As a small business owner, you know that your business needs to be active and present online.  But which activities actually make sense for your particular business in order to effectively reach your target client?  Which of these should you manage yourself, and which should you automate or delegate to the pros?

This workshop will explore just that.  Our round table discussion will not only cover the basics of internet marketing, but we’ll select a few participants and help them map out an internet marketing strategy that works for THEIR business.  Topics will also include the top internet marketing strategies, tools, resources and technology you can use to measure your results and refine your efforts.  Bring your questions for laser coaching and discussion!

Click for more info!

February 27, 11am-1pm
RSVP: igcrsvp@gmail.com with VIRTUAL in the subject line.

Bobby and John

The best part of what we do each day?   We help entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses.  And even more exciting– getting to see and celebrate in the finished product!

Cheryl and I had the pleasure of working alongside (new) Philly business owners- Bobby Dombrowski and John Farrell while they launched the quirky new coffee shop Strange Brew Coffee in South Philly’s “Pennsport” neighborhood.  Serving Fair Trade and Organic coffees by Counter Culture, fine teas by local House of Tea, tasty sandwiches from Le Bus, as well as delicious treats including pastries, granola and muffins, the shop features more than just a great menu. Displayed throughout the cafe, customers can also find a fabulous collection of vinyl toys and art.

Strange Brew Coffee has outdoor as well as indoor seating, wifi access, great music, and local art displayed on the walls.  Owner Bobby Dombroski grew up in this neighborhood and now lives around the corner from his new café.  According to Bobby, “I believe in bettering the neighborhood you live in. I am combining my passion, coffee brewing experience and fun nature into one shop to provide my community with some delicious coffee and treats.”

Bobby and John exemplify what it is that keeps us going with Entourage.  We love that we have the privilege to work alongside people that are working within their passions.  They have a clear and realistic vision of what it is they are trying to create and also understand the value of delegation as a means to success.

We were able to support Strange Brew’s launch by:

- Strategic market research and business planning

- Research related to opening and operating a business here in Philadelphia (lots of regulations!)

- Operational product research

- Press Release development and circulation

- Internet marketing and social media support

We’re so proud to have been a part of their launch!  To continue the celebration of another entrepreneurial success here in Philly, we are planning to hold our next coworking session at Strange Brew.  Come out and work alongside other Philly entreps in the heart of South Philly!  Be sure to register via our events page!

Be sure to find and follow the guys at Strange Brew on Twitter to find out about their specials and daily happenings!

Some pretty cool facts about small businesses:

• There are an estimated 27.2 million small businesses in America
• More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business
• They create 60-80 percent of new jobs in the country
• Small businesses drive innovation, create 21st century jobs and increase U.S. competitiveness

While the US Small Business Administration is recognizing this week in DC with a couple days of events, lectures, honoring lunches, and more, we’d like to do our part to recognize small businesses and entrepreneurs in the Philadelphia area. According to Entrepreneur.com, there are 3 ways to celebrate National Small Business Week, one of them being-  attend an event and networking!

Entrepreneur’s Entourage has been hosting monthly coworking and networking groups around the city to bring local businesses and talent together in a casual and comfortable environment.  We want to support our fellow business owners by providing a fun to place to work from for the day with the added value of networking with some new peers from your community.

Strange Brew Coffee

This month we’ll be working from Strange Brew in South Philly.  Strange Brew Coffee in South Philly’s “Pennsport” neighborhood.  Serving Fair Trade and Organic coffees by Counter Culture, fine teas by local House of Tea, tasty sandwiches from Le Bus, as well as delicious treats including pastries, granola and muffins, the shop features more than just a great menu. Displayed throughout the cafe, customers can also find a fabulous collection of vinyl toys and art. Strange Brew Coffee has outdoor as well as indoor seating, wifi access, great music, and local art displayed on the walls.

Come join us on Tuesday, July 19th between 10 and 3 for a great day of working alongside like minded individuals whom range from entrepreneurs, to small business owners, to driven professionals.  Share your business cards, talk about what you do and what your company offers, enjoy some coffee, and walk away with some new connections and maybe even some new clients!  Click here to register for our free event!

Great coffee, great networking and a great reason to celebrate with other Philly entreps- National Small Business Week!

Sampling of our attendees

UPDATE: Try Coworking for Yourself!  Join us on Tuesday, April 19th @ Cake and the Beanstalk!  Get all the details and register here.

Recently, Cheryl and I were asked to present to the International VA Association on the topic of Coworking for their Expert of the Month series. We ran a quick poll at the beginning of the presentation asking participants if they had ever participated in Coworking. Remarkably enough, 80% of the audience had not!

One week prior, we hosted our own #EECoworking event, and received all sorts of questions from participants, looking for a better understanding of the Coworking concept. “Was it a seminar?” they wondered, “What does it cost?”, “Why do you run these events for free- what is the benefit for you?”

Our response- quite simply “Because we believe in investing in our local entrepreneurial community.” It’s true, our events are free. We’re not selling anything or requiring anything in return. It takes a reasonable amount of our time to plan, coordinate, market and run the events each month. Our time during the event is mostly spent facilitating introductions between attendees, and we couldn’t be happier about it!

Coworking, at it’s core is about reciprocity- the giving and exchanging of information. It’s the most collaborative, encouraging, authentic type of networking that you can engage your business in.

Our events are structured in such a way that you can come and get a modest amount of work done, get your burning business questions answered, learn about a new tool that can streamline your business, make a new friend who could potentially become a JV partner or introduce you to a client, and most importantly- have a genuine, engaged conversation with other local entrepreneurs and share about your business. Our participants consistently say that they always leave our events with at least one great piece of information to help their business.

In comparison to other types of networking groups- we don’t require you to bring in a certain number of leads for the group, and our casual environment is worlds away from walking into a giant room filled with people you don’t know, and trying to explain what you do in an elevator speech. Just come over, grab some coffee, open up your laptop, get some work done and make some new friends who are doing all sorts of interesting things in their businesses!

We’d love to have you out to join us! And whether you’re here in Philly or around the country, here are some great coworking spaces you should definitely check out!

Conjunctured in Austin

In Good Company in NYC (ladies only!)

Indy Hall right here in Philly!

LooseCubes – find a space around the country!

Learn more about all of the coworking options available to you via our shared presentation below!

Connect with hundreds of small business owners, marketers, and professionals. Make new contacts, network and grow your business!

Finally, an event that is focused on true Business to Business alliances and connections.  Build, Sell, Grow (event coordinators) have gone above and beyond to ensure that this event is as selective as possible when selecting exhibitors.

As a special bonus to our readers, the Biz Expo team is offering substantial discounts for our small biz/entrepreneur friends looking to exhibit. Contact Troy Dennis @ troy@buildsellgrow.com or call him @ 1-800-455-9610 and just mention to him that you read it here to SAVE!

We are excited to participate as an exhibitor at this year’s event, so please stop by to visit our booth to say hello and to share about your business!  In addition to the great *FREE* networking opportunities, there is a great schedule of sessions for the afternoon:

Philadelphia Business Expo Schedule

2pm
YOU, INCORPORATED ………… Business Possibilities For You In America Today
by Communications Concepts

3pm
Your static website is dead; The rise of CMS.
by Brio Solutions

4pm
Determining If Your Business’ Website Is An ‘A’ or ‘F’ Marketing Tool
by Inverse Paradox

5pm
Aggressive Marketing that Works
by Build Sell Grow

Event Details:

Time: 1:30-6:30pm

Location:

The Philadelphia Business Expo will be held at Philadelphia Marriott West:

111 Crawford Avenue
West Conshohocken, PA 19428 (Get directions)

Planning to attend?  Leave us a comment in the field below.

Keep up with the event on twitter- #PhlBizExpo

See you there!

Cheryl & Emily @ Palomar Lobby

A few weeks back, Cheryl and I headed into Philly to spend some QT focusing on our business.  It was a time of discussions, brainstorming and strategy as well as implementation of several tasks that were on our seemingly endless laundry list of to-do items.  The core focus of our trip was to (1) spend time together to make sure we were  on the same page with the direction of the company and (2) devote a concentrated amount of time without interruptions to really focus on where we’ve been and where we’re going with Entourage.

This is the second “retreat” I have taken for my businesses.  The first, last year, in Atlantic City (alone!) I spent 3 days focused on compiling the masses of notes and ideas I have had along the way, determining where I was personally going with my work, mapping out goals for the next year and developing my focus towards how I was spending my time.  Both times have been an incredibly productive experience for me as a business owner.  Because we now tangibly see the value of the investment, Cheryl and I decided to share our story to encourage others to plan one, and to share pointers for a successful retreat.

Here’s what we recommend to ensure a successful investment of your time (and money!):

Hotel Palomar, Philly

1- Pick a nice place. Go for swank, go for a place that inspires you!  Since you will be spending a majority of time in your room, you will want to feel motivated and comfortable.  Make sure the location has free wifi in your room, and select something that has a fridge so you can pack some snacks for yourself.  Also look for something that is convenient to other restaurants so you can quickly grab a bite or get some fresh air.

We stayed right in Rittenhouse Square in Philly, and took full advantage of the energy of the city and the amazing eateries all within walking distance.  Both times I stayed at boutique hotels for insanely low rates, so explore your options.  Shop around and try to be flexible with your dates to get the best pricing.  I have stayed at both of these hotels while on “retreat”  so they are the two I recc:

• The Chelsea Hotel in Atlantic City - (note- do not stay in the Annex!) Last Fall I got an amazing rate of under $50/night to stay there during the week!  It’s right on the Boardwalk and is not a casino!
• Hotel Palomar in Philly – a Kimpton property.  We loved this place and had not one complaint!  It was priced similar to other luxury hotels in Philly (under $200 for a Fri night).  Plus.. bonus.. animal print bathrobes!  Notice we did not include those pix!!

2- Go there with a plan! This is not meant to be a time of personal rejuvenation (ie sleeping all day!).  While you should focus on feeling relaxed and inspired, it’s important you have a clear set of goals in mind.  In the case of Cheryl and I, we developed a 2 page agenda listing all of the items we needed to discuss together, to do tasks, goal setting, etc.  While it was a lot of ground to cover in 2 days, it was so important that we both be on the same page with our plans- especially given the fact that we don’t see eachother on a regular basis.  Use this as you plan your trip and be sure to print out any collateral material you might need on-hand as you work through your list.

Capture it all!

3- Capture all of your thoughts in a clear way. Given that this is not only an investment of your time, but a financial investment in the growth of your company, make sure you are results-focused and able to reference all of your thoughts once you get back.  What works best for you?  In my case, on my private retreat last year, I purchased some of that big white artist’s paper and a full set of Sharpie pens in diff colors.  I’m very visual, so it was helpful for me to capture my thoughts, goals and my overall vision for the future in a way that made sense to me.  I left with pages and pages of colorful notes! For Cheryl and I, we took rigorous notes throughout the 2 days (some neater than others, esp when Sangria was involved!!).

4-  Ask the hard questions and set overall goals for the business. What’s working in the business?  What’s not working?  What new personal/life changes have now come into play that may affect the business?  In our case, Cheryl had recently had a baby (Logan!) and I was implementing a new time management system with my preschooler.  Schedules and priorities are always in flux (esp as moms!), and in our case it was important to communicate that and set realistic goals and plan around it.  Being honest with yourself is the only way to set a clear, realistic path to success.  Be sure to spend time at the end of your retreat nailing down the overall goals that have developed out of your brainstorming time.  Capturing these goals is important as you make day-to-day decisions about the business, but also as you review it in the months to come.

Get it done!

5- After the retreat: Implementation! Now that you have taken notes in a way that makes sense to you, it will be easier for you to develop an action plan for all your new ideas.  Take all of your notes and put them into an action plan with specific to-do tasks for you (and your business partner).  We are even going so far as to enter date-related tasks into Basecamp as milestones assigned to each of us to confirm responsibilities we agreed upon.

Investing in your business is the best way to move it forward on every level.  Both Cheryl and I found this to be an amazingly effective use of our resources and time.  The two days were filled w quality time together, strategic thinking and yes.. amazing meals (thank you Steven Starr!)!!

As a business owner wearing so many hats each day, we each need to take the time to rejuvenate ourselves and the business to move it forward.  We both enjoyed this so much that we plan to do it again in a few months.  Next time, we plan to spend a greater amount of time being strategic about personal strengths and weaknesses, incorporating tools like Meyers Brigg and we want to really incorporate personal rejuvenation as well (ie spa time!).

It’s good to be a business owner!  Make sure you are taking steps to both enjoy and be strategic about your own growth!

We have been working from various wifi spots throughout the city this year, with great turnout at all of our events. Entrepreneurs, business owners, freelancers, and other independents looking to get out of the office and network have been coming together at these events to meet, work, eat, and share business cards. Check out some of our coworkers in our quickie vlog post: http://www.watchuslaunch.com/

This month we are heading to a classic Turkish cafe in Queen Village- Cafe Fulya.

If you are committed to evolving your business in 2010, coworking is for you. Entrepreneur’s Entourage’s Coworking events are a great way to get a change of scenery from your home or corporate office and hang in the presence of some of Philly’s brightest entreps. Our group brings together the open share of ideas and the strength of the entrepreneurial community here in Philadelphia across all industries. Our meetup days are informal and a great way to share your business, make connections, get some work done on your laptop, grab a bite to eat, and gain new perspectives.

Please join us for our next coworking day!

Date: Friday, September 17th starting at 10am

Come and go as you please; we will be grabbing some food around 12:30pm, and making business introductions all day!

Location: Cafe Fulya
727 S. 2nd Street Philadelphia, PA 19147
Phone: (267) 909.9937
Queen Village- Philadelphia, PA

Be sure to RSVP here.

Then please tweet that you will be attending, or just follow all of our participant tweets using #EECoworking.

Here’s what we recommend:

Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, – Hot of the shelves, written by the founders of 37Signals (aka the Basecamp/ Highrise Enterprise)-  A quick read breaking down their rules for success (hint here- Simplify, Simplify, Simplify).  If you are a new entrepreneur and are continually mystified by the corporate nonsense business structure, you’ll appreciate this authentic review of the new way of working.

Review here by Inc. Mag

Tribes by Seth Godin- Forget traditional marketing, authenticity is key and having a tribe of supporters is the best kind of publicity.  The Web has opened new doors to leadership and has presented us with a new way to garner a following of people interested in what we have to say.  Godin’s mantra  (and we would concur)  is that everyone can now find or assemble a tribe and lead it. The tools are there to lead the tribes that are forming from Facebook to Twitter to Craigslist.

Review here by USA Today

Faves for female entreps:

Women, Work & the Art of Savoir Faire: Business Sense & Sensibility- by Mireille Guiliano, the long-time super-classy CEO of Veuve Cliquot, and the author of French Women Don’t Get Fat. A guidebook for the professional woman on how to navigate the business world and live a well-balanced, happy life.  From acing a job interview or performance review to hosting a dinner party, Mireille tells it like it is (with her french flair!) as she shares her secrets for feeling good, facing challenges, getting ahead, and maximizing pleasure at every opportunity.

The Martha Rules- Martha Stewart (Emily’s favorite!)  Martha’s fundamentals for successful entrepreneurship.  A legendary entrepreneur in her own right, she shares her 10 rules for succeeding in business.  Having turned her personal passion and experience into a multi-market phenomenon the MSLO enterprise is a leader in diversification.  Tapping into her years of experience in building a thriving business, Martha will help readers identify their own entrepreneurial voice and channel their skills and passions into a successful business venture.

Oldies but Goodies:

Rules for Revolutionaries- Guy Kawasaki, former Apple Chief Evangelist.  The Capitalist Manifesto for Creating and Marketing New Products and Services. Rules lays out Kawasaki’s decidedly audacious (but personally experienced) strategies for besting the competition and triumphing in today’s hypercharged business environment.  Lots of note-taking in this summer read, definitely more product and corporate focused, but relevant to entreps nonetheless.

The E-Myth Revisited- Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work, by Michael Gerber – The original guidebook for running a small business.  Key takeaway here- “As Entrepreneurs we need to focus on working ON our business and not IN our business.”  So many of us start out doing everything in our businesses, when really we should be focusing on being the leader of our business.

Summer Fun:

The Accidental Billionaires- Ben Mezrich  The story of the founding of Facebook (unofficially!) but a great, interesting fun read.

We have been working from various wifi spots throughout the city this year, with great turnout at all of our events.  Entrepreneurs, business owners, freelancers, and other independents looking to get out of the office and network have been coming together at these events to meet, work, eat, and share business cards.  Check out some of our coworkers in our quickie vlog post:  http://www.watchuslaunch.com/

This month we are heading to a clean, bright, and friendly cafe in Northern Liberties called Euphoria Cafe.  They have great coffee, tea, smoothies, sandwiches, and our personal favorite, iced bubble coffee!  Euphoria offers free wifi and a comfortable area for us to all sit together to work and mingle.  This cafe is also in the exciting Piazza, surrounded by restaurants, shops, galleries, and of course the big outdoor courtyard with the giant screen TV so you can stick around and watch the Phillies game that night!

If you are committed to evolving your business in 2010,  coworking is for you.  Entrepreneur’s Entourage’s Coworking events are a great way to get a change of scenery from your home or corporate office and hang in the presence of some of Philly’s brightest entreps.  Our group brings together the open share of ideas and the strength of the entrepreneurial community here in Philadelphia across all industries.  Our meetup days are informal and a great way to share your business, make connections, get some work done on your laptop, grab a bite to eat, and gain new perspectives.

Please join us for our next coworking day!

Date: Thursday, June 10, 2010 starting at 10am.

Come and go as you please; we will be grabbing some food around 12:30pm, and making business introductions all day!

Location: Euphoria Coffee
1001 N 2nd Street in The Piazza
Philadelphia, PA

Be sure to RSVP here.

Then please tweet that you will be attending, or just follow all of our participant tweets using #EECoworking.

Calling all Philly Entreps and Business Owners:  Don’t miss our favorite conference and networking event of the year- SPARK!

Monday, May 24th, 2010 at The Hub Cira Centre

Spark is an interactive entrepreneurial conference that focuses on helping entrepreneurs grow their business, develop vital relationships and take away valuable insights from educational workshops. The conference has two parts; the morning session which consists of educational workshops and networking, while the afternoon is the opportunity for several entrepreneurs to pitch their business in front of an esteemed panel of successful entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture consultants and experienced advisers.

Check out this great video from last year‘s event!

SPARK 2009

Check out the day’s schedule here: http://sparknetworking.com/agenda.php

MEET US: Be sure to stop by to visit our booth during the Entrepreneurial Expo which runs from 12-2pm!

PANELS:

• Built to Last – Best Practices and Resources to Grow Your Business
• Everything You Need to Know About Raising Capital but Were Afraid to Ask
• Trends for 2010 – Who’s Getting Funding
• Building Buzz on a Startup Budget
• Getting the Deal Done – A Workshop in Negotiation
• Nuts & Bolts of a Winning Presentation

Lastly, all friends of Entourage are invited to enjoy a 20% discount on registration by entering discount code: SPK20Entourage at checkout!!

REGISTER

We’re looking forward to seeing each of you at this can’t miss entrep event!