Networking in Pine Lake
by Margie FIshman
margiefishman@hotmail.com
CeCe Garrison knows firsthand how a troubled economy can derail a labor of love. Forced to put her master of theology degree on hold after her funding dried up, she now divides her time among bookkeeping, pet sitting and organizing spiritual retreats for women.
“The worse things get, the longer I stay at my prayer and meditation,” she said. “Now, it’s up to 1 ½ hours.”
Shy when it comes to networking, Garrison needed an easy way to break the ice. She found it at her neighborhood Pine Lake Local, a collective of self-employed people who have established a referral and resource network within their community.
The group is the brainchild of local residents Kris Casariego, a marketing professional, and Melanie Hammet, a performance artist, writer and city council member, who wanted a gathering place for Pine Lake’s independent businesspeople to exchange ideas and business cards.
“Each meeting is led and organized by someone else,” said Casariego, adding that monthly speakers address topics of particular interest to the self-employed, such as how to obtain health coverage or navigate the tax maze.
After a strong start in October, the 20-member group is busy working on a print business directory and Web site so that residents and the larger community can easily locate and support small-business owners. Future projects may include setting up group office space or a business fair tied to the city’s annual LakeFest arts festival held in October. Pine Lake, a small, quirky city off Rockbridge Road, has a preponderance of self-employed people (about one in every 10 residents is an artist, writer or musician), according to its Web site.
The concept of relying on who you know among independent business people is taking place in communities throughout the county. About a dozen small-business associations belong to the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, including the Chamblee Area Business & Professional Coalition, the Stone Mountain Village Merchants Association and the Tucker Business Association, said Kim Davis Mitchell, the chamber’s vice president of programs and operations. The Tucker-based chamber has a total of 600 active members.
“In order to grow your business, you have to find time to network,” she said, noting that small business is a major driver of the U.S. economy and is a popular option among the recently laid-off.
Davis Mitchell was on hand during a recent meeting of Pine Lake Local to explain the benefits of a $300 annual chamber membership, including monthly networking luncheons, an online membership directory and discounts on business development programs. Nine attendees, including two massage therapists, a doula, and a handyman, listened intently as they sipped tea by an electric heater in the city’s clubhouse.
Among them was Liz Beneski, a restauranteur and hotel consulting firm operator who has been unemployed for the past two months. Rather than bemoan her lot, Beneski is focused on “getting organized” and harnessing Pine Lake’s entrepreneurial spirit.
“It’s time for us to pool our resources,” she said.
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