Entourage to present on Internet Marketing for Solopreneurs @ In Good Company in NYC

Emily and Cheryl will be up in NYC to present at the oh-so-fabulous, all women’s coworking space in NYC on 2/27. Our topic: Internet Marketing Strategy Workshop for Solopreneurs and Small Business Owners. nternet Marketing Strategy Workshop for Solopreneurs and Small Business Owners

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.

Business Launch Services for Entrepreneurs

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!

Celebrate National Small Business Week- Come Cowork With Us!

Today marks the start of National Small Business Week, a week that the President of the United States has proclaimed to recognize the contributions of small businesses to the economic well-being of America since 1963! Being small business owners, we appreciate the week of recognition as well as honor the other companies and the business services they are providing.

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.

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!

 

 

Don’t miss this great event for Philly Entreps!

Annual PSL Entrepreneur Expo

There has never been a time like the present to start your own business and become successful at what you do best.  Entrepreneurship is hot right now.  You can major in it at college, you can be your own boss, and you can dictate your own future in this troublesome economy.

We find that our business is starting to lean more towards those wanting to get the word out about their venture, or grow their existing business.  Some of the major ways we help these clients is by providing internet marketing campaigns, social media management, research and sales strategy development, website design, and branding.

One great way to get the word out about your business is to network and embrace your local entrepreneurial community.  We are doing just that by sponsoring and attending the upcoming Entrepreneur Expo on March 31st in Philadelphia.  The Expo will have over 200 attendees as well as 3-4 dozen vendors all taking about their passions and dreams!  Not only will we be there to share how our business can help others grow, but we will also be giving away a great tool for growing your business and branding – a Flip video camera! Our custom designed Flip Mino video camera prize will help you start vlogging and recording all your business successes!  So make sure to stop by our booth, share your business ideas, and enter to win the coolest Flip on the market!

More details on the Philadelphia Entrepreneur Expo 2011:

It’s FREE to attend!! The Entrepreneur Expo is a showcase of work by entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial community. If you’re an entrepreneur, you will be able to talk about your work and hear about … the work of others. If you’re interested in new ideas, new business plans, the uses of new technology, or are simply curious about the creative energy in this region, you’ll have a chance to see and meet those beginning to make a difference.

This event is open to the entire community and all are welcome!

Who Will Be There?

Entrepreneurs, students, educators, investors, leaders in the political, legal, and business communities, members of the media, and the public.

March 31, 2011  6 pm – 9 pm

Solmsson Court, Hamilton Hall University of the Arts Pine & Broad

Get excited about the future. Get excited about the entrepreneurial spirit of Philadelphia. Come to the Entrepreneur Expo. Come and see tomorrow, today.

REGISTER:

http://psl.ticketleap.com/entrepreneur-expo-2011/

Finally! True B2B Event Comes to Philly on 10/18/10

The Philadelphia Business Expo

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:

Investing in Your Business– Plan a Retreat!

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!):

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.

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.

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!

The Entrepreneurial Spirit

The Harvard Business Review ran an article this summer on How To Start An Entrepreneurial Revolution.  How interesting I thought to myself; we have a great group of entrepreneurs here in Philadelphia that are all very active and networked, but are we really creating a revolution?  In reading on it was very interesting to hear about other countries and how their government is getting behind entrepreneurs and supporting them for who they are and what they are trying to do.  How refreshing; build upon skill sets and knowledge rather than pushing them to be a certain way or provide a certain service to fit the mold.  As Rwanda’s president put it, “Entrepreneurship is the most sure way of development.”

Here in Philly experts in their field are stepping out of the mold to start their own companies and provide services they know best.  We entrepreneurs are a strong force and growing every day.  We are providing quality and necessary services ranging from web design to copy writing and everything in between.   As a result of all sharing common goals, and the City of Brotherly Love, we are creating the ecosystem to foster growth and support for entrepreneurial success.  In the article, 9 steps are outlined for Creating an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, and sure enough, step two is to the shape the ecosystem around local conditions to tailor the suit to fit its own local entrepreneurship dimensions, style and climate.  We are doing just that; entrepreneurs in various fields are coworking, there are weekly meet ups to meet the needs of any level of networker, and above all, entrepreneurs are accepted and celebrated for their efforts.

The opportunities for an entrepreneur to be successful in this current market are high.  Many companies are seeing the value of outsourcing and slowly starting to open their checkbooks to bring in these expert entrepreneurs to help their business grow.  Many groups are also supporting entrepreneurs by hosting coffees, lunches, happy hours, meet ups and conferences to allow for networking, sharing, and learning.

In doing our part to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem, we have been hosting coworking and networking events around the city.  Our next event will be on Thursday, January 20th, in Northern Liberties at One Shot Coffee.  Here we meet with dozens of other entrepreneurs to work as a community for the day; sharing stories, asking questions, making new introductions, drinking coffee and just enjoying eachother’s company as we meet our work demands.

As a bonus for the new year, we will follow coworking with a Philly Entrep Hapy Hour, starting at 5:30pm at PYT in The Piazza

Please join us for our next coworking day!

Date: Thursday, January 20th

Coworking: starting at 2pm

Location: One Shot Coffee
George Street (and American) behind Liberties Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19123

Come and go as you please; we will be grabbing some food and making business introductions all day!

Happy Hour: starting at 5:30pm

Location: PYT @ The Piazza in Northern Liberties
1015 N @2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123

*Parking available on the street or in the free lot located on Germantown Ave on the Northeast side of the Piazza.

Be sure to RSVP here.

Join us for Coworking Day on 9/17!

EE Coworking and Networking Days are here to stay in 2010!

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.

“The collaboration, feeling of not being alone, and ability to get out of the house without being in a completely public place is why I am a part of these coworking and networking events”

- Gloria Bell, owner of Red Stapler Consulting

Read more

The Entourage Summer Reading Guide for Entrepreneurs

As we take in the last few weeks of summer and prep for an ever-busy fall, take some time to relax with some entertaining and educational reads for your business!  There’s no better time to invest in your own business than when you can get a breather from your client work.  The books below are a great resource for new approaches to entrepreneurship fundamentals to run your business by. Read more

Coworking and Networking at The Piazza

EE Coworking and Networking Days are here to stay in 2010!

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.

“The collaboration, feeling of not being alone, and ability to get out of the house without being in a completely public place is why I am a part of these coworking and networking events”

- Gloria Bell, owner of Red Stapler Consulting

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.

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