Meeting Minutes for July

30 and Driven Meeting Notes 7/28/10

Meeting Attendees: Allison (Allison Carenza Photography), Karren (Write Brained Learning), Valerie (Hippie Chow), Kim (Girly Girl Vintage Purses), Amy (Blue Springs Art Council), Valerie (Valerie Preston Jewelry).

There is a networking group at Mimi’s café if anyone is interested. You can contact Allison about it.

Event: Independence Events center is having an art show. It looks like it’s happening in March of next year? http://independenceeventscenter.com/events-tickets/events-list.html

Next meeting: We will be discussing our target markets and how to reach them.


Successes and Goals

I) Valerie-Hippie Chow
A) Success-Dean and Deluca will be carrying Hippie Chow in their stores starting September 1st.
B) Goal-Get everything delivered and happening for Dean and Deluca by September 1st.
II) Kim-Girly Girl Vintage Purses
A) Success and Goal-Kim wants to have a haunted house at the White Oak Plaza. Saint Robert’s church is going to set it up. She is working on contacts for that right now. Kim tries to do a once a month event with purses.
III) Amy-Blue Springs Art Council
A) Success-Amy is starting a non-profit business for art, called the Blue Springs Art Council. She got her official corporation status.
B) Goal-Amy needs to get her non-profit status. She is going to start the council before that though so it will be easier to get grants and funding once the non-profit status comes in.
IV) Erin-Caring Touch Massage LLC
A) Success-Mary came in and started working. She is working out well.
B) Goal-She is working to save money to get a bigger space so she can bring more therapists into the business.
V) Allison-Allison Carenza Photography
A) Success-Allison Established a fan base on facebook, and she has been very successful at establishing an online persona.
B) Goal-She wants to get her workshop ready and be booked through August.
VI) Valerie-Valerie Preston Jewelry
A) Successes-Valerie quit her job to pursue jewelry full time. She sent a beautiful engagement ring to her cousin.
B) Goal-She is going to work on getting more customers and getting her jewelry into shops.
VII) Karren-Write Brained Learning
A) Success-Karren is already booked through December. She is also presenting at the KRA conference.
B) Goal-Karren wants to get in on the Kauffman foundation’s small business study. They will give 6 months of free intense marketing and mentoring for businesses related to education. It’s 6 months of full-time commitment, but she thinks it would be worth it. Karren also wants to work towards reaching out beyond the school district she used to work with, offering her programs to other districts.



Other Meeting Topics

I) Everyone shared their promotional calendars and promotional ideas.
II) Social Networking
A) We talked more about how to establish an online persona that will get you fans.
B) Valerie-Hippie Chow-said she went to a social media class and they said the best way to develop a social media strategy is to pick out 4 or 5 themes that are consistent with your business image and blog/write about those themes.
C) Allison-Allison Carenza Photography-suggested to genuinely be yourself and let your personality show through your writing.
D) Karren said a good tactic is to post a competition where the first 3 people that respond get something. Creating a sense of urgency on your page and in your selling is good.
III) Advertising ideas for our newest member, Valerie.
A) 435 South Magazine. Uptown Boutique in Independence, MO. Halls does trunk sales, you may look into that. Market Boutique in Prairie Village.