Gail's Weekly Chamber UPDATE

Can you donate a gift certificate for the golf outing? At dinner, we do a raffle so we need raffle prizes for it. Don’t forget to sign up! It’s on Monday, September 12, at Evanston Golf Club in Skokie (a private club). Even if you don’t golf, there’s tennis and swimming. Also, if you want to just come for the networking dinner and raffle – there will be more than 100 people in attendance at the dinner!


The Retail Committee of the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce presents First Fridays Cruisin’ Park Ridge Sept. 2.

This event features classic cars on display around town. Vehicles will be at Hodges Park on Butler and Courtland, Main Street and the Park Ridge Public Library. Some of the classic cars include a 1920s Cadillac, 1960s Mustang and Charger, and a 1950s MG. There will also be live music at all three car display locations. A trolley will be available to take residents around town to see the cars and take advantage of all the specials offered by Park Ridge merchants. The trolley will run between South Park and Uptown so residents can park at either location. Several merchants are hosting ladies’ night events inside their shops, including special events and sales, to entertain the women while the men check out the cars.

Today is the deadline to be in the booklet so please register your business on the First Fridays website www.firstfridayspr.com and spell out what you’re doing for Cruisin’ Park Ridge! Put down your promotions, sales, and specials that you want included in the booklet.

You can bring a table to Hodges Park and hand out information but if you sell anything or provide food, then you need to complete the food and beverage forms for the City and provide a Certificate of Insurance for the Park District. If you’re giving away non-food items and brochures, then you can just bring your table and set up!

The Chamber’s Business After Hours was hosted last Thursday by E.J. Coyne & Company, Inc at 778 Busse Highway and had All on the Road Catering provide the fabulous appetizers! There must have been about 45 people in attendance and there was a lot of networking, eating and drinking going on! Thanks, Ed, Matt and the Donovans (Dave and Pete) and all the staff for hosting. We’ll post pictures shortly.


Women in Business Monthly Networking Breakfast was held on Friday here at 720 Garden Street and Deputy City Manager, Juliana Maller, informed the 35 attendees about what’s happening in Park Ridge. She told us about new businesses coming to town, streetscaping updates, and economic development.

Eggsperience provided a huge breakfast that was delicious – eggs, bacon, wraps, breakfast paninis, fresh fruit, yogurt parfaits, orange juice and coffee.

All that for just $10 per person! And every person gets the opportunity to introduce herself to the crowd as we go around the room. It’s interesting to hear what each person does and we learn a little more every time we come together.

Marko Ratic, Express Auto, never misses a Women in Business event! He says, “I like women and women drive cars!” and he gets all their business! You’ve got to show up to go up!

Last Saturday was the Harry O’Brien Community Run/Walk to benefit the Park Ridge Community Fund. It was such a beautiful day that we had a lot of walk ups! Senator Kotowski, Chief Kaminski, and Dr. Bender all participated (as did my family!). And the O’Brien clan was out in full force too! We came pretty close to our goal of 200 – next year we want 400!

This benefits the Park Ridge Community Fund which benefits the whole community!

Join us Thursday for our Monthly EKG Meeting Thursday Sept. 1st, 10:00-11:30am
350 S. Northwest Hwy Suite 300

Bring your great conversation to the strategy table as we connect, communicate and learn from each other more about what we as Entrepreneurs might be concerned about with changing seasons. What occurs during a quarterly or seasonal shift? What happens to your clients and what happens to you? Bring your business cards and pass them out before we get started. Share your elevator speech to convince us why we want to know you, recommend you or partner with you in business?

Thank you, Lynda Tourloukis, You Can Say…Yes! Motivational Guidance Services, for facilitating this group!
New group for retailers! Meets on the last Wednesday of each month starting September 28 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Park Ridge Nonprofit Center, 720 Garden Street. Sheila Duda, TeaLula, chair of the Retail Committee will facilitate this new group. The first topic to be discussed will be ‘Facebook for Business’ so bring all your questions and get them answered! Mark Maloney, Findzall, and Ben Wilson, Falcor Group, will answer your questions!

If you have a shop/store in Park Ridge then don’t miss out on the Chamber’s Retail Roundtable! It’s a new group formed to allow retailers the opportunity to discuss issues of interest specifically to them.

Email info@ParkRidgeChamber.org to rsvp. There is no fee for the Retail Roundtable.

Bring your neighboring retailers too – we hope to get new members for the Chamber. Prospective members can attend 3 meetings and then we ask that they join the Chamber.
There are about a dozen chambers participating in the Multi Chamber Expo & Taste on Tuesday, October 18. Each Chamber is allocated 7 slots for exhibitors. Right now I have 6 spots open but there are other Chamber that have waiting lists so they’re eyeing our spots. If you want to exhibit, let me know asap.

Restaurants pay $50 to exhibit. Everyone else pays $200 til Sept 20 and $250 after that.

The Expo is free to attend with a business card and we usually get hundreds coming through.

Empowering a healthier community:

The Health Care Forum is offering FREE community events and education programs for the Park Ridge, Des Plaines, Rosemont, Niles, Morton Grove, Norridge, Harwood Heights, Edison Park and Norwood Park. The benefit of sponsorship support enables the Health Care Forum to reach a marketing area of more than 210,000 residents.

Programs held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Park Ridge Senior Center on the third Thursday of the month. Call the Chamber to rsvp:

September 15: Controlling your stress at any age
October 20: Food, Mood, Sleep!
November 17: Diabetes, Dilemma, and Discussion

Sponsors for the September 15 program include Quaid Acupuncture, Dr. Michael Athans, ComforCare, Terri Schmidt, Higher Level Wellness, and A-Abiding Care so far.

Thank you to Susan Scatchell, A-Abiding Care, for facilitating this group!

Networking 4 Newbies Workshop, 9/16/11 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Presented by: Victoria Cook, The Guilt-Free Coach

Description:
R U A "NETWORKING NEWBIE"?
You are a "networking newbie" if you are:
=> NEW to networking, and want to figure out how to use networking to build your business, connect with potential strategic partners, and expand your contacts base.
=> NEW in town, and want to make connections with other local business owners in a safe, low-key environment.
= > NEW in business, and want to learn how to get connected to the local small business community through personal networking.
Networking 4 Newbies helps networking newbies get comfortable with the basics of networking, including introductions, connecting one-on-one, and more in a safe, facilitated environment that will get you into the swing of networking easily.
Each meeting begins with self-introductions (get your free elevator speech tool and networking introduction worksheet at http://www.theguiltfreecoach.com/networking4newbies), followed by a networking activity/game designed to increase interaction and participant comfort levels, and a guest speaker from networking organization to answer questions. The meeting concludes with a brief check out.
Here are the top five reasons to attend:
1. This event is strictly for networking newbies so everyone is just as new to networking as you are
2. Convenient mid-morning time doesn't conflict with most other meetings
3. Great place to practice your elevator speech and learn how to introduce yourself in a group
4. Facilitated networking games and activities to make first-time networking comfortable
5. You'll learn about other networking groups and resources to help build your business
More info at www.theguiltfreecoach.com/networking4newbies/ or www.meetup.com/Networking4Newbies
The Park Ridge Garden Club is awarding 10 Beautification Awards at the September 19 City Council meeting. Because the City cut the $1,000 budget to hand out $100 checks to each of the 10 awardees, last year the Chamber membership stepped up and donated gift certificates totaling over $300 each ($3,000 total). If you can do it again, please drop off 10 of whatever you want to donate and we’ll put it all together in ten large envelopes for the winners.

August 31, Wednesday, 8:30 to 9:30 am First Fridays Planning meeting at TeaLula, 11 S. Fairview

August 31, Wednesday, 3:00 to 4:00, Installation Dinner Committee Meeting, 720 Garden

September 1, Thursday, 10am-11:30am (EKG) Entrepreneurial Knowledge Group Monthly Meeting A group for new and emerging entrepreneurs

September 2, Friday, 9:00am-10:30pm Membership Committee Meeting

September 2, Friday, First Fridays Park Ridge (open til 8pm or later) Cruisin’ Park Ridge

September 8, Thursday, 8:45am-10:15am Tech Forum

September 9, Friday, 8:45am-9:45am PREN 1: Park Ridge Executive Network

September 9, Friday, 9:00am-10:30am Communications Meeting

September 12, Monday 10:45am-7:30pm Annual Chamber Golf Outing with Skokie Chamber Evanston Golf Club, 4401 Dempster Street. Call the Chamber today to register for golfing and sponsorships!

September 16, Friday 9:30-11:30 a.m. Victoria Cook, life coach, seminar on Networking: R U A "NETWORKING NEWBIE"? with PREN 3

September 21, Wednesday 8:00am-9:30am Retail Committee Meeting at TeaLula

September 21, 11:30am-1:30pm Monthly Networking Luncheon at the Park Ridge Country Club, 636 N. Prospect Avenue ($25 members and $30 at door and for prospective members)

September 22, Thursday 7:30am-9:30am Multi Chamber Networking Event Breakfast in Skokie at the Holiday Inn North Shore, 5300 W. Touhy Ave


September 22, Thursday Business After Hours 5:00pm-7:00pm at Rosewood Restaurant, 9421 W. Higgins, Rosemont – Free benefit with your Chamber Membership! Bring your business cards for some serious networking and enjoy food and beverages.

September 23, Friday 8:30am-10:00am Women in Business Monthly Networking Breakfast 720 Garden St, Andrea Herran of Focus HR will speak about hiring the right people the first time. ($10 members and $15 at door and for prospective members)

September 27, Tuesday 9:00am-10:00am PREN 2: Park Ridge Executive Network

September 28, Wednesday 9:00am-10:30am Health Care Forum

SAVE THE DATES!

October 9, Million Dollar Quartet at Apollo Theatre
October 15, Electronics Recycling Day at Public Works Service Center
October 22, Northwestern Homecoming Game
November 25, Friday, Winterfest
December 18, Sunday Supper at St Paul of the Cross sponsored by the Chamber

Gail Haller
Executive Director
Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce
720 Garden Street
Park Ridge, IL 60068

phone: 847.825.3121
fax: 847.825.3122
facebook.com/ShopParkRidgeIL
www.parkridgechamber.org

Thank you to our Platinum members
1 All on the Road Catering & Bakery: 847.518.8958
2 ATI Physical Therapy: 847.292.0151
3 AthletiCo Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy: 847.292.4710
4 Blufish Sushi Bistro: 847.720.4479
5 Cardinal Fitness of Park Ridge: 847.318.7550
6 Comfort Inn O'Hare/Des Plaines: 847.635.1300
7 D'Agostino's Pizza & Pub: 847.518.8700
8 E.J. Coyne & Company Inc: 847.692.9077
9 Express Auto Center: 847.813.9469
10 Home Comfort Heating & Cooling: 847.824.4336
11 Houlihan's Restaurant: 847.692.6205
12 Jason's Deli: 847.823.0210
13 K.G.M. Plumbing, Inc.: 847.583.8988
14 LIN-MAR Motors: 847.965.4200
15 North South Masonry & Tuckpointing: 847.384.0917
16 Paul Davis Emergency Services: 847-692-5000
17 Periodontics of Niles: 847.685.6686
18 Pickwick Theatre: 847.825.5800
19 Responsive Management Solutions: 847.804.8800
20 Resurrection Health Care: 847.813.3210
21 Ross E. Rubino, D.D.S.P.C. & Associates: 847.825.1002
22 Transition Brokers RE: 312.399.2490
23 Unbound Technology: 847.235.4994
24 Y-Tech Heating & Cooling: 847.696.0477
25 Why Not Complete Home Improvement: 847-297-0101
26 You can be here!
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