These two areas (small business and real estate) would be most helpful for most people in the community.”

There is no cost to attend, but an RSVP is requested. Seating is limited to the first 150 attendees. To reserve a spot, email JohnAaron@aaronlawfirm.com.