LAKE COUNTY – To say the news for business and the economy hasn't been great would be an understatement, so two local women have set out to give Lake County's businesses a boost by creating a new event. {sidebar id=131}

Karen Long and Kendra Runyon, who have their own company called Big Diva Promotions, last month decided to put together a new business expo to bring local businesspeople together for a day of networking.

The inaugural “Around the Lake Business Fair” will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 15, in the theater building at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St.

Admission for the public is free.

Long, who moved to Kelseyville from Healdsburg three years ago, said she and Runyon – both stay-at-home moms – started thinking about how to help boost the local economy.

“We came up with idea to do a women in business show, but then on a phone call to the bank I got the idea to make it about the businesses in the community and what Lake County has to offer the local consumers,” she said. “That's when we came up the the Around the Lake Business Expo.”

It's an effort that goes hand-in-hand with the growing call to shop and seek out services within one's own community.

The expo is open to all kinds of businesses. The promoters hope that the event will benefit everything from gift shops to accommodations, home-based businesses to banks, florists and more.

Since beginning work on arranging the expo, Long and Runyon has been encouraged both by the interest and the energy in the community. Connecting people and sharing ideas is a prime motivation for the effort.

Long and Runyon said there also will be door prizes and plenty of parking for community members.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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