If you click "like" on this Page, it means just that, you like what we are doing, but you are not in the wheel barrow.

To be a group member, free and open to everyone, now join a Facebook Small Business Chamber of Commerce GROUP. When we get 1000 members in any group (we already have over 600 in our Denver group after just a few days) we will hold our first face-to-face “Big Event”. Right now our Denver Group is forming, others will be forming in other cities soon. If you live in Denver and would like to join it go to: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=145283622175466&ref=ts

If you’d like information about starting or joining a group near you, contact http://Facebook.com/John.S.Wren

Why do this?

The new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce's purpose is to strengthen the voice of the grassroots in business and politics.

We are not in competition with local chambers of commerce, but are rather an app for them to use, a way for local chambers to offer additional help to their members and potential members who are starting in a new direction with their work, starting an new career, a new project or campaign, or a new business.

Our three activities are: IDEA Cafe Startup Workshops, Franklin Circle Peer Advisory Groups, and monthly "Big Events", free to those who exhibit and free to those who attend.

Want to start an IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop near you? Contact John Wren at http://Facebook.com/John.S.Wren for help to get it started.

Our Facebook Page has a unique URL that we use in media releases, facebook.com/small.business.chamber.

Our Community Room College is now offering a new 6-week certificate program, Self-Direct Learning for Learners and Teachers. For more see http://communityroomcollege.blogspot.com/

There is still one seat available for our new Franklin Circle Alpha Group. This is a closed, confidential group of people who are interested in starting a Franklin Circle. For more information, contact John Wren at John@JohnWren.com or (303)861-1447.

We have 866 Denver Small Business Chamber Facebook Group members.When we get to 1000 we'll have our first monthly "Big Event", free to exhibitors and free to those who attend. So join by clicking the above link, then clicking "Join" if you haven't already, and invite your Facebook friends to join us too, OK?

Denver IDEA Cafe startup workshop will have two meetings this Friday, downtown and south Denver. Details and optional RSVP at http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe We're trying to find a way to cooperate with local chambers of commerce to offer an alternative to the SBDCs most of them promote to their members.

SBCC Weekly Membership Report

Thanks to the magic of technology, we've started a new, free daily newsletter focused on small business and startup. It's called Small Business Chamber Daily News  (For  a free subscription, click on this link.)

The new South Denver IDEA Cafe is off to a great start. The first meeting was held last Friday, January 14, and the next meeting will be the 2nd Friday in February, when the group will make a decision about whether to meet once a month or once a week. Thanks to Ken Wyble with the South Metro Chamber and Richard Oppenheim for getting this off the ground. To get an invitation become a member of either (1) the SBCC Denver Facebook group (when we get 1000 members we will hold our 1st monthly "Big Event", free to exhibitors and free to those who attend) or (2) the SBCC Denver IDEA Cafe Meetup.

The Small Business Chamber's Community Room College is holding 50-minute chalk talks on how to start or join a CEO/entrepreneur/creative manager peer advisory group. For more information see http://meetup.com/CommunityRoomCollege

There are still a couple of seats open in the new Franklin Circle Alpha Group that is now forming. This will be the last peer advisory group personally organized and led by the founder of the Small Business of Commerce, John Wren. For more information contact him at (303)861-1447 or John@JohnWren.com

Life's short, let's get started!

Denver-Boulder New Tech

There will be a presentation about your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce tomorrow at the Denver-Boulder New Tech Meetup. This is a great group, should help us get to 1000 members for our Denver SBCC group so we can schedule of 1st "Big Event." http://www.bdnewtech.com/

Thursday we are having a lunch meeting at 12:30 p.m. near I25 & Colorado Blvd. for small business owners, entrepreneurs, professionals, and creative managers who might be interested in the Franklin Circle that is forming now. For infomation contact John Wren at John@JohnWren.com or (303)861-1447

I went to bed last night at 1 a.m. on 1-1-11. We get a second chance for 1-1-11 @ 1 this afternoon.

The advice from my friend Bob keeps ringing in my ears as we ring in the new year: "Stay willing and keep making contacts. When you are right and the time is right, Providence will provide." 

Seems like the time may be right, finally. I can only hope that I'm right now, too, to take advantage of the good things that are happening:

Yesterday I was invited to present on your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce at Denver/Boulder New Tech.  http://www.bdnewtech.com/

This week's Denver Business Journal quotes me in their "Big Ideas" article: "I’d like to see every DPS high school made available as a community center each weekend. How this would be done could vary from school to school, worked out by the principal with input from surrounding neighborhood associations and various business groups." — John Wren founded the Small Business Chamber of Commerce"

Ken Wyble with the South Metro Chamber is working with Richard Oppenheim to launch a South Denver IDEA Cafe January 14.

And finally, the new Franklin Circle Alpha Group is scheduled to start January 13. This will be the last Franklin Circle I ever personally organize and faciliate, let me know if you'd like an invitation to the information session we are having January 6.

Happy new year! Let's get started!

John

John S. Wren, MBA+
Founder, your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce
http://www.johnwren.com/
John@JohnWren.com    (303)861-1447

Small Business Chambers Everywhere Effort

Today we are launching an effort to help people start new Small Business Chamber groups using Meetup.com's new program. See http://www.meetup.com/Small-Business-Chamber-of-Commerce/

This will be self-organizing. Go ahead, start a group now. I'd suggest you start with a monthly IDEA Cafe, let me know and I'll email you a newcomers guide you can customize for your group, and my thoughts on what makes for a good startup workshop.

Most of my effort for now will be focused on Denver and Colorado, but it is possible that this will spread around the world over the next year.

We'll be trying to help people start Small Business Chamber efforts that will have 3 parts:  1)  A monthly "Big Event", free to exhibitors and freet to those who attend; 2) a monthly or weekly IDEA Cafe startup workshop; and 3) Franklin Circle peer advisory groups.

A few of us are having lunch this Thursday to discuss a Franklin Circle Alpha Group that I'll use as my source of inspiration as we move forward. I'll keep you posted.

Happy New Years!

John

John S. Wren, MBA+
Founder, your new, free Small Business Chamber of Commerce
http://www.johnwren.com/
(303)861-1447