Preparations for the October Las Vegas event are moving swiftly! The organizer is actively seeking sponsors and volunteers to support the event. If you live in the Las Vegas vicinity and want to lend a hand, leave a comment and we will reach out.

Palace started in Monterey in the 1890’s, expanded to Santa Cruz in the ’40s and was purchased by the Trowbridge family in 1949. Palace has grown exponentially acquiring 9 other independent office supply companies throughout the Central Coast.

Today, we are the largest independent dealer of art and office supplies, and office furniture in Santa Cruz and Monterey. We clearly understand that we are the Local Alternative to the Mega Companies and we know that we must try harder, be more creative, add value, offer equal to/or better pricing and out service our competition everyday to continue to earn the privilege of being in business. We have built this family owned company and our reputation on doing exactly as we have promised: giving world-class service locally and truly saving our customers money everyday on both office supplies and office furniture.

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There is a great roundup of Freelance Camp Miami, including slides and videos of sessions on “Holy Crap My Hair is On Fire”. Sessions Edwin went to included :

* Working in Your Pajamas? How to Make Living as a Freelance Writer
* Sexing Up Your Small Business Image
* Do what you love (or your work life will totally suck)
* Best Practices for Using Social Media for PR.

This event was run in collaboration with the laid off camp series.

The following provides a how to manual for putting on a freelance camp. This checklist is an accumulation of all the questions we had to ask and hurdles faced over the last year and a half. When it comes down to it, there are really three things you need to figure out: Venue & Food, Money (Sponsors) and Getting Peopl to Show Up (Marketing).

STEP 1: Getting Started
1. Register with www.freelancamp.org
2. Brainstorming Venues & Food
3. Preparing for Sponsors
4. Create a budget

STEP 2: Putting Plans into Motion
1. Secure a Venue
2. Signing Up Sponsors

STEP 3: Marketing and Outreach

STEP 4: Have Fun and Watch it Unfold

Oh and Side Notes & Recommendations

STEP 1: Getting Started

1. Register with www.freelancecamp.org

•    Seek to use freelancecamp.org as a basis for outreach and platform for your event. If you are need of any assistance, send Shane (my first name at shaneandpeter dot com) an email and he will gladly help you connect with the correct people, help you explain how to run the event, and will provide you with the proper resources and tools to use.

2. Brainstorming Venues

•    How many people do you plan on having? What location preferences do you have? Local? Nearby City?  Are there any restrictions you can think of? What kind of food do you want to serve?
•    Start gathering information on potential venues in your area (Possible venue options include: Coworking Centers, Museums, Community Centers, University/College Rooms, Churches, Recreational Facilities, Vacant Warehouses, Vacant Real Estate Properties, Hotels,  Banquet Hall etc.)

3. Scoping for Sponsors

•    Staring drafting your Sponsors Benefit Sheet. We have a sample on in a more complete post on getting sponsorship.
•    Talk to your City/County if they are willing to help you out with the event. You would be amazed!
For example, the City of Miami donated the venue (Convention Center) for the 2009 Miami event. There can be numerous mutual benefiting advantages to this partnership.
•    Ask your friends, coworkers if they know of any of any good potential sponsors for this type of event. (When you ask, make sure you keep it short and clearly explain the event in a few sentences. Tell them what your ideal sponsor looks like should they spot one in the wild.)

4. Create a Budget

•    Create a well thought out budget with a price ranges. I use google docs so that it is easy to have volunteers help manage the budget. We made 2 tabs, one for sponsors to keep track of both cash and in kind donations, and one for expenses. Our expenses have included: Breakfast, Lunch, Drinks, Schwag, Venue, Marketing, Office Supplies (name badges, pens, white boards…) , Wifi, Furniture Rentals, After Party. Many of these will depend on your venue and your ambition level. Some events have been run on $1,000 while others on $8,000.

STEP 2: Putting Plans into Motion

1. Securing a Venue

•    The venue should have a combination of large and small rooms. You would want a large room for the initial gathering, plus smaller rooms to have on-going workshops.
•    Come prepared with a well thought out budget and know exactly what you will pay for and what you will not.
•    Prepare a list of potential sponsors. This is good to have in order to gain leverage in negotiating for a lower price or for some in-kind services.
•    Does the venue have exclusive rights on food? If so, what type of food do they serve and what are the costs? Does the venue provide a coffee kiosk? Expresso Cart?
•    Are the following provided with the venue: Wireless internet, Extension Cords, Microphones, Podiums, and Screens?  Look for any hidden costs such as Janitorial services & insurance fees (To lower costs expect your guests to clean up after themselves.
•    Always remember to ask if they are willing to trade sponsorship for lower prices or some in-kind services. A lot of companies could use some good marketing support and you are offering to bring together a large number of business owners. This is a valuable service to a venue.

2. Sign-Up Sponsors

•    Have one sponsor per business vertical. This increases the value and helps sponsors make a commitment. This is the #1 concern sponsors expressed aside from the legitimacy of the event.
•    Approach local service providers who support small businesses such as: Lawyers, Accountants, Bank/Credit Unions, Commercial Real Estate Agents, ISP, Insurance Payroll Specialists, Investment/Retirement, Web Service Firms, Print Shops etc.
•    Check out any local institutions that have small business owners as benefactors: museum, design center, co-working centers, coffee shops.
•    Think of large companies that service freelancers and email them. You never know. Santa Cruz 2009 landed Elance.com as a sponsor, which came from an email sent into the ether.
•    Send your benefits sheet to all potential sponsors.

STEP 3: Marketing and Outreach

Marketing the freelance camp is an ongoing project. While finding sponsors and a venue may have deadlines, the marking aspect of freelance does not end till the day of the event. To market effectively it is not so much about getting the word out to everybody you know, but finding specific niche groups that have an interest in entrepreneurship, innovation, freelancing, and other related fields.

•    Put together a marketing email to promote your event to various groups, and businesses.
•    Place your event on www.barcamp.org
• Create an event via Facebook, Myspace, Linkin, Yelp, and Upcoming and on any other social networking site.
• Tweet it (tastefully).
•    Figure out which local groups have mailing lists. See if you use could use their mailing to promote your event. Be open to asking what is the best way to reach and present to their membership.
•    Research freelance or small business owners’ blog circles and write posts about your freelance camp. Some good sites are http://www.freelanceswitch.com, http://www.freelanceforlder.com and  http://www.elance.com/blog
•    Promote your event at Barcamps and other events that are happening in your area. Forge connection between those groups.
•    Outreach to local universities, colleges and research centers that offer internship program for students who are willing to help you put the event on or are interested in attending.
•    Ask your friends, your coworkers, your twitter pals, and your Facebook friends, who might have an interest or know someone who will help you, move the implementation process forward.

STEP 4: Have Fun and Watch it Unfold

I am not going to write much here. The world of barcamps is quite similar and this topic is so well covered. In short, relax and quit trying to do everything. Find a lot of volunteers so that everyone gets a chance to enjoy the event. Nothing is perfect. Ever. I promise. That’s ok.

For more: http://barcamp.org/OrganizeALocalBarCamp

Side Notes and Recommendations

•    Costco and other wholesale stores are a great place to buy food for your event. However, many venues have exclusive rights on food
•    You don’t have to provide food, but we have found that if people leave for lunch they will often not come back.
•    Make some preparations for an after party. Although this is not necessary, it is always good to have some sort of voluntary gathering after the event.
•    Do some preliminary research on SHWAG items to give out during the event. T-Shirt and/or stainless steel canteens are great items. Seek sponsorship or some in-kind services in exchange for these items.
•    A good way of finding out what your city has to offer is visiting your Small Business Development Center or talking to your city’s Economic Development Coordinator.  In most cases they will have a good idea of what type of venue you will need. In addition, they may even put you in contact with local property owners who have vacant lofts for you.
•    In some situations, Hotels and Banquet halls would like to reserve their rooms for dinner events. For example, if your freelance camp is between 9AM-6PM, they may ask you to finish up earlier such as 4pm. It is always good to be flexible.

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC), located at Cabrillo College, offers numerous resources and tools for business to thrive and survive. Given the current economic climate, the SBDC is a true gem for all the services and guidance they provide in running a successful business. New and existing businesses can leverage the Center’s consulting services to review existing processes, operations and cash flow while planning for the future. For potential business the SBDC offers an array of services from Quickbook assistance, business plan preparations to marketing plan assistance. The SBDC works closely with local lenders and can provide information on targeted loan programs including micro-loans and SBA Loan guarantee programs. In addition, they specialize in Restaurant/hospitality management, Childcare providers, Retail management, and Government contracting. We would like to announce the Small Business Development Center as one of our most generous and proud sponsors.

Visit them at http://www.centralcoastSBDC.org
Or call 831/479-6136

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The City of Santa Cruz, located between lush redwood forests and the Pacific Ocean, is one the most beautiful environments to start anything, whether that is a new family or a new business. Boasting a unique blend of camaraderie, community and cooperation (and easy access to Silicon Valley talent and services) Santa Cruz thrives on a long history of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Check out Cruzbusiness.com. The site serves as a holistic guide to starting and sustaining a business within city limits. It’s resources include financial calculators, links to business support services, funding sources, real estate and research tools. These resources are bolstered by the staff at the City’s Economic Development & Redevelopment Office which strives to make opening a new venture in town as easy as possible.

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Article by Corilyn Shropshire in the Houston Chronicle on April 24, 2009

They call it the un-conference.

It’s a place where everybody is somebody, jeans rule over expensive suits, drones at the podium are (strongly) discouraged and the schmoozing is (typically) free.

At one of these so-called BarCamps, whoever shows up gets to decide what happens.

What began in 2005 as anti-conference for geeks in Silicon Valley — a gathering for a bunch of computer programmers irritated by the exclusivity of invitation-only technology conferences — the barcamp has sprouted offshoots that have nongeeks, youngish hipsters and even baby boomers looking to learn a new trick rallying together around a common interest.

While the original barcamps tended to be focused on developing Web applications, these days, the themes increasingly run the gamut. On any given weekend, meet-ups known as GreenCamp, BandCamp, even CupcakeCamp, are taking place in cities around the world.

It’s spreading like a virus: PhotoCamps attract amateurs and professional shutterbugs to powwow about the latest in photography.

SkepticCamp spawns discussion about everything from the benefits of detoxing and eating organic food to paranormal encounters. ArtCamp brings artists and art organizations together for a day-long brainstorming session.

At a recent LaidoffCamp in San Francisco, one of the most popular sessions was “Booked-#$%^$% Solid,” which addressed how the self-employed can land clients and keep them.

“The whole idea is 20 minds are better than one,” said Travis Skweres, who recently organized FreelanceCamp in Houston. Roughly 100 participants attended sessions including “Resume 2.0” and “Twitter Basics.”

“Everyone learns from everyone else,” he said.

Here’s how it works: A bunch of people with similar interests decide on a theme, pick a date, find a venue and set about spreading the word, primarily through online social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.

Participants arrive in the morning and either sign up to speak on a topic relevant to the theme or wander in and out of workshops that interest them.

Anyone can host a camp, guided by a barcamp “wiki” with instructions on Web.

The workshops tend to be spirited events with an academic vibe — attendees tapping away on laptops (Twittering, no doubt) while a speaker beckons input from the crowd.

“Campers” say the cool thing about barcamps is that they are flexible, laid-back, collaborative and communal — great places to share ideas.

Taking part in the discussion is expected. Keeping silent is strongly discouraged.

“I like it because it’s crowd sourcing,” said Grace J. Rodriguez, who led the “Branding U” workshop at FreelanceCamp Houston. “It’s open source in real life, everyone has value and everyone can contribute.”

Barcamps also allow people who are increasingly conversing online to get face time with each other.

“With Twitter what you can say is limited, so the conversations are limited,” Rodriguez said .

Since barcamps usually are free, fans say they wonder why anyone would pay to listen to talking heads with little or no interaction.

If participants pay anything at all, it’s usually less than $50 to help cover costs for bagels in the morning, pizza for lunch and candy in midafternoon.

FreelanceCamp organizer Skweres raised roughly $1,500 to pay for the venue, food and such extras as T-shirts and notebooks.

The organizers of last month’s LaidoffCamp San Francisco got the use of a nightclub in exchange for guaranteeing participants would spend at least $1,000 drinking at the post-camp happy hour.

If barcamp sounds like anarchy, it’s not. Democracy rules.

If a speaker is bad, Skweres said, “someone can stand up and suggest a new topic.”

That’s what Skweres wishes he could have done after spending $450 to attend “some really bad sessions,” at South by Southwest in March.

“I was thinking to myself, someone should stand up, suggest a new topic, new speakers or send this (panel) in a different direction,” he said.

So when someone asked to make a comment during his recent lecture on Twitter at FreelanceCamp Houston, Skweres’ feathers weren’t ruffled. He merely invited the person to join him up front.

Anybody can participate in the discussion, as long as he or she has something valuable to add. Said Skweres, “The participants make it happen.”

Anybody can participate in the discussion, as long as he or she has something valuable to add. Said Skweres, “The participants make it happen.”

Both he and Rodriguez are busy planning their next camps locally. Skweres aims to host an EntrepreneurCamp in July, while Rodriguez is working with a team to develop a camp “to teach people how to make good presentations.”

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Live from the San Antonio Freelance camp, the Struggling Entrepreneur podcast describes the event as well as its value to the Free Agent or Freelancer — or the Solo-preneur.

“During that session, we interviewed Craig McCasland of www.obeo.com. Craig came with interest to this unconference, as he had never been to one before. His business is in need of rebranding, and his open mind came with questions about social media and how to use it for his business and his customers. And as you will discover from this audio episode, Craig left with a pleasant surprise.”

Check out all of their episodes!