Whether it’s cause of recession or rankings, there are more than usual tickets available for the always-popular Chicago Cubs-White Sox series at Wrigley Field this week. Ticket broker TicketsNow says tickets prices are down 30% this year. So pick up some tix and take a long lunch tomorrow… or take a client out to the ballgame.
Go Sox!
Neighborhood Networking is teaming up with BBR Chicago and heading to the southside this month…
Join us next Wednesday, June 24th from 5-7:30 pm at Cuatro Restaurant in the South Loop (2030 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago IL). Tickets are $10 in advance ($12 at the door). Purchase tickets here.
Hosted by Lidia Varesco Design & Elizabeth L. Miranda of Mercury Organizing Professionals. For updated information visit the Neighborhood Networking blog.
And don’t forget: business networking events are tax deductible!
Second-quarter estimated taxes are due today, June 15th. Visit the IRS e-file page to pay online. See the IRS Tax Calendar for more info and other upcoming dates.
Strangely enough, this time of year always makes me want to go back to school. But this time it’s not American History, but a fun, creative class to inspire me and recharge the creative batteries. Whether it’s a guitar class at the Old Town School or a drawing class at the Chicago Botanic Garden, learning something new always seems to spark new ideas for my business as well.
Right now is a great time to take advantage of the warm weather and head to the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe. For budding (pun intended) artists, they offer classes in Botanical Arts & Humanities. If art’s not your thing, they offer Cooking Classes and Workshops in topics ranging from gardening to flower arranging. Being a Botanic Garden student for the last few years (see my handiwork at left), I can attest to the fact that their classes are a great creativity boost—a worthwhile investment for both yourself and your business. Hmm, what should I take this summer…
Who doesn’t love showing off their work every now and then? Deliver magazine is seeking submissions for their newly-created Brag Room—a gallery featuring the best direct mail pieces from the past year. Have you created a marketing piece you’re dying to show off? Read the submission guidelines and then send off those samples! Or just browse the Brag Room to see what’s new and exciting in direct mail.
P.S. Send in your samples before July to be eligible for the Best of the Brag Room prize.
Have you noticed more commercials for lawn care products lately? According to a recent AdAge article, sales in the gardening industry are up. Thanks to the recession (and perhaps the newly-created White House garden) more people are trying their hand at vegetable gardens—not to mention spending more time at home in their own backyard. Coming off one of their worst sales years, the lawn & garden products company Scotts announced plans to increase marketing spending by 12% this year. Go green!
I just discovered the Words and Music program offered by the Chicago Public Library each summer: it gives you a chance to pick up free lawn passes for selected concerts at Ravinia Festival. Just visit your neighborhood library and present a valid Chicago Public Library Card.
By the way, if you haven’t visited your local Chicago Public Library lately, perhaps you should. Many offer a good selection of business books and what’s best—a chance to browse before you buy. I’ve recently checked out books on everything from small business marketing to web design. TIP: you can search for books online and have them transferred to your local library for pick-up.
A few months ago, I talked about my displeasure with the new Tropicana packaging—a feeling that, I quickly learned, was echoed by hundreds of other designers and consumers across the web. A recent trip to the grocery store indicated that the company took notice: the old Tropicana packaging is back on the shelves! This was a great lesson in rebranding a product—especially one as beloved as OJ (which, prior to this experience, I never realized I had such an emotional connection to!)
How far can you go when updating your brand? Or more importantly, how far will your customers allow you to go?
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