Amber Pratt and Shawn Perich, owners of Northern Wilds Media, Inc., will speak to the May Business Networking Luncheon May 30 at Chez Jude. Their topic is Starting your own business from scratch: How Northern Wilds Media came to be.
The pair launched Northern Wilds magazine in 2004 as a quarterly intended to provide an extra revenue stream for Pratt, who had a graphic design business, and Perich, a freelance outdoor writer.
Northern Wilds proved to be a success and led the two to more business opportunities.
In 2007, they combined their individual enterprises and incorporated as Northern Wilds Media.
With the assistance of the Northeast Entrepreneur Fund’s Greenstone program, they developed a business plan. They struggled through the inevitable tribulations along the way, including a prolonged, deep recession and other factors outside their control. Now they oversee a business “empire” that created several jobs for others in the community and includes the bimonthly Northern Wilds, monthly North Shore Highway 61 and other printed products.
Pratt and Perich will talk about their experiences and offer lessons hard-learned including building business relationships, incorporation, learning to be a manager, working with a partner, and what you don’t know can hurt you.
The presentation will begin at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 30, at Chez Jude, 411 W. Highway 61 in Grand Marais. The talk will be followed by lunch and discussion.
To register call Cook County Higher Education at 387-3411 or e-mail highered@northshorecampus.org by Monday, May 28. Cost is $15, payable at the door.
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