Edgewater Chamber hosts Virtual Business Conference

I've posted about this before, but I'm a board member of our local Chamber of Commerce. 

With all that is going on with COVID-19, I'm happy to say that the Chamber is hosting an educational forum for local businesses on how to meet the challenges brought to the forefront by the pandemic.

RESCHEDULED!:  Due to a technical glitch in the presenting software, this has been rescheduled to Thursday May 28.  

Same bat time, Same bat place.  Different bat day! 

(A reference to the original Batman, starring Adam West?  Okay, Boomer!)

It's going to happen on Thursday May 28 from 9 am-3 pm.  And my wife Stephanie Schwab (who as many of you might know, is a super-dynamite marketer and thought leader in digital marketing) is going to be speaking at one of the forums. 

(She's also going to be teaching separately a class on how to switch your business from offline to online and go from stuck to productive in 3 short weeks)  

SWITCH: Go from stuck and overwhelmed to bringing in online revenue - in just three short weeks!)

But enough spousal promotion (for now)

At the Edgewater Essentials Virtual Forum, there will be 5 education sessions with more than 15 presenters, and topics ranging from managing your online presence to how to protect your business and its employees, to how to establish healthy routines.   I've included the schedule below.

There will also be chat and networking rooms, so that registrants can expand their professional circles, collaborate with others, and provide (and receive) personal support.

And at 12 pm, you can attend our annual business meeting, and find out about what's going on with the Chamber, about our recent merger with the Edgewater Development Corporation, and how our new 3-year plan can help our community.

Attendees will be able to diversify their skills through these presentations, facilitated discussions, workshops, networking opportunities, and other virtual activities, all from the privacy of their own home.

This event is meant to be a springboard for the community to share experiences and interact with like-minded business owners and professionals. Everyone is welcome to participate, even people who are not yet members of the Chamber.   Attendees can join for one session or stay on for the full schedule of events featured in the day-long program free of charge.

Registration is free, and all of the conferences will be recorded, so all registrants will be able to view all of the sessions, even if they can't attend all of them.

Register online for free tickets to the Edgewater Essentials Virtual Forum.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:  EDGEWATER ESSENTIALS VIRTUAL FORUM

9:00 AM Managing Your Online Presence  

• Janice Means (Marketing With JR)
• George Lowe (SparkFactor)
• John Honkala (Blueshoon)

10:00 AM Establishing A Healthy Routine

• Amanda Montgomery (Heartland Health)
• Patricia Stasjak (Andersonville Physical Therapy)
• Kelsey Mathis (KAM Meditation)
• Dave Rasmussen (Sacred Health)

11:00 AM Spinning Straw Into Gold: Email Marketing

•  Stephanie Schwab (Crackerjack Marketing)

11:30 AM Moving Forward Together: Breakout /Networking Sessions

• Stephanie Kusibab (Essentiam Strategy)

12:30 PM Edgewater Chamber Business Meeting

1:00 PM Putting Your Best Face Forward

• Kate Piatt Eckert (Steep Theatre)
• Thomas Kubik (TK Photography)
• Jenn Eicher (Hazel's Career Coaching)
• Julianne Ehre (Pivot Arts)
• Lisa Ripson (Ripson Communications)

2:00 PM Pivoting Your Business

• Shawn Ash (Farm Bar)
• Michael Caramagno (Caramagno CPA)
• Corey Bradberry (Theatre In The Dark)
• Christine Forster (Smack Dab)

2:30 PM Incubate Your Brand

• Stacey Neier Beran, PHD (Quinlan School of Business)

Small Business Growth Panel in Edgewater- October 25

While this blog is not particularly a business blog, it is a write about my passions blog, and one of my passions happens to be small business ownership. I have been an artist/small business owner my entire life, and it's something I know a fair amount about, and in fact, am a little bit of an expert about.  I'm a graduate (and the valedictorian of my class) of the now-defunct Bryant College Entrepreneurship Training Program, and  I'm currently on the board of the Edgewater Development Corporation, whose mission is to create a better retail atmosphere in my neighborhood (Edgewater) and help small and large businesses grow and create a better neighborhood.

The three panelists from the upcoming event.

That's why I'm posting about this opportunity to check out the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce's upcoming Small Business Growth Panel.  

It's an opportunity for attendees to hear from Edgewater’s leading business owners about their startup story. Three panelists will talk about what’s gone well on their journey to grow their business, what went wrong and their plans for the future. 

These under 40 business owners first marketed their new businesses – a bakery, a gym, and a candle maker – so that their brand stood out from the crowd. 

Learn how these savvy, young business owners sell and market their brands in saturated markets.  

And network with local business owners that might help you start your own business, or make your business better and more profitable.

DATE: Thursday, October 25
TIME: 5:30pm – 8:30pm
LOCATION: Uncommon Ground, 1401 W. Devon Avenue, Chicago 60660
COST: Edgewater Chamber Members: $20+ service fee Non Members: $25+ service fee

Tickets include appetizers and a drink.


Find out more: https://www.edgewater.org/events/small-business-growth-panel/