info@dannex.org | Think, Create, Become

What do all the freelancers, home office folks, and super small businesses do for the holidays? Chances are, with no co-workers to party with, there’s little holiday cheer for you. Don’t just dress up your dog, come party with us!

If you’re in an office of 1 or 2, or if you have no formal office at all, come to this lunch-time gathering to celebrate the end of the year with other area small business owners. This event is open to tiny office and office- less workers from all neighborhoods. Pass the word!

Event is Friday, December 16, 2011 starting at 1 pm in Union Square, Somerville.

Complete cost for lunch is $15.  Register before 12/15 to attend.

Bring along a Secret Santa gift to exchange (valued at $5 or less) that represents your business to network and spread holiday cheer at the same time. Could be a mug or a keychain with your logo. Or if you’re a graphic designer, maybe bring greeting cards with an image you created. If you’re a carpenter, maybe bring a hammer. Be creative!

The event location is in Union Square, Somerville. Restaurant details will be sent to all those registered before the event.

The Arts and Business Council of Greater Boston is sponsoring a whole array of webinars for creative professionals.   The workshops cover everything from personal finance to making the most of google apps, from building an audience to understanding sales tax for your artwork.

Design Annex continues biz.buzz, a new kind of networking event for design professionals in Somerville. At biz.buzz, we’re building a shop local movement for Somerville’s creative enterprises. Participants won’t just exchange their contact information; they’ll trade advice, referrals, and services to make each other’s businesses stronger. This event is the first of a quarterly series to bring together the city’s vibrant design community to grow this dynamic industry.

Design Annex’s goal is connecting this community of people working at the intersection of commercial and creative and through the shared connections to thrive together. Somerville has been a quiet hub design and creative businesses and it’s time we made some noise, locally and nationally.

Wednesday, October 12, 6-8 pm at Precinct. Free. RSVP and don’t forget to bring your business cards!

For the November biz.buzz, Design Annex joins with Mass Challenge to bring together the community of tech start-ups with this area’s talented designers.

Mass Challenge is the world’s largest business start-up competition, with $1M at stake to catalyze the launch of high-growth, high impact new businesses. Frequently these tech start-ups have incredible technical products but lack the quality design that would allow them to stand out in the marketplace. At this biz.buzz we seek to introduce the design community of Somerville and the greater Boston area and high-tech enterpreneurs.

Wednesday, November 9, 6:30 to 8:30 at Joshua Tree in Davis Square. Free. Co-sponsored with MassChallenge. RSVP.

These events support Union Square Main Streets’ efforts, through the Design Annex, to grow the creative economy in Somerville. The Design Annex provides the resources to grow creative businesses including shared office space and equipment, networking, and advocacy for industry needs. Since its founding just 18 months ago, 25 small creative businesses have used the Annex’s resources and community to help grow their enterprises.

In July, Union Square Main Streets’s Design Annex hosted its first biz.buzz, a quarterly networking event for small and medium sized creative businesses and their professionals. At biz.buzz, these folks exchange favors, advice, and opportunities instead of just business cards, in a new kind of networking to build the individual businesses and to strengthen the design industry in Somerville overall.

The next biz.buzz will be held October 13.  Stay tuned for details.

Alongside networking and community building of events like biz.buzz, Design Annex is also launching a series of profiles of these professionals so that even more people can get to know the incredible wealth of talent in Somerville. If you or someone you know is interested in being profiled, please let us know! You can get in touch with us at info@dannex.org, or send us a tweet to @designannex.