Start-Ups

• If your audience is made up of entrepreneurs or others looking to make a career or business change, consider topics on starting a business. Such topics include choosing the type of business to enter, how to create a business plan, how to secure financing and how to choose the right location. For the right audience, topics on franchising may be a good fit.
  
  

Marketing

• Businesses need marketing tools to grow and succeed. Endless topics concern marketing, so determine which area best suits the needs of your audience. Perhaps new and innovative sales pitches would be a good fit. Many companies are finding success in marketing via social networking sites and email blitzing. Telemarketing and direct mail campaigns are tried and true methods of marketing still used by successful organizations. Speeches on developing a marketing plan and branding are informative and helpful. Customer service is an important topic, including tips for better performance and ways to motivate your employees.
  
  

Ethics

• Volunteerism in the workplace is an informative topic.Jupiterimages/Creatas/Getty Images
  
  Ethical issues are a constant concern for businesses. Topics regarding vendor relationships, acceptance of gifts, personal use of company computers and dating in the workplace would be of interest at a business function. Other important topics include violence in the workplace, dealing with difficult employees, how to fire an employee, downsizing and responding to lawsuits brought by terminated employees. Social issues also present interesting topics, such as volunteerism in the business community, environmental ramifications and diversity in the workplace.
  
  

Exit Plans

• Information on starting a business, buying a business, managing a business and growing a business is plentiful. But a time comes when you decide to change your focus or maybe retire. Exit plans are an extremely informative topic for anyone in business. For small business owners, topics of interest could include the death or retirement of a managing partner, buy and sell agreements, what information to share with employees if you want to sell your business, and what strategies to formulate for your employees upon a sale. Business owners may also enjoy topics about what to do with themselves once they retire or sell.