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The Entrepreneurial Spirit

Cheryl — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 01:56:23 +0000

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.

Announcing: Coworking and Networking Days in Philly!

Emily — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:39:35 +0000

Describe your current office or working environment:

At a desk
2 monitors running
Large coffee resting dangerously close to the keyboard
USB hub filled to capacity
Music playing
IMing with partner as emailing 2 different clients
8 Internet tabs and 4 spreadsheets open
Dog sleeping at your feet…which are still in slippers

Describe your working environment on Thursday, December 10th:

At a big round table surrounded by great art, hardwood floors and rich burgundy walls
Hot fresh chai, latte, or coffee in hand, made by someone else
Engaging in great conversation with an entrepreneur about a new project idea
Making new connections with local business owners
Music playing overhead
Still answering emails and IMing with partners

Interested?
Emily Morgan and Cheryl Amaya of Entrepreneur’s Entourage are!

Entrepreneur’s Entourage will be hosting our first off-site Coworking & Networking Day in Philadelphia! This month’s will be Thursday, December 10th at Double Shots Coffee, located at 211 Chestnut Street in Old City. We will be there starting at 10am, so drop by anytime, open up your laptop, start a conversation, grab some great coffee or a pastry and get some work done…or at least some good networking done! Maybe we can even convince our favorite Double Shots owner, Steve to make us some fresh gingerbread cookies like he did for us today!

We have a great group of established Philly entrepreneurs interested in making new connections and sharing a desk for the afternoon. There’s no agenda and no dress code! Spend the afternoon or just drop by and check your email – with a group of active business owners we are guaranteed to have an exciting time!

Coworking may be a new concept to you, or coworking may be something you are big fan of and are currently supporting in Philadelphia through jelly sessions or established coworking office spaces. Whether you run a virtual or brick and mortar business, coworking not only provides you with an escape from your office for the day but it also facilitates connections and offers opportunities to think and communicate more creatively about your business, bounce ideas off of other entreps and could even lead to new business!

So, bust out of your lonely office for the morning or afternoon and experience a new type of collaborative work environment; Coworking in Center City Philadelphia!

Steffi Freedman of Corps Pilates and Ladies Who Launch and Gloria Bell of Entrepreneur’s Entourage and Red Stapler Consulting will be among some of the fabulous Philadelphia entrepreneurs and business owners that will be participating in this coworking day in the city! We hope to add your name to the list as well!

Please RSVP to let us know you will be joining this fabulous group, and check for any updates on the Entrepreneur’s Entourage website as well! Be sure to leave your comments below with any suggestions or feedback you might have on the event.

All day we will be tweeting and blogging to bring you updates about this coworking and networking day. If you are going to share your comments or posts from the event please use #EECoworking.

Keep up with us:

Each month, on the second Thursday of the month, we will be working collaboratively around the city with other entrepreneurs, solopreneurs and small business owners looking for a change of scenery and a chance to reap the benefits of a collaborative work group environment. Bring your laptops, grab a cup of coffee and spend the afternoon working next to other successful (and connected!) Philly entrepreneurs.

Be sure to check out our vlog post live from Double Shots where Cheryl gives an overview of what to expect!

What is a “Virtual Professional?”

Emily — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:32:59 +0000

Times are changing in our Virtual industry! With more and more highly skilled people out of work, and the concept of virtual work environments becoming more widely accepted; it’s a natural progression within our economy to blend the two into a new hybrid, now termed the “Virtual Professional.”

A Virtual Professional can essentially be described as any creative or technically-skilled professional performing services remotely. Because the terminology is so new, it’s not surprising that we are writing the definition in real-time. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most active VPs within this growing industry:

Graphic Designers
Web Designers
Copywriters
Bookkeepers
Business Consultants
Social Media experts
Online Marketers
Public Relations Reps
Sales Reps

Let’s face it, Going Virtual is a greening, cost-effective option for companies and a freeing, results-only work environment for employees or freelancers. Entrepreneurs with little or no office space can effectively partner with VPs to launch new products, start-up a side business or build out an existing business. In Corporate America, even large companies like Best Buy, IBM and AT&T have a reported 40% of their workforce working “remotely.” Couple that massive acceptance of virtual office arrangements with a floundering economy and talented employees looking to create some sense of stability in their lives, and you have set the stage for the emergence of Virtual Professionals.

The Basics of Social Marketing – Is it Meaningful?

Emily — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:02:53 +0000

Social Marketing through social media is a hot buzz word right now, but it actually has some weight to it, so it is time you put together your social marketing campaign. There are a plethora of social media outlets to tap into, but for this free marketing to pay off and grow your business you need to focus your efforts on what is meaningful. Here are just the basics to consider when planning your campaign.

Twittering can be fun as well as lead generating! Twitter is essentially mobile blogging and an easy way to share thoughts while keeping up with fellow enthusiasts, industry professionals and friends. Be leery of the proposals to grow your followers to 10,000 with one easy step. Do you really want that many followers? Is it meaningful? http://twitter.com/EntrepEntourage

Facebook is the next generation of Myspace. Facebook allows you to create a business page, let others comment on it, find old friends, make new friends, and send group emails. Facebook needs special attention to not become a sales tool. It will be more meaningful as a marketing tool. http://www.facebook.com/people/Cheryl-Lever-Amaya/1587900093

LinkedIn should also be a part of your social marketing campaign. This site is strictly professional and great for networking with specific target markets. Use LinkedIn for press release circulation, Q&A from industry specific groups, and as a place for meaningful professional associations. http://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylamaya

Blogging lets the world know your thoughts, your actions and your intentions. It is a great way to get your name circulated to establish your brand. Blogs can feed into almost any social media site. Video blogging is also starting to break ground; even Barnes & Noble are video blogging to give you the experience of chatting with a knowledgeable bookseller on the Internet!

Yelp is a user-generated review site for all businesses and services and is organized by geographic location. You, your family, your neighbors, your friends, and your customers need to Yelp about your business. Not only is this a great social marketing tool and a way for potential customers to find your products and services, but it also is a free tool to get feedback and constructive criticism without having to ask for it! Absolutely meaningful.

Keep Connected!

Entrepreneur’s Entourage: Customize * Strategize * Organize * Realize

Next Social Media update: Tools to use to make your social updates more productive.