Friday, February 29, 2008

How to sell to the government

If you relocated to Chicago and want to start your own small business here is a website you MUST know about http://www.sell2.illinois.gov/ The State of Illinois buys everything from food to trucks to office furniture to consulting services, in fact it buys 10 billion U.S. dollars worth of products every year. However the government is often overlooked as a potential customer.

This website provides not only information on available contractor opportunities but also information on how to get a certification of a Small/Diverse business (which in turn will put your business in a preferential position among other contractors and since most immigrants will fit into the "diverse business" category don't miss this opportunity!)

Finally the website provides information on how to obtain a line of credit for a small business to help manage your cash flow through our State Vendor Working Capital Program.

*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Free resume review

WHERE: St. Thomas the Apostle Jobs Ministry, 1500 Brookdale rd, Naperville, IL 60563

WHAT: Free Resume Review

WHEN: Saturday, Mar. 1, 2008, 9am to 11:30am

Curious about how your resume stacks up with the best of them? You may want a FREE resume review from one of our eight HR professionals that will be visiting St. Thomas the Apostle Church. Reservations are not necessary. Just stop in during the hours stated above (1st come/1st serve) and sit down, individually, with a Human Resources or Search Professional for a FREE twenty-minute resume review. There will be eight professionals on hand and one will work with you, one-on-one, to offer suggestions and ideas on "how to" improve your resume.

*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Hispanic Scholarship Fund

This information will be very helpful to people of Hispanic background who are thinking about financing their education or education on their children in USA.

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) http://www.hsf.net/ is the nation's leading organization supporting Hispanic higher education. Founded in 1975 as a not-for-profit organization, HSF's vision is to strengthen the country by advancing college education among Hispanic Americans. As an example, during the 2006-2007 academic year, HSF awarded nearly 4,200 scholarships exceeding $26.5 million.

The awards range from 1500 to 5000 USD. General eligibility requirements are simple: your family should be of a Hispanic heritage and being at least a legal resident (Green Card holder, not a citizen yet, though citizens, of course, are eligible by default) is enough to apply. There are also some specific requirements like GPA, for instance, which you can learn about in more detail on the HSF website.

The applications for 2008-2009 school year are now accepeted! So hurry up!

*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

NEWS!!! Book website and networking seminars

I have 2 great NEWS:

1. I have launched a website for my book: http://www.legalaliensguide.com/ Here you will find information about the book, the author and book-related events.

2. I will organize networking seminars for job seekers and small business owners starting March 10, 2008 where I will teach step-by-step the HOWs, the WHYs and the WHEREs of networking. All participant will get FREE COPY OF MY GUIDE! For more information and to register (the sitting is limited), please, visit : http://www.legalaliensguide.com/Seminars.html

I hope to see you at one of my events!

*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com

Monday, February 11, 2008

My book signing event

SAVE THE DATE!!!

I cordially invite everybody to my first book signig event!

WHEN: MARCH 21, 2008, 7 – 9 pm
WHAT: Book signing “The Legal Alien’s Guide. Building a Career and Life in Chicago, Illinois” Meet the author, ask questions about career and small business related issues, get your signed copy of the comprehensive Chicagoland networking guide.
WHERE: Barnes & Noble, 659 W. Diversey Parkaway, Chicago, IL 60614

I will be very happy to see everybody!

*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Business cards for networking

I learnt one very important thing from my networking experience - always have your business cards with you. Even if you are a job seeker, especially if you are a job seeker. Resumes are good for formal networking when there is time and place to pass them around but even then I personally tend to loose resumes because there is no place for them on my desk in my office. But I never through away a business card because I have a business cards file.

Business cards are also vital for informal networking events. It is not appropriate and convenient to give people your resume. It's an open event where people move freely around the room and no one really wants to walk around with a bunch of papers in their hands (this is especially true for the receipient of your resume) Business cards, on the other hand, are easy to handle and can be placed in one's purse or pocket.

So bottom line is HAVE YOUR BUSINESS CARDS READY! Idealy your business card should have a website address where people can see your resume after the event.

I found the easiest way to creat your business cards through Vistaprint. They already have dozens of designs (but you can upload yours too), the quality of the cards are really great and the price is fantastic: I never paid more than 19.90 for 250 business cards including tax, handling and postage and I use their PREMIUM service, i.e. the most expensive there is. For regular business cards you will pay between 10 and 15 USD for 250. If you are lucky and they have a promotion you can get your cards printed FREE and only pay for shipping & handling.

Vistaprint is also great for small businesses: their postcards, brochures and other marketing materials are excelent and you cannot beat their price (I tried to shop around!) If you use Vistaprint you don't need a designer or a printing company. I usually pay just 25 USD for 100 premium postcards!

I have been their customer for more than 2 years and I was ALWAYS satisfied. Here is the link to their webiste http://www.vistaprint.com/frf?frf=535620077025 which I got as their member and when you use it you will get 25% off your order.

*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

"The Legal Alien's Guide" book reviews

I wanted to share with you some independet reviews of my book that have just been made public (My publisher and I know that my book is GREAT but we are partial, aren't we :-)

I hope these articles will give you a clearer picture of what my guide is about and the idea of its usefulness:

http://www.readerviews.com/ReviewSorokinaTheLegalAliens.html

http://www.networkinginsight.com/2008/01/book-review-the.html.

*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com

Sunday, February 3, 2008

SABC business networking event

Swiss-American Business Council in Chicago organizes monthly networking events which are the regular gathering of professionals from the Chicago business community. All are welcome. The details for the up coming one are:

Tuesday, February 12, 2008
6:00 - 8:00 pm
SwissĂ´tel Chicago (Lobby Lounge), 323 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago

FREE Admission, Cash Bar.

No RSVP required.

You can find more information about SABC at http://www.sabcnow.com/

*******************************
Most helpful Chicago guide
http://www.legalaliensguide.com
Culture Blogs - Blog Catalog Blog Directory
Literature Blogs - Blog Top Sites Add to Technorati Favorites