Women with Know How March 2014 Issue

MARCH 2014

BB Webb

Entrepreneur, Writer, Speaker and Media

Helping Your Business Find Its

Twirl

Important Changes for North Carolina

LLCs

Top 7 Ways to Be Green from Head to Toe

2014 Making An Impact

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D

Dear Readers,

Mimi Zelman Publisher

Dear Readers This month we celebrate Women‘s History month.

How Did Women’s History Month Come into Existence?

According to the federal website devoted to Women’s History Month, the US Congress established Women’s History Month albeit first as a “week,” not an entire month. Starting in 1981 and every year for the next five years, Congress continued to pass resolutions marking “Women’s History Week.” Eventually it became an entire month. Each year it is given a theme.

This year’s theme, Celebrating Women of Character, Courage, and Commitment, honors the extraordinary and often unrecognized determination and tenacity of women. Against social convention and often legal restraints, women have created a legacy that expands the frontiers of possibility for generations to come. They have demonstrated their character, courage and commitment as mothers, educators, institution builders, business, labor, political and community leaders, relief workers, women religious, and CEOs. Their lives and their work inspire girls and women to achieve their full potential and encourage boys and men to respect the diversity and depth of women’s experience.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars and celebrate women this month by attending our Making An Impact Conference For Women On Friday March 28! Our four speakers will impact your life, business and world.

Register at: www.womenwithknowhow.com Have a great month!

Mimi

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Connect And Grow With Women In Our Community

Contents

18 Publisher/President Mimi L. Zelman mimi@womenwithknowhow.com Creative Director Rebecca Fairchild www.facebook.com/AzureDoorCreative Contributing Writers Terri Bennett Karen S. Boardman, Esq. Elyshia Brook

For more advertising information call Mimi at 704-491-1207 or email her at: mimi@womenwithknowhow.com Copyright Š 2014

12 Top 7 Ways to Be Green From Head to Toe

14 Important Changes for

24

42

6 38

North Carolina LLCs

28 Helping Your Business Find Its Twirl

On the cover BB Webb

www.womenwithknowhow.com MARCH 2014

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professional spotlight 6

By Mimi Zelman

Lena Lumelsky Woland Technology, Owner

How did you get started in this business?

My husband and I moved to Charlotte, North Carolina from London in 2005. We had no roots in the city, no family close by who knew where to find good parks and playgrounds where we could take our two (now three) young daughters, where to look for good pediatricians, summer camps, schools, you name it. Once we settled in, I realized how helpful it would have been if someone had a website where I could find all of this Connect And Grow With Women In Our Community

information ahead of time. That’s how KidsInCharlotte.com was born. I took all of the information I could think of that might be helpful to parents who are new to Mecklenburg County and put it in one place on the Web. It went live in October 2005 and I hope it has been a useful tool for parents like me and my husband, who are moving to the area. It was a dry run for Woland Technology, and looking back I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out. Currently, KidsInCharlotte gets 25,000 visitors a month, on average.

What is your background-what were you doing before this business?

I have a Masters degree in Computer Science from the University of Michigan, but I didn’t start out creating websites. Most of the programming I’ve done before Woland – wor k ing at large financial institutions like Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch – involved designing customized software systems for their sales, trading and back-office operations: complex database-driven applications written over many months by teams of programmers around the world. It was ever ything you might expect from working on Wall Street during the tail end of the Dot-Com era: long hours, lots of pressure, and no end of colorful personalities and general craziness. Despite the stress, it was a great experience that taught me a great deal about how to manage projects, motivate my employees, and deliver a product my clients appreciated.

Incidentally, when your clients have included Wall Street securities traders, there’s not much any other client can do to shock or upset you. It’s a very high bar.

The fork in my road came with the birth of our first daughter, Rebecca, r ight around the collapse of the Dot-Com bubble on Wall Street, and two months to the day before 9/11.

It seemed like a good opportunity to become a full-time mom, and I took it. A year later, we moved to London, where our second daughter, Polly, www.womenwithknowhow.com MARCH 2014

7

was born. A few years after that, we moved back to the U.S., where our third daughter, Mia, was born, and I began to write KidsInCharlotte on a whim. Once that project was done, and I realized I could do it flexibly enough to accommodate my children’s schedules, I formed Woland Technology and hung out my shingle (or meta-shingle if we’re talking about Google). The technical side wasn’t very hard after my experience at the New York investment banks. Plus, I quickly realized how much I love working with different kinds of businesses, meeting new people, entrepreneurs from every background, who have so much enthusiasm and such amazing ideas. It’s a lot of fun and very gratifying to know, and to be told, you’ve done a great job.

What are some interesting statistics about your business?

We’ve been in business since 1996.

We now work with over 70 clients and our business is growing at more than 50% per year based on revenue.

What is unusual or unique about your business, in comparison to your competitors or similar businesses?

Woland Technology doesn’t try to be all things to all people. We focus on web design and internet marketing, and we do it really well, in my opinion.

We are agile enough to service many different industries – real estate, education, fashion, retail, industrial – but we succeed on our strengths, which 8

Connect And Grow With Women In Our Community

are, first, designing responsive, functional and elegant web sites that meet or surpass our clients’ expectations, and second, providing the dedicated support that our clients need once their sites go live. We concentrate on building what, for many of our clients, will be the public face of their company – the mental impression that their potential customers will form in the first 15 seconds after hyper linking in from a Google list of, literally, thousands of search results. If we’ve done our job properly and the site stands out – holds the customer’s attention – everything has to work seamlessly to provide them quickly with the information they are looking for, or, in an e-commerce site, lead to a sale. If it’s not working as intended, we collaborate with the client to make sure it does. For some of our clients, what’s important is that we’re local – their concerns or spontaneous ideas are not funneled through a call center in the Philippines. It reinforces their trust in our ability to support their business in a committed way.

Our other secret weapon is our alliance with Paper Blossom Marketing, a fantastic Charlotte-based company specializing in social media and marketing, run by Kelly Yale and Shannon Hawk. They are experts at enhancing corporate brands and getting c o m p a n i e s l i n k e d i n to Fa c e b o o k and Twitter, all crucial to a strong Web presence. Our collaboration with Paper Blossom has been a huge

boon to our clients. It has without question provided both our teams with oppor tunities we would not have had working separately.

Finally, a lot of web designers start out in graphic arts and migrate to the technical side. My experience in the IT world meant Woland was established, first and foremost, on a solid technological foundation. To be sure, there is no “right” or “best” way to get started in web design. But having a strong techie background enabled me to do more complex projects such as e-commerce sites, photo galleries, and database-intensive services like Chai Expectations, an online matchmaking site.

O n e p ro j e c t i nvo l ve d c re a t i n g from scratch a web -based payroll application for a local company with near ly 900 employees. Building a software application like that is not really web design – but you’d be surprised at how much they have in common.

So, what’s unusual or unique about Woland? It’s a young company helping other young companies build their business and seize the remarkable opportunities that the Web offers. We build websites for entrepreneurs. We know the challenges they face and understand a basic fact: what they often need is not so much a service provider but a partner.

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Connect And Grow With Women In Our Community

What are some of the greatest challenges in your business?

I think web design is one industry that has not become commoditized yet.

Maybe it’s gradually approaching commoditization, but it’s not there yet. Still, many companies select a web design firm with the commodity paradigm in mind. A startup company on a budget may balk at an estimate because their friend offered to write them a site “just as good” for a quarter of the price – in their spare time. An established company with a seven figure turnover may need to rationalize their large marketing budget by massively overpaying for their website, when they could have gotten a better, more professional result from a smaller, more engaged and nimble shop. Granted, it’s hard to tell if a company is worth its salt without doing research, talking to the owner, looking at the portfolio, understanding what the service contract says – it’s all time-intensive work. How much easier to fall back on the common assumptions that all web design companies are basically the same, and you get what you pay for.

Common, but wrong.

So, one of the greatest challenges for me is exploding the commodity myth through marketing, making personal connections with potential clients as well as with teammates, like Kelly and Shannon at Paper Blossom. And, of course, through hard work and creative approaches to each client’s needs.

Another challenge is keeping up a with a rapidly evolving industry. The

Web didn’t really exist, functionally, until the mid-90s. That’s only fifteen years ago. The most cutting-edge technologies and tools available to do what we do at Woland may be obsolete in five years. If we don’t keep pace, so will we. It’s exciting, but it requires a strong technical background and a constant willingness to learn from everyone on the Woland team. In addition, running this company requires enough discipline and pragmatism to realize that a client may not want or need the latest untested whiz-bang feature on their website. But what they will need almost certainly is a site that looks great on multiple platforms, like a home PC and a tablet computer (e.g., an iPad).

What would you like our readers to know about your journey in business?

The aphorism about the fox and the hedgehog is, “the fox knows many little things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” As much as I love the technical aspects of my business, the “hedgehog” side of it, I accomplish more by being a bit of a fox: sharpening my networking skills, finding a common language with my clients and employees.

Learning to recognize what I’m good at, and focusing on that without losing sight of the interpersonal relationships that really drive my business.

Woland Technology, LLC Charlotte, NC Phone: 704-942-0675 E-mail: info@WolandTech.com www.wolandtech.com

www.womenwithknowhow.com MARCH 2014

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going green 12

Top 7 Ways to be

Green from Head to Toe

B

eing fashionably green is about more than just what you wear. It’s also about the other things we put on our bodies such as sunscreen and even shampoo.

Terri helps you be fashionably forward thinking as she runs down her ‘Top 7 Ways to be Green from Head to Toe.” 1) Pick Safer Personal Care Products Many personal care products we use contain toxic chemicals and preservatives. Preservatives usually contain dangerous parabens. And some ingredients won’t be found on the ingredient list because they’re hidden under the term “fragrance.” That term is used to avoid listing things like phthalates which can alter hormones. CosmeticDatabase.org is an easy to use resource to easily find what’s in all the products so you can choose ones with the safest ingredients.

Another good bet is to avoid products which contain the ingredients: quaternium-15, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea formalin and methylene oxide.

2) Buy Better Make-Up T h e r e ’s n o t h i n g pretty about what could be lurking in your favorite blush, lipstick, or eyeliner. Some brands actually contain mercury, lead, or chemicals which are known to cause everything from cancer to reproductive problems. Again, CosmeticDatabase.org is a good place to

Connect And Grow With Women In Our Community

By Terri Bennett

start researching the products you use.

You can search by specific brands and product names.

3) Be a Resale Shop Regular Resale shops are the perfect places to get a steal of a deal on gently used clothing, shoes, and accessories. There are resale chains that specialize in all kids’ clothing. Not only can you buy fashions for less, you can also sell what your kids have outgrown. Check out consignment shops where you live to get deals and unique finds for the grown ups in the family. And don’t forget your local Goodwill. Many locations now look like department stores and you could put together a complete look for an unbelievable price.

4) Rent High Fashion Clothes & Accessories You know the problem with trendy clothes and accessories. One day they’re in…and they next day they’re out. Consider renting instead of spending top dollar for items that will be used occasionally.

WearTodayGoneTomorrow.com is a fashion lover’s paradise. And, BagBorrowOrSteal. com rents everything from handbags to sunglasses.

5) Opt for Organic Cotton Make a fashion statement by opting for organic cotton. 25 percent of all insecticides and 10 percent of all pesticides are used on conventionally grown cotton. That doesn’t

even account for all the chemicals used in the manufacturing process. Organic cotton clothing may cost you a little bit more than conventionally produced cotton but it is almost always softer and it tends to last longer. It’s also becoming easier to find; just look for the 100% organic cotton label.

6) Shop for Safer Sunscreen Your best bet when picking sunscreens is to buy ones which contain zinc and titanium. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recommends avoiding the controversial ingredient oxybenzone because it is thought to alter hormonal systems. It’s also recommended to avoid spray on or powdery sunscreens because the potentially harmful ingredients can be easily inhaled. The EWG has an online sunscreen guide breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sunscreen that rates

hundreds of sunscreens by safety and tells you what’s the best and what’s the worst.

They also have a free smart phone app that allows you to look up sunscreens by name while you’re shopping.

7) Give Back When you’re no longer wearing that favorite look or those must have shoes – do something good with them instead of letting them sit in your closet for ages.

Soles4Souls is a charity desperate to give those gently used shoes to people in need around the world. Goodwill takes all kinds of clothing to sell in order to raise money for job training programs. And, another worthy organization is Dress For Success which wants business appropriate clothing for women in need who are going out for job interviews.

www.womenwithknowhow.com MARCH 2014

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business law 14

Important

3 N

Changesfor North Carolina

LLCs

orth Carolina recently overhauled its Limited Liability Company (LLC) Act, repealing the previous Act at N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 57C in its entirety and replacing it with a revised Act at N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 57D effective January 1, 2014. Importantly, the revised Act is applicable retroactively, meaning it applies to all active LLCs, even if formed prior to January 1, 2014. This article will address the most significant changes and how these changes affect current and future LLCs. For existing and future LLCs, the LLC’s operating agreement will control, so long as it does not conflict with the items outlined at the end of this article. However, if the LLC does not have an operating agreement, all of the provisions of the revised Act will apply, regardless of when the LLC was formed.

I f you are a single -member or otherwise small LLC, you may be wondering if you need an operating agreement. An operating agreement provides many advantages. It allows the member(s) to retain control of the functions of the LLC. It outlines the LLC’s operations and can be helpful in

Connect And Grow With Women In Our Community

By Karen Boardman

the event in conflict among members.

Perhaps most importantly, an operating agreement increases the division between the LLC members personally and the LLC as an entity, limiting the members’ liability in the event of claims against the LLC. In order to take advantage of the limited liability afforded to members of an LLC, the members must prove a separation exists between the members and the LLC – that the LLC is not merely serving as a “shell”. The fewer members in an LLC, the more crucial establishing this division becomes.

For example, if Jane Smith is operating Jane Smith Photography, LLC, but has not taken the appropriate steps to separate herself personally from the business, a claimant may be able to prove that the LLC is really just a “shell” for Jane, giving that claimant access to Jane’s personal assets rather than just the LLC’s assets. Doing so would negate the biggest advantage to operating an LLC: the limited liability it affords to its members.

As for the significant changes, the revised Act distinguishes between economic interest rights (the right to take part in the LLC’s profits and losses)

and management rights (the right to make decisions for and on behalf of the LLC). A member is a person with both economic interest rights and management rights. An economic interest owner holds only economic interest rights (for example, a ‘silent’ investor, or a beneficiary who inherits an ownership interest). An interest owner may be a member or an economic interest owner. A company official (such as a director or officer) holds only management rights. The revised Act also revised the term membership to ownership interest to encompass both members and economic interest owners.

Second, the previous Act allowed an LLC to form as a member-managed LLC (management of the LLC is vested in its members, with all members also ser ving as managers) or a manager-managed LLC (management of the LLC is vested in its managers, where members may or may not be managers). Rather than offering this election to LLCs, the revised Act combines parts of each of these types: all members are also managers and the management of the LLC is vested in its managers. In addition, company officials may also act as managers if so designated by the members. Each manager may act on behalf of the LLC in the ordinary course of the LLC’s business. Managers may delegate management authority to other persons for general or limited purposes. Management decisions are effective with a majority vote.

Third, the revised Act requires unanimous approval of the members in order for the LLC to take certain actions: adopting or amending an operating agreement; admitting a member; transferring all or substantially all of the LLC’s assets prior to a dissolution action; dissolving the LLC; converting the LLC to another type of business entity; and merging the LLC with another business entity.

Fourth, the revised Act allows for distributions of property other than money, so long as such distributions are distributed so that the net value of the property is proportionally divided among the interest owners.

Fifth, the revised Act specifies how a member loses his or her ownership interest automatically. The member (or the member’s estate) becomes an economic interest owner, entitled only to economic interest rights, in the event of a member’s death, adjudication of incompetency, status as a debtor in bankruptcy, assignment of property for the benefit of creditors, appointment of a trustee of the person or property, or abandonment of the member’s management rights.

Finally, the revised Act specifies that an LLC’s operating agreement controls the LLC. However, an operating agreement may not: (1) void or diminish the functions of the Secretary of State (including filings and payments); (2) apply to persons who are not parties to or otherwise bound by the operating agreement; (3) allow www.womenwithknowhow.com MARCH 2014

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wrongful distributions which would prevent the LLC from paying its debts in the ordinary course of business; (4) limit the liability of managers approving wrongful distributions; (5) preclude members’ rights and access to information; (6) prevent members from bringing a derivative action, without providing an alternate remedy; and (7) inhibit members from requesting judicial dissolution, without providing an alternate remedy. If there is a conflict between an operating agreement and documents filed with the Secretary of State, the operating agreement will control as to parties to the operating agreement (interest owners, managers, and other company officials) and the

documents as filed will control as to everyone else who reasonably relied on the documents as filed.

Please take these statutory changes as an opportunity to review your own corporate documents. If you are unsure about what you have and what you need, you may wish to consult an attorney experienced in business law.

Karen S. Boardman, Esq. Kincaid & Associates, PLLC Offices in Charlotte, Raleigh, Wilmington and Asheville Phone: 866-435-5971 E-mail: kboardman@kincaidandassociates. com www.kincaidandassociates.com

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marketing

By Elyshia Brooks, MBA

Authentic

Personal Branding Architecture

W

When you build or are beginning to build your Authentic Personal Brand Architecture for your business, you are arranging your organizational structure to be strong and steady to grow as you and your business grow. It is arranging your entire brand t o g r o w o r g a n i c a l l y, t o b u i l d divine relationships, and create oppor tunities in a competitive environment.

It is really about establishing your business on a firm core purpose and foundation that speaks to your authentic self and values.

There must be an understanding that designing your authentic personal brand is not limited to your stationary, advertising materials, your culture and logo; but is much more deeper than these

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Connect And Grow With Women In Our Community

important items. It includes other components, which incor porate your entire corporate brand and sub -brands because they are all a representation of your desires, stakeholders, employees, network, customer ser vice, customers and your partners. This structure is not something that you can take lightly, but really put your heart, mind and soul into developing because it will be a legacy of who you are.

Your Authentic Personal Brand Architecture articulates your platform which is based on your: Brand Vision, Mission, and Goals – What is your BIG WHY? Reason for all of this?

Branding Purpose – How are you supposed to serve your clients?

Brand Positioning and Composition – How do you want

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your brand and business to be received and perceived? Is it structured to achieve your desired results?

Brand Personality – What is your personality and how does it intertwine into your brand?

Brand Company Culture – What is the environment you desire for your company, employees, and clients?

What makes you www.womenwithknowhow.com MARCH 2014

19

unique from your contenders when you are encountered?

Branding Authentically – What are your core values that represent YOU? Building your Authentic Personal Brand Architecture is your key to your business success and your reputation because it is a representation of YOU! As you are cognizant of your personal brand at all times, as you should, because you took the time to craft and create what you have inside of your spirit. You cannot allow what you create to be torn down by anyone or anything

and must protect what you have been called to do. Your Brand is the Essence of You and How You Honor Your Brand Shows How Others Will Honor You and Your Brand As Well.

Over the next few weeks I will take the time to share with you how to protect your Authentic Personal 20

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Brand Lifestyle™ and how to continue to build a strong personal brand that grows as you grow. This year my brand will be including not only how to build an Authentic Personal Branding Lifestyle,™ but walking in true Personal Transformation and Trusting your Authentic™ Self to build the life you are designed to live and the business in which you are called to serve through. Get Ready, because you cannot walk in originality, uniqueness, and authenticity if you don’t know whose you are and why you are here and whom you are called to serve. You are designed for success and it is all about your thoughts, beliefs and action. “You must believe in yourself; therefore you must put action to your business and your dream ever y day!”

This year you cannot afford not to build your brand and market your business on a daily basis because that is how you will stay in front of your ideal target market. Moreover, continue to be true to yourself and your brand.

Elyshia Brooks, MBA CEO/President Elyshia Brooks International., Inc. Personal Authentic Branding Coachsultant Author, “Branding The Authentic You” Phone: 800-511-5410 www.facebook.com/ElyshiaBrooksInc

www.womenwithknowhow.com MARCH 2014

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S AV E T H E D AT E S

Early 2014 Calendar of Events Charlotte Social Mixers February and May 2014 @ BlackFinn Saloon

Triangle Social Mixers March, June, September December 2014

Charlotte, NC

Generational Diversity Summit

February 19th @ Marbles Kids Museum Raleigh, NC

Diversity Boot Camp March 14th Charlotte, NC

Women in Leadership Symposium March 4th @ Charlotte Omni Hotel Charlotte, NC

Healthcare Diversity Summit April 23rd @ Greenville Convention Center Greenville, NC

Monthly Leadership Meetings · Triangle Advisory Board: First Thursday from 1-2 · Charlotte Advisory Board: Second Monday from 10-11 · Board of Directors: Third Tuesday from 2-3 · Wilmington Advisory Board: Fourth Tuesday from 3-4 If you would like to learn more about the NDC Carolinas’ Diversity Council’s chapter meetings, events, or leadership opportunities, please contact us at info@ndccarolinas.org

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23

finances

3

Three Steps to Taking

Control

Your Investments of

I

nvestor optimism has steadily climbed since 2006, and more investors are managing their own investment portfolios, according to a recent study from investing firm Scottrade, Inc. “Investors and traders are seeing the opportunities in the market, and they are able to take action,” said Kim Wells, Scottrade’s executive director of product development and chief marketing officer. “More resources and online trading tools are available to help them find openings to build their portfolios and reach financial success.”

For the growing number of self-directed investors entering the market, here are three steps to take to manage a portfolio.

Gauge Accessibility Needs Those who self-direct their investments tend to check their portfolio and log into their accounts more frequently. According to a survey commissioned by investing firm Scottrade, Inc., most investors (59 percent) check their

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Connect And Grow With Women In Our Community

investments at least once a week and a quarter of them log in on a monthly basis.

Every investor and trader has different needs, and it’s important to identify how to interact with the investment company.

Want to be able to walk into a branch? Not all investment firms operate a branch network, or only have a handful of offices, while others have local offices across the country.

Need to call someone after market hours? Many investment firms operate call centers to handle customer questions.

Trading on the go? Investment firms have evolved to meet the needs of investors and traders by expanding their availability to include mobile apps. The majority (60 percent) of investors who own a smartphone report using them for banking and investment transactions and related needs, such as checking account information, according to the Scottrade study.

Want to interact with the firm on Twitter, Facebook or YouTube? Find a firm that provides the opportunities to connect via social media platforms.

By prioritizing needs and comparing the various offerings at investment firms, self-directed investors will be better equipped to find the right firm with which to partner.

Research Your Resources Explore an investment firm’s online resources. Whether pre- or post-log in, most online research tools, such as those at Scottrade, are available free of charge. More than one-third of investors say they taught themselves how to invest by using online investment education tools.

Learn what research tools each investment firm offers. Make sure realtime information is available to track a portfolio with charts and news. Learn about customizable features within each account and set up a system to easily see relevant information and take advantage of market momentum.

Look for market calendars that present expected activity (such as initial public offerings, earnings reports, dividends, etc.) in ways that are easy to understand.

Check for on-demand webcasts and live webinars to educate investors and traders on a variety of topics that interest them and meet their trading experience levels.

Engage in an online trading community. These virtual groups bring investors and traders together, allowing them to swap investment strategies and

learn from like-minded people. Most communities are also moderated by an investment firm with professionals who can answer investment-related questions and provide customer support.

Set Expectations Many find investing fun with general optimism among investors reaching a three-year high, according to the Scottrade study. Self-directed investors’ confidence has strengthened as the Internet has made information about the markets, rules and guidelines more accessible.

Yet while online trading saves investors and traders time and money, it does not take the homework out of making investment decisions. Before making a trade, investors need to understand the risks of each investment and the goals of their portfolios.

With the right tools at hand and by partnering with a reputable investment firm that meets individual needs, self-directed investors can take charge of their investments with confidence. To learn more about self-directed investing, visit www.scottrade.com and find more information on the Scottrade 2011 American Investor Study.

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Helping Your Business Find Its

Twirl

e

BB Webb - Entrepreneur, Writer, Speaker and Media Personality

by Mimi Zelman

BBl

Webb is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker and media personality. aire Blocker is President of In ten years she has grown her multi-award winning Carl House venue into one of the leading event venues in the Southeast producing over 100 unique weddings and special events a year. She has been selected as one of the ‘People to Know’ by Gwinnett Magazine 9 years in a row!

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In 2012 she was selected as one of 10 Top Female Leaders in North Atlanta and was also honored as Barrow County’s ‘Business Woman of the Year’. In 2011 her company, Carl House, was selected as one of the top 30 small businesses in the Southeast and of the top 30 in Atlanta. That same year she was invited to join the coveted ranks of Les Dames d’Escoffier Atlanta Chapter, a cutting edge association of top women in the culinary field. She is currently a regular on

‘The Ken Coleman Radio show’ where she highlights extraordinary women throughout the world, and locally.

In 2010 she was selected as one of five finalists for the coveted WE Excel Award by the NAWBO, Atlanta Chapter and appeared as a ‘Hard Knocks’ judge in the new CBS program, ‘The Next Tycoon’.

In 2008 she was awarded by Catalyst Magazine as one of the top five entrepreneurs to watch in Atlanta and in 2006 was awarded the ‘Results Count’ award

by Atlanta Women in Business.

BB is the former host and creator of the successful cable access television program ‘Living Life with Style’ and co-contributor to a Jack Canfield, Jim Rohn book entitled, ‘Rising to the Top’. She writes a successful column for Southern Distinctions Magazine called, ‘Notes from the Highwire’ and is developing two books, one a series called ‘Tiny Tips of Wisdom for the Small Business Owner’ and another entitled, ‘Only the Curious Have Something to Find!’ She has a www.womenwithknowhow.com MARCH 2014

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television series on the backburner entitled, What’s YOUR Story? BB Webb Champions the Entrepreneur.

With a background in theatre, BB holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in performance from Marlboro College and a graduate degree from The Ohio State University. She studied and worked intensively with theatre legend Tony Montanaro who most notably influenced her work as an artist. In 1990, she wrote, produced, marketed, and performed in her own one-woman play, Through Ruby’s Eyes, which she toured nationwide.

Popular with business groups, entrepreneurs, women, college students and professionals within her industry, BB is a sought after and charismatic speaker.

Fearless and inspired to make a difference, BB leads others to pursue excellence with passion and to embrace adversity as a necessary catalyst for positive change!

How did you get started?

I began my career in theatre, wrote, produced and toured nationally a one woman play called, ‘Through Ruby’s Eyes’. I’ve always loved sharing a message and producing events, starting as a little girl enacting popular commercials with all my cousins for family gatherings. Creating and running an event venue, marketing and branding our services and products we offer was a natural for me, with some stiff business learning curves and lots of help along the way, for sure!

How have your prior career experiences prepared you for your journey in life?

As an artist I learned how to market, pull together all the aspects of production and getting new business (I was REALLY a one woman show), and how to be creative to help make things happen. I also was adept at putting together all the details of a full production as I oversee doing with weddings and other events at Carl House. I’m also comfor table being in front of people, now

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representing our Carl House brand and sharing my stories of success a n d f a i l u re n a t i o n a l l y w i t h t h e message of how to persevere despite adversity. In fact, it’s adversity which teaches us HOW to be successful!

What would you most like our readers to know about your journey in business? In life?

I t ’s something I’m still lear ning….that to be successful you must learn to listen, to the clues and messages coming your way, everyday and always and to surround yourself with people who leverage your weaknesses and to whom you can implicitly trust. Also, to redefine success, the small successes in each day whether they are perseverance, tenacity, not just the ‘big win’, awards or money. You might ask, ‘how did I positively impact others today, were my efforts worthwhile?’ At the end of the day I feel living in your passion point and serving others is the best spot to be.

Who would you describe as your mentor(s) and why?

Tony Montanaro was a unique mentor of mine as a young artist.

He saw something in me and nurtured me as a creative being. I had never had anyone ‘get’ a part of me so solidly and with such enthusiasm. When creating new material he would often say, ‘let the beast live, let the beast live!’ I think of that often…what is it about something new I am creating or a coaching I am

sharing with my team that is alive and eager to burst on to the scene… ’the beast’… .it might be the way we serve others….’let it be known’ or a product we are developing for the market. How do you ‘let the beast live’!!

What’s on your bucket list and why?

To produce a television show or series and live show to go with it that highlights extraordinary women in business, primarily because I like to champion (especially), the underdog.

I’d also like to create a wildly successful stage show which I tour internationally telling the truth in comic and very real ways about what it’s like to be a 50 something woman with passions yet expressed and a whole lot of life to live and give! My best friend and I have been writing aspects of this show for years declaring again and again how ‘they’ll never believe this is true’. To me, real life IS stranger than fiction. Absolutely!

Let the truth be told and maybe we’ll begin to accept ourselves more!

And one more, I’ve yet to find the right fitting love partner for me, the person who inspires, supports, enthusiastically loves you just as you are and whom you entirely trust and honor as well. Ironic in that I marry off hundreds of couples a year, though as yet have not found that special man. You never know who might be around the corner, right?

I’d be honored to experience that kind of loving bond.

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Any difficult times you’d care to share with our readers?? And if so what lesson have you learned?

Goodness, how much time do you have??? They continue and no doubt always will as long as I am alive and growing. I’m perhaps at a stage in my life where I’m not trying to kick the bad times or feelings away so much as I know now, that’s where I learn the really great stuff and get to dig deeper.

Life still feels awful in moments, but I’m committed to growth and that’s a very real part of the territory.

Around 2008 I had not only just come through a divorce, but my company was in grave jeopardy. My big loan was being called due early, (they were getting rid of all loans in the hospitality business and in Georgia), my partner who I was buying 30 acres with me behind my business defaulted on the loan, leaving property that had totally lost its value, for me to pay for or lose, I had a 42K septic issue on my 32

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property that nearly closed us down during our busiest season, I was being ridiculously sued over a miscommunication on another project, sales were down, I had an inflated payroll and the wrong people in charge. Stressed?? A grave understatement. At one point I thought I was actually having a heart attack due to the stress!

What I learned through it all, was that I was not alone…but I had to first ask for help, from trusted people I knew, but more importantly to a greater spiritual presence! My faith was resolved as I learned to let go more and trust in a greater force of good…. if things are supposed to go one way or another, there is only so much influence I have. I began to trust more how I was guided, as I feel clearly we are if we’ll pay attention and listen! Things might not go as we had planned, but if we’ll listen, there is always a gift.

If you could do one thing differently in your life, what would that be?

Having just said what I did with the question above, it’d say to relax more, breath more, ask for help more, listen and trust my inner wisdom.

What do you wish you knew 20 years ago?

How valuable I am just as I am.

That I am ‘enough’!

What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

I am as human as anyone on the planet with as many ups, downs,

insecurities and hidden strengths.

And that I can juggle fire, literally and of course figuratively.

What inspires you? What makes you laugh?

People who are curious, interested, seeking a greater consciousness. What makes me laugh….so many things. My animals, when people are real and unguarded, being truly human. Smart humor….Jerry Seinfeld hit the hammer on the nail with his humor.

About the Carl House Built in 1903, Carl House was the centerpiece and home to the owner of a large and thriving ornamental plant nursery. Its original Southern garden plan has been restored with the addition of an exquisite gazebo under which many of the best and most beautiful wedding ceremonies in the South have been held.

This authentic piece of Georgia history is situated on four manicured acres that are surrounded by over 30 acres of the original pasture land property giving Carl House a plantation atmosphere with all the amenities and a luxury ballroom with covered porches.

The lavish interiors, including 10 working fireplaces, have been painstakingly restored to recreate the look and feel of the original house. The dramatic ballroom, mezzanine and third floor are new additions but look as though they have

I also crack myself up….at how ridiculous and obsessed I can be at times….but that’s perhaps a different sort of laugh! I appreciate humor and seeing humor in all of humanity and the human experience, for sure!

If you could stand up and defend anything, what would it be?

Kindness, grace, working to be fair and open minded, to accept differences in others. Tolerance. Though I’ll admit, I don’t suffer fools well. Seems I have some work to do! been there forever. Our restoration specialist used a combination of found antique materials, natural stone and woodwork design to emulate the period of the original house. The décor is a lush representation of the period featuring European wall coverings, beautiful period furniture and heavy silk draperies.

The feel of Carl House has been described appropriately as ‘casually elegant’, never stuffy, and able to be transformed for all manner of events and gatherings! www.CarlHouse.com 1176 Atlanta Hwy, Auburn, GA 30011 Phone: (770) 586-0095 Hours: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

www.womenwithknowhow.com MARCH 2014

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Business and Professional Women’s Foundation Taps Woman Veteran to Expand Digital Marketing Efforts WASHINGTON – The Business and Mecklenburg Times as one of the Fifty Professional Women’s (BPW) FoundaMost Influential Women in 2013.

Press Release tion is proud to announce that Crystal “I’m honored to be chosen by BPW for Williams, CEO of MetaLogix, Inc., has this task. I believe in BPW and the Women joined our team as social media and Joining Forces Mentoring Plus program, digital strategy coordinator.

Williams states Williams.

As one of the first grassBusiness and Professional Women’s (BPW) Foundation and her team will work closely with roots organizations focus on working Taps Woman Veteran to Expand Digital MarketingtoEfforts BPW andJoining Forces Mentoring women; BPW has a unique opportunity to Plus® (JFMP) to develop and implement veterans and theirtofamiWASHINGTON – The Business and Professional engage Women’swomen (BPW) Foundation is proud forward-thinking digital marketing liesInc., at ahas local level mentorship will announce that Crystal Williams, CEO of MetaLogix, joined ourwhere team as social campaigns.

She will also assist with benefit the most. ” media and digital strategy coordinator. Williams and her team will work closely with BPW andJoining Plus® (JFMP) and implement forward-thinking content and Forces social Mentoring media strategy, mar- to develop Deborah Frett CEO of Business Profesdigital marketing campaigns.

She will also assist with content and social media strategy, ket research, and industry analysis. sional Women says, “With the ever changmarket research, and industry analysis.

Williams, CEO of MetaLogix, Inc., a ing digital landscape it’s critical that we Woman Owned, Veteran Owned, Inforcontinue to evolve our digital and social Williams, CEO of MetaLogix, Inc., a Woman Owned, Veteran Owned, Information mation Technology firm brings with her media engagement strategy. And we Technology firm brings with her over 14 years of business; government and technology over 14 years of business; government believe that Crystal will bring a unique experience where they specialize in web development, digital marketing and enterprise and technology experience where they voice to our mission and help spotlight software solutions. She also currently serves as the BPW-North Carolina Women Joining specialize in web development, digithe great work we are doing with Women Forces Chair. tal marketing and enterprise software Joining Forces Mentoring Plus Program.” solutions. also serves as shortly after her graduation from High School.

WilliamsShe joined thecurrently United States Army theDuring BPW-North Carolina Women Joining her 10 year military career—first in the USAbout Army BPW and then the US Army Foundation - WithReserves a legacy datshe received Army service ribbon.

She also served Forces Chair. the Armed Forces reserve medal and ing back to 1919, Business and Professional honorablyjoined duringthe the War on Terrorwhere she earned the Williams United States Operation Enduring Women’sFreedom (BPW) Foundation was the first national defense service medal.

Williams was recognized by CRN Magazine as one of Top foundation dedicated to conducting reArmy shortly after her graduation from Women of the Technology Channel in 2013 as well as being named by theinformation Charlotte on working search and providing High School. During her 10 year military Business Journal Forty under Forty and Top Women in Business.

She also received women. The mission of BPW Foundation is to career—first in the US Army and then recognition from the Mecklenburg Times as one ofpromote the Fifty systematic Most Influential Women change in theinworkplace the US Army Reserves she received the 2013. by strengthening the capacity of organizaArmed Forces reserve medal and Army tions and businesses to create environments service ribbon. to She served honor“I’m honored be also chosen

by BPW for this task. I believe BPW and thevalue Women that areininclusive and theJoining skills and ably during the WarPlus on program, Terror- Operation Forces Mentoring states Williams. As one of the first grassroots contributions of working women, empowerEnduring Freedom where she earned ing them to achieve their full potential. the national defense service medal. WilFor more information visit www.BPWFoundaliams was recognized by CRN Magazine tion.org. @BPWF4WomenVets @WomenMisas one of Top Women of the Technology behavin Channel in 2013 as well as being named by the Charlotte Business Journal Forty Business & Professional Women’s Foundation under Forty and Top Women in Business. tel: 202.293.1100 | www.bpwfoundation.org foundation@bpwfoundation.org She also received recognition from the

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iMpact color cosmetics @ Shine Salon 1819 E. 7th St. Charlotte NC 28204 704.334.3211 iMpactcolorcosmetics.com

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Hear eWomenNetwork founder Sandra Yancey share how you can choose to live an inspired, totally fulfilled life! Living brave doesn’t mean you are fearless. It means that you move forward and “go for it” in spite of what scares you and the discomfort of the unknown. The power to succeed is always within you. The life you want is attainable. it can be yours if you are ready to LISTEN, be BRAVE, and EMBRACE your power.

• • • • • •

You’ll Learn:

To access and use your personal power to accomplish your life’s ambition.

The steps to being BRAVE and working through discomfort and uncertainty.

How to redesign your life and create exciting, real possibilities that invigorate your spirit.

How to avoid the destructive forces that sabotage your success.

How to energize your life and attract abundance, fulfillment and joy.

How to engage insightful new ways to ignite the growth of your business.

5th Annual eWomenNetwork Women’s Success Summit March 6, 2014 Informal Networking: 10:30 am to 11:30 am Program: 11:30 am to 2:30 pm Hilton Charlotte Executive Park Hotel

Join Us at the eWomenNetwork February Meeting too

February 6, 2014

Informal Networking: 10:30 am to 11:30 am; Program: 11:30 am to 1:30 pm Hilton Charlotte University Place Five Critical Tools for Teamwork Success Speaker: Amy Burkett

For more information, visit www.eWomenNetwork.com/GreaterCharlotteRegion Or contact Lori Dvorak, Executive Managing Director, at loridvorak@ewomennetwork.com

health

Healthy BREAKFAST - Healthy WEIGHT

My Plate

Milk

I

&

in the Morning

f you think skipping breakfast will help you maintain a healthy weight, you might want to think again. In fact, MyPlate recommendations include starting the day with a good breakfast: Start with breakfast Eat a breakfast that helps you meet your food group needs. People who skip breakfast often weigh more.

Eating a nutrient-dense breakfast may help you lose weight and keep it off.

By choosing a balanced breakfast, you can get off to the right start, and fill in the gaps in food groups likely to be missing in your diet. Milk is a perfect breakfast complement, yet more than 8 out of 10 Americans still fall short of the recommended milk servings each day.1

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Milk is packed with nine essential nutrients, including eight grams of high-quality protein. Along with building muscle and keeping bones strong, protein at breakfast can help you feel full and satisfied so you won’t feel hungry by mid-morning, which will help people stick to their weight management plan.

Studies show milk drinkers and breakfast eaters have more nutritious diets and tend to be leaner than non-milk drinkers and breakfast skippers.2,3,4 And to cut fat and calories, opt for fat free or low fat milk – they deliver the same nutrient-rich punch for fewer calories and less fat.

For more breakfast tips and recipes, visit thebreakfastproject.com/. Also, follow the Milk Mustache Campaign on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ MilkMustache, and Twitter twitter.com/ MilkMustache” @MilkMustache.

Skillet Eggs and Polenta Serve this morning meal with an 8-ounce glass of fat free milk and a slice of whole grain toast to start right with a serving of veggies, whole grain, protein and milk all before noon.

Makes: 4 servings 1 c. sliced mushrooms 1 c. red bell pepper, cut into strips 1 c. zucchini, halved lengthwise & sliced into half-moons 1 jar (32 ounces) marinara sauce 2 1/2 cups lowfat or fat free milk Salt 1/2 c. finely ground polenta or cornmeal 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided 4 eggs Chopped fresh basil (optional) Spray large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, and zucchini, and sautĂŠ until vegetables soften slightly, about 3 minutes. Add marinara and simmer to heat through. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.

Bring milk and salt to a boil in medium saucepan over medium-high. Slowly whisk in polenta, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Carefully crack eggs into pan and cook until whites are set and yolks are cooked to desired doneness, 4 to 6 minutes.

To serve, divide polenta among 4 shallow serving bowls; top with marinara and an egg. Sprinkle with chopped basil if desired.

1 K re b s - S m i t h S M , G u e n t h e r PM , S u b a r A F, Kirkpatrick SI, Dodd KW. Americans do not meet federal dietary recommendations. Journal of Nutrition.

2010;140:1832-1838.

2 Murphy MM, Douglass JS, Johnson RK, Spence LA. Drinking flavored or plain milk is positively associated with nutrient intake and is not associated with adverse effects on weight status in US children and adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. 2008;108:631-639.

3 Barba G, Troiano E, Russo P, Venezia A, Siani A. Inverse association between body mass and frequency of milk consumption in children. British Journal of Nutrition. 2005;93(1):15-19.

4 Wyatt HR, Grunwald GK, Mosca CL, Klem ML, Wing RR, Hill JO. Long-term weight loss and breakfast in subjects in the National Weight Control Registry.

Obes Res. 2002;10:78-82.

www.womenwithknowhow.com MARCH 2014

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family law 42

Divorcing Emotions from a Divorce

By Leigh Sellers

D

ivorce brings out a lot of emotions. Custody cases are the most upsetting for parties. But the division of assets, debts and paychecks is as emotionally charged. In many ways ending the financial part of your marriage is like ending a business relationship. It helps if you look at the situation as a financial deal. Focus on the money. You need to separate your emotional state from your financial state. A good financial settlement in a divorce should be judged on the numbers.

Anyone who has gone through a divorce understands that the divorce is a process that takes place over time. It doesn’t just begin with the filing of a complaint and end with a divorce decree. The divorce process generally takes longer than you would like it to last. A psychological process is evolving at the same time as the divorce process. Going through a divorce is akin to dealing with a life ending illness or a death. A person going through a divorce will often go through the same stages of grief that are often expected when people experience death. It feels like a death to many people.

These feelings are all understandable and common. From a financial perspective it is difficult to effectively engage in negotiations until you have dealt with the emotions. Usually, the spouse who decides the marriage is over will have gone through a

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great deal of the emotional process before you even know they have thought about it.

The person who is not in agreement with the decision to divorce is usually not as emotionally prepared to focus on the actual legal process.

You should discuss with your attorney whether there is a way to delay making permanent decisions concerning property or money. And you should listen if your attorney tells you that you are moving faster than advisable. While unnecessary delay is not warranted, quick and emotional decisions are often not the best decisions and many people regret things they do simply to get out of the process.

Both parties in a divorce usually end up with less than they need to live comfortably.

You can neither afford to give up what is reasonable because you are afraid, nor too much because you feel guilty and just want to get it over with the least amount of hassle.

Being too emotional can impair your ability to see and understand the larger issues.

Too often, when someone wants to get back at their partner for the pain they are causing, they do it do it economically.

Unfortunately, extracting revenge in the form of fighting over dollars can end up costing you more in legal fees than you get in your settlement. It is also important not to let pain and anger keeps you from asking for and trying to get what you are entitled to in a divorce. While letting anger drive you to fight until you are broke, allowing pain and

avoidance drive decisions can leave you broke for failing to fight. Some people often give into unreasonable financial demands because of guilt. This is also a mistake. In the first place, it won’t actually satisfy the person who feels aggrieved. In the second place you will ultimately regret it and never get over it.

It is important for you to decide what your economic goals need to be. You want to fight for things that are consistent with those goals. Emotional attachments to property can create property settlements which do not take people where they need to go in the end. The most common mistake is fighting for a former marital home in which a party cannot afford to keep up.

Further, the different values and backgrounds of the parties will often create as much as a problem in a divorce as it did

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the marriage. The positions a party takes in divorce, can often be directly related to cultural or historic elements of their personality. Understanding your feelings and those of your spouse can help you navigate the decisions that need to be made.

Make no mistake. What I am suggesting is a tall order and any divorce is overwhelming. There is nothing wrong with feeling strong emotions over a divorce or separation. But the law isn’t equipped to incorporate personal pain into the process.

I often recommend therapy for my clients to give clients a place to work out emotions safety and productively. And if it is clear that a client is paralyzed by the process and we can’t control the speed of the process, then I will also suggest that we involve a divorce coach. Divorce coaches understand the legal process and can support the client’s emotional journey in collaboration with the attorney. This allows the attorney to focus and deal with the cold hard legal facts.

Given that divorce coaches charge a lower rate than attorneys, it is a savings in the end to the client.

So be aware of your emotions and understand the part they play in your divorce.

And ask for the help you need. It is a tough time and you need to be physically, emotionally and legally prepared for the process in order to have a chance at obtaining a result that you feel is successful under the circumstances.

•

kruschlaw.com

(located in the heart of Southpark)

Two Fairview Center 6230 Fairview Road, Suite 105 Charlotte, North Carolina 28210

Leigh B. Sellers NC Board Certified Specialist in Family Law NC Certified Family Financial Mediator Licenced in North and South Carolina Krusch and Sellers, P.A. Two Fairview Road, Ste 105 • Charlotte, NC 28210 Phone: 704-556-0707 • Fax: 704-553-7824 www.womenwithknowhow.com MARCH 2014

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family x

Ti ps for Picking the

Perfect Smartphone

F

rom managing emails to connecting with friends, a smartphone can do a great number of things. But all of these features can be overwhelming when you’re in the market for a new smartphone. Since a smartphone purchase often includes a binding contract that can last for years, it is important to ask yourself a few of questions before making the commitment.

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Whether you are a savvy, resourceful consumer, someone looking for an inexpensive way to become a first time smartphone user, or a budget-focused head of household, you need to find the right smartphone that fits your lifestyle. Here are a few tips to get you pointed in the right direction towards a satisfactory purchase: What will you use it for?

Before you are enticed by a shiny

television adver tisement for the hottest new device, decide what the primary functions will be. If you want the ability to search the Internet or communicate through social media apps, a smar tphone with a user friendly keyboard and an extensive data plan may be what you’re after.

Consider if you will need the phone for work, play or both.

Contract plans, and even some non-contract plans, force you to pay for data, minutes or texts that you may not need or want. But some providers, such as TracFone, allow you to pay only for what you use, and any unused talk, text and data carryover as long as you keep your service active. For more information, visit www.tracfoneandroid.com.

Where will you use it?

It’s important to choose a carrier

that offers reliable coverage for the areas where you will be using your phone the most. Providers, such as TracFone, offer nationwide coverage across America’s largest and most dependable networks.

What’s your budget?

In your research, be sure to look a t b o t h t h e c o s t fo r t h e p h o n e and the monthly contract. It’s also important to ask about any extra fees associated with the device, including activation or termination fees. Affo rda bl e An dro id s mar tphone plans from TracFone include talk, text and data and start as low as $7 per month. Smartphones can be expensive devices, but with a little research you should be able to find a deal for one that can help you do more, without spending more.

With advance ments that seemingly occur ever y minute, it can be difficult to keep up with the ever-changi n g s m a r t p h o n e.

When looking for one to fit your lifestyle, it ’s impor tant to ask yourself a few simple quest i o n s. D o i n g s o w i l l e n s u re yo u choose the best phone to fit your lifestyle. www.womenwithknowhow.com MARCH 2014

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