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TURN PASSIONS INTO PROFITS: A PRACTICAL WORKSHOP

Nov. 27, 2001 – Some of the most successful businesses in the Virgin Islands got their start in the living room, spare bedroom or garage of someone's home.
A number of V.I. entrepreneurs who started in that way will be on hand to speak at the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands' home-business conference, "Turning Your Passions Into Profits," set for 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the Holiday Inn Windward Passage Hotel, on the St. Thomas waterfront.
The daylong conference is designed to help would-be entrepreneurs turn their hobbies and talents into a successful business, said a release from the foundation.
More than a dozen business owners will give workshop presentations detailing how they launched their business ventures. Many of these home businesses have been expanded into profitable community-based businesses.
Among the workshop presenters:
– Randolph Maynard, Owner, Pita Express Restaurant
– Scott Barber, President, Universal Business Supplies
– Shaun Pennington, Publisher, The V.I. Source Online Newspapers
– Jason Budsan, Owner, Caribbean Herbals
– Cheryl Miller, Owner, Taste of Paradise
– Cathy O'Gara, Owner, Ad Pro Graphic Design and Production
– Michelle Geary, President, Infinite Possibilities
– Louis Ible, Jr., President, Creative Arts & Design Studio/Flair Magazine
Other presenters include local residents who operate home-based businesses in craft- and doll-making, food catering, graphic design, computer graphics and web page development.
These entrepreneurs will share their strategies for writing successful business plans, acquiring contracts, creating dynamic marketing materials, finding good deals on home office technology, and securing business financing.
Representatives from business loan programs will discuss financing options and procedures.
"In the Virgin Islands we have hundreds of talented people who have a passion for cooking, sewing, craft making, writing, design, and so much more," said Karen Gutloff, Director of Programs and Communication for the Community Foundation.
"They may perform these services for family and friends, but do not realize their hobby or passion can also be a full-fledged business. This conference will give them the tools to create a business doing what they love most."
The conference will feature an exhibit of products from home-based businesses.
Anyone who registers to attend the event will have an opportunity to win free business equipment, including a computer printer, fax machine, business calculator, and business software.
The conference fee is $20 and includes breakfast and lunch. To register and reserve a space, call the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands at 774-6031.
The conference is made possible by the Citibank Community Fund. Citibank started the fund at the Community Foundation to encourage entrepreneurial efforts within the Virgin Islands.
The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands was established in 1990 to serve the children and families of the Virgin Islands. The Foundation has more than 20 funds created by individuals and businesses to support educational, environmental, social and cultural initiatives in the territory.
The foundation provides mini-grants to community organizations, distributes scholarships to area students, and publishes "Kids Count," a study of children in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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