June 2009 MVBWN Newsletter by dotcalm

J UNE 2009 1981-2009 OVER 25 Y EARS OF H ELPING WOMEN S UCCEED IN THE M OHAWK VALLEY !

Inside This Issue (1) (2)

President’s Message 2009-10 Board June Event SBA Award Winners Advertising with the Network MVBWN Executive Board Listing

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Member News Member Birthdays Community Calendar Our Fundraiser: Silent Auction/Raffle Roots & Wings: Nurturing the Dream Biz Tips from Sharon

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White House Council for Women SBA Recovery Act More Member News!

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Get Fit for Summer! The Back Page

Network M V

The Mohawk Valley Business Women’s Network Monthly Newsletter

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ********************* Hi Ladies! If you missed our May meeting, you missed a great one! Our speaker was Sheila Murphy who talked to us about using feng shui in our office setting. I have been waiting for a talk on this subject since I was program chair several years ago. The timing was perfect for me as I recently switched offices with a coworker. I was able to implement several of the things Sheila talked about and I feel great in my new space. Thanks Sheila and thanks Donna for booking her. We also had a nice meal provided by Leaf, Loaf and Ladle. Please be sure to give Olga your opinion of the meal and the location. They have four other buffet menus and we could go back again if you liked it. It’s hard to believe how much time has passed since I wrote my first message to you. It has been a pleasure serving as your President these last two years. Many changes have occurred in the Network and in my life since then. Most notably are that the Network has doubled from 40 to 80 members and my family has doubled from 1 to 2 members. As much as I enjoyed serving, I will be equally

glad now to step back a bit and let others run things while I enjoy Jordyn’s next few years. I want to send a big THANK YOU to all of the officers and committee chairs who worked with me over these two years. I couldn’t have done it without you! We’re currently gearing up for our final meeting, the 7th Annual Silent Auction and Basket Raffle: Roots and Wings, to benefit the Family Nurturing Center, and our own Endowment Fund. I spoke with our honoree, Donna LaTour-Elefante, last week and she is excited to be a part of the event. Let’s make it a huge success. Make your Reservations before Friday, June 12th. Auction items and Baskets should have already been turned in, but if you missed last Friday’s deadline, please get them to us by the Board meeting on Wednesday. The event will be held at Daniele’s Banquet Specialists on Route 5 in New Hartford. If you haven’t made it to a meeting in a while, this is the one you don’t want to miss.

I look forward to seeing you all there.

Julie Steele, President

The 2009 - 2010 NV Business Womenæs Network Board! Congratulations to our Endowment Winners! (see Page 2)

2009 MVBWN Board: (Back Row, L to R)

Barb Dougherty, Caroline Levitt, Tricia Badgley, Colette Aurand, and Michele Colicci (Front Row)

Veronika Freeman and Linda Fake Missing: Wende Maliani, Amanda Potter, Julie Steele

June 17, 2009 - MVBWN Silent Auction/Basket Raffle Executive Board (9/09 - 6/10) P RESIDENT Michele Colicci Michele’s Waxing Essentials 723-1569 P RESIDENT E LECT Veronika Freeman dotcalm / dotcalm domains 793-2025 T REASURER Collette Aurand Black River Bookkeeping, LLC 831-2721 R ECORDING S ECRETARY Amanda Potter A&P Master Images 793-1934 CORRESPONDING SECRETARY Linda Fake, ASID Uniquely Yours 429-3911 I MMEDIATE PAST P RESIDENT Julie Steele Gustafson and Co. 697-2345 O UR M EMBERS AT L ARGE Tricia Badgley Women’s Business Center of NYS 733-9848

7 to 10pm at Daniele’s Banquet Specialists Fundraiser for Our Endowment Fund & : the Programs of the Family Nurturing Center kets

Tic 5 $2

Roots & Wings: Nurturing the Dream

Available at ShipRite North Utica & from any member Gourmet Carving & Pasta Stations, Fine Pastries & Assorted Hors d’ourves

C ALL

M EMBERS :

T ICKETS /QUESTIONS ? E MAIL O LGA G OR M ICHELE C

P LEASE

LET US KNOW YOU ’ RE COMING BY PURCHASING A TICKET TODAY !

724-7069 / 723-1569 reservations@mvbwn.org

Our 2009 Endowment Award Winners !

Dr. Pat Laino, WBCNY, with Endowment Winner Jamie Zalepeski of Artistic Expressions.

Barbara Dougherty O’Hair Unisex Salon 737-1244 Caroline Levitt, Esq. Levitt & Gordon, Esqs. 724-2194 Wende Maliani MeMe’s Formals 797-6363

Linda Fake, owner of Uniquely Yours and winner of the 2009 Network Endowment Award, with Sharon St. John, SBDC advisor and Endowment Chairwoman.

Business of the Month

If you haven’t been listed in two years get your business write-up of 175-225 words in TODAY!

Collecting for next year! Send a TIPS article & get two pieces of press in one newsletter!

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Opportunities * * * * *with * *the* Network ********* Advertising M V BW N N E W S L E T T E R • $10 for business card advertisement printed in the newsletter • $20 for full page (8½” x 11”) insert

M V BW N W E B PAG E Any member in good standing can have a single web page designed for $75. This page will be posted at:

w w w. m v bw n . o rg / YourBusinessName

M V BW N W E B S I T E Post information about your event on the website. Send webmistress the info at least a month prior to the event.

Contact Newsletter Editor & Webmistress Veronika Freeman / dotcalm at veronika@StressFreeDesign.com or 315•793•2025 for more details

Member News...Member News...Member News... June/July Birthdays Diane Starsiak - 6/21 Cheryl Phillips - 6/22 Teri Fransman - 6/28 Sharon St. John - 7/1 Laurie Ann Dowell - 7/16 Gretchen LaManque - 7/17 Carol Buczek - 7/23 Betty Abel Jellencich - 7/30

Party with Marie Testa this Summer! I’m taking my “show on the road” this summer - give me a call to have a fun afternoon or evening with a jewelry party at your home, indoors or out. As owner of Marie's Handcrafted Jewelry, I’m currently accepting reservations for summer and fall parties. I’ll bring my one-of-a-kind creations - you invite the guests! As many of you know, my jewelry is moderately priced and I’m happy to create custom pieces. I can also repair or reinvent your current jewelry - so if you have friends that wish they could wear a favorite necklace, bracelet or earrings that’s been damaged, tell them to bring the pieces with them and let me make them whole! I also offer generous hostess perks! You can reach me at 733-7049 or mtesta81764@roadrunner.com.

12th Annual SBA Small Business Excellence Awards Winners! Each year the Syracuse District Office of the SBA awards 30 businesses a Small Business Excellence Award. This year the Women's Business Center of NYS nominated Yorkville Memorials and the NY Business Development Center nominated Daniele's. These two businesses were awarded the SBA Small Business Excellence Awards. This is a very prestigious award—Congratulations Gina & Teresa!

Community Calendar....Community Calendar....Community Calendar.... Wednesday, June 17, 2009, Noon - 2 p.m. Women TIES Syracuse Luncheon: "The Keys to Profitability - How to Make Your Company More Profitable" Featuring: Michelle Tuttle, Limestone Grill/Craftsman Inn, Fayetteville Reservations: June 15, $28. Are you wondering why you're working so hard and your business isn't making the profit you expected? Are you living out your passion but not bringing in enough revenue to make your efforts worth the while? Are you wondering how to unlock the doors to a more successful business? At this luncheon, you will find out how to conduct an important needs assessment of your current business, so you can evaluate where you are now and where you want to be and bridge the gap by prioritizing your findings to meet your profitability goals. Michelle Tuttle, President of Smart Business Solutions has an extensive background in management, strategic planning, marketing/PR, web design, training and HR development. Her goal is to help every client achieve maximum profitability by listening to their needs and helping them to develop an effective strategy to meet these needs. Her experience includes over nineteen years of corporate management experience with nine years of that experience focusing on marketing and public relations.

Committee Chairs DINNER CHAIR Olga Grandinette Remax Reality Results 724-7069 D IRECTORY C HAIR Veronika Freeman dotcalm / dotcalm domains 793-2025 ENDOWMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR Sharon St. John MV Small Business Development Center 792-7547 FUNDRAISING TEAM LEADERS Mary Moore ShipRite Parcel, Copy&More 797-2898 Linda Fake, ASID Uniquely Yours 429-3911 HISTORIAN Julie Steele Gustafson and Co. 697-2345 M EMBERSHIP C HAIR Robin Kilts Curves - River Road 368-0062 ASSISTED BY: Julie Darling Liz Docherty N EWSLETTER C HAIR Veronika Freeman dotcalm / dotcalm domains 793-2025 P ROGRAMMING C HAIR Donna Rebisz Women’s Business Center of NY 733-9848 W EBSITE C HAIR Veronika Freeman dotcalm / dotcalm domains 793-2025

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MVBWN Presents

Roots & Wings: Nurturing the Dream honoring

Donna LaTour-Elefante THE FAMILY NURTURING CENTER

SILENT AUCTION & BASKET RAFFLE

CNY

BENEFIT:

The Programs of the FNC-CNY & the MVBWN Endowment Fund

Great Food! Carving & Pasta Stations Veggies, Fruit & Pastries! Something for Everyone!

Great Prizes! Dinners, Luggage, Golf, Art, Business Services... Something for Everyone!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009, 7 to 10pm Daniele’s Banquet Specialists (Seneca Turnpike, New Hartford)

$25/ticket Music by Sound Investment DJ Available at ShipRite, 4 Riverside Drive, North Utica, and through any Network member.

Contact any member TODAY if you’d like to make a donation and have it picked up at your site! Thanks for your support! (4)

BIZ TIPS from the Tipster Five Ways to Find the Perfect Business Idea...by Joseph Lizio submitted by Sharon St. John,Certified Business Advisor, MV Small Business Development Center One of the biggest struggles I had in starting my business was actually coming up with the idea. I wanted something that was scalable as well as needed in our society. I combed through hundreds of ideas before settling on my current venture. Through this discovery period, I uncovered what I believe are the five most important concepts in determining what makes the perfect business idea. Number One - Understanding your customer:

Number Four – Cash Flow:

This might seem strange to start here as how do you know your customers before you have a business idea in place. The answer is simple - your customers make the business, therefore without customers there is no business. If you have a business idea don't try to develop the idea around what YOU think potential customers will like or need, but find out what your customers actually desire. Too often business owners get an idea in their head and jump right in with both feet.

Lots of entrepreneurs enter the business world with great ideas but very poor understanding of the capital it will take to get their venture off the ground. Most understand their product or service but don’t understand the capital it takes to make the product or service successful in the marketplace. A real working knowledge of business expenses like advertising, employees, insurance, phone service is needed for a clear understanding of cash flow.

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Number Two - Passion:

Concepts for Success

Number Five – You: Know who you are.

Passion here does not mean being fanatical about your product or service. But, it does mean having some interest in what you do. More times than not, you will be spending 15 to 18 hours a day working on your business in the beginning. If you end up starting a venture that you don't have passion for, something that does not make you jump out of bed each morning, it will be very hard to put in the hours and energy to make it successful - thus not a perfect business idea

Know your strengths and weaknesses. Know that you are ready, willing and able to do what it takes to make your venture a success. Be brutally honest with yourself – know how hard you are willing to work for you. Moreover, know your personal financial situation and what you need the business to generate to cover your lifestyle. Most self employment ventures do not yield a salary for at least the first 6 months and possibly more. So if you need an income right away, you might want to rethink the business idea.

Number Three - Understand Your Competition:

If you develop a business idea with these five concepts in mind – your idea will be the perfect business idea for you.

Every business has competition - either direct or indirect. Think about movie theaters. They have direct competition from video rental stores or at home television. They also have indirect competition from any other activity that consumers spend their disposable income on like bowling, paint ball, golf, etc. - anything that people do in their spare time. If you don't know your competition - what they are willing to do to keep you out of their market - you may be spending more of your time in a pricing war then growing your business - not the perfect business idea.

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IKEA Reports on the New White House Council for Women Learn how IKEA supports small business ownwers! On March 13th, 2009, President Obama signed an executive order creating the White House Council on Women and Girls. The mission of the council will be to provide a coordinated federal response to the challenges confronted by women and girls and to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies consider how their policies and programs impact women and families. We at IKEA BUSINESS find it validating to see an early focus on women made by the Administration. After all, IKEA has been dedicated to helping women-owned businesses both across the nation, and globally. IKEA stores in the U.S. provide inspiration, solutions and tools for small business owners, and offer locally hosted conferences and workshops each month. By partnering with women business organizations such as the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), and the Women's Leadership Exchange (WLE), IKEA has sought to encourage women entrepreneurs by providing valuable tools, insight and ideas that can make real differences in the everyday lives of women business owners. The Women's Leadership Exchange is a social entrepreneurship organization offering programs that help women entrepreneurs facilitate their success in business and in life. Their dynamic all-day conferences are held

Karlton Fake - The REAL Deal! Did you miss the OD story about LindaĂŚs son? HeĂŚs pretty cool - like his mom!

http://www.uticaod.com/archive/x1393577034/Boyleads-comical-sermon-to-help-raise-funds-for-church

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across the nation and feature keynote speakers, hands-on seminars, networking and much more. The National Association of Women Business Owners is an institute seeking to propel women entrepreneurs in a variety of ways, such as strengthening the wealth-creating capacity of members; creating effective change in the business culture; building strategic alliances; and transforming public policy. In an effort to provide venues to both of these great organizations, IKEA hosts NAWBO and WLE conferences at our stores all across the U.S. While it doesn't often make the news, business isn't slowing down for American women. They hold the majority ownership of 7.7 million small businesses and, including coownerships with men, own 10.4 million, or nearly half of all businesses, according to the Center for Women's Business Research. Employing almost 13 million and producing $1.9 trillion in sales, womenowned businesses have grown almost twice as fast as all firms in the past decade, according to the Small Business Administration. Women entrepreneurs are creating jobs, hope and opportunities in every community in America. IKEA will continue to support one of the most important engines driving this nation's economy in every way possible. Click to find out more about how we can help your enterprise. http://business.ikea.com/sb/siteshell/startup.html#,en_US,redirect;frontpage

Because You ARE Worth It! Would you like to feel and be healthier? Do you want to tone up for the summer? Have you gained a few unwanted winter pounds? Do you need the support of other women to achieve your goals?

If you answered yes to ANY of those questions, then we’ve got the answer for you!

We know you’ll love Curves... so we’re inviting you to join us for three months for only $11 9! We’re waiving the $75 sign-up fee! We’re making this offer available to you to demonstrate our commitment to your health!

• • • • • • •

Our Curves offers: 30 minute structured workouts. Women-only facilities. Convenient & safe location. Quality, maintained equipment. Caring, knowledgable staff. Prizes and incentives! Products to support your goals.

Call Robin

Cli cur ves e-m ck he r -ut ica@ ail Ro e to cen bin a tral t Today! ny. twc bc. com

368-0062

or just drop by at 9835 River Road, Marcy during business hours: Monday - Friday: 5:45am to 7pm / Saturday 8am to 12N

Summer Special - Offer ends July 1, 2009 - Mention MVBWN when you sign up!

New Members - Did you know...? We give a $25 Guest Speaker Coupon that is redeemable at any MVBWN business; the Network will reimburse you when it’s redeemed. This is the Network's way of showing our appreciation to our presenters.

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Did you know

You can bring items to sell/display to each meeting (there are designated tables for items) - and anyone can donate an item for the “Split the Pot” drawing! Both good ways for people to get to know you and your business.

being a member of MVBWN makes you a MV Chamber Member too? You can attend all chamber events at member price!

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Weære the Business Womenæs Group with ALL the Perks!

As a new member of the network, you are entitled to a name tag, membership certificate, and you’ll have your business information printed into our annual directory as well as on our website.

Check your business listing at

WWW.MVBWN. ORG

It’s YOUR website!

You will also be able to apply for our annual endowment fund. If you need a new, magnetic name tag, please contact our membership chair, Veronika Freeman, at 794-3506.

************************************************************ We're the network for women-owned businesses in the Mohawk Valley! O GE

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