A Bite Of Business Information And A Bite Of Lunch

By Holly Brook Cotton
What do a personal trainer, photographer, accountant, owner of a Kung Fu and Tai Chi school, personal organizer, and mall marketing manager have in common? They, and many more, are members of the Greater Severna Park Chamber of Commerce and attended the “Business Bites” lunch event at Brian Boru on March 16, with the goal of helping one another grow their business.
Linda Zahn, CEO of the Greater Severna Park Chamber of Commerce (GSPCC) since May 1990, came up with the idea for Business Bites - a “bite of information and a bite of lunch” - so members could get value out of their lunch hour by mixing in networking, seminars, business enrichment, and skills enhancement.
Paulette Morris, Chair of Business Bites; Nancy Greer, Co-Chair; and Zahn select topics suggested by members or trends that are especially relevant, such as Social Media. Then they look for experts within the membership to present and inform.
The most recent seminar, titled “Trade Show Exhibiting 101: Making the Most of Your Trade Show Investment,” was presented by Morris. Introducing Morris, Greer noted that Idea Weaver, the name of Morris’s imprinting business, “fits her to a T, because she really listens to her customers and brings their ideas to fruition.”
Morris invited the group to imagine being able to see hundreds of prospects at once. Some suggestions she offered were to make your space inviting and workable, use visuals, keep an idea box, utilize door prize entry forms as working tools, and photograph a mock table to see if it tells the story you want.
John Richardson, a Forensic Accountant for the past 40 years, commented on the excellent presentation and explained why he enjoys Chamber events. “The people who belong are lovely. It’s an upscale group of business people that are interested in their community,” he said.
Renee Kremm, a Financial Advisor for New York Life, commented she has been a member of other Chambers, but that the Greater Severna Park Chamber has been “the most rewarding” thus far.
Stephen Walker, the Marketing Manager for Marley Station Mall, was there out of curiosity. “I wanted to see what the community has to offer as well as what Marley Station can do to help local businesses expand,” he said.
Greer, co-chair of the committee, is the owner of Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi, which will perform the Chinese Lion Dance and offer a mini-self defense class during the Home-Based and Small-Business Showcase sponsored by GSPCC at Marley Station on May 7.
For David Beares from 39 Minute Workout, this was the third Business Bites he’s attended since joining the Chamber just a few months ago. He attested he has already received a client from one of the seminars.
Among other attendees were Sunrise Solutions, Big Vanilla, Bay Kitchens, Prudential Real Estate, and host Brian Boru.
The next Business Bites, titled “You Too Can YouTube,” will take place on April 20 at Brian Boru’s and feature a presentation by Joe Stephens of StratDV Video Productions. To learn more about the GSPCC or to register for the next Bites, go to www.severnaparkchamber.com.