Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois (GSNI) is hoping Barrington businesses can lend a hand to some fledgling entrepreneurs?local Girl Scouts!

The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the first taste of real world business experience for many girls. Through the cookie program, girls learn how to set goals and make decisions. They develop skills in money management, business ethics, and customer service. Best of all, many Girl Scouts who start selling cookies go on to lead future business enterprises?enterprises that improve the overall health of our community economy. Helping a Girl Scout just makes good business sense!

Barrington businesses can help Girl Scouts now in three ways:

Hosting a Cookie Booth Sale
GSNI is currently looking for additional cookie booth sale locations. Cookie booths are the final phase of the Girl Scout Cookie Program and allow girls to learn another way to market their product?through direct sales to the public! If you submit your business location for a booth sale site and are chosen by a troop, you will receive a free business listing on GSNI?s ?Cookie Locator,? available on both the council?s website and as a smart phone app viewed by cookie customers in over 16 counties!

Girls will be selling cookies at various times on weekends inside area locations from now until March 20, 2011. If your business would be willing to host a booth during this time, please e-mail Chris at cerrera@girlscoutsni.org.

Cafeteria, Break Room, or Presentation Sales
What could make employees love lunch or break time even more? Girl Scout Cookies! If your business could host a Girl Scout selling cookies in the cafeteria during lunch time or setting up a table in the break room, you could help that girl reach her sales goals!

Girls love talking to people about how much they love cookies and the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Many Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors (grades 9-12) would be very excited to make a presentation on Girl Scout Cookies and gain some valuable real life business experience (and hopefully sell some cookies to reach her goal). If you can help a girl in this way, please contact Ann-Marie at 847-741-5521, Ext. 7172 or e-mail asoderstrom@girlscoutsni.org.

Buying Cookies
If your business location doesn?t work for a community booth sale, or if you?re unable to host a girl at your business, you can help Girl Scouts in Barrington by purchasing cases of cookies. Cases include 12 boxes of cookies and can be the perfect way to thank employees, clients, and vendors?all while helping local girls build courage, confidence, and character to make the world a better place! If you?d like to purchase cookies by the case, please call Madelon at 847-741-5521, Ext. 7120 or e-mail mkoerner@girlscoutsni.org.

All proceeds from the Girl Scout Cookie Program directly benefit girls in northern Illinois, supporting Girl Scout programs, camp scholarships, volunteer training, membership assistance, and outreach programs. Each troop receives a portion of the proceeds as discretionary funds for troop activities. In fact, the Girl Scout Cookie Program is one of the few youth-oriented programs in the country providing its participants the ability to decide how to direct the proceeds generated through their business activity. For more information, visit www.girlscoutsni.org.