May 2011 Moms In Business Magazine

She Put Moms On the Map! Interview with Blue Suit Mom Founder

Maria Bailey

Easy Way to Follow Up with Clients

Invest In Mom!

Invest In Her Success & Invest In the Future

Build Business Credit

“Getting A Life”

Requires Getting A Deal

Moms In Business Magazine • April 2011 • PAGE 1

PAGE 2 • April, 2011 • Moms In Business Magazine

Moms In Business Magazine • April 2011 • PAGE 3

NOTES

From The Founder

Gina Robison-Billups; NAFMIB Founder, CEO

The Perfect Mother’s Day Gift: Invest in a Mom

H

ow often do you get something for Mother’s Day that really means something special to you?

Aside from the 2nd grade pottery project or the homemade cards, what have you received on a Mother’s Day that made you feel like you were valuable or special? Hopefully, you’ve gotten a lot of things, but more than I even care to admit, many mothers receive flowers, candy, and other items with the word “mother” on them. The challenge is that with all the Mother’s Day advertising out there, most people are at a loss of what they can affordably give to mom that also says how much she means to them.

This past Christmas, a friend of mine, Lisa, raved about how her daughter bought her a sponsorship of a penguin in Antarctica and her son bought her a donation to a mother starting a business is India.

She said her children knew what would really “float her boat” was to not get more “stuff”, but to give in a meaningful way.

If you know me, this kind of story inspires me in two ways: It inspires me to be happy with what I have (and be okay with not having more jewelry), and it inspires me to find ways that I could give.

And this, my friends, is how the whole Moms In Business Grant program got started. I wanted to do something incredibly revolutionary and meaningful to help moms succeed.

So this Mother’s Day, ask your children, spouse, and family to buy you a “sponsorship of a mom in business”. Ask them to take those dollars they would have spent and use them to better the American economy in your name by helping one more woman succeed in business.

According to the Shriver Report, 2/3rd of America’s household breadwinners are moms! And historically, women business owners have a higher rate of business success than male business owners. For as little as $1 (yes, $1, I’m not forgetting any zeros here), you can help one mom get a little closer to her goal of starting or expanding her dream business. Who knows, some day that business may grow because of you and hire one, then two, then three or more people. Maybe she’ll even hire you.

Investing in mom is investing in your future.

Happy Mother’s Day to All!

Gina Robison-Billups

PAGE 4 • April, 2011 • Moms In Business Magazine

INSIDE

May

2011

4 NOTES

About Our Contributors

from the Founder/CEO, Gina Robison-Billups

NOW 6

Moms Minutes

8

Moms Vote Matters

10

Brenda Prinzavalli Brenda Prinzavalli is a writer, consultant, speaker, seminar developer and business owner.

She has a passion for helping others achieve greater balance in their busy lives.

Important Tips and Briefs Instant Impact Legislative Update

Events

Featured events, conferences and more

FEATURES 12 14 17 18 21 22 24

Invest In Mom!

Invest In Her Success - Invest in the Future

She Put Moms on the Map Interview with Blue Suit Mom Founder, Maria Bailey In Today’s Ecomony, “Getting A Life” Requires Getting a Deal The Heros and Sheros Supporting Moms In Business Grant Competitors 5 Reasons Why Your Business Needs to Build A Business Credit Asset!

How to be Effective with your FollowUp

MEMBERS

Brenda appears as the Dream Team Organization Editor for the FOX show MORE! on KVVU FOX 5 Las Vegas, and she is the co-author of the Accomplishment Series of Journals to help busy women become more effective. Visit Brenda at www.Balorg.com or www.

AccomplishmentJournal.com.

Scott Letourneau Scott Letourneau is the CEO of Fast Business Credit, Inc. & Nevada Corporate Planners, Inc. Over the past 14 years NCP has assisted more than 5,500 business owners form LLCs and corporations to get their business off to a fast start to profits™! Since 2003 FBC has helped business owners secure cash and vendor lines of credit and avoiding costly mistakes.

Members News

Outstanding Diversity, E3 Leadership, SBA/ATT Export, Congratulations - NWBC, Hybrid Mom

14

On The Cover Angela Maria Edgeworth

Now Accepting Article Submissions for the National Association of Moms In Business Magazine.

For guidelines and submission information visit the NAFMIB Writer’s Guidelines

Bailey Moms In Business Magazine • April 2011 • PAGE 5

NOW

Moms Minutes

Goodbye 1099 The repeal of the expanded Form 1099 reporting requirement is on its way to becoming law with the Senate’s passage of H.R.4.

The Senate overwhelmingly favored repeal. Starting in 2012, the law would have required businesses to file 1099 forms for payments of goods in addition to services above $600 annually. President Obama supports the repeal and is expected to sign the bill into law.

In addition to the 1099 repeal, this bill also repealed the expanded rental property reporting, which required reporting payments above $600 annually on rental income or rental expenses. The bill pays for repeal by allowing the government to recapture overpayments to consumers who receive health insurance subsidies. It is important to note that form 1099 reporting is still required for services.

Moms In Business (NAFMIB) and our partners have been calling for this repeal since the expanded Form 1099 reporting requirement became law. With this repeal, small businesses can spend less time on paperwork and more time on growing their businesses. In the last 10 months, small businesses have created 93% of all new jobs

Moms & Credit:

The Clock Is Striking 1973 All Over Again Moms Making a Million had the pleasure of interviewing Kimberly Palmer, finance expert for U.S. Money News and we were alarmed when she broke this news story: “Stay-at-home mom[s], apparently you don’t deserve your own credit card.

That’s essentially the message from the Fed, which recently announced a new rule requiring credit card companies to consider individual income and not household income on credit card applications.

That means a stay-at-home spouse without income of her own could soon find it impossible to obtain a new card.”

Read the rest of her article at: h t t p : / / m o n e y. u s n e w s . c o m / m o n e y / b l o g s / a l p h a consumer/2011/04/20/stay-at-home-moms-face-credit-cardbias. Listen to Kimberly on the Moms Making a Million Radio show at www.MomsMakingaMillion.com.

PAGE 6 • April, 2011 • Moms In Business Magazine

Quote of the Month: “I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened, and I’m not afraid to look behind them.” ~ Elizabeth Taylor

Your iPhone is Watching…

Researchers, Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden, who were initially looking at mobile data and thinking about ways to visualize it, made a disturbing discovery -- a file called “consolidated.db”.

That iPhone file is keeping track of where you go and storing that information in a file that is stored - unencrypted and unprotected onto any machine with which you synchronize your phone. It is not clear why Apple is collecting this data.

It’s quite common for cell phones to track users’ location, that information is typically kept behind a firewall and requires a court order for others to be able to access it. This isn’t the case with this iPhone file, and it’s raising serious questions about privacy and security.

Mom’s Nite Out Thousands of mothers coast-to-coast will be pampered and entertained on the evening of Thursday, May 5, when Simon Property Group (NYSE: SPG), the country’s largest owner, developer and manager of high quality retail real estate, hosts ‘National Mom’s Nite Out’ at 115 Simon® -owned malls across the country.

While the activities vary across the Simon portfolio of properties, the common theme is to indulge mothers with such treats as mini-massages, style presentations, food and beverage sampling, and other fun networking activities.

The event is free for moms of all ages. As created by Mom Talk Radio Host and CEO of BSM Media, Maria Bailey, National Mom’s Nite Out will unite hundreds of social media groups, companies, local playgroups, mom bloggers and networks in giving moms a night off.

Moms Minutes

Support for the

Wired and Weary Consumer Action, a national nonprofit education and advocacy organization, today announced a national program to educate hundreds of thousands of consumers on how best to navigate the evolving world of wireless devices and services.

With support from AT&T, Consumer Action is creating a multilingual, consumer education initiative titled WirelessED, which provides carrier-neutral tools and resources to empower consumers on wireless management.

Consumer Action is creating a multilingual educational module that contains three brochures and a training packet to assist community based organizations (CBOs) in educating their members both one-on-one and through group presentations. Informational brochures and trainings will be provided throughout the country through Consumer Action’s network of more than 8,000 CBOs, helping more than 200,000 hard-to-reach consumers. WirelessEd.org,

Pancake Play Dates for Moms Whoever said food was the way to a man’s heart,

must have forgotten about the millions of moms who love something delicious from the kitchen on their special day. Once again Renaissance Hotels opens the kitchen to kids this Mother’s Day with its second annual “Mother’s Day Pancake Play Date” breakfast and brunch special at http://www. therenaissancelife.com/easy-pancake-recipe/ at participating Renaissance Hotels throughout the U.S. on Sunday, May 8th.

Renaissance Hotels will provide kids the opportunity to put on a take-home Renaissance chef’s hat and create the ultimate, customized pancake creation while moms sit back and enjoy.

The “Mother’s Day Pancake Play Date” is a fun, new annual tradition for Renaissance Hotels as they aim to provide families with an affordable way to say “thanks mom” while focusing on providing guests with cuisine made from indigenous ingredients. Prices start at $25 for the pancake brunch special and can be booked by calling your local Renaissance Hotel.

Osama bin Laden, the world’s most wanted terrorist, was killed in Paki-

stan as the result of a U.S. military operation, President Obama announced to the nation Sunday night.

The announcement by Obama from the East Room of the White House came eight years to the day after President Bush announced the end of major combat operations in Iraq, the so-called “Mission Accomplished” speech from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Obama made the dramatic announcement in a hastily called, latenight appearance Sunday at the White House and a cheering and exhuberant crowd congregated at the White House celebrating this historic announcement.

Moms In Business Magazine • April 2011 • PAGE 7

NOW

Moms Vote Matters MomsVoteMatters.com

Moms Vote Matters is a program for moms in business to learn, influence, communicate, and engage in community and national policies that effect their families and their businesses

Gina Robison-Billups Appointed to National Women’s Business Council (Washington, DC) Gina Robison-Billups, the Henderson, Nevada based Founder and CEO of the National Association for

Moms in Business, was today appointed to serve a three-year term on the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC), a nonpartisan federal advisory council created to serve as an independent source of advice and policy recommendations to the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration on economic issues of importance to women business owners.

“Gina Robison-Billups is a credible and knowledgeable voice for small business owners,” said Donna A. James, Chair of the NWBC appointed by President Obama in October 2010. “She understands first-hand the unique challenges women business owners face in their journey from the start-up phase to success and significance. I look forward to working with Gina and the other women leaders of the National Women’s Business Council on the economic issues that matter most to women business owners.”

“I am very pleased that moms in business and micro-business owners finally have a seat at the table to advise the President, Congress, and the SBA via my service to the Council,” said Robison-Billups. “I am humbled by this appointment and excited to serve in a capacity which will continue to open doors for future generations of women business owners.”

Members of the NWBC are prominent women business owners and leaders of women’s business organizations. The Council’s mission is to promote bold initiatives, and review policies and programs designed to support women’s business enterprises at all stages of development in the public and private sector marketplaces.

Robison-Billups works with home-based business owners and micro business owners has earned her the title of “Home Based Business Advocate“ for the state of Nevada in 2003 and she was named a national finalist for the Women’s Congress 2008 Champion for Women Award. She also serves as a member of the Advisory Council for the Alliance for Nevada Non-Profits.

For more information about the Council, its mission and activities, contact: National Women’s Business Council, 409 3rd Street, SW, Suite 210, Washington, DC 20024; phone: 202-205-3850; fax: 202-205-6825, e-mail: info@nwbc.gov; website: www.nwbc.gov.

PAGE 8 • April, 2011 • Moms In Business Magazine

Moms In Business Magazine • April 2011 • PAGE 9

NOW

Events

May 5, 2011

Moms Night Out 15 Million Moms Anticipated to Take the Night Off during 3rd Annual National Mom\’s Nite Out! May 5, 2011 slated for a national celebration of motherhood by moms at national events, local parties and online gatherings Every mother deserves one night off and Thursday, May 5th is it for the 15 millions moms expected to take part in the 3rd Annual National Mom\’s Nite Out. Moms across the United States will unite in celebrating motherhood with each other via local and national events as well as cyber celebrations. Organized by Maria Bailey, CEO of BSM Media, author and Mom Talk Radio host, National Mom\’s Nite Out will unite hundreds of social media groups, companies, local playgroups, mom bloggers and networks in giving moms a well deserved night off.

Every FRIDAY at 8AM

Moms Making A Million Radio Show LISTEN LIVE:

Moms Making a Million - A Fast-Paced Fun Weekly Radio Show On Saving, Earning & Investing Money 8:00 AM PACIFIC TIME - 11:00 AM EASTERN TIME Call-in Number: (646) 378-1417 www.MomsMakingaMillion.com

May 18, 2011 - 2PM Empowering Entrepreneurs - SBA’s 2011 National Small Business Week Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, DC Wednesday, May 18 - Friday, May 20 Every year since 1963, the President of the United States has proclaimed National Small Business Week to recognize the contributions of small businesses to the economic well-being of America. As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration recognizes this special impact made by outstanding entrepreneurs and small business owners.

PAGE 10 • April, 2011 • Moms In Business Magazine

EVENTS

1

Sun

2

Mon

-Power Mentoring Program!

3

May, 2011

Tue

Wed

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Thu

-Moms Night Out

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Fri

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-Moms Making a Million Radio Show

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-WATT Training 117: Perspectives on Investing in Technology for Your Small Business

30

Sun

Empowering Entrepreneurs - SBA’s 2011 National Small Business Week

-Moms Making a Million Radio Show

-Moms Making a Million Radio Show

-Moms Making a Million Radio Show

Certification-How to Participate in and Compete for Contracts in the WOSB Federal Contract Program

31

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May - June 2011 Calendar Of Events

Mon

Tue

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-Leadership and Innovation: The SBA Green Procurement Programs

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-Moms Making a Million Radio Show

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-Moms Making a Million Radio Show -Moms Making a Million Radio Show -Moms Making a Million Radio Show

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Visit http://www.MIBN.org to view updates and the entire NAFMIB Calendar of Events Moms In Business Magazine • April 2011 • PAGE 11

Invest in Mom!

Invest In Her Success and Invest In the Future

So you’ve heard a lot about this “Moms In Business Grant” – the first-ever crowdfunding business grant that is a revolutionary grant because grant applicant who makes it happen will get the money and support she needs to grow her business.

The last two months we’ve been educating and promoting the opportunity. Now, it’s YOUR turn.

Now is the time our community of moms and business owners need to support other moms in business.

Let me ask you this: • How often, when you buy a product at the store or online, do you check to make sure the product, service is created, made, or sold by a mom business owner?

• How much do you consciously support other women?

If you are like most women, the answer is “never” or “not often”. Sad to say, but historically women are still learning what it means to support each other. Yet, 2/3rds of household breadwinners are moms. Women account for over 50% of business ownership, women business owners are actually moving the economy because they make up a majority of microbusiness – which makes up 88% of all businesses nationwide!

Do you get what I’m saying here? Women need to support other women because more and more women are in charge of supporting our country’s economy.

Let’s start supporting women today.

Here’s how you can help: Supporting a Grant Competitor What is crowdfunding?

The “crowdfunding” platform is a way to raise money by attracting many small donations from a large group (friends, family, professional contacts) to meet a funding goal.

“Backers” give contributions in exchange for rewards or perks offered by the grant applicant - rewards can be any product, service or experience to which the grant applicant has access. And example of crowdfunding is an NPR pledge drive - if you donate $25.00 to NPR, donors may get an NPR T-shirt or a coffee mug, or get to go “behind the scenes” at a special event, etc.

Why is NAFMIB giving a crowdfunding business grant PAGE 12 • April, 2011 • Moms In Business Magazine

rather than the traditional grant-giving model?

For three reasons: 1) We wanted to provide an innovative way to motivate our members to kickstart or grow their businesses, 2) it’s an “everybody wins” scenario where all those that participate have the opportunity to raise money, create exposure and build a following for their business, and 3) due to the promotional requirements to be successful via peerbackers, it’s a good way to identify those entrepreneurs who will go the extra mile to publicize and build their ventures therefore making them ideal candidates for our additional grant support.

Who can back a business in the Moms In Business Grant Competition?

Anyone, anywhere in the world can contribute to a venture on the site. All you need is a working Visa, MasterCard or PayPal account. Sorry cash or checks are not accepted.

Are there fees for me to back a grant participant?

Nope.

How do I find the Moms In Business Grant Competition Participants?

Go to http://www.momsinbusinessgrant.com/ and on the homepage you should be able to see all the grant participants. If you are on http://www.peerbackers.com/ look for the NAFMIB logo or search “moms in business” and all the grant applicants will appear in your search results.

How do I back someone?

To contribute, just select a business and click the blue “Back This Venture” button. You can then choose the level of funding you’d like to give and select your reward. From there, you will go through the Pay Pal checkout process to complete your backing.

Can I pay with cash or check?

Unfortunately no - payments can only be processed through PayPal (but you don’t have to have a Pay Pal account - only a valid credit card). Also, in order for the project creator to have your contribution count towards their funding goal, the pledge has to be made online through the peerbackers payment system.

If funding does not succeed, do backers pay anything?

Every project has a funding goal (a specific dollar amount) set by the project creator. When their allotted fundraising timeframe is reached, there are one of two results: 1) If a project has met or surpassed its funding goal, the funds backers contributed will go directly to the project creator. Project creators are then responsible for delivering rewards as promised.

2) If the project has not met at least 80% of its funding goal, then all monies will be returned to backers.

Can I give even if I don’t want a reward?

Yes...oftentimes giving is reward enough when helping someone launch their dream! You will have to first choose a reward /pledge level but can then select “No Reward” once you are on the checkout page.

Who is responsible for sending my reward and when will I get it?

Each grant applicant is responsible for developing and fulfilling the rewards they offer. If you have any questions about the rewards, you can always email the individual directly from their venture page. If applicable, be sure to note sizes, colors, or formats required, etc with any rewards that you are selecting. The rewards will be sent out only AFTER the fundraising campaign is concluded as if the grant applicant does not successfully raise their funds, your contribution will be returned.

Will the public know how much I gave?

Nope. Only the grant applicant will know as they must have your contact information and pledge amount to ship your reward.

Are contributions tax-deductible?

In most cases, probably not. But if the posting business is a non-profit and has 501c3 non-profit status or has fiscal sponsorship, the contribution can be tax-deductible. Backers can use the “Message Me” button on the business profile page to directly contact the grant applicant about this issue.

You can feel good about your contribution though because peerbackers is donating a percentage of the processing fee to The International Association of Working Mothers.

Can I ask the grant applicant for stock instead of a reward?

Unfortunately due to SEC regulations, grant applicants can only offer cool rewards - and their undying gratitude - at this time! They are not allowed to solicit investments through the peerbackers’ platform or offer any equity in their ventures or financial return in exchange for your support.

Moms In Business Magazine • April 2011 • PAGE 13

She Put Moms on the Map!

Maria BaileyBlue Suit Mom PAGE 14 • April, 2011 • Moms In Business Magazine

Getting to Know Maria Bailey

By Gina Robison-Billups

Founder of BlueSuitMom.com

GRB: Maria, it is such a pleasure to have the opportuity to find out WHO Maria Bailey really is and what brought you to the Mega success that you have built. To set the foundation, would you please give us the basics of your business?

MB: I’m the CEO and Founder of BSM Media, the parent company for BlueSuitMom.com, Mom Talk Radio, MomSelect, Smart Mom Solutions and SheStreams Conference. I am also a partner in MomTV.com.

We’ve been in business for 12 years, did I really say 12? It seems like yesterday that we launched BlueSuitMom.com, which was our first website. I’ve been hosting Mom Talk Radio for eleven years and it is now the only nationally syndicated radio show for mothers. It airs in 50 markets across America and is the most downloaded parent podcast on iTunes.

My product line, Smart Mom Solutions is carried in Innisbrook Catalogs. It’s been quite a ride.

GRB: Maria, how many children do you have?

MB: I have 4 children. Get ready for this brain teaser, I had 3 babies in less than 20 months and none are twins.

Answer? I adopted while pregnant and then gave birth 12 months later. At one time, I had a 20 month old, a 15 month old and a new born. Then I adopted again and had 4 children under 5 years of age. Fun times.

GRB: What does your company do?

MB: BSM Media is an internationally known marketing and media company focused on Marketing to Mothers. We currently have offices in Fort Lauderdale, New York, San Francisco, London and an affiliate in Milan. We work with everyone from global brands to start up companies in connecting them with the lucrative mom market.

GRB: Why did you go into this business/career?

MB: I once heard Oprah say that the best job is created when your personal life collides with your professional life and that’s exactly what happened to me. I was a marketing professional for The Miami Herald when I suddenly was thrust into motherhood. I recognized that companies were not speaking to me as a consumer and began focusing The Herald’s advertisers on moms as consumers.

One thing led to another and soon I was asked to write a book on the Mom Market. Fortunately I was able to quantify the annual spending of mothers in the US and soon even the US government began using my research. Although it took a while for businesses to recognize that moms were important to their bottomline - but when they did, they turned to me for my advice and insights.

GRB: What has been the single hardest part of being in business? How did you deal with that?

MB: Wow! It’s hard to focus on a single challenge.

Ironically I think as women we create many of our challenges. I would tell you “money” and “cash flow”, but the reality is that I was afraid to ask to be paid for my services in the beginning. Once I handed the job of asking for money for my services to someone else on my team, we began to make money and I didn’t have to worry about cash flow. I could say, finding the right people, but it was probably my fault that I was afraid to say no to the wrong people. In conclusion, the most difficult part of being in business was probably trusting myself to do the right thing.

GRB: What’s your greatest achievement (or what are you most proud of)?

Continued on page 16

Our team offers everything from product development to executing marketing programs. We are most proud of creating the Mickey’s Mom Club for Disney; launching Zhu Zhu Pets, which was the Toy of the Year in 2009; developing Huggies Mom Inspired Program and creating National Mom’s Nite Out. We also worked with Build A Bear Workshop to produce their line of home furniture.

Moms In Business Magazine • April 2011 • PAGE 15

Continued from page 15

MB: Another Wow question. I’ve been so fortunate. Of course, my children make me proud and believe me it took a lot to get to them. That’s a major accomplishment! I’ve run 23 marathons, published 6 books, hosted my own show on Lifetime TV, gotten my radio show syndicated, hiked to the top of Macchu Pichu, been in 100s of magazines and won numerous awards for my work, but perhaps the greatest achievement was being voted the “Best Mom Career” at my children’s career day event. There’s nothing like being the coolest working mother!

GRB: What’s on the horizon for you and your business?

MB: Retirement I hope. Oh, yeah, I have four kids to put through college. We have made a big push outside the US and most of our growth is happening overseas. I love international business because I love learning about new cultures and contributing my knowledge to growing markets. I have a new book coming out in May titled, “Power Moms” and my company is launching SheStreams Conference in September 2011.

GRB: How do you manage it all? (work/life balance tips, etc) MB: If I stopped long enough to think about it, I wouldn’t manage anything at all. Actually, I have a rule to be present regardless of what I’m doing. I want to be present when I’m around my children and I want to be focused when I’m working. I also try to keep my values and priorities aligned. If my “to do” list has too many tasks on it that do not represent my valued, I take them off.

I think sometimes we create much of our own stress, so I often ask myself if I’m experiencing self induced stress. A few years ago, USA Today named me one of America’s Best Work/Life Balance resources. A friend of mine saw it and called to ask if they were really talking about me. When I confirmed that it was me that the periodical named, she laughed and reminded me that I had forgotten my own daughter at dance class the week before. The reality of this story is that we all struggle with work and life balance. My balance is not another mom’s balance.

We all do our best.

GRB: How and when did you know you were successful?

MB: I’m not sure that I would agree that I’ve reached success, but I can tell you there’s nothing else I

PAGE 16 • April, 2011 • Moms In Business Magazine

need or want to buy. If success is feeling like there’s nothing else in life you need and you feel content with what you have, I guess I’m there. And by the way, just so you don’t think my definition involves a Mercedes and a yacht. I don’t even own a car and my boat is a 21 foot pontoon boat.

GRB: What advice do you have for other moms in business?

MB: Make sure you have a business plan that targets a consumer that can afford your services or product.

Don’t be afraid to ask for money and make sure you are asking enough for your services. I’ve never had someone tell me that I was too expensive, but I have lost business because I appeared too cheap. Love what you do and never believe anyone will promote your business like you will do yourself.

GRB: Thank you Maria for your time and sharing your business and family with us.

####

NOW

MORE

In Today’s Economy

“Getting a Life” Requires Getting a Deal With the public on the verge of a possible deals overload, Bing, the decision engine from Microsoft Corp., now provides a service that makes it easier to make local deal decisions, helping people to save time and money.

Bing mobile deals — available at m.bing.com— aggregates many of the Web’s hottest local deals, including deals from Groupon, LivingSocial and Tippr, and gives people one-spot access to more than 200,000 local coupons in more than 14,000 cities in the U.S. People can search by daily deals, nearby deals, keywords or deals by category, such as restaurants, spa services, arts and entertainment, and even nightlife.

The Numbers Behind the Deals CrazeEveryone loves a good deal. Approximately half (47 percent) of adults surveyed said they use more local deals and coupons than last year.

F

or fourteen markets worldwide, April showers bring with them much more than just May flowers: they bring the sights and sounds of handpicked family experiences as LivingSocial Family Edition springs into their neighborhood.

Beginning today, LivingSocial - the online source for handpicked experiences at a value - is now offering familyfriendly experiences via its popular LivingSocial Family Edition to the following 14 new regions in the United States, Canada, and theUnited Kingdom.

LivingSocial Family Edition launched in September , 2010 offering kidfriendly activities and mom- and dadapproved deals at an amazing LivingSocial value.

In order to identify the best local attractions in each market served, the company offers a team of dedicated, on-the-ground area experts who identify and work directly with business owners to develop offers that are consumer friendly and merchant attractive.

People are struggling to manage their deals. Sixty-three percent of adults will search two to 10 different coupon sources every week, and 11 percent will search through more than 10 sources.

Nearly 50 percent of adults surveyed will spend more than 15 minutes each week searching for deals, with almost onequarter of adults surveyed spending between 30 and 60 minutes on the hunt.

Deals just might get you that second date. Ninety percent of women said they would go on a second date with someone who paid for dinner with a coupon.

Vacation deals or bust. Nearly 80 percent of people said they were likely to pick their summer vacation destination based on whether they could find a deal or redeem a coupon to save money.

Moms live for good deals.

• Eighty-one percent of moms will search multiple sources every week in their effort to find coupons and local deals.

• When it comes to moms versus women in general, moms are approximately twice as likely to search 10 or more coupon sources every week.

• Single moms lead the pack in frugality, with 96 percent saying they are “coupon believers,” compared with 92 percent of adults overall.

Moms In Business Magazine • April 2011 • PAGE 17

The

Heros and Sheros

Supporting Moms In Business Grant Competitors

This Month’s Featured Heros & Sheros (More Next Month)

Nevada Corporate Planners

Nevada Corporate Planners Scott Letourneau, CEO

Scott Letourneau is the founder and CEO of Nevada Corporate Planners, Inc., and author of “What is the Correct Entity to Protect Your Business and Your Assets.”

He is considered an expert on Nevada corporations and taxation by prominent professionals including tax attorney/CPA Sandy Botkin, author of “Lower Your Taxes-Big Time” and Dr. Arnold Goldstein, J.D., LL.M., Ph. D., author of 100 books on finance and law.

Company Fast Facts Company Address: 7477 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Ste. 170 Las Vegas, NV 89128 Founded: 1997 Founder: Scott Letourneau Clients: Over 5,500 clients in the US and worldwide Company mission statement: Bringing you the best information and facts to help you achieve maximum protection and business success!

Company focus: NCP will help you protect your assets and/or start a new business by forming your corporation or LLC! Then we provide support services to help keep you on track and prosper!

Services Provided to Help Your Business Get Off to a Fast Start!

Incorporating and LLC packages in all 50 states.

The Top 5% Club Gold Membership Coaching Program is designed to help your business make profits in the shortest period of time possible and protect your personal and business assets!

Foreign Registration. (Any state or multiple states) Bank Accounts. (You will have our complete assistance and support in setting up your bank account) Holding Company.

Las Vegas Office Package. (NV address, NV phone number, use of conference room plus other bonuses-only if you have employees in Nevada) Resident Agent Service.

Corporate Record Book. (Complete with detailed instructions, minutes and meetings, stock certificates and more) Annual Tax and Bookkeeping Success System.

Business Credit Builder System. Separate your personal and business credit! A must for today’s economy!

PAGE 18 • April, 2011 • Moms In Business Magazine

The Whole Brain Group

The Whole Brain Group Marisa Smith, CEO

Marisa first developed an interest in system design and workflow automation while working on her master’s degree in Higher Education Administration at University of Michigan. Later, as an advisor of undergraduate engineering students, she was frustrated by the lack of good electronic tools for managing student records, and decided to solve the problem herself.

Marisa’s growing expertise in automating administrative processes then led her to a computer support position at the University of Michigan, where people sought her out to develop electronic solutions to their paper problems.

In 2001, she struck out on her own, founding DataSmith Consulting. After adding several new team members, the company was renamed in 2007 to The Whole Brain Group.­ As President of The Whole Brain Group, LLC, Smith has helped establish the company’s presence in Michigan as a leading provider of paperless solutions for business, education and and non-profit organizations. The company has also expand its reach beyond Michigan with its successful web-based AccreditStation® product, and has developed a national reputation among research institutions as the leading provider of accreditation management and automation software.

The Whole Brain Group has simultaneously developed a reputation for providing smart websites to businesses who want to position their website as the center of their social media universe. Websites developed by Marisa’s company are built to be social media machines - integrating with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other popular platforms - to drive traffic to websites and increase exposure for clients.

As the market share of technologies like the iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android grow, her clients are also demanding more mobile solutions to allow on-the-go access to information. The company recently partnered with the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Area Chamber of Commerce to release the A2YChamber iPhone app, which provides information on discounts, news, and events to Chamber members.

Finally, Marisa teaches monthly social media workshops to business owners and speaks frequently to groups about using technology to work more efficiently.

Marisa is a Social Media Co-Chair of the Communications Council and a member of the Executive Advisory Board for Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP).

She is also a Board Member of the international Small Giants Community, and of the Washtenaw County Chapter of the American Red Cross. In 2010, Marisa received the WIPP/AT&T Innovator of the Year Award for the Detroit Region.

Moms In Business Magazine • April 2011 • PAGE 19

Mom Inventors

Mom Inventors Tamara Momosoff

With over fifteen years of experience in communications and program management, Tamara Monosoff and Mom Inventors® combines strategic vision and entrepreneurial spirit with media savvy. After going through the product development process herself when inventing the award-winning TP Saver®, while simultaneously juggling small children, Tamara found the support and guidance of other entrepreneurs to be invaluable.

This inspired her to create a web-based community and the Mom Invented® brand of products.Mom Invented® is a dynamic company with the mission “Inspire, Inform & Boldly Promote Courageous Women in Business” and “Celebrate the Creativity of Moms by Launching Innovative Mom Invented® Products Around the World.”

Our internationally trademarked Mom Invented® products can be found in stores worldwide. Tamara is a bestselling author and columnist and has been called, “America’s Favorite Business Mom” by the media. http://www.momsinventors.com.

The Founding Moms

Jill Salzman Founder

The Founding Moms, the world’s first and only kid friendly collective of monthly meetups for mom entrepreneurs.

Founder, Jill Salzman has been featured in national media outlets including People Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, Daily Candy Kids, Business Matters, WGN TV, The Wednesday Journal, The Des Moines Register and WAHM Talk Radio. She’s been profiled in A Cup of Cappucino for The Entrepreneur’s Spirit, Volume II and was recently featured in a film on social media. Jill currently writes for NBC5’s small business blog, The Inc. Well, as well as eHow.com and Patch.com’s Moms Council. http://www.foundingmoms.com/

National Association of Women

National Association of W.O.M.E.N.

National Association of W.O.M.E.N. is a community of women that provides support and education to encourage the promotion of our businesses with the intention of enriching the lives of Women, Owners, Moms, Entrepreneurs, and Networkers who are focused on success for their business and their families. http://www. nationalassociationofwomen.com/

PAGE 20 • April, 2011 • Moms In Business Magazine

By Scott Letourneau, CEO of Fast Business Credit, Inc. & Nevada Corporate Planners, Inc.

5 Reasons Why Your Business Needs to Build A Business Credit Asset!

Our Business Credit Development Coaching System™ has been developed to help business owners establish and grow a business credit in order to secure new funding opportunities for your business. #1 Access to funding and managing cash flow is the single biggest concern for business owners. By establishing and building a Business Credit Asset™, businesses can access new funding sources to ensure positive cash flow. #2 Secure new financing options. A strong business credit file can be the difference between receiving funds or not. Approval for most small business loan decisions under $90,000 happens automatically, often relying on one thing - your business credit file and score. #3 Get the best credit terms. Your business credit score will likely result in better credit card and loan interest rates. For businesses with weak credit scores, banks and lending institutions may increase

loan interest rates from 7% to 12% and credit card interest rates from 8% to 18%. #4 Reduce your expenses. Building a business Credit Asset can improve cash flow by reducing: • Financing Costs • Insurance Premiums • Rental Terms • Credit Card Rates • Vendor and Supplier Terms #5 Peace of mind. Protect your personal assets and reduce your personal liability by creating a separate corporate entity and business credit. Establishing your business credit asset only strengthens this liability protection.

Moms In Business Magazine • April 2011 • PAGE 21

By Brenda Prinzavalli

How to be Effective

with your Follow Up

With any business, staying in contact and being well connected with

your customers is a must; however it can be one of the most overlooked components. There tends to be a sigh of relief and celebration that happens when you get a customer. Yes, go ahead and celebrate, then make sure your customers are doing their own happy dance and celebrating them now having a relationship with you as well. Your business will flourish if you are in touch with your customers more frequently than just when they call you for another appointment or want to make another purchase from you. The key is to make your follow up system organized, streamlined and easy to implement.

PAGE 22 • April, 2011 • Moms In Business Magazine

There is an important first step and it is to create the basic steps in your overall system for contacting and staying in touch with your customers from start to eternity. While that might sound like a never ending system, customer retention is one of the keys to profitability and long term success. The basic steps in a customer contact system should at least have the following steps:

 Initial contact  Response to questions and specific needs  Proposal, negotiation, purchase and/or contract  Thank you  Contact for additional needs or services  Ongoing follow-up and contact While there are many critical actions for you to take during marketing and initial contact with potential customers, there are equally if not more critical actions for you to take once they become a customer or client. They have made a statement of approval by wanting your product or service and now is the time to really embrace them and seal in a relationship with that customer.

Early Benefits of Establishing the Follow up System There are several benefits for setting up your follow up system before even your first contact with the customer: Benefit #1 – You are much more likely to carry out the follow up system if you know what you want to do. A major block for taking action is not knowing what action to take.

Benefit #2 – You can prepare pieces of the follow up materials in bulk. Whether it is a standard thank you gift that you can now order in bulk or something more individualized that you can get the main components gathered and compiled and then all you have to do is the individualizing part after seeing a client and send it off.

Benefit #3 – You know what information to gather or to listen for when you have a meeting with them. Nothing will make a customer feel more in relationship with you than if you were a good listener and actually comment in your follow up with personal reflections or preferences.

Setting Up Your Follow-Up System The system that you select for your follow-up process will vary based on your product or service, the size of your business and the customer base you develop for your business.

However, even with that broad scope of possibilities, there are some basics that every business can employ for their follow-up system knowing that it will modify, adjust, expand and individualize to match your needs.

Tools You will need a tool to keep track of the various steps in follow-up and what step you are on with each customer.

There are four general levels of paper or digital tools and your starting tool will be based on your personal preference,

technical aptitude and budget. Keep in mind that you can continue to grow through each level or type of tool as your business grows and your system grows.

1) Paper – physical file placement 2) Paper – checklist 3) Digital – spreadsheet checklist 4) Digital – CRM (Customer Relationship Management Program) System Steps in Follow-up It can actually be quite fun to plan how you will continue to be in touch with your customers and what you can do to continue to show gratitude, educate, inform, highlight special aspects of the service or product, offer additional services, welcome feedback, etc.

One possible series of steps: After Customer Contact 1) Send Thank You that might include one of the following:  Appreciation  Confirmation of next scheduled appointment or purchase  Do you have any questions 2) Confirm their placement on your digital and paper mailing list  Inform them of privacy policy  Invite and excite them about information and offers you post or send  Ask them to invite their contacts to join mailing list 3) Product Enhancing  Complimentary Sample  More information on product or service 4) Etc, etc Blend the Tool and the System No matter which tool you use to process your customer follow-up system, the goal is for you to know what the next step you need to take for each customer. There’s really no magic in anyone of these tools, the magic is when you are committed to the one you selected and when you process the actions and your actions work your process. Pros and cons come into play for each tool and here are the most important ones for you to consider.

1) Paper – physical file or contact sheet placement. This is when the location of the file indicates the step a client is currently at in your system. You can have sections in a file drawer, file stand, or tray system where each section represents one step in your follow up process. Then place the client file or data sheet in the location of the next step for follow-up.

Pros – This tool works best in a business that has fewer clients and more data on each client. When you go to take action on the next step for a client, all the previous information is at your finger tips. It also allows you to batch process all clients who are at the same step in your follow-up process at one time.

Continued on page 25 Moms In Business Magazine • April 2011 • PAGE 23

MEMBERS

NEWS

Top Businesses Applauded for Outstanding Diversity

On April 11, DiversityBusiness.com announced their list of Top Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities. The list - the most recognized and respected compilation of companies that distinguish themselves regarding diversity practices - recognizes 50 of the nation’s largest companies. Wal-Mart, AT&T, Dell, Coca-Cola and Raytheon round out the top 5 companies that were rated on volume, consistency and quality business opportunities granted to women and minority-owned companies.

Noticeable in the list of top companies is the number of technology and telecommunications firms that have made the cut: 35% of the top 20 companies are in the Internet, technology and telecommunications fields.

Companies whose practices have landed them in the top 50 organizations for multicultural business opportunities should be applauded for their work and encouraged to continue building within the female and multicultural markets as they grow. Click here to view DiversityBusiness.com’s full news release and its complete list of Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities.

On April 7th WIPP announced

a special series of educational events titled “E3-Leadership & Innovation, as part of its 2011 curriculum for Entrepreneurs, Energy and the Environment (E3).

The E3 - Leadership & Innovation Series offers insight into the federal government’s initiatives to work first hand with small businesses to fuel America’s economic growth and progress towards clean energy and environment goals. Speakers will challenge business owners to be the Engines of Innovation, EnergySmart Entrepreneurs and Environmental Leaders. The series – including Webinars and face-to-face events – highlights specific economic opportunities, programs and resources that will help small businesses be competitive in the new clean energy economy. For More Information go to WIPP.org

Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) congratulates WIPP Members Gina Robison-Billups, Founder and CEO of National Association for Moms in Business, a WIPP Coalition Partner, and Roz L. Alford, Principal, ASPA Solutions Group, LLC on their appointments to the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC). Ms. Alford represents the Women Presidents’ Organization, a WIPP Coalition Partner. Barbara Kasoff, President of WIPP, was also appointed to the Council for a second term.

SBA and AT&T Team Up to Help Small Business Export Small businesses that are looking to grow their business and create jobs through exporting now have a new resource. The Small Business Administration (SBA), AT&T, and Inc. Magazine partnered to create free educational videos to help small businesses with the exportation process. The video series, Take Your Business Global, focuses on five main topics to guide small businesses: Getting Started in Exporting; Planning for Export Success; Connecting with Foreign Buyers; Financing; and Five Case Studies of Successful Small Business Exporters. http://www.inc.com/exporting/

Moms In Business Alliance Partner, Hybrid Mom, was named one of Forbes Women’s “Top 100 websites for women in 2010,” and the 2010 Recipient of the “Women Helping Women” Stevie Award for Women in Business. And they launched their Hybrid Mom Bazaar last month – think etsy for moms, but with NO monthly hosting fees. It’s free!

PAGE 24 • April, 2011 • Moms In Business Magazine

Continued from page 23

How to be Effective

with your Follow Up

Cons – A client file or data sheet is not filed alphabetically, it is within the follow-up system making it hard to pull an individual client file.

This is a good reason to only employ this system with a smaller base of clients.

2) Paper – A master checklist of the steps can support in one of two ways. The first is to place one sheet with the system checklist inside of each individual client folder then documenting or checking off where that client is in your follow up process. The second is to have one master system checklist that lists the names of all clients in the left column and all of the steps in your system across the top row.

Then checking off which follow-up steps have been completed for each client.

Pros – The client files can be stored alphabetically and you don’t have to search when looking for one client file.

Cons – When a checklist is inside of a client folder, you have to open each client folder to identify the next step for that client. This also can become cumbersome if you have a large client database.

3) Digital – Creating a spreadsheet that holds all steps in the process and the names of all clients. This looks a lot like the paper checklist mentioned above, however it is now digital which provides some additional options.

Pro – You can easily sort the data to group clients together for tracking information such as to find all the clients on Step 3 or the length of time they have been a client. The information also remains neat and is easily edited.

Cons – You must have access to the digital file to update the status. There are more mobile options that continue become available to support this idea of being able to access your data file virtually.

CRM’s can be customized to correspond to each one of the steps in your system. The sorting and searching options are endless and you have the ability to manipulate the data for not only tracking your follow-up system, but all other data you might like to gather about clients and your interaction with them. If you have a large client base, it is a great way to keep on top of your interaction and communication with all customers.

Cons – There is a definite investment of money and learning time to establish most CRM systems and therefore you must be committed to using the tool. There is also the same issue of being able to access the tool virtually so you can process information when you are with a client or away from your office.

Wrapping It Up And Getting Started

4) Digital CRM– A Customer Relationship Management Program is a software program that will allow you to track everyone and every single step you have in your client contact process.

The key to an effective follow-up system is that it matches your business, your style and your needs. You don’t want to find yourself underpowered or so overpowered in your tool that it takes away from successful implementation. Talk to other professionals in a similar industry to see what they have had success with for tracking their client follow-up system. The multitude of tasks any business owner must complete are vast, so create the follow-up system and fuel it with the right tool so you can complete this one task with ease and success!

Pros – a CRM is high powered and full of options! Most

#### Moms In Business Magazine • April 2011 • PAGE 25

UCCESS

. . .Support Moms In Business Grant Competitors

A letter from one of our previous grant winners:

Dear Moms In Business, I need to update you on how the grant winnings have been helping me. I utilized Image Words and the PR Newswire and got some awesome exposure.

I also have been working with Certify to Success and I met with Balanced Organizing Solutions. All the tools have been wonderful and were items I never thought I would use until I had this opportunity.

My new website is up and I have already outlined my 2009 marketing plan and am working to get all my materials ready. Image Words Publicity & Writing even landed an interview with Channel 13 for my husband!! (He does mortgages and a news anchor came to our office to interview him about rebuilding your credit after foreclosures and reverse mortgages).

It has been wonderful working with women that I can relate to and not feel intimidated about not having experience in their field.

Thank you, Gina Russo, Trenchant Insurance 2008 Grant Winner (under former grant format)

Founder Gina Robison-Billups Editor Design/Layout Eugenia Martini-Jarrett Eugenia@MIBN.org Advertising: Gina Robison-Billups Gina@MIBN.org Published by NAFMIB, the National Association for Moms In Business.

The Leading National Association Representing Executive, Entrepreneur and CEO Moms MIBN.org, NAFMIB.org Copyright 2011, © International Association For Moms In Business.

See www.MIBN.org for full copyright page All Rights Reserved

PAGE 26 • April, 2011 • Moms In Business Magazine