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West Side Business
Network
Innovative Idea Presentation
by
Dawn Ferencak,
Wednesday Journal Publications
Wednesday Journal Publications
3 Suburban Publications : 1 Urban Publication
The story of how a struggling community newspaper learned to thrive:
● Austin Weekly News covers the West Side of Chicago
○ mostly low income neighborhood
○ much poverty, high crime, food dessert, high unemployment
○ high number of ex-offenders re-entered into the community
○ high number of children being raised by grandparents
● Compared to our 3 suburban publications
○ Wednesday Journal covers Oak Park & River Forest
* affluent community - known for Frank Lloyd Wright/tourism
* boarders Austin - Chicago’s West Side
○ Forest Park Review - middle class
○ Riverside Brookfield Landmark - upper middle class
Relationship Based
Community Building
Local politicians at the West Side Heart & Sole 5K
Paxton
Ferencak
meets
Governor
Quinn
Wednesday Journal Publications’
Publisher Dan Haley at a community
event with his mentee
Growing up in the neighborhood
Paxton at Sec. of State
Jessie White’s desk
Paxton shaking hands with
Chicago Mayor Emanuel
Paxton
Ferencak
makes the
cover of the
competing
newspaper
for Chicago’s
West Side
Out & About in Austin began in 2010
2011
By September of
2011, we decided to
EXPAND our
circulation, and
cover the entire
West Side of
Chicago
2012
2013
2014
Out & About in Austin
publishes every week
in print and online
www.AustinWeeklyNews.com
Creating a network for the
business community
Austin Weekly News’ Business Development Luncheons
began in June 2012
Publisher Dan Haley at networking events
Austin Weekly News’ tote bags
3000 distributed at community events each year
Austin Weekly News’ West Side Women
networking group began in February 2013
Each meeting includes time for introductions
“The Austin Weekly News has created the
West Side Business Network along with
other groups during this past year.
The results have been
outstanding - providing
outreach, information and
networking to business' and
organizations in the Austin community.”
- Sandra Sokol, former Village Clerk,
Village of Oak Park
West Side Women networking meetings are FREE to attend,
though women are encouraged to purchase their own
breakfast and support Alice’s Restaurant
Alice’s Soul Food
RestaurantA West Side landmark
for over 30 years
5638 W. Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL
The One
Year
Anniversary
Meeting of
West Side
Women
included
Vendor
Tables
Men started coming to West Side Women...
And so, in March of 2013, the West Side
Bridge networking group was born
Meets to discuss bridging the gap between Chicago’s West Side and western suburbs :
engages non-profits and community stakeholdersth
We alternate monthly meetings, one month held in our lobby, the next month held at
a local non-profit space. We soon out grow our lobby!
Austin Weekly News’ West Side Men
networking group began in May 2013
Advertising Revenue Quadruples
Results & Outcomes
West Side Community Guide doubles in size
Seen as Community Leaders
Revenue from nonprofits grows in
Wednesday Journal (sister publication)
Austin Weekly News’ email list grows
from 300 to 2,800 in 2 years
Dedicated “Community Focus” Emails
West Side
Business
Network
Weekly
Update
Emails
Breaking News Emails
Dawn wins Sales Representative of the Year
for 2011 and 2013“We are proud of Dawn for her hard
work, professionalism and most of
all for her abiding commitment
to helping her clients market
and promote their businesses to
reach more customers and increase
their sales.
Dawn definitely deserves the honor
of being named among the top
newspaper advertising
professionals in the State.”
- Illinois Press Association
“Because of the support that Community of Congregations received from
the Austin Weekly News and the Oak Park Wednesday Journal, we were
delighted to welcome over 200 people to Ascension Church for our
Annual Meeting to interact with a panel of 11 community leaders.
The newspapers' willingness to highlight the
resources available in our communities as well as
the needs we face together, helps all of us be informed
and prepared us to be engaged in meaningful ways for the
benefit of all of us.”- Sally Iberg
Pilgrim Community Church
Community of Congregations
West Side Business Network Holiday Party:
A Celebration of Success!
Attendees included Anan Abu-Taleb
(2nd from left), President of the
Village of Oak Park
● 1st Annual Party to celebrate
the West Side Business
Network growing to over 500
members
● Raised over $2,575 in
Sponsorships
● Over 250 people attended
● Secured volunteers from half
a dozen local organizations
2nd Annual West Side Business Network Holiday Party:
on track for even bigger success!● Already raised $6,000 in
Sponsorships
● Doing a “Taste of Local
Eats,” a buffet of
refreshments from area
establishments that will
allow guests to
experience our
neighborhood’s culinary
creations
“I'm very pleased to announce that we are promoting Dawn Ferencak to Associate
Publisher of the Austin Weekly News. This title recognizes the broad and
powerful role that Dawn (and Junior Associate Publisher Paxton Ferencak) play
in representing the Weekly across the West Side.
It has been remarkable to watch and to participate as Dawn has built a strong
revenue base for this publication and has done that by building an astounding
network of West Siders who participate actively in the networking groups which
Dawn has built from scratch. This is a textbook study of community organizing
meeting community journalism. And it is powerful.
Thanks to Dawn and Paxton and all those who have supported this effort.”
- Dan Haley, Publisher, Wednesday Journal, Inc.
Dawn named Associate Publisher of
Austin Weekly News in March 2014
Dawn is recognized as an Unsung Heroine of Cook County in March 2014
“Dawn Ferencak is an unsung hero because she works tirelessly
everyday to further the success of her family, the company she works
for, and the many organizations she is involved with. Dawn is incredibly
dedicated to her community – the West Side of Chicago. For years
now, Dawn has made Austin Weekly News the most profitable
newspaper produced by Wednesday Journal Publications, while
bringing an invaluable positive energy to the workplace. On the board
of 6 organizations, Dawn is always attending local events with her son,
Paxton, now a well-known fixture in the community.”
Dawn with her son Paxton and
Cook County Board President Toni
Preckwinkle
“I have asked Dawn Ferencak to take on the leadership of the sales staff for our
four weeklies.
She will become our new sales manager and comes ready with great
enthusiasm, plenty of ideas on how to grow our business in both digital and
print, a clear sense of the challenges and opportunities we face and an
unparalleled work ethic.
Dawn is the right person to lead our efforts in these remarkable times of change.”
- Dan Haley, Publisher, Wednesday Journal, Inc.
Dawn named Sales Manager
in July 2014
National Recognition
Invited to act as Moderator for a panel discussion at the
Illinois Diversity Council’s National Women’s Conference
“Transitional Leadership: From Vision to Impact”
Dawn with Donna Brazile, author, academic, and
political analyst who is Vice Chairwoman of the
Democratic National Committee
National Recognition
The story of the West
Side Business Network
was included in an article
in Metro Plus Business
Magazine
Events
The West Side Business Network
hosted several free Health Panel
Discussions for the community
West Side Women’s Health Forum
West Side Men’s Health Fair
● Helps to establish
connections that
promote collaboration
with the goal of mutual
benefit
● People become
connected through the
WSBN -- It's the first
group they seek out
when they want to
grow their business
in Austin!
● The West Side
Business Network
(WSBN) has over
500 members
● Now forming sub-
committees to help
plan events
Outcomes
● Dawn on the Board of
Directors at 5 West
Side organizations
● Alicia promoted to
Communications and
Marketing Project
Manager
Revenue continues to soar!
Members are Engaged● Weekly Email
Updates with
upcoming
meetings and
flyers from
members
● Monthly
Postcard
Reminders
● Newspaper
Ads
West Side
Manufacturing
Network(for the over 300
manufacturing and
production companies on
Chicago’s West Side)
Next Steps
Austin Weekly News
Society for Community
Journalism and
Outreach
(a nonprofit)
Community Room Makeover
Presentation made by Alicia Plomin,
Communications & Marketing Manager,
Wednesday Journal Publications
The End