Friday, February 11, 2011

Chicago Hypnosis Center offering a sweetheart deal

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Skokie Chamber of Commerce member Chicago Hypnosis Center is offering a sweetheart of a deal. Sign up for a hypnosis program with your sweetheart, or a friend, and one of you gets helped for free. The deal ends on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, at 5 p.m.

Here's what you need to know...

Chicago Hypnosis Center works with people on weight loss, smoking cessation, better sleep, performance enhancement, pain management and overcoming unreasonable fears.

There's no predetermined set program for accomplishing these goals. Each program is tailored for an individual's needs.

What they do always do is start with a consultation to get a good sense of the person's objectives and lay out a plan to help them get there. The program could be anywhere from two or three sessions, or more, depending on a client's goals and motivation.

To learn more about hypnosis and the Center's practice, go to their website.  Also check out this recent Dr. Oz show that discuss weight loss and hypnosis.
 
Contact Karen Hand or Catherine Johns at 773-725-3200 to learn more about the deal and how they can help you.
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Scott Holtz named Skokie Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year

Why me? Why not you?
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This in from Scott Holtz...

I never set out with the goal in mind of being member of the year. Frankly, it came as a total surprise. I am truly honored. After I was presented the award I did some research and found myself in the company of some big hitters in the community where previous recipients include the Doubletree and Holiday Inn. I thought to myself those businesses contribute so much to the success of the Chamber what did I do to deserve this recognition?

What I do for the Chamber is what I hope the Chamber and every member of the Chamber will do for me. I talk about the Chamber and actively promote it. I find members for the Chamber or find business for members of the Chamber. I get involved in the Chambers business so I can better understand what it does and why they do it so I can help where I can. The Chamber is a part of the community and more people outside the Chamber need to discover what it offers and I am doing my part to help promote that.

My association with the Chamber has presented me with many opportunities to build relationships with local businesses and given me the chance to meet and work with many community leaders from IMODS to my friends at the Park District and Village Hall. My association with the Chamber has given me countless business leads and quite a few signed contracts not to mention a bunch of new friends I value highly.

The Chamber has allowed me to start the Economic Development Task Force and to work on bringing together the leaders of business in the Chamber and Village government. Recently, I have been given the chance to evolve the Wednesday Car Shows into a full summer series of entertainment events from movies to concerts we are calling “Wednesdays on the Green”. Every Wednesday from mid May building up to the Backlot Bash at the end of August please join us on the Village Green in Downtown Skokie for some real fun.

I hope that by reading this you will now be inspired to get involved. There is a chance for everyone to be Member of the Year. What can you do to make a difference?
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Scott prepared these remarks for the Skokie Chamber of Commerce's newletter. President and lead designer for 5207 Inc., Scott and his family live in downtown Skokie. 

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Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Adventures in Networking

This just in from Shalom Klein...

Networking WORKS for you!

About 15 months ago, I moved back to Skokie to grow our family business. My father, Moshe Klein, has been an accountant for almost 30 years and has focused on helping individuals on getting their financial house in order. Together we developed a small business model that our clients love. (We become our client's business office and handle their bookkeeping, accounting, and taxes for under $99 / monthly -- no hourly fees).

As a kid, I always hung out at my father’s office but never imagined I would end up in the family business. That said, I was the only 3’rd grader that had a budget… I obviously picked a few things up during the late nights “working” at the office. 20 years later, I came back to grow our already successful firm, and needed to figure out how to successfully reach the business community.

I realized something – when you are out there connecting people, people connect you! I started meeting many business owners, job seekers, neighbors, friends, and family for coffee (yes, I love Starbucks) and finding out who they are looking to meet. Having developed a large Rolodex / Blackberry, filled with contacts in all industries, I'm now considered a valuable resource and connector.  More than two dozen calls come in daily from friends and strangers around the country asking if I know someone that specializes in this or that. Just yesterday, a client asked if I can recommend someone to fight their red-light violation.

Today, I still network all day, every day, but many of those connections that I made a year ago are “working” for me. They are putting me in touch with contacts that I may benefit from meeting. It is a common thing to see people that have gotten jobs or are doing business, thanks to that “Cup of Joe” that I had a while back.

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Shalom Klein is the Business Director of Moshe Klein & Associates, Ltd., a Skokie-based accounting firm that provides low cost bookkeeping, accounting, and tax services for small businesses. A tireless networker, he founded Jewish B2B Networking, which plans and hosts events for small businesses in the Midwest. He is also the publisher of Jewish Business News, a new magazine with distribution of 15,000 in the Chicago area. Shalom can be reached at 773-904-0102, shalom@mkabusiness.com and at @SYKlein.
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Thursday, February 3, 2011

Skokie during Blizzard 2011

 

Joel Lerner made this picture at the beginning of his shift shooting for
Pioneer Press/Skokie Review: Downtown Skokie looking northwest at 10 a.m. on
Tuesday, February 2, 2011 from the third floor of the Metropolitan on Oakton.

Other images of neighbors battling and enjoying the snow are up at on Joel's Facebook page.

Special thanks to the folks at Optima that helped Joel get some access that enabled
him to get some nice images he couldn't have gotten any other way. See one of them below.



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