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!

 

 

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

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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.

Networking and Coworking Days for 2010

2010 is off to a great start, with entrepreneurship on the rise and the strength of building a networking community being of utmost importance in our society.  As business owners and entrepreneurs, we are constantly forced to evolve our businesses to stay ahead of the curve  and remain competitive.

If you are committed to evolving your business in 2010, coworking is for you.  Coworking is 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 strengthening of the entrepreneurial community here in Philadelphia across all industries.  Our meetup days are informal and a great way to share your business concept, make connections, get some work done on your laptop, grab a bite to eat, and gain new perspectives.

EE Coworking and Networking Days are here to stay in 2010! We will be working from various wifi spots throughout the city once a month on the second Thursday of each month.  We’ve had a great turnout at all of our events.  Check out some of our coworkers in our quickie vlog post:  http://www.watchuslaunch.com/

Please join us for our next coworking day!

Date: Friday, April 30th, 2010 starting at 10am.

Come and go as you please, but we will be grabbing some food and doing business introductions at 1:00pm

Location: Chapter House Cafe
620 South 9th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147

Be sure to RSVP here.

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

Do You Love What You Do?– If Not, Get Inspired by Coworking!

With Valentines Day just around the corner, we all have *l-o-v-e* on our minds.  Whether you’re busy planning your weekend away with that special someone, or planning a night out with friends; Valentine’s Day represents a special time of year where we can reflect on all the loves of our lives, and what better way to do that than attend an EE Coworking and Networking Day in Philadelphia!

Given our hectic work schedules and commitment to a work-life balance,  it’s hard to argue that our work which takes up at least 40 hours per week of our lives, is not a major part of who we are.  If you are one, sitting miserably in your cubicle right now, reading this blog post, watching the clock tick down to 5:00 (hey, we’ve all been there!), then this post is for you!

Do you love what you do? Does it wake you up in the morning and motivate you through the day?  Do you feel a sense of pride and accomplishment in your work?  Do you have a great idea, but does the fear of going out on your own and forging your own way seem out of reach?

I’m here (as proof) to tell you that it’s possible!  If that’s not enough, come out and witness other local entrepreneurial dynamos in action! Bring a laptop, or a notebook and come meet and interact with folks who are working their butts off to make their vision for their business a reality.  Come pick our brains, and share your ideas and hear war stories about how we’ve worked to turn a vision into a reality.

The next Philly Coworking and Networking Day will be held on Friday, February 12, 2010 at the TBar on 12th and Sansom.

Take the day off from your cube and commute and come cowork and network with some of Philly’s brightest entrepreneurs and small business owners.  There’s no dress code, and no rules; just a group of people spending a few hours of their day getting some work done, collaborating on their thoughts, having a good laugh and truly loving what they do.

Come join us on Friday and get inspired.. we’d L-O-V-E to see you!

Philadelphia is an Entrepreneur’s Haven

We recently found out that Philadelphia was not on the list of cities to be featured in Fast Company Magazine’s Shine section.  Immediately all of us at the networking event were shocked and then very interested in learning how we can get involved to get Philly on the list!  Thanks to Innovation Philadelphia we were provided with the email address to send our thoughts along.  Here is part of what we shared.  We hope many of your entrepreneurs out there feel the same way and will share your thoughts.

“I came to Philadelphia 4 years ago when my job as a magazine publisher moved me here.  As part of a large west coast media company I did not get very involved in my community and neighborhood within Philadelphia for networking.  But, when I left the magazine a year ago and decided to start my own company with a local friend, I was immediately embraced by the community and exposed to the limitless opportunities for networking, support, and social marketing.  We couldn’t imaging running our virtual company, Entrepreneur’s Entourage, from anywhere else.  We have been able to provide our clients with great services like web design, branding, internet marketing, research, copywriting, and project management by including so many of Philly’s talented entrepreneurs and free-lance consultants on our team of professionals.

There are many more reasons why my partner and I have found great success with our new business as a result of being located in Philadelphia.  There is a networking group and business development group for every type of start up.  There are great places to work from that are either coworking offices or just meetups or jelly sessions at one of the numerous coffee shops throughout the city with free wifi.  There are also new entrepreneurs emerging every week in this area that are looking for assistance in getting their business moving forward!

Our top Universities excel in providing programs and opportunities for entrepreneurs and start up companies alike.  The University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University both have entrepreneurial clinics and offer many services to our community out of their Small Business Development Center.  Another great resource that my partner and I have been invited into is the entrepreneurial clinic at the University of Pennsylvania Legal Clinic.  Each year graduating seniors work with companies in the area to help meet their legal needs pro bono.  We were able to utilize the clinic to form our partnership agreement as well as help negotiate some business documents.

Many think of Philadelphia as industrial, dated and a little on the maniacal side when it comes to sports fans; but in reality, our city has only been on the up and up with making our neighborhoods green and eco-friendly, providing accessible resources for small businesses to launch, and providing better services for our budding entrepreneurs.  Plus, what’s a city with a World Champion sports team without a few die hard fans!”

Help us send a message to set a new precedent to put Philly on the map as one of the leading cities cultivating entrepreneurial activities!

Evolve Your Biz Through Coworking in 2010!

Happy New Year to all! As we look back over 2009 and look forward to 2010 a great mantra comes to mind- Rather than creating a list of “resolutions” that quickly fade away (and leave us with deflated egos!), decide to evolve instead! As business owners and entrepreneurs, we are constantly forced to evolve our businesses to stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive.  Evolution is simply that- change over time.

What better way to focus on your biz evolutions than to spend the day working side by side with like-minded entrepreneurs! Coworking is a great way to get a change of scenery from your home (or bland corporate) office and hang in the presence of some of Philly’s brightest entreps. Share ideas, make connections and gain new perspectives- all of which are limited by the confines of your isolated cube!

Coworking is at it’s core about reciprocity- The mutual or cooperative interchange of favors or privileges; i.e., you give, you get. Your ideas and hindsight 20/20 reflections on lessons learned can translate across industries to help other professionals (new or veteran). In turn, those same peers have perspectives to share from their unique experiences that can help you as you work on your own business. This organic approach to business development promotes the open share of ideas with the common goal of improving all of our businesses in a collaborative process.

If you are committed to evolving your business in 2010, coworking is for you. Our group represents the open share of ideas and the strengthening of the entrepreneurial community here in Philadelphia across all industries.

We had a great turnout at our last event, and have an even bigger crowd registered for our event on 1/7. Check out some of our coworkers from December in our quickie vlog post: http://www.watchuslaunch.com/ and check out the pic below:

We would love to have you join us for our next coworking day!

Date: Thursday, January 7, 2010 starting at 10am

Location: Chapterhouse Cafe- we will be downstairs
620 South 9th Street Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia, PA 19147-2028

Learn more about the event and be sure to RSVP on our site.  Follow all of our participant tweets #EECoworking.

Announcing: Coworking and Networking Days in Philly!