There’s lots of advice out there

Make sure your business plan is agile enough to accommodate market meltdowns, have cash reserves (rainy-day money) on hand, and—most importantly—lean into your community. A business that has done a good job of relationship building will fare better during economic slowdowns. Here’s what I mean.

Women’s Business Dinner

In early October, my boutique, LaJolie MLN, hosted a lunch for independent business owners from my community of Elmhurst and surrounding areas. It was a lively group of innovators from a wide range of categories. During dinner, each woman got to stand and make a 5-minute introduction of her business.

This included:

Colette Luchetta-Stendel who owns her own law firm in Lombard
Maria Vacchiano of Pampered Chef, quality cookware
Susan Musaus, owner of The Riding Store in Woodridge for quality riding equipment
Travy Hodges if Water/Fire/Mold Restoration of Fox Valley
Candice C. Kuhnen, The Conector, a concept marketing firm
Brooke Lighton of Addiction Hurts, You Can Help - a t-shirt and apparel line that I sell at my store

After the luncheon, many of the women reached out to each other and started the process that often results in a new client relationship. And, of course, the occasion took place in my boutique, so shopping was on the menu.

Collaborating with businesses in the community

Winter Coat Drive

Recently, La Jolie MLN joined neighboring businesses for the 2022 Winter Coat Drive. Our goal is to collect 1,000 new or unwanted coats, hats and gloves for those in need. Our partners in this endeavor include:

Judith B. Salon+Spa
Illinois Spinal Care
Elmhurst Bank
Bazzy Boutique
Evolve Beauty Bar & Med Spa
Accelerated Aesthetics

“Sip ‘n Shop”

On December 20th, La Jolie MLN Boutique celebrated the holiday season with “SIP’n SHOP.” We partnered with 14 of our neighboring retailers to contribute one item to a gift basket. Shoppers collected a stamp from each location where they visited. Then they entered their stamp card with name and contact information. One lucky winner won the gift box valued at $400.

Here is the list of contributors and the items that went into the gift basket:

Bread and Butter - Decorative Throw Pillow
Kilwins - Box of Family Assortment of Chocolate
Uptown Shop - Nest Holiday Candle and Elmhurst Kitchen Towel
Maxine Boutique - Jeweled Bangle Bracelet
Tannins - Bottle of. Italian Red Wine
Sandlot - Gift Card
Evolve Beauty Bar – Full Body Spray Tan
Salon Jel - Bedhead Satin Pillowcase and Under Pressure Eye Mask
Carmie Cakes - Gift Card
Merle Norman - Cleansing Lotion
Judith B Salon+Spa Makeup Eraser and Gift Glove
Enzee - 2 pairs of Silver Stud Earrings
La Jolie MLN Boutique - Beanie Hat and Gift Card
Bazzy Boutique -The Works Lips and Hands and Gift Card
Paula Pezza / Pezza Realty - Bottle of Red Blend Wine

Advent Calendar

We also teamed up with local businesses and offered an Advent Calendar, with products worth $300.

Collaborators include:

La Jolie MLN Boutique
Maxine Boutique
Bread & Butter Home and Gifts
Bazzy Boutique
Judith B Salon+Spa
Merle Norman Cosmetics
Kilwins

Most of us can remember the days of in-person networking events. These were often large, industry-specific lunch or dinner get-togethers with speakers and time to mingle and pass along business cards. COVID had a devastating impact on U.S. business with an estimated $28 Trillion in lost economic output. The business events sector was one of the worst hit.

But, now that masks are no longer mandatory, COVID is a fading memory. However, people are fighting a new set of problems such as inflation, supply chain disruptions and the threat of recession. In other words, small business owners are going to have to learn new ways to band together in mutual support.

When we do events like the ones mentioned here, the benefits accrue to both the business owners and the community. La Jolie MLN Boutique is proud to be a part of these mutually-supportive ventures. We welcome you to join us.

A Few Ideas…

Hold you own event where people can share their business stories and build their networks
Post recommendations on friends’ LinkedIn profiles. They will typically return the favor
Consider opening an account on sites like hivebrite, a platform that allows you to stay in contact with alumni from your college or university.
Ask business owners if you can contribute to their blog site. For instance, at LaJolie MLN, we regularly write stories for businesses we support. This includes artists, designers, not-for-profit partners and the like. It allows you to broaden your profile and attract new customers.

Got an interesting business story you’d like us to share?
Contact me at dms@lajolie-mln.com

Contact Us

La Jolie MLN: ”It’s our mission to give young ladies the lessons all of you can share with us. So, let’s share our experiences, strength and stories. I cordially invite you to join a cohort of empowered women. Please send your stories to Blog@lajolie-mln.com