Running a Business from Home? Why Not Do Some Networking in the Neighborhood.
The wild success of Bloomingdale Aging in Place is probably due to its great "bones." It took root quickly in this fertile ground because the block associations have made it their business to connect neighbors over the years. So the new tri-organizational initiative, TriBloomingdale, is an informal attempt to bring members of these three community organizations together in mutually beneficial ways -- something, by the way, that's been going on for some time already. But now it has a couple of concrete offerings, such as the Sunday morning TriBloomingdale Brisk Walking Group, led by Teresa Elwert. The second is a new networking group for neighbors who work from home: Bloomingdale Networking in the Neighborhood (NITN).
Our neighborhood is remarkably vibrant by day owing to the large number of folks who work from home or who have flexible schedules. Entrepreneurs, sole proprietors, artists, consultants, you name it. And it seems that somehow connecting this corps of neighbors to share resources and best practices is a brilliant idea: why go to the trouble of schlepping to midtown to network and glean tips when you can do it one or two blocks from home? The potential for such a group is tremendous.
So we're launching NITN to see where this idea might lead. Neighbor Harriet Hoffman, an entrepreneur with two businesses that she runs from home, and a skilled, experienced networker, will facilitate the first event. She will schedule the first networking event in the second half of January. If you would like to receive details about that event, please email: [email protected]. Make sure to include your first and last names, type of business, email and phone number. Also, if you think you could assist with organizing this sort of NITN meet up on a regular basis, please include that, too.
You just never know where your next best opportunity lies in wait. So sign up, and come out to tell your tales of sole proprietorship, of building your website, hiring your graphic designer or lawyer, navigating your tax forms, and developing your business. You don't even need your Metrocard for this one. Because NITN means networking right here. Hyper locally.
Facebook and Linked In: eat your hearts out!
By Caitlin Hawke