Chicago artist Daniel Nolan is building a tower from business cards that is designed to be monument and creative expression of his experience with corporate culture. You can participate by sending your business card. Watch video for details of how to be included.

This week the Chicago Reader offered a feature story on the plight of the Heartland Café. It seems that the Rogers Park institution is having significant cash problems due in part to the economy and access to reasonable loan terms. Not to mention that perhaps many of us have taken it for granted, assuming it would always be there. It may be that the management team is not the most sophisticated as owner Michael James eludes to in the article, but I come to praise Caesar and avoid having him buried.

 I find it interesting that some businesses, perhaps particularly restaurants and cafes take on a persona of their own and seem to exist beyond the scope of their owners whose role becomes more that of caretaker. These rare institutions (for lack of a better term) are housed within a building but exist also as a community. Patrons contribute to the ambience and become players in the theater of life upon the stage that the institution provides. In fact Michael James says in the Reader article that the Heartland functions as a kind of community center. To say that the Heartland is a restaurant is to reduce it to the simplest terms. The Heartland is a place but it is also a state of being that most people recognize even on their first visit. It is performance art with a decades long run.

For some of us who have been visiting the Heartland, well, since its inception, it is our first apartment, it is our old friends, it is in my case my first business that was just down the street on Glenwood, it is our youth, it is our optimism, it is our hope for the future. I find comfort knowing that the Heartland is there because after about 30 years it is still serving up strong brew to young minds. Politics aside I am referring to a place that encourages artistic thought and diverse community.

My love and admiration for the Heartland is not purely nostalgic, though in a rapidly changing world and in a city with a strong tradition for tearing down the old to make way for the new, the Heartland is a touchstone for many who have wandered in and found a welcoming sense of place that is closer to a public park then it is to a mere restaurant. Young people and those with an artistic or political mission still seem attracted to this spot on the planet. Yes I find comfort in the fact that it is one of only a handful of places in the city that looks pretty much as I remember from my youth. Though fashions have changed the people look ageless and eerily familiar.

Here are some ideas, Read the Reader article to understand the problems or visit heartlandcafe.com. Owner Michael James is open to expert advice if you have it to offer. He suggests that access to favorable long term financing would help, if you have the proper connections. If you are in Chicago just go have lunch or dinner sometime in the next 14 days. Cash flow always helps. If you have friends in Chicago encourage them to do the same. Imagine if a thousand returning patrons showed up in the next month and spent $15 or $20.  Retweet this article or spread the word in your own way.

A few years back when I met a friend from High School and I told him I lived in Roger Park he said, “Oh! That’s where old hippies go to die.” Oddly I took that as a compliment. Don’t let this old hippie die. Do what you can to help the Heartland.

I like to blog when I can about interesting business cards I see and interesting people I meet.  A few weeks ago my wife and I enjoyed an very nice gallery event at the art gallery of Nancie King Mertz  at 2036 N. Clark Street in Chicago. While there I picked up a few business cards of Nancie and her husband Ron. What I love is that they feature examples of Nancie’s beautiful artwork on one side of the card and utilize the back side of the card to share a good amount of information about her work and their gallery and frame service Art De Triumph.

For those of you who have read through my blog or my book “Turn Your Business Card Into Business” you know that I favor cards that use the space available as a kind of advertisement. I believe in the case of most entrpreneurs that you should consider your business card no different then you would a small magazine ad.  Additonally when your business involves a product or when your message can benefit from a graphic representation of what you do, you should include a photo or high quality graphic.

In the case of Nancie and Ron’s card the beautiful examples of her work depicting iconic Chicago scenes is a perfect souvenir of my visit to their gallery and perfect reminder of her work and what they offer.  So enjoy the cards but more importantly if you’re in the area stop by and see the work in person. According to the business card they open seven days a week. Now that’s handy information!

Last night I attended a meeting of Local First Chicago (LFC) hosted by Eclecticity books, gifts and much more in Lincoln Square.  LFC is a NFP organized to encourage Chicago business to think about using local Chicago vendors first. An idea that is advantageous to any community beit geographic, cultural or virtual. To build a stronger community support the people within that community.

The presentation was given by a panel of small business lending experts: Brett Simmons of Accion Chicago, providers of micro loans between $200.00 and $25,000.00; Jon Levey of the newly founded Green Choice Bank with a mission to support local Chicago area businesses with a nod toward those who have an ecological or environmental sustainability component; and Andrew Fogaty of the Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago ( ICNC) providing an assortment of economic support programs including access to grant money, training and meaningful business advice and assistance. I get the idea that anyone beginning a micro-enterprise in Chicago’s near westside should make their first stop ICNC.

Interesting contacts who qualify as New People who have helped to move me toward my goal of meeting 100 new people in 50 days include the following folks. Andrew Fogaty mentioned above with whom I had a very pleasant conversation. Andrew strikes me as anxious to help, and the kind of guy you want to talk with if you have business start-up or growth questions or want help accessing small business resources in Chicago.  Brett Simmons  is equally helpful in his realm of micro-loans. I learned from Brett to keep in mind that the loan process takes time maybe 4-6 weeks and there is an expectation that you have sufficient collateral to fund your loan request. They are however creative in this area but do not expect money on your good idea only. You do not have to have a good credit background but you do need to show sustainable cash flow and a sound business model. 

Ryan Goulding is an area CPA looking to work with small businesses. Matthew Balson, attorney for small businesses who need help with contracts,trademarks,financing agreements or corporate filings. His father Ronald Balson is the author of a recently published WWII era historical novel, “Once We Were Brothers.”; and Reed Adler of ReedNWrite.com providing graphic design and web design. A special shoutout to Identity Theft Protection Provider Chris West. As important as getting money and credit, is protecting what you have. And Derek Usman small business litigator both of whom were also in attendance. Perhaps you might meet one or more of these folks at next month’s Business Card to Business Meetup.

Day 31 with 55 people met.

I just returned from the Confectionery Show at McCormick Place in Chicago. Thanks to a gracious invitation from Sam Macdonald of North American Sales Solutions (NASS). Sam is also the leader of and can be found at  The Candy & Snack Supergroup which is purported to be the largest confectionery and snacks social media group on the Internet. Look for it at LinkedIn. Though hailing from Vancouver, Sam and I connected through LinkedIn Chicago where he appeared to promote his Confectionery get together. He noticed a blurb about my challenge to meet 100 people in 50 days and suggested I come by his hospitality room at McCormick Place. Now that’s a good example of online networking leading to a  face-to-face networking opportunity. It just goes to show what I have been saying, which is that online social media does not preclude F2F networking, it compliments it. In this case it took a guy in town from Vancouver to bring 10 of us Chicago area business people together at the same table. Thanks Sam!

When you are out aggressively networking as I am doing during this challenge you might encounter a situation similar to one I encountered today, networking at an event that is part of a trade show promoting an industry in which I am an outsider. Now since I produce web videos I can service a wide variety of industries including confectionery but at a trade show people do not necessarily have online marketing foremost on their minds. They also may not be the primary decision makers for my service. But hey! Nine more people know who I am and have my business card in case something comes up and they see me as their solution provider. Do your best to network at events that appear to be a good fit for you but also do not be afraid to spread your wings, you never know what you might fly in to. I know this was a stretch but I appreciated Sam’s out-of-the-box thinking in inviting me and I feel he and I made a good connection, worthy of keeping him in my LinkedIn list of contacts. I encounter people in all industries and in fact about 10 years ago worked with a small candy company struggling to find shelf space. I wish I had a Sam Macdonlad in my Rolodex back then.

Some of the folks I met today include Seth Bender of Evanston based Savor the Food Agency. Providing design services to businesses in the food industry. Tracy Nappier, President of adcomm group providing B2B advertsing placement exclusively for food companies. Bruce Brandel of The Packaging Team offering contract packaging solutions for a variety of industries and John Wendling of  Mid-America Display, producers of corregated displays, packaging and boxes.

Since Sam was the only one I feel I made a meaningful business connection with I am only counting ONE New Person Met for this event. But I did learn that it may be to my advantage to promote Low Fat, Sugar Free, Gluten Free, Organic Video to my list of services offered to be more attractive to the confectionery industry and their the consumers.

Tonight was another informative meeting of the Chicagoland Webmasters. The topic was Shopping Carts skillfully led by Patrick Elward the group’s fearless and knowledgeable leader. Focus was on Zen Cart as a popular open source solution. Patrick aptly noted that understanding your needs or the needs of your client are an important prerequisite to identifying the best solution. In the area of shopping carts one size does not necessarily fit all. Check out Wikipedia for a nice comparison of various solutions to narrow the field before choosing. If you anticipate your online annual sales to be under $50,000 you might want to look at one of the many online total solution providers including amazon, paypal and others before you consider customizing software and trying to absorb the costs associated with credit card processing, gateways, customer service, maintenance and updates.

 There was a nice turnout with a number of people I have not met before but I did not have a chance to hang around and chat as long as usual. I did however meet a friendly freelance web designer who goes by the name “Tommy Gun” online. You can find his work at http://www.printrevolver.com and he also happens to be skilled at yoyo tricks which he gracious agreed to allow me to video. Watch the video to be thoroughly entertained. Thanks “Tommy Gun” you are the 48^th new person I have me in the last 29 days toward my challenge of meeting 100 new people in 50 days.

Here is my report from Chicago’s Green Festival complete with a video live from the show floor. In keeping with the spirit of the activity I did take public transportation to the event and had a much better experience than I had a few posts ago. I took the CTA Western bus to Brown Line, transferred at Belmont for Red Line to Grand then I was able to jump the free trolley the final distance to Navy Pier. About one hour total but racked up massive carbon credits for the effort.

This is my third Green Festival in the last four years and I can safely say it has not evolved much. It is still a kind of hippie-like be-in. Combination boutique mall, flea market, food court with a smattering of trade show like activity. The event lacks focus and cohesiveness which is immediately evidenced by the layout that seemed to have only a general plan which causes you to sort of meander rather than follow any kind of route through the exhibits. But it is not so large that you cannot meander around three or four times before deciding you’ve probably seen it all.

I think I am used to attending trade show exhibits at which there is more investment and hope for higher gain. This is very grass roots and the plan of most of the exhibitors seems focused on selling today rather than gathering the oh so important contact info which can be used to build a long term relationship. Since this is a consumer oriented event it might actually fare better as an outdoor street fair with a few bands. On arrival there was what seemed to be a rather long line to get in, but it actually moved fairly swiftly. Since most people had free passes obtained from one of the many promoters, the purpose of the registration was mostly to try and capture an email or snail mail address for future follow–up. Distressingly this task was accomplished by having people fill out little slips of paper which will have to be subsequently decoded and input into a database. Now since I have extensive meeting management background I would seriously suggest that this could have been more efficiently achieved with maybe two or three dozen laptops requiring people to key in their info themselves, or better yet suggesting that people do this prior to arrival then simply confirm their ID with a confirmation number or by finding their name. This would have reduced the thousands of little slips of paper and many of the thousands of free coupons that were printed off. Lastly to confirm your attendance everyone was given an equally un-eco-friendly one-use Tyvek wristband for admission. Why not a soy ink hand-stamp?

Well I set out to meet some new people as part of my challenge to meet 100 New people in 50 days and did okay. I had several casual interactions and a few meaningful interactions who qualify as New people I have met, because I spent a few minutes speaking with them and there was enough of a connection to warrant further interaction. The qualifiers include eco-friendly artist  Justin Kovac www.justinkovac.com ; author of the The Vegan Monologues, Ben Shaberman www.theveganmonologues.com ; Dan from www.afreshsqueeze.com promoting simple local green businesses; Tom Tresser the Green Party Candidate for President of the Cook County Board www.tom2010.us ; Tom Hupp of Book Publishing Company www.bookpubco.com featuring healthy and sustainable living books. So that brings me to day 27 of my challenge with 47 new people met. The others I encountered at Green Festival but whom I do not count as new people met are author Thom Hartman; Martin from Chicagoland Construction and Property Services ; Shannon from www.pivotalchicago.com ; a nice woman from Yoga Chicago and a woman from a la card discount dining deck who preferred not to have a video shout out. Those who were willing to play the game can be seen here at my Chicago Green Fest v-log or video blog report live from the show floor. Enjoy this short video production and remember as Kermit taught us, “It’s not easy being green.” At the very least reduce, reuse and recycle. All of the attendees here as well as my gentle readers are invited to network with us live the last Tuesday of every month in Chicago. Go to www.meetup.com/businesscardtobusiness/ for details

Tuesday I attended a meeting of the Independent Writers of Chicago (IWOC) a non-profit professional association of freelance writers. The meeting took place at the downtown campus of National-Louis University attended by approximately twenty-five individuals. I was invited by my new friend Jim Kepler of Adams Publishing and former president of IWOC. 

The official part of the program was a panel discussion led by Jeff Steele. Panelists were Stewart Truelson, Diana Schneidman and Michelle Beuscher who shared helpful and thought provoking observations and realities of the business of freelance writing. 

I had an opportunity to spend some time talking to one of the panelists Stewart Truelson during the social hour preceding the main event. Stewart’s online bio at IWOC describes him as a Video writer/producer and voice-over talent with a background in news and public relations. He is also, an experienced op-ed writer and recently published author of a new book marking the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 90th anniversary. From our conversation I learned he has an interest in History and we learned during the discussion that he wrote for Paul Harvey at one time. Stewart and I compared notes on how video has been and is being used in the business world. We agreed that video is not the same animal it once was but video on the web is developing to be a powerful new beast in the realm of business communications.

During the pre-meeting chat I also had a chance to speak with David Epstein and Noreen Kelly. Noreen is President of Trust Matters Group promoting workplace harmony and success in the marketplace. David Epstein’s business card says he is engaged in Editorial and Production Management.

 After the meeting the majority of attendees retired to a nearby restaurant for dinner. I was happy to be seated with an old friend Brent Brotine who is a professional copywriter and writer of direct-mail pieces largely for membership programs. Brent listened with great interest and patience to what I confess seems in retrospect like my endless ramblings on a myriad of topics.

 To my left was Michelle Beuscher of Beuscher Consulting and one of the panelists who was equally solicitous of my conversation. Michelle specializes in marketing related writing and case histories. She has been working successfully as a freelance writer for 19 years and is full of great information and insight into the business of freelance writing.

 I want to thank all of the IWOC members I met for their generosity and welcoming attitude and look forward to attending future meetings. In regard to my quest of meeting 100 new people in 50 days I would like to officially add David, Stewart, Noreen and Michelle to my list as they are the people I interacted with the most. I cannot in good conscience include Brent as we were previously acquainted though it has been many years. So for the moment the count stands at Day 14 with 24 new people met.

April 29, 2010.  It was a beautiful seventy degree day and I needed to get away from my new computer and take a walk. You don’t want to miss a day like this in Chicago at this time of year. I started on my usual route then decided to call  ”Video Catnip” Bob to see if he wanted to meet for lunch. We met up in Andersonville which was a decent walk for each of us coming from opposite directions.

After lunch we walked down Ravenswood and Bob mentioned he was aware of this not-for-profit organization dedicated to sound that was nearby and we decided to stop in and check it out. This was perfect because I was feeling bad about not meeting anyone new today to forward my goal of meeting 100 new people in 50 days.

Experimental Sound Studio is a very cool place the purpose of which is to further sound as an art form. This includes the production, presentation and preservation of sonic arts and to integrate these art forms into the community. Since we are both audio visual guys this is both interesting an intriguing to us.

My two new people are Alex and Adam who gave us a tour and explained the purpose of the organization and how we might utilize the facilities to further various projects we discussed.

So the count is day three – 13 new people with 87 to go.

Remember at the beginning of 2009 when Obama was in his first 100 days of office and expectations were so high?  At that time I decided to see how much I could accomplish in 100 days by concentrating my efforts on my new book “Turn Your Business Card Into Business.” Well that 100 days set the groundwork for a number of activities which have carried me through to the present day. So the message is short. Spurts of concentrated effort can pay long term dividends.

Here is my new concentrated effort. My plan is to make an effort to meet 100 new people in the next 50 days. I may achieve the goal a little sooner or a little later. That’s what we will see. I plan to blog about my activities here and introduce readers to the people I meet and just see where this leads. We are all out networking to some degree, but I want to illustrate what we might learn from a concentrated effort.

 I am going to give myself a leg up and begin April 27^th and continue until June 16^th. I have no rules about this, we’ll just let it progress. I’ll be happy to get your feedback as I go along. You can even help me out if you want to introduce me to someone or suggest an event I should attend. Updates may be daily or every other day depending on my activity.

The beginning:

 Day 1 April 27, 2010. I wanted to start with this because it shows there are a lot of ways to network. Today I met (1) Joe Corroccio of AuthorsRoost via the phone. One of my book video clients Beverly Flaxington author of “Understanding Other People” mentioned that she had an article featured there. So I checked it out and liked what Joe was doing with his podcasts and contacted him. After a fairly lengthy conversation we found there is indeed a synthesis between our two author related websites and we are currently exploring ways to joint venture.

 Day 2 April 28, 2010. I had lunch today with (2) Jim Kepler of Adams Press  .  Jim and I had both attended a meeting of the Midwest Writers Assn and happened to begin chatting as we were both walking out the door of Hackney’s in Glenview where the meeting took place. We stopped and exchanged cards and agreed to follow up. We did, and that culminated in lunch at a restaurant in Rogers Park. We learned a lot about each other and I believe that this might well be as Bogey said in Casablanca, “the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” 

In the early evening I attended a networking gathering of a the Linked N Chicago Group which as you might have guessed was bunch of folks who use the LinkedIn social media tool. It seemed like a good chance to maybe meet face-to-face some of the people I have met (or not) online. I brought my buddy Bob Solomon along who is the relentless promoter of Video Catnip a video designed to provide your cat with hours of television enjoyment. The meeting was held at the 33 Club on Wells Street in “Old Town” and just a few blocks away from my wife’s piano studio.  So Julie joined us towards the end of the event.  One of the first people I spoke with was (3) Mary McFarlin, IT management, and this meeting’s hostess. Mary mentioned that she is part of a kind of networking meeting organizer’s alliance which may be of benefit to my businesscardtobusiness networking group, we’ll follow up on that.  A related contact was (4) Jonathan a marketing research expert who might be a good speaker at one of my upcoming networking meetings. (5) Ricca Slone provides legal services and has already invited me to another networking event next week at Ann Sather’s Retaurant in LakeView.

(6)Sara, (7) David, and (8) John were job seekers. Sara is looking for work as a meeting planner I was able to give her a lead with (PMPN) Professional Meeting Planners Network. David was a very nice guy seeking a marketing management position with a NFP.  I was able to introduce him to a friend who is an accountant specializing in not-for-profit organizations. John is looking for a VP leadership position with a software firm. (9) Shane is a hair stylist at SWERVE next door to the restaurant. I have 20% OFF coupons if you’re interested. I directed him and his associates to my blog article right here about how to promote your hair salon or spa.  (10) Susan Carter is a sales associate with Caldwell Banker and we spoke about the possibility of my creating a video for her website. The last person I spoke with was (11) Brad DeSent, President of Apex Consulting Group. His firm provides “cloud computing” solutions for small and large firms. I noticed on his website that they are offering a Lunch and Learn Seminar, “What does Cloud Computing Mean for My Business?” at Walker Brothers Original Pancake House in Lincolnshire, June 23^rd. Check out the details on their website.

Okay so I have begun my quest by meeting eleven new people, only eighty-nine more to go. I will blog about it here and give a shout out to as many as I can. In this way you too can benefit from my networking and by doing so we can cast a wider net.