business

October 1, 2014-

Harper College’s Workforce and Economic Development (WED) department is offering FREE workshops for the month of October at the Arlington Heights WorkNet Center. Please view the attached flyer for event details or visit http://harpercollege-at-wed-division.eventbrite.com. Pre-registration is REQUIRED for all workshops and there will not be onsite registration for these events.

September 30, 2014-

Tomorrow, October 1st at 7:00 pm, learn all about Your Career Marketing Strategy at the Barrington Area Library. Learn practical and competitive steps to gain high visibility in your job search. Bob Podgorski, career coach and management consultant, introduces concepts and plans for incorporating your personal career marketing plan and winning that desirable job opportunity.

Bob  has been working with and coaching job seekers for over thirty years. He has a clear, simple job seeker philosophy: know exactly what you do well and what you want to do, set in place a plan of action, source diversely with a little creativity and a lot of tenacity to go after what you want. It probably wouldn't surprise you that Bob Podgorski's main passion is helping other succeed.

Learn more about this philosophy and how you can implement it into your own Career Marketing Strategy. There are still some spaces available! Register here.

September 26, 2014-

Have you checked out our free online courses yet? There are classes on everything from cooking to photography to starting your own business. This is an excerpt from the class "Starting a Consulting Practice."

Starting a Consulting Practice

Assets: When I use the term "assets," I am referring to your personal collection of skills, interests, and values, which ultimately provide your clients with something of merit.

Interests: Interests are things that appeal to you, and that you enjoy. When you are interested in some activity, you will be more strongly motivated to pursue it than if the activity holds no appeal for you.

Skills: Skills are your aptitudes and your abilities. They are among the most significant contributors to success as a consultant. Since you will be paid for your expertise, it is obvious that your skills are important to your value as a consultant.

Values: Values are things in which you believe. When you really believe in something, you will have a passion for it. That passion will help motivate you in your business. Your clients will sense your commitment level and will respond favorably to it.

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Do you know your area of expertise? Make sure that you sign up for Gale Courses- they're always free with your Barrington Area Library Card!

September 23, 2014-

The Women's BizNet of the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a luncheon on Thursday, September 25th at 11:30 am. Michele Knight, author of Women CEOs of America, will be sharing "Five Secrets You Need to Know by Women Who Have Been There."

Lunch will be served at The Garlands of Barrington. The cost is $25 for Chamber members and $35 for non-members. Registration is available here.

Find out more information about the Women's BizNet by checking out the Facebook page.

September 22, 2014-

The Muse offers a lot of helpful daily articles and blog posts for job seekers and business owners alike. Today's article was called How to Tell People What You Do- and Be Remembered.

The key message from the article is that you need to say something that will connect with your listener's emotions; people won't remember the finite details of your job/business/mission, but they will remember your overall message if you connect it to their senses. The article even provides a template (see below) so you can start crafting your own elevator speech.

From the article:

"Use this fill-in-the-blank template to write a new “So, what do you do?” introduction for yourself. And this time, with feeling!

I’m a [insert your job title]. 

Officially, my job is to [insert your clear-cut job description, e.g., seek out publicity opportunities for my company / write grant proposals / coordinate our annual healthcare conference for 5,000 people].  

But really? I [insert your emotional job description, e.g., make A-list celebrities fall in love with our mission / help create miracles for underprivileged kids who still believe in magic / create the party of the year, where hardworking nurses get to kick up their heels and go buck-wild!]. 

To sum it all up: The key to writing a job description that people will actually read, listen to, and remember is using phrases like:

“But really…”

“Which really means…”

“Basically? It’s all about…”

“Which is a fancy way of saying…”

to get straight to the emotional core of what you do, and why.

The people you’re connecting with will probably bounce back with a few questions. They may need a bit of clarification. They might request a simple run-down of your skills and credentials.

But one thing’s for sure: You’ll spark a new feeling. And you won’t be forgotten."

Read more here.

September 13, 2014-

The Saint Hubert Job and Networking Ministry free, non-denominational job and networking seminars that are open to the public. Click here for information about upcoming workshops, including resume reviews and job search strategies.

September 11, 2014-

The Morningstar Investment Research Center continues their 2014  Financial Literacy Series on Thursday, September 25.  Adam Zoll, assistant editor of Morningstar.com, will discuss ways to save for college and the different investment options.  

To register and attend this virtual event, click on the date below:

Thursday, September 25 at 5:00 pm

Missed an installment of the Morningstar Financial Literacy Series? Watch archived clips here:

Retirement Portfolios and Dividend Paying Stocks

September 5, 2014-

Donna Sawicki, graphic designer and owner of Simply Donna, specializes in personal branding, as well as invitations and business cards that are unforgettable. She gives a little insight into how she decided to start Simply Donna and what she is most passionate about.

Donna will share her expertise in designing a business card that’s both professional and memorable on Monday, September 8th at the Barrington Area Library. Registration is available here.  

How did you decide to start Simply Donna?

The idea to open my own business began when my husband and I decided to start a family. I knew that ideally I wanted to have my own business so that I could have the freedom to make my own schedule and be involved in my children's lives.

What is the most memorable experience that you have had in your personal branding and business endeavors?

My most memorable experience was actually just one year ago at a networking meeting! A very reputable marketing specialist was the scheduled speaker and was critiquing business cards. I went to the meeting knowing that I would be in the "hot seat"  because not only had I brought my own business card, but I had designed some of the other attendees' cards as well. Thankfully, she had great things to say about my designs and my work. She took the time at the end of the event to wish me luck in my new business- that really helped me kick any self-doubt out of the way and go forward in my business and design endeavors.

What are you passionate about?

My passion is really simple: I like to create beautiful things that help people feel confident with themselves and their brand. I like to encourage others and just make them happy. That's what makes my heart smile.

September 4, 2014-

The Small Business Development Center at Harper College is offering workshops in September: QuickBooks for Entrepreneurs and Marketing Boot Camp. QuickBooks for Entrepreneurs is an all-day session on Thursday, September 18th. Click here for more information on this class.  Marketing Boot Camp is a three-session series that begins on September 16th. Learn more information about this workshop here.

August 27, 2014-

Meet Thomas Balsamo: photographer, film producer, author, philanthropist, and longtime Barrington resident. Owner of Portraits by Thomas, Mr. Balsamo shares his story of how he became a photographer and the many projects that he has been involved in.