Today

Business involvement, 8 to 9 a.m., PeoplesChoice Credit Union, Saco. United Way of York County workshop to show the benefits to businesses that become involved in supporting their community. For more information, visit www.buildcommunity.org or call Meaghan at 985-3359.

Business Startup Basics, 2 to 5 p.m., also repeats Thursday, first of five programs in the series. Free. SCORE Offices, 100 Middle St., second floor, East Tower, Portland. To learn more and select a date, register at www.scoremaine.com or call 772-1147, weekday mornings.

Wednesday

Maine Federation of Humane Societies annual conference and training, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Senator Inn, 284 Western Ave., Augusta. Registration is $50 and includes a continental breakfast and lunch. A Pet First Aid CPR course will also be offered from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and the cost is $75. Contact the MFHS at 242-5221 or mfhscoord@yahoo.com to register. For more information, visit www.mefed.org.

Business Day at the State House, 8 a.m. to noon, forum for business leaders to meet with legislators and Cabinet chiefs. Presented annually by Maine State Chamber of Commerce. Events begin at the Hall of Flags. More information is available at www.mainechamber.org/BizDay.

Thursday

“From Generation to Generation,” 8 a.m. to noon, Cumberland Club, 116 High St., Portland. The Institute for Family-Owned Business presents an interactive discussion program with facilitator Jan Semba. Cost is $35 for members and $70 for nonmembers. Registration is required. Call 798-2667 or visit www.fambusiness.org.

“Making Sense of Social Media as a Tool for HR Professionals,” 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. workshop, Portland Club, 156 State St., Portland. With Curtis Midkiff from the Society for Human Resource Management. Registration is $99 and includes meals and materials. Space is limited. Go to hrasm.shrm.org to register.

E2Tech networking, 5 to 7 p.m., hosted by AMEC; Maine International Trade Center, 511 Congress St., Suite 100, Portland. Cost is $10 for members and $15 for others. Register at e2tech.org/.

“Looking Ahead: Where America’s Current Economic Path Will Take Us,” 6 p.m., University of New England, WCHP Lecture Hall, Parker Pavilion, Portland campus. Lecture by Jeff Faux, author and principal founder of the Economic Policy Institute. Free and open to the public.

Friday

Career Options Fair, 1 to 5 p.m., annual program presented by Women Unlimited; Senator Inn, 284 Western Ave., Augusta. The fair is free and open to the public. Applicants should bring resumes and letters of reference as some employers will be holding on-site interviews. Visit www.womenunlimited.org.

Saturday

Maine Tradeswomen’s Conference, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Capital Area Technical Center, 40 Pierce Drive, Augusta. Hands-on opportunity to try out various trades. Open to both women and men. Registration is $10. Visit www.womenunlimited.org or call Women Unlimited at (800) 281-5259 for more information.

Gorham Marketplace, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Costello Field House, University of Southern Maine, Gorham. Gorham Business Exchange’s 15th annual showcase of local businesses. Featured will be more than 70 vendors, prizes and games, a food court, activities and performances. The event is free.

Coming Up

“Capitalizing on the Creative Economy,” beginning at 1 p.m. April 2, Gannett Building and Jewett Hall, University of Maine, Augusta. Featuring an evening keynote address by James Leach, chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities. There will also be discussions, tours, presentations and a reception. Free and open to the public, the event is part of Forum on the Future, a yearlong public policy speaker series.

Volunteer Consumer Complaint Mediators, training begins April 2. Volunteers will learn consumer law and mediation technique to handle complaints by phone or mail in the Attorney General’s Augusta office. A commitment of about six hours weekly is requested, including a weekly law class. For more information or to apply, go to www.maine.gov/ag/ or contact Assistant Attorney General James McKenna at 626-8842.

Fraud prevention volunteer training, April 2, 4 and 11; Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 209 Eastern Ave. (Route 17), Augusta. Learn to help prevent abuses in the Medicare and MaineCare programs. Sponsored by Spectrum Generations and the Maine Senior Medicare Patrol Program. Call 623-0764, ext. 102, to register. Space is limited.

“How Hiring People With Disabilities Makes Good Business Sense,” 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. April 3; Hilton Garden Inn, Freeport. Conference designed to help employers explore the hiring of workers with disabilities. Keynote speaker is Deb Russell, corporate manager for Walgreen Co. The fee is $50 and includes breakfast and lunch. Pre-registration is required and can be done online at www.mainechamber.org or by calling 623-4568, ext. 104.

The Maine Technology Institute is offering workshops and webinars on its Business Innovation Program, which provides funding for Maine entrepreneurs in technology-based businesses. To register for workshops or webinars, go to the Dates and Deadlines section at www.mainetechnology.org or contact Linda Adams at ladams@mainetechnology.org or 588-1018. Reservations are strongly encouraged. Webinars are scheduled as follows: TechStart and Seed Grant, 2 to 3:30 p.m. April 10; and Development Loan and Business Accelerator Grant, 10 to 11:30 a.m. April 18. Workshops will be held in May.

First-Time Homebuyer Seminar, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. April 7 and 14; Money Management International, South Portland. The course is accredited by Fannie Mae and Maine State Housing Authority. The nonrefundable fee is $30 per person or $50 per couple. Pre-registration is required by March 30, and space is limited. Call Coastal Enterprises, Inc. at 882-7552, ext. 177 or go to ceimaine.org to register.