We live in McHenry County, Illinois and support our local business owners. Here is a video of our visit to shop with the vendors at the Algonquin Farmers Market.
Stop by any Thursday evening from 1 PM – 7 PM at the corners of Harrison & Washington Streets in the heart of beautiful historic downtown Algonquin. Plenty of free parking and a wide variety of vendors showcasing the best of McHenry County. The event runs now through September 30th.
Networking is an effective way to support your job search and career goals. To get the most out of your networking, understand your goals and create a plan to achieve them. By making a conscious decision to create and execute your networking plan you will see greater results.
By creating a plan for your networking activities you will have a better chance to achieve your career and networking goals. Taking the time to plan your next networking activity may take more effort before the event though your networking results will be more rewarding.
Do you have a business in one of these McHenry County cities or villages?
Enter a comment below with your business name and Twitter handle so I can add your business to our list of McHenry County businesses. Let us know what products or services your business provides.
The McHenry County Business Twitter list takes you to the latest updates from McHenry’s finest companies. For easy access, click “follow” to get to the list from your Twitter page.
Check out the business we are doing in McHenry.
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics is the principal fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics. The collect, process, analyze and report the data on their website.
photo credit: JSmith Photo
Information you can find on unemployment figures includes:
Have questions? The Bureau has answers.
Talking to clients this week, I heard a common thread. They told me volunteering is the best form of in person networking. Two organization were recommended as the best places for business people to volunteer. These groups are Toastmasters International and the local Chamber of Commerce.
Toastmasters International with local chapters around the globe is a place where you can build your public speaking skills while you network with and get to know those in your neighborhood. I was at an event last night where 1 out of 3 of the attendees were Toastmasters. Leadership positions and mentoring positions are open at the chapter, district, regional and global level.
photo credit: LornaJane.net
Many cities and villages have a Chamber of Commerce to support their business owners. By stepping up to a leadership position, you have an opportunity to get to know your fellow members.
In both these groups, you have an opportunity to demonstrate your leadership skills and build your network. Check out your local group to learn more.
Are you a McHenry County business interested in social networking? Are you hearing all the buzz from your fellow business owners who have attended these sessions at the Shah Center and are now using social networking to attract new business?
We have a couple of open spots for the social networking classes at the Shah Center in McHenry. These new sessions on Facebook, Twitter and blogs were just added to the schedule as the previous sessions sold out in record time.
Designed with a business focus, these classes focus on attracting prospects, increasing Google search results, building relationships and making your business top of mind for local consumers.
photo credit: rafeejewell
If you are interested in these sessions, do not wait to sign up. Seating is very limited. Each student is assigned their own workstation in this new computer lab.
For additional information and registration for these classes, contact the Shah Center directly by phone at (815) 455-6098.
Other class titles are available later this summer. Sign up for my newsletter so you do not miss out.
See our events page for a full calendar.
Watch for information on the upcoming Richmond Spring Grove Chamber Mixer dinner and LinkedIn training event.
Thank you to the Richmond Spring Grove Chamber of Commerce for inviting me in to talk about using social networking in your business and community. We had a full house for the event overlooking the scenic country club. It was fun to connect up with the owners of businesses I have visited through the years.
Many of you asked for a follow up session and we listened. We are planning a June dinner with hands on LinkedIn training co-sponsored by the Richmond Spring Grove Chamber and the Shah Center in McHenry, Illinois. The event will include dinner, networking and hands on training in the computer lab. Before the session, create a free LinkedIn profile then bring your user ID and password to the class.
Contact the Chamber at 815.678.7742 for more information or to register.
During April and May I am teaching hands on social networking classes at the Shah Center. These session will focus on the business use of social networking. Classes include two hour hands-on learning sessions on each of the following tools: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and blogs.
photo credit: rafeejewell
Create a free LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter profile before the class. We will create our blog profiles and post our first blog posting together during the class. You will need access to your web email account (Yahoo, Gmail, etc.) during the class.
Due to overwhelming demand, the Shah Center is opening up new social networking classes during May.
Dates for these new classes are:
May 5
May 10
May 17
For additional information and registration for these classes, contact the Shah Center directly by phone at (815) 455-6098 or email at sbdc@mchenry.edu.
The Shah Center, located in McHenry, Illinois, is a part of the Illinois Small Business Development Center and McHenry Community College.
Information on social networking sessions at the Fox Valley Business Center in Elgin will be posted in our newsletters. Sign up here so you do not miss an edition.
See our events page for a full calendar.
Social networking has been embraced by some businesses. Others are taking a “wait and see” attitude while still others are not interested in getting involved. Here are six reasons business owners tell me they are not using social networking, and my responses.
* I have run my business just fine without social networking.
Yes. We did fine before cars and refrigerators also. New fangled things can make our life easier. The world is evolving and your audience is moving to social networking sites. Go where your audience is.
* These sites are just for kids.
Who is your target audience? There are 400 million active users on Facebook. If only 1% of these members are your target audience – that is still a lot of people. “Facebook saw a 276% growth in 35-54 year old users.” Almost 38 percent of LinkedIn and 23% of Twitter users earn more than $100,000 a year.” says IStrategy Labs.
* What’s in it for me?
Your audience is there and they are talking about you. Listen to what they are saying. People believe online reviews to be true. Be responsive and contribute to the conversation.
* It will take too much time.
Yes, if you are lured into Mafia Wars or Bejeweled, you can spend much of your day on these sites. My advice – stay away from these distractions. Get your feet wet then create a plan to achieve your goals. You can easily manage your social networking strategy in less than 15 minutes a day.
* Social networking costs too much money.
Did I mention that most of the features on these sites are free? Search engines love the frequently updated content on these sites. The value of FREE Google search results? Priceless.
* I do not know how to get started.
Start small with just one of these tools. Find a mentor or teacher to get you started.
I will be teaching classes on social networking for business at the Shah Center in McHenry on Wednesdays April 27 – May 18. Learn how LinkedIn, Facebook, blogs and Twitter can build your bottom line. Details.
For another perspective, check out this short video “Social Media Revolution”
Can You Have More Sales, Too?Helping over 75,000 businesses like yours raise profits and build customer relationships using AWeber's opt-in email marketing software for over 10 years.
Take a Free Test Drive today!
