it’s almost that time! the week after next ac and i fly to chicago for the biz ladies meetup at jayson home and garden (nov 15th, 7-9 pm). if you haven’t rsvp’d or would like to come, please shoot me a line right here to attend. rsvp’s aren’t required but will help give me a good idea of how many people to plan for. also, if possible, please bring a snack or drink with you (enough to feed 5-10 people)- the meetups are all about potluck goodness. and, to sweeten the pot, our hosts- jayson home and garden- have offered up a whopper of a door prize:

one lucky biz lady attendee will win a $500 gift certificate (good in-store or online) to jayson home and garden. yup, $500! i’ve picked some of the pieces that i’d snag if i won above (even though i’m not eligible. argh.) we’ll have a bowl to collect everyone’s business cards (or your name on a piece of paper) as they come in and before the last group rotation of the evening we’ll announce the winner. so come early and bring a snack, it’s going to be a fun night!’

also, the financial advisor due to speak with us had to cancel at the last minute. if anyone knows of a financial advisor in the chicago area that would be available to help us i’d really appreciate any tips! i have calls and emails into the small biz association but no word yet…

we’ll be covering: marketing/pr for the independent designer, retailing/wholesaling, financial concerns for small biz and a ‘designer success story’ from stephanie agnes and hoss designed to help with more personal, specific questions from someone who’s taken her idea from concept to reality. see you on the 15th!