Entrepreneurs Forum helps build all types of businesses on both sides of the river
Entrepreneurs Forum helps build all types of businesses on both sides of the river
February 12, 2008
Robin Homer is looking to build her business one marshmallow at a time.
The Entrepreneurs Forum of Southern New Jersey is helping her.
Homer, the Voorhees-based owner of "Sweet Poetry," has been a member of the Rowan University-sponsored organization for the three years she's operated her home-based confectionary business. The mom of three makes a range of goodies, including marshmallows, peanut butter-chocolate confections and chocolate chip cookies with a hint of rum, for individual and corporate clients.
She's attended all but a couple of EFSNJ's monthly meetings - generally held at RiverWinds in West Deptford - which feature guest speakers on everything from financing to marketing, technology to human resources.
"The Entrepreneurs Forum has been a wonderful experience," said Homer, who has a degree in occupational therapy and who apprenticed at an upscale bakery in Cherry Hill. "All the members there seem to have businesses in fields other than food, and when I say what I do, which is make delicious marshmallows and cookies, it seems to stand out. I have had some amazing experiences thanks to the Forum."
Sharing her enthusiasm - and proving the name of the organization doesn't preclude involvement from business people outside of South Jersey - is Gene Kern, executive vice president of WAKE Technology Services, Inc. of West Chester, PA. Kern travels about an hour from his Malvern home to attend the sessions, but he's not complaining.
"WAKE TSI clients are not small companies, yet the Entrepreneurs Forum puts forth a lot of good ideas that work for us," he said. "The meetings have good speakers and provide interesting information to all types of business entrepreneurs."
"I especially like the Rowan factor," said Kern, himself an alumnus of Rowan's Rohrer College of Business. "It's worth the trip. We already sponsored one event and plan to host even more."
Kern's IT consulting firm has been in business for five years and is expecting to double its employee base for the second year in a row. The company is so well respected, the majority of the consultants it attracts have well over 20 years experience in a variety of settings within the information technology industry.
WAKE TSI clients include Fortune 1000 companies, hospitals and healthcare institutions, colleges, universities and a variety of small- to medium-sized businesses. The company conducts data center assessments; designs networks; and develops plans for business continuity, disaster prevention and recovery in addition to forecasting future technology needs for new buildings and facilities undergoing major renovation. Clients are as near as West Chester and as far as Japan.
While Homer's operation is smaller and local, she's seen benefits from EFSNJ membership as well.
"It has really been a boon for me. The people have been wonderful and have truly helped me. An interesting experience was going to Rowan and having graphic design students come up with my logo. Another EFSNJ member helped me develop my Web site. The Forum has helped me learn a lot about the business world."
"Sometimes I hear something I think might not pertain to me and lo and behold they're saying something that really strikes a chord and helps me," Homer added. "That's why I keep going back every month. I've told people about it. I've brought friends. I think it's a wonderful group. The best thing I have learned from the Forum is to stay open to anything and everything. Opportunity is out there everywhere - you expect one thing and something else occurs."
Of course, her involvement hasn't been bad for the other members of EFSNJ either: Homer has been known to bring her marshmallows and cookies to the monthly meetings.
(NOTE: EFSNJ, founded in 2003, has close to 350 members from throughout the Delaware Valley in fields that include retail, marketing, economic development, consulting and travel.
###
The Entrepreneurs Forum of Southern New Jersey is helping her.
Homer, the Voorhees-based owner of "Sweet Poetry," has been a member of the Rowan University-sponsored organization for the three years she's operated her home-based confectionary business. The mom of three makes a range of goodies, including marshmallows, peanut butter-chocolate confections and chocolate chip cookies with a hint of rum, for individual and corporate clients.
She's attended all but a couple of EFSNJ's monthly meetings - generally held at RiverWinds in West Deptford - which feature guest speakers on everything from financing to marketing, technology to human resources.
"The Entrepreneurs Forum has been a wonderful experience," said Homer, who has a degree in occupational therapy and who apprenticed at an upscale bakery in Cherry Hill. "All the members there seem to have businesses in fields other than food, and when I say what I do, which is make delicious marshmallows and cookies, it seems to stand out. I have had some amazing experiences thanks to the Forum."
Sharing her enthusiasm - and proving the name of the organization doesn't preclude involvement from business people outside of South Jersey - is Gene Kern, executive vice president of WAKE Technology Services, Inc. of West Chester, PA. Kern travels about an hour from his Malvern home to attend the sessions, but he's not complaining.
"WAKE TSI clients are not small companies, yet the Entrepreneurs Forum puts forth a lot of good ideas that work for us," he said. "The meetings have good speakers and provide interesting information to all types of business entrepreneurs."
"I especially like the Rowan factor," said Kern, himself an alumnus of Rowan's Rohrer College of Business. "It's worth the trip. We already sponsored one event and plan to host even more."
Kern's IT consulting firm has been in business for five years and is expecting to double its employee base for the second year in a row. The company is so well respected, the majority of the consultants it attracts have well over 20 years experience in a variety of settings within the information technology industry.
WAKE TSI clients include Fortune 1000 companies, hospitals and healthcare institutions, colleges, universities and a variety of small- to medium-sized businesses. The company conducts data center assessments; designs networks; and develops plans for business continuity, disaster prevention and recovery in addition to forecasting future technology needs for new buildings and facilities undergoing major renovation. Clients are as near as West Chester and as far as Japan.
While Homer's operation is smaller and local, she's seen benefits from EFSNJ membership as well.
"It has really been a boon for me. The people have been wonderful and have truly helped me. An interesting experience was going to Rowan and having graphic design students come up with my logo. Another EFSNJ member helped me develop my Web site. The Forum has helped me learn a lot about the business world."
"Sometimes I hear something I think might not pertain to me and lo and behold they're saying something that really strikes a chord and helps me," Homer added. "That's why I keep going back every month. I've told people about it. I've brought friends. I think it's a wonderful group. The best thing I have learned from the Forum is to stay open to anything and everything. Opportunity is out there everywhere - you expect one thing and something else occurs."
Of course, her involvement hasn't been bad for the other members of EFSNJ either: Homer has been known to bring her marshmallows and cookies to the monthly meetings.
(NOTE: EFSNJ, founded in 2003, has close to 350 members from throughout the Delaware Valley in fields that include retail, marketing, economic development, consulting and travel.
###