The Room
A fledgling networking organization for Jewish business
people and professionals is serious and heimesh.
JULIE EDGAR STAFF WRITER
she said. The Ex-
change may even-
tually invite special
speakers for quar-
terly evening gath-
erings, aside from
monthly morning
meetings.
"We want [mem-
bers] to walk away
with some type of
practical knowl-
edge that they can
use in their busi-
ness," she said.
For herself, Ms.
Beim has been at-
tending network-
ing meetings for
five years and be-
lieves they are a
"big help." Rev-
enues at Media Re-
source, which she
founded just over a
year ago, hover Marilyn Beim kno ws the value of networking.
around $100,000
formed the group as a way to
and are climbing.
Another Exchange board mem- bring young professionals togeth-
ber, Eric D. Baum, a registered er. So far, the unnamed organi-
representative for John Hancock zation has met twice, drawing
Securities, announced that a about 10 people from professions
membership guide is forthcoming that range from insurance to com-
and that the organization may puter consulting to law.
"We're in the early steps of a
charge membership dues of $100
journey.
Who knows where it will
annually.
Another networking organiza- take us. We see people exchang-
tion that is not limited to Jews is ing ideas, making referrals," he
just getting under way, but the said.
For more information, contact
group operates somewhat differ-
ently, said Scott Eisenberg of Mr. Eisenberg at (810) 642-5660. ❑
Amherst Capital Partners in
Birmingham.
There are no guest
speakers and people are
asked to join in order to
avoid duplication. They
then provide the presenta-
tion.
Mr. Eisenberg, the out-
going president of the
Young Adult Division of
the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit, said
he and a few friends
etworking" is one of those make and keep contact with cus-
new verbs that has crept tomers and prospective cus-
into the modern lexicon, tomers, he said. Obtaining
conjuring images of people prospect lists from a trade orga-
in crisp blue suits tentatively nization and then contacting
shaking hands as they uneasily members with personalized let-
ters, not "canned" newsletters, is
mill around a strange room.
But, fashioned around a certain a good-way to start.
"It's not enough to come to this
theme or group, it is a pretty good
breakfast meeting and shake
idea.
For the 25 or so people at the hands. You must plant the seeds
second meeting of the Jewish for a long-term relationship; you
Business Exchange last week, must have contact that is consis-
making contact with Jews in all tent," Mr. Layne said. He added
kinds of businesses could only lead that regular personalized letters
to a richer pool of potential cus- and phone calls work best.
"The trick is to have your mail
tomers and clients, and perhaps
be meaningful," he added.
lasting friendships.
Mr. Layne also said he was
And while there were those
blue suits — the meeting drew a "amazed" that many profession-
bank official, a securities sales- als and businesspeople tend to
man, an architect and investment duster in trade organizations with
adviser—there were also a young other members of their
travel agent, a piano tuner, a chil- profession.
"How do they market
dren's entertainer and a rabbi or
themselves?" he asked
two.
"You can never have too many rhetorically.
Piano tuner Jack Wa-
connections," said Ron Lowy, a 59-
year-old office-space planner and terstone of Oak Park has
designer from West Bloomfield. always been good at fol-
"You're increasing your sphere of low-up. "[Mr. Layne] be-
influence. It just makes common lieves in the 32-cent
stamp. So do I," he said.
sense."
But it's never a bad
Like Mr. Lowy, Melissa Man-
dell, the 29-year-old owner of Sig- idea to hear it from an
nature Travel in Southfield, expert.
Mr. Waterstone, who
attended the first Jewish Busi-
ness Exchange meeting in June. works at American Mu-
She said some of the people she sic Academy in
met there told her they've sent Rochester, said he found
Mr. Layne's talk "in-
clients her way.
"I think the Jewish communi- spiring and informative."
"I'll naturally keep
ty is a great networking commu-
nity," she said. "Plus, you always working in the same
gain something from listening to way. If somebody comes
the speakers, even if you've heard in to get his piano tuned, Michael Layne: Personal and consistent contact is key.
the topic before." In June, John I take his name and ad-
Shuck of WWW.Passport, an In- dress and a year later,
company develops
ternet service provider, spoke on he'll get a letter," Mr. Waterstone Bloomfield
marketing, sales and training ma-
said.
the value of placing one's business
The man behind the Jewish terials for corporations.
on the Internet.
At June's meeting, question-
Business
Exchange is Rabbi Her-
Last week, Michael Layne of
naires were left for guests to de-
shel
Finman,
who
is
not
a
busi-
Marx Layne marketing and pub-
termine their interests and what
lic relations spoke about finding nessman but considers himself to kind of speakers they'd like to
and keeping clients in the "era of be in the "service industry." He's hear. Getting and keeping clients
lean and mean." As significant as spoken often enough to groups was topmost, but there is an in-
creating a unique identity for the about Jewish business ethics and terest in Jewish business ethics,
business is the willingness to the like that he felt a need to unite
N
PHOTOS BY DANIEL LIPPITT
Workin
professionals under one
roof.
"I'm not in a regular
business, so I don't have
to go to the Detroit Eco-
nomic Club, but I've
found from a lot of
people that there's a
feeling of alienation,"
he said. "[Networking
meetings] are so big.
You can go and hear Ia-
cocca but not really net-
work. This is a smaller,
more user-friendly set-
up . It's more heimesh."
R abbi Finman, who
hosts the "Jewish
Hour" on WPON-AM
1460, contacted Mari-
lyn Beim, a principal
and owner of Media Resource, and
the two got the group under way.
"We have a very interesting
Jewish community — everybody
knows everybody — but I found
when I went out to network, they
were so specialized in what they
were providing that I wasn't get-
ting a lot of potential clients. I was
finding that I was networking
with Jewish women business
owners, but what about the men
business owners?" she said.
"As an entrepreneur, I always
have questions and doubts, and
you always need reinforcement;
you need to look into the future of
how people solve their problems.
People are so willing to share
what their experiences have been
and how they solve their prob-
lems," says Ms. Beim, whose West
Rabbi Hershel Finman wanted a less alienating atmosphere.