In the midst of a fluctuating amount of job opportunities and a bruised economy, many people are finding alternative ways to make a living and choosing to become their own bosses.

For those seeking advice on how to start or maintain their own business, the Entrepreneur showcase and Black Business Exposition is the place to be.

From motivational speakers to career advice given by professionals such as Peoria-based entrepreneur coach Doris Symonds,  those in attendance are bound to leave with an abundance of information and a new understanding for the entrepreneurial field itself.  

“Students who attend the event will be presented with a lot of great opportunities,” Tony Jones, one of the event directors for the evening, said. “They’ll have the chance to network with business officials who have been extremely successful in their occupations of choice and are currently looking for young people to give advice to.”

Jones and his counterpart Andrea Herman of Perfect Productions are excited to present such an expo to the Bloomington-Normal area.       

Though this is their first expo, they plan on holding several more in the coming years. They expect this year’s event to pave the way for an extremely bright future.

“We don’t have a lot of entrepreneur expos in this area,” Herman said. “They tend to be held in the bigger cities so we wanted to bring something like that to Central Illinois.”  

The expo will include everything from entertainment and food to games and loads of information. Besides the entrepreneur workshops and private meetings with business consultants, attendees will also have a chance to win door-prizes.  

In addition, Kandi Burress from the hit television show ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ will attend for a meet-and-greet.        The Grammy-winning song writer is also the owner of TAGS Boutique in Atlanta.

The Entrepreneur Showcase will take place on Saturday, April 23 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn and Suites located on 3202 East Empire Street in Bloomington. The event is $10 for regular admission and $5 for ISU students. A portion of all proceeds will go to the 2011 Cultural Festival Weekend in August.