City of Subiaco’s Post

As a first time “local” business owner with A Place At Home - North Austin Texas, I have become quite involved with the local Round Rock Chamber. Last night we had a social event - Business After Hours at the Advanced Pain Care home office. Shout out to Dr Malone and Stacey Pumo Vela and team for hosting us. Why do I invest my time in the Chamber? It's simple. It's the people, the conversations, and the returns. First, the people. The Round Rock Chamber has a passionate staff dedicated to supporting local businesses. The folks who attend these events are the movers, shakers, and connectors in the community. Second, the conversations. Last night, I met so many new people and caught up with friends I’ve made through the Chamber. Hearing the stories of business owners and executives who are navigating the same challenges as you is empowering. Sharing advice about what’s working and what isn’t is invaluable. Finally, you get out what you put in. The people involved in the Chamber are well-connected. One lesson I always share with my kids is that your network is your net worth. Meet people, connect, and find ways to serve them. Give of yourself, and it will come back tenfold in the long run. If you have a local business and aren’t part of your Chamber of Commerce, why not? If you’re actively involved, what do you enjoy most about being part of a Chamber?

Really enjoyed the turn out last week! I'll be back at SK Coffee in St Paul tomorrow at 9am ready to talk shop. As for myself, i'm in the marketing space, so that's what I can talk to from experience. Especially for DTC brands and retail. So if you have a product you're bringing to market, or have a retail location, or plan to open one, come on down. But that's just me. Growers that came last week too. There's a lot of business talk there. Small scale craft? Large cultivation? To each their own and I believe there's going to be a market for both. Come and talk about it! You'll be surprised what you'll learn from sharing experiences. I also know finance professionals that plan to come. Also insurance, real estate, nurses, and others. This is your time to connect and talk cannabusiness, without it feeling like table vendors staring you down offering free pens and lighters. Sure, bring business cards. This is for networking. But this isn't a pitch fest. This is for connecting with the community. My personal opinion? The best networking comes from building real relationships, not selling.

THE ART OF THE FOLLOW UP 🧐 I haven’t been good with following up after networking events but David Segovia Owner of 7LUXX event services did it right. He reached out and we met for a late business lunch at Neir’s Tavern. We met at last week’s Queens Chamber of Commerce and Neir's Tavern Inc. Event “NETWORKING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD” and so many people wanted to do it again. Discussed the Neir’s Tavern Road To 200 initiative with David and how it can tie into the 195th Anniversary on October 5th block party to potentially contribute to our Road To 200 Fund. We came up with a genius follow up idea to do after the 195th anniversary is over. 🤓 He’s also coming back Wednesday night with business friends for happy hour. MY TAKEWAYS 1-Send over a bunch of times you’re available or a calendar link showing your availability so the other party can choose. 2-set the main focus of the meeting. Remember business is also personal so focus on getting to know each other. Eat, drink (doesn’t have to be alcohol) and Relax 3-if a follow is necessary set the date if not immediately clear then the universe has a weird way of bringing people together again. No need to force anything. Laugh. Share ideas 💡

It has been a big 12 months, and we could not have been more privileged to host so many of you! Backing events from Venues Ōtautahi means backing local farmers, growers and businesses so thank you for getting out and embracing our events. • 642,775 guests through the venues, 42% ahead of our target of 450,000. • 386 events across the venue portfolio, 14 more than the budgeted total of 372. • $28.1M of estimated economic benefit to the region from events held across the portfolio of venues • 82% of food purchases from Canterbury representing a direct contribution of more than $1.7m to local suppliers and producers in the Canterbury region. • 70% of suppliers and contractors from Canterbury delivering a direct contribution of over $11.34m. • $41m of direct and indirect contribution to Canterbury. • 57 community events assisted with discounts equating to more than $184,000. • 81.4 net promoter score, 36.4 points ahead of the target of 45. • 57.6 guest net promoter score, 12.6 points ahead of the target of 45. • 11% reduction in carbon emissions (excluding water and refrigerants). Check out more about the numbers from the 2023/24 financial year at https://lnkd.in/gNZYdwHv

The event industry has been on my mind and heart heavy lately. I am so passionate about this space because I look at it as ministry. when you host an event you are literally leading God's people and it infuriates me when his people aren't handled with care. We need more leaders who approach event hosting as ministry, understanding the power they hold to touch hearts and change lives. Transformation in events doesn’t happen by chance. It’s strategic, intentional, and rooted in a deep respect for those attending. For every event that truly serves its audience, countless others lack that intentionality. I’m here to shift that narrative and help build experiences that honor and elevate. This is why I started ElluminateHER—to offer resources and strategies that make transformation not just possible, but guaranteed. The time to plan next year’s events is now. Through intimate events you can give your audience what most are craving in this season-authenticity, vulnerability, and community. Check out my recent blog entry on the benefits of intimate experiences and how you can operate in purpose and make a profit.

Congratulations your business has won! How did reading the headline make you feel? Is that something you have experienced with your small business? Has your small business won an award? How did that feel? OxLEP Business is delivering the latest amazing opportunity for your small business to win an award. So why should you enter your business for these awards? There are lots of great reasons for Oxfordshire small businesses to enter, but here are three key ones we think you should consider: -Free marketing - OxLEP is continually engaging with hundreds of businesses, PLCs and public sector organisations. Just entering these awards will raise your business profile with them. -Increased credibility - You can start talking about your business's values and results, and imagine the stories you can tell if you are a finalist or winner! -Motivation - for you and your employees if you have them. Focus on what is great about your business and go for it! I know lots of award winning businesses in Oxfordshire. If you see this and you are one of them... Why did you enter? What benefits did you get from entering? What benefits did you get from winning? Learn more about the awards here: https://lnkd.in/eBBszhKY Darren Evans Peter Mols Melanie Tattersall MSc

INDUSTRY NETWORKING: People Who Changed My Life Who have you met that changed your life, your career, even your very being? I met my list at AAPN events. For example: I met Fernando Capellan, Founder and President of Grupo M in the D.R., at a Miami meeting of a Caribbean organization. He started Grupo M by himself in 1986, in Santiago, with 185 employees. THAT was a modest start to what he is today. 2008 was a pivotal year in my relationship with Fernando. That was my first trip to CODEVI, an industrial park he built just across the border into Haiti. In 2008 it employed 3,000. Today it is nearly 20,000. Also in 2008, Fernando engaged a team of us to spend two weeks analyzing the opportunity for investment in more apparel and textile production there. This culminated in our presenting directly to the President of the D.R. In 2010, Fernando and his son Anibal accompanied Sue Strickland, Juan Zighelboim, David Ha and I to Sri Lanka for this first industry conference. We had a fabulous experience in every way. Fernando had instant chemistry with industry leaders there, so much so that they invested in CODEVI.    We all took a side trip into the mountains to an Elephant Orphanage. Man, it was so hot that even Fernando said this is HOT. I was videoing a baby elephant as out walked by. It reached its trunk for my iPhone. Our guide said well, maybe he thinks it is an apple!   I was invited back to visit Fernando in 2017. His long time co-executive Joseph Bloomberg and one of his tenants at CODEVI, Carlos Arias, then of Winds Group, tasked me to write a paper about CODEVI. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/e7vwbBDC.   In late 2023 we took a large delegation to visit CODEVI, hosted by Joseph Bloomberg and Fernando's son Anibal who has also joined Lynsey Jones’ Advisory Board. This trip included a half-day Regional Conference with a packed topical agenda. Everything was totally “confirmada.”   THE CHANGE? Again, like so many of our members, Fernando is one of those one-in-a-million people. He got it right from the start, planned his work and worked his plan. He takes care of his family, his people and us at the AAPN. And he by far changed the lives of thousands of Haitians beyond their wildest dreams. What an experience it has been knowing Fernando and watching his achievements. #ProAmericas #AmericasTextiles #WesternHemisphere #Fibers #Yarns #Fabrics #SewnProducts #Apparel #Fashion #Knitting #Weaving #Sustainability #ApparelIQ #SupplyChain #Reshoring #Nearshoring #WesternHemisphere #CAFTADR #USMCA

Really looking forward to this event. "If you could roll back 5 years what would you differently "? "What do you do to take of yourself"? "How do you keep on top of the ever changing costs"? Just a couple of the questions I will be asking .Two fabulous entrepreneurs. . You the audience will also get a chance to ask questions. Take the time now book! A few hours of investment in yourself that could really help you in the last quarter.. Look forward to seeing you.#entrepreneurship #NWED #business #womeninbusiness

🌟 Last week, we organized a SWAI community event, and as a first-time organizer, I've learned a few key lessons. Here are some takeaways for anyone looking to grow their community: 1️⃣ Start Planning Early: Begin at least 2 months in advance to secure your venue and partnerships. We started planning only 6 weeks before, and having a bit more time would have been helpful. 2️⃣ Overbook Your Event: Expect only about 50% of your RSVPs to show up. We were fortunate to have 40+ attendees out of 70 sign ups, but in hindsight, we would invite even more people to reach a higher number. 3️⃣ Always Have a Backup Plan: Both our videographer and photographer canceled last minute, so we had to jump in and take over. Luckily, our guests also created a ton of content! 😍 Overall, this event made me realize how important it is to connect with your customers / community in real life and form personal connections. I highly recommend organizing events to any business owner looking to strengthen their brand. #eventplanning #communityevent #entrepreneurship #SWAI #branding #businessgrowth #networking Claudia Raupach

An opportunity not to be missed… Expect there’ll be a great deal of anger expressed and rightly so. A political party elected on a pledge that ‘growth is the way to pay for better public services’, expect a rebuke from businesses who question ‘how’ after a Budget of crippling proportions generally and very specifically on certain sectors (charities being one of them). The opportunity to launch a ‘housing first’ agenda was completely missed. Despite announcements of pledges, notably the £3bn for SME loan guarantees, it was scant on any detail and therefore questionable in delivery (we’ve seen it all before and it never arrived in our direction). The county continues to be economically and socially deprived by nutrient neutrality, notably in Carlisle, and its political leadership remains silent. Despite nutrient neutrality not being housebuilding issue, we have a political leadership afraid to call it out and seemingly doing nothing to solve it. Is our elected MP scared for the future of local business? Is there a fear of the declining number of businesses in the county, and what actions are being called for? The ageing population, what’s on the agenda to arrest and change this? The lack of housing supply in the years to come, is it acknowledged and what’s being done to immediately bring a change? The social impacts of poor housing, does it keep you awake at night? As a patron of Carlisle Youth Zone, it would be remiss not to mention the impacts on children and young adults in the city of the specific issues mentioned. I’m sure it will all be asked… To attend, see below 👇🏻 Thank you to CYZ for organising another excellent breakfast discussion. #labour #government #networking #cumbria #nutrientneutrality #housing #business #economicgrowth #economy #enterprise #sme