Business Meetups for Professional Peeps in South Jersey

Of the many ways you can consult with other business owners and professionals, nothing surpasses meeting up in person. The good people who created Meetup.com knew exactly what they were doing when they named it.

According to the Meetup website, it’s “the world’s largest network of local groups.” More than 9,000 official Meetup groups gather together daily in communities all over the world. You can either find or found a Meetup with the goal of improving yourself or your local community in some way.

There are plenty of diverse Meetups geared toward personal interests. Me, I tend to gravitate to the business Meetups that encourage business owners to exchange ideas and help each other.

I’ve tried a Meetup or two in previous years, and I’d like to try a few more sometime soon. Thus, I did some due diligence regarding the Meetups available to me and my business-minded peers in the South Jersey area.

Please be advised the purpose of this blog post is to provide directional resources. My inclusion of the following business Meetups shouldn’t be misinterpreted as a personal endorsement of each group. If you’re a member of any of these Meetups, don’t be shy about chiming in via a comment!

South Jersey Digital Marketing Meetup Is a Mobile-Friendly Group: I’m leading with this particular Meetup because it’s brand (spanking?) new–as of April 13, 2015.

The members of this Meetup currently rendezvous in Burlington, NJ. They discuss all things SEO, SEM, PPC, analytics, social media, and anything else related to Internet marketing.

If you care to, please meet this group’s organizer, Todd Bailey. Take a closer look at the South Jersey Digital Marketing Meetup for yourself…

SoJoCoWo Meetup Is for Freelancers Who Need a Change of Venue: And I’m just finding out about this grand idea of a Meetup…now.

Freelancers and telecommuters are welcome to join SoJoCoWo at designated coffee shops (and other WiFi-friendly spots) in South Jersey. The members gather mostly to work, with a chaser of networking included.

Allow me to introduce this group’s organizer, Anne P. Consider liberating yourself from the “home office” intermittently by checking out SoJoWoCo – South Jersey Coworking.

At Small Business University’s South Jersey Meetup, School Is “In” (for Business Owners and Entrepreneurs): This particular Meetup is a free-to-join offshoot of Small Business University (SBU). However, SBU is a fee-based resource for business owners and other professionals that offers three mini-presentations (in one morning) on a bi-monthly basis.

Because networking is an integral part of this Meetup, members also have access to after-hours networking events in the South Jersey area.

Please meet this group’s organizer, Andrew M. It’s cool to be in school when your alma mater is Small Business University!

Foster Quality Referrals via South Jersey Business Association Referral Networking Meetup: This Meetup, based in Glassboro, NJ, is for business professionals and entrepreneurs serious about exchanging quality referrals. The group meets eight times during the year at after-hours networking events.

Allow me to introduce this group’s organizer, David Cairns. If Gloucester County is your professional hub, consider sampling the South Jersey Business Association Referral Networking Meetup over the summer (pending availability/a scheduled Meetup).

Networking at the Track in Cherry Hill Meetup Will Get You to the Finish Line: Are business-card exchanges and access to a plethora of retail shopping your thing? If so, you’ll probably enjoy this Meetup.

The group meets at 6 p.m. the last Wednesday of each month at the Farmers Insurance facility in Cherry Hill. It’s conveniently located atop Nordstrom Rack in the Towne Place at Garden State Park shopping center.

The Meetup seeks to attract sales, marketing, and business-development professionals looking to expand their “centers of influence.”

Please meet this group’s organizer, Lafayette Crawford III. Network and shop until your business cards drop via Networking at the Track in Cherry Hill Meetup.

JRZ Network Is the Meetup Child of the Former South Jersey Business Networking Group: This particular Meetup has been around for some time, catering to business owners, managers, and other professionals.

While the location is stated as Sicklerville, NJ, the group’s events rotate around South Jersey communities such as Cherry Hill and Mount Laurel. Because I’m not (yet) an official member of this Meetup, I can’t access the group’s content. (Hmm, maybe I should join, pronto!)

The longtime organizer of the JRZ Network Meetup is Andrew Young, owner of Garden State Cleaning and TruBlu Carpet Care.

All Media Mastermind South Jersey Is Much More Than a Social-Media Meetup: This group started in 2012 with a focus on social media. It has since expanded to include sharing of resources regarding all media types.

The facilitated discussions cover current issues related to social media, the WordPress platform, video, podcasting, SEO, content marketing, and more.

The Meetup’s organizer, Rae-Ann Ruszkowski, is currently experimenting with Friday-morning sessions versus Tuesday-evening gatherings. If collaborating and brainstorming with other business professionals about digital media excites you, give the All Media Mastermind South Jersey Meetup a try…

The PowerMatch South Jersey Meetup Is Free for Paying Members of PowerMatch: This group meets monthly in the Cherry Hill/Haddonfield area for what PowerMatch’s founder refers to as CONNECTwork lunches.

PowerMatch is a (fee-based) business-matchmaking service that functions on both sides of the Delaware River.

Non-members/guests are welcome at the Meetup’s monthly lunches, but there is a nominal $10 fee to attend. This group is most definitely not for business owners and professionals expecting immediate referrals–it’s all about building long-term relationships!

The organizer of the PowerMatch South Jersey Meetup is Sara Rosenberg, Connector-in-Chief.

Other business-centric Meetups in South Jersey for your consideration:

• Moorestown’s Shared Vision Network for Business Owners
• Online & Offline Business Networking Group (Bordentown, NJ)
• Northern Burlington County Regional Chamber of Commerce (Bordentown, NJ)
• Full Circle Networking (Marlton, NJ)
• Kingdom Chamber of Commerce SJ Chapter (Cherry Hill, NJ)
• Sicklerville Success Social
• Entrepreneur Round Table (Voorhees, NJ)

Are you a business owner or entrepreneur making a go of it in South Jersey? Do you currently participate in any of these local Meetups? If so, which ones would you recommend to your business “buds” (and why)?

Have you ever considered starting a Meetup in the southern New Jersey business community? I’m thinking about starting a Meetup for business bloggers in South Jersey. However, I still await feedback from other bloggers (i.e., micro- or small-business owners) regarding their interest/commitment level.

Anyone…anyone…what if I call it the “South Jersey Is for Bloggers” Meetup–is that something you might be interested in? Please advise…

Lori Shapiro is the owner of By All Writes LLC, a business-to-business (B2B) writing, editing, and research company in Marlton, New Jersey. She revels in shielding her clients from the pain of writing their own print or web marketing and educational copy. Please call Lori Shapiro at 856-810-9764 or email By All Writes LLC at lori@byallwrites.biz  for a no-obligation project quote today!