Hi my name is James. I am new to this group and live in Pasadena, Maryland.

It is especially tough starting a business when you can’t rely on guidance and tips from your parents, spouse, friends, and family.  So where do you turn?

Fortunately, I was enrolled in my MBA program when this question came up. Still, what I learned had a theoretical academic spin and not the real word practicality I needed. My studies pointed me to reach out to local Chambers of Commerce chapters.

I thought it best to start with a smaller group that might identify with my needs better than a larger one with thousands of members. First on my list was the Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.  Very sad to say, several calls went to voice mail and never were returned so I moved on.  

Next, I tried the Pasadena (Maryland) Business Association. The website made it sound like dozens of small business owners gathered semi-weekly to share and support each other. Reality was quite different. After paying the $320 membership dues, I found out that the few members that did show up all seemed to know each other well in a tight circle and nobody reached out to mentor me or give me tips.  In my opinion, it was a terrible waste of time and money for my startup.

Third time is the charm, I tried the Networking in Annapolis group led by John Maggio. He has a network of 200 professionals in the Annapolis Maryland area that meet weekly at a reserved section of O'loughlin's Restaurant and Pub located at 1258 Bay Dale Dr. Arnold, MD 21012 every Wednesday at 11:30am.  The Networking in Annapolis group is free and I found that many of the members there support and encourage one another as I hoped. John does offer an optional small business consultation service for a fee on the side (link here).  I had two consultations and they were incredibly helpful and networked with several owners of small businesses.

My startup is this website, Bridges.Today