Moms In Business Magazine - March 2012 by The National Association For Moms In Business

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Donna James Leading The Way For Women Moms In Business Magazine • March, 2012 • PAGE 1

PAGE 2 • March, 2012 • Moms In Business Magazine

Moms In Business Magazine • March, 2012 • PAGE 3

NOTES

From The Founder

Gina Robison-Billups; NAFMIB Founder, CEO

Why Don’t Women Ask For What They Want?

n honor of Women’s History Month and the Moms In Business Grant, I had to ask the question, “Why don’t women ask for what they want?” The reason this came to me is because of the grant. We get a lot of pushback on this grant - not because it’s hard, but because women don’t want to ask for money to grow their business. I too have this same challenge I deal with every day. I get asked constantly, “Who would back my business?” or “Why would someone give money to see my business grow?”, or the most common one, “I hate asking for money.” This is the KEY BUSINESS LESSON I’ve learned from the Moms In Business Grant - If you don’t want to ask someone for money in exchange for a business or product, you will never really succeed in business.

Asking for money in exchange for goods or services rendered IS business - that is exactly what business is - the very definition of it! Saying, “I don’t like to ask for money” is like saying, “I don’t want to be in business.” Saying, “I can’t ask for money” (yes, I’ve heard that several, several times) is the equivalent of saying “I can’t be in business.” I, personally, have a very tough time with sales, and I’m terrible at closing the deal, and yes, I don’t like asking for money. I want people to be as passionate about the concepts/products as I am and to be literally compelled to buy it without me saying a word. That would be lovely. However, I understand that even though I don’t ask, I have to ask. It can sometimes be literally painful for me, but I do it anyway. That’s where the divide in the success of women business owners comes in. The more complicated answer is in the process - I believe that women in general would be able to get over this fear if they had a different idea of what the sales process is. Women usually need 7-9 times of interacting with the business person to feel secure whether this person is scamming them or not. If you push too far too fast, you will lose her. The only time is when the need is desperate and we’ll take whatever we can get, for example: you’re out of diapers and your favorite brand is sold out - you’ll grab anything, and you may find you like those new diapers better. Here a situation of immediate need got you to change your brand loyalty. Women will also feel compelled to buy if the story is compelling. They will actually risk more if the trust is there. It’s all about trust, and women, we have that locked down. Building a relationship and trust over time is your greatest asset in business. It’s the reason that according to SBA research, women actually stay in business longer. Men might have more business growth to start with, but women are winning the “turtle vs. hare” business race. So, now I go back to the Moms In Business Grant. Are you stuck because you don’t want to ask for money, but really need money to grow your business? Then join me in the Moms In Business Grant Discussion Forum online or at the coaching calls, so we can help you find out what your compelling story is that will motivate your clients and strangers to support your business project. Women’s History Month is about celebrating the women before us who dared to ask for what they wanted. BE one of those women and honor yourself! Best Wishes,

Gina PAGE 4 • March, 2012 • Moms In Business Magazine

INSIDE

March

4 NOTES

from the Founder/CEO, Gina Robison-Billups

2012

NOW 6 10 16 18

Moms Minutes

Important Tips and Briefs

News

Updates

Moms Vote Matters

Instant Impact Legislative Update

Calendar of Events

Featured events, conferences and more

FEATURE 20

Donna James

Leading the Way for Women

STANDOUT 24

10 High-Impact Viral Strategies

Collection On My Credit Report

Do you really understand what this marketing term means?

How You Can Remove This Listing...

Time Your News Release For Maximum Exposure You May Have Heard That Timing is Everything…

How to Use Keywords in Your Resume to Improve Your Online Job Search

Including Keywords in Your Resume…

Business Success Strategies: How to Be Lucky in Business And Not Just on St. Patrick’s Day...

The Power and Influence of Mommy Bloggers

Wisdoms for Thought

If mommies could cause a major PR fiasco, what could they do if they liked a product?

Now Accepting Article Submissions for the National Association of Moms In Business Magazine. For guidelines and submission information visit the NAFMIB Writer’s Guidelines

On The Cover

Donna James

Moms In Business Magazine • March, 2012 • PAGE 5

NOW

Moms Minutes

As Gas Prices Rise, Shoppers Are Advised to Weigh Options Carefully Before Making Vehicle Purchase Experts at Kelly Blue Book Advise Consumers to Do the Math; Offer Recommendations, Pricing, Incentives Information for FuelEfficient Models Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com, the leading provider of new car and used car information, today advises in-market car shoppers to weigh their options carefully before making vehicle purchase decisions, in light of rising fuel prices. Fuel prices are up to $3.59 per gallon nationally and there are growing concerns that they will surpass $4.00 per gallon sometime this year. Fuel and oil prices have surged amidst rising tensions in Iran and if a resolution is not reached quickly, the United States could see fuel prices approach 2008’s record high of $4.11 per gallon, based on speculation alone.

In-Market Car Shoppers Should Do the Math: Fuel Price Hike May Not Break the Bank for Everyone While gas prices may surpass $4.00 per gallon in the short term, Kelley Blue Book experts advise consumers to determine the overall savings of swapping out their current ride for something more fuel efficient, versus the incremental increase in money spent on fuel. “Assuming the average consumer drives 12,000 miles per year in a vehicle that gets 20 mpg, an increase of $1.00 per gallon, from $3.60 to $4.60 per gallon as an example, would only result in an approximate increase of $11.50 per week in fuel expenses,” said Alec Gutierrez, senior market analyst of automotive insights for Kelley Blue Book. “While in today’s economic environment many families are on an extremely tight budget and $11.50 per week may be enough to break the bank, for others, it would

amount to a small lifestyle change, such as bringing a sandwich to work rather than going out to lunch, or perhaps cutting back on Starbucks.”

Consumers Should Not Expect Significant Discounts on Fuel-Efficient New Vehicles In today’s market, there are plenty of options available in a variety of segments for consumers seeking to reduce their pain at the pump. Those considering a mid-size sedan can look to the all-new Toyota Camry Hybrid, which offers 41 mpg on the highway, or the all-new 38mpg Chevrolet Malibu Eco. The Ford Fiesta and Hyundai Accent are excellent choices for budget-conscious consumers who do not need a lot of space. Each of these subcompacts is available for around $15,000 and offer 40 mpg on the highway. Kelly Blue Book: http://www.kbb.com

Want To Get Into Shape? There’s an App for That - It’s Free!

CDPHP® is pleased to announce the debut of CDPHP® InMotion(sm), a fitness tracking application that uses smartphone technology to log workouts, count calories and keep tabs on your health. And best of all, it’s free. It’s fitness tracking technology for today’s busy lifestyle. “This is about giving people the tools

they need to achieve their fitness goals and live healthier lifestyles,” said John Demers, vice president of public affairs for CDPHP. “This technology will not only improve our members’ quality of life as they get into better shape and lose weight, it will also help drive down the cost of health care as members prevent or better manage chronic conditions,” added Demers.

Blackberry, and Android. The application uses the built-in GPS of your mobile device to track your fitness activities, and effortlessly uploads the information to your personal profile. CDPHP InMotion is also compatible with other fitness trackers such as the Garmin, Fitbit, or Nike+.

The CDPHP InMotion website records workout details, including duration, distance, pace, speed, elevation, calories burned, and route traveled – all on an interactive map.

The website and application also have a social media function, which allows users to share information with friends, join groups, and compete with others. The social networking component is not mandatory as users have the option of keeping their information private.

The CDPHP InMotion application is available for free on the iPhone,

Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan, Inc. Visit www.cdphp.com, Facebook/Twitter.

PAGE 6 • March, 2012 • Moms In Business Magazine

Moms Minutes

Energize Your Morning With Peanut Butter nutritious breakfast tips and recipes at www.PB4Breakfast.com. Visitors are also encouraged to vote for their favorite peanut butter breakfast dishes. For every vote, America’s peanut farmers will donate $5, up to $10,000, to help serve a nutritious breakfast to the hungry.

The National Peanut Board Serves Up Quick and Easy Breakfast Ideas to Fuel Your Day While 93 percent of Americans agree that breakfast is the most important meal, less than half eat a morning meal every day. Reasons for skipping out often include trying to lose weight or not having the time. Yet adding peanut butter can help to make breakfast quick, easy and provide the fuel needed for the rest of the day. In anticipation of National Peanut Month in March and to help make mornings easier, the National Peanut Board is equipping peanut butter fans with

“Making time for breakfast and choosing to incorporate nutritious ingredients like peanut butter, which is a source of fiber, protein and good fats can play a role in maintaining a healthy diet,” said Sherry Coleman Collins, MS, RD, LD RD, senior manager, marketing & communications, National Peanut Board. According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, consuming breakfast has been associated with weight loss and weight loss maintenance, as well as improved nutrient intake. Peanut butter is a great addition to mornings because it is a natural, plant-based source of eight grams of protein and more than 30 essential nutrients and phytonutrients. “Peanuts and peanut butter contain mono- and poly-unsaturated essential fatty acids, ‘good’ fats, which also provide a source of food energy and satisfaction,” added Collins. Web Site: http://www.nationalpeanutboard.org.

New Study Shows

80%

of Press Release Headlines Too Long for Google A recent study by Schwartz MSL Research Group on the SEO press release headlines shows headlines with 70 or less characters are best optimized for SEO. According to their research, out of more than 16,000 Business Wire press releases from 2011, only 19.5% had less than 65 characters and only 23.7% had 70 or less, indicating that a large majority of press released did not have their headlines fully optimized for search. Apparently the average headline length is 123 characters. Not good. Buzzwords were also reviewed and which cities hosted the SEO-savviest press release headline writers. Read the entire report at: http:// web.schwartzmsl.com/2011-newsrelease-headline-optimizationreport/?utm_campaign=2011-NewsRelease-Headline-Report&utm_ source=Blog. Visit: http://blog. businesswire.com/2012/02/14/ schwartz-headlines-seo-study-2012/

50 brand ambassadors to embark on an East-meets-Aussie “Quest for Health” OrthaheelUSA and Dr. Andrew Weil Integrative Footwear Launch 28-Day Walkabout Campaign Orthaheel and Dr. Weil Integrative Footwear are kicking off a nationwide Walkabout campaign on March 27, 2012, led by 50 brand ambassadors from

across the United States. The campaign will take place over a 28-day period of time, during which the ambassadors will post about their journeys on a variety of social media channels. “By illuminating the variety of ways people meet their minimum thirty minutes of daily walking, we’re really showing Americans just how easy it is to stay healthy,” said Phillip Vasyli, podiatrist and founder of Orthaheel and the Vasyli footwear brands.

Ambassadors represent the many faces of America, and the different reasons people walk their way to optimum health, from preventative measures, walking for a mood boost, or a post-baby return to fitness. Whether walking to and from work, strolling along the same path every morning, heading to the park to walk the dog, or meeting friends to walk for fun, this campaign encourages all Americans to get out and walk. Web Site: http://www.orthaheelusa.com

Moms In Business Magazine • March, 2012 • PAGE 7

Moms Minutes

Continued

Nurses Wanted:

When the Kids Are Away, the Scammers Come Out to Play Advice to Parents of College Spring Breakers to Avoid Fraud During Popular Travel Period

W Largest Women’s Health Study Seeks 100,000 Nurses Nurses’ Health Study recruits “next generation” From the dangers of tobacco and trans fats to the benefits of physical activity and whole grains, much of what we know about health today is thanks to the Nurses’ Health Study. Researchers are recruiting 100,000 nurses and nursing students to join the long-running Nurses’ Health Study and expand its landmark research on women’s health. Female RNs, LPNs, and nursing students between the ages of 20 and 46 who live in the U.S. or Canada are eligible to join the study. More than 25,000 have signed up already, and recruitment will stay open until the goal of 100,000 participants is reached. Researchers hope to engage a highly diverse group of women in the “next generation” of the study. For the first time, nursing students are eligible to enroll. In order to make participation as convenient as possible for busy women, participants can join online and complete the study’s surveys through a secure website, http://www. nhs3.org/. More than 250,000 nurses have participated in the study since the 1970s. By completing confidential lifestyle surveys, they have helped advance medical knowledge about nutrition, exercise, cancer, heart disease, and many other conditions. “Nurses were originally recruited for their expertise in accurately reporting health data,” explains Dr. Walter Willett, the study’s lead researcher and Chair of the Nutrition Department at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Mass. “Their involvement has been invaluable, and their dedication is remarkable—an astounding 90% of them are still enrolled, decades later! The new group, NHS3, will allow us understand how today’s lifestyle and

environment affect a woman’s health in the future.” Web Site: http://www.nhs3.org

PAGE 8 • March, 2012 • Moms In Business Magazine

hile most Americans will prepare to lose an hour of sleep when Daylight Saving Time ends in mid-March, many parents are preparing to lose something else: their peace of mind when their college-age children travel on spring break. “But along with letting go, parents should hang on to their common sense, especially when it comes to helping their kids stay safe and avoid certain common scams.” According to MoneyGram (NYSE: MGI), a leading global money transfer company, spring break can end up “breaking the bank” if parents don’t stay alert to the “family scam” – when a scammer calls parents to inform them their child is in trouble in a distant location, asking for money for medical care or bail, even though the child is perfectly safe. “Spring break can be a letting-go experience for parents of college students,” said Kim Garner, Senior Vice President of Global Security for MoneyGram. Garner offers the following advice to parents of college students to safeguard their physical and financial health during spring break: ¾¾ Check in before heading out: American students traveling internationally can register with the U.S. State Department’s free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program which will help with communications in the event of an emergency. ¾¾ Take a lesson from E.T.: Phone home: Parents should make a deal with their students traveling for spring break… ¾¾ Just say no: With personal belongings left scattered on beach towels, scammers often will use student IDs to find parents and ask for money to be wired… ¾¾ Give them credit: Parents can temporarily add a child as an approved user to a credit card, and place a pre-set spending limit… ¾¾ Put a policy in place: To guard against a financial loss, parents should check with their insurance company to make sure their child’s possessions are insured… Read entire press release at: http://www.businesswire.com/ news/home/20120223005125/en

Moms Minutes

Moms In Business Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ March, 2012 â&#x20AC;˘ PAGE 9

NOW

News

BREAKING NEWS!

The 2012 Moms In Business Grant Is Here! Applications Are Now Being Accepted. Closing date to apply for the grant is March 8th. MARK THESE DATES ON YOUR CALENDAR:

March 8, 2012 – International Women’s Day - Launch of Moms In

Business Grant Competition April 30, 2012 – Celebration of Moms In Business Grant Crowdfunding Competition Concludes May 13, 2012 – Mother’s Day - National Announcement of Moms In Business Grant GRAND PRIZE recipient

And Now the NEWS! Two Programs to Help You Keep the Money Your Earn We’re really excited about the Moms In Business Grant Here is your chance to access capital for your business that you don’t have to pay back! • Build a bigger clientele! • Get National Publicity! • Get Weekly Business Coaching! And that’s just for applying. The Grant Recipient gets even more. Read More About the Grant at www.MomsInBusinessGrant.com. A $50,000 package of Business Growth Tools and Cash can be yours. Get personalized help in guiding you through the grant sign up process and preparing for an awesome grant race. All Members are Welcome to Apply - Not a Member? Review the membership levels here. Join for as little as $29 per year. (http://www.MIBN.org) RSVP by sending us a private message through your membership private message system: http://www. mibn.org/site.php/fuse/msg PAGE 10 • March, 2012 • Moms In Business Magazine

MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS WITHOUT MONEY - NOW AVAILABLE IN WEEKLY CLASSES!!

As a business person, Money and Marketing are the two things at the top of your mind at all times. How do you grow your business without breaking the bank? Creativity, Ingenuity, and Resources are the answer, and that’s why Market Your Business Without Money was created. We are here to give you answers and insights, tools and tips, with an entire curriculum available to NAFMIB members for free.

MEMBER BENEFITS of the Market Without Money Program (for all Membership Levels)

Free Weekly Classes/Coaching Every Monday Morning

Each week we give you a small, but powerful, tool to push your business forward for free or very little money. It’s the perfect “Monday Meeting” with a team of national marketing experts to guide you to the best practices in marketing your business for free. See calendar for class listings and sign up for the classes you want.

Marketing Without Money Class Schedule • Feb. 27- Setting Up a Webpage in 10 Minutes • Mar. 5 - How to reach millions of readers in 15 minutes a day • Mar. 12 - Easy blogging. Get immediate readership. • Mar. 19 - Do you need a Facebook page? • Mar. 26 - Open Forum Friday - Your Questions Answered • Apr. 2 - Email Marketing or Twitter? • Apr. 9 - Joint Venture Marketing • Apr. 16 - How to Build a List • Apr. 23 - Turn Your Facebook into a Store • Apr. 30 - Open Forum Friday - Your Questions Answered

Marketing Without Money Discussion Forum

Need more help or guidance, or just feedback on something you are doing? Post it in our Marketing Without Money Forum, you can also add attachments of the document you may want help with. The Moms In Business marketing experts and local counselors will add their thoughts and fellow members can weigh in as well. It’s a great community of support!

Receive Discounted and Free Marketing Tools to help you grow your business from Moms In Business $avings Circle providers.

See Discounts

Propriety Marketing Training

We offer exclusive training programs like Marketing Without Money to help you understand and implement cheap, free and the best marketing practices to make your business grow. We will also offer programs with some of the nation’s leading business and marketing experts helping you create connections with buyers.

Go to Tools & Training Downloads

Moms In Business Magazine • March, 2012 • PAGE 11

NOW

News

Look Who’s Featured in the

Member avings Circle! $avings From Our Members This area of $avings is offered from our general membership to everyone. Member $avings Circle This area of $avings is viewable and accessible ONLY to members Member $avings Circle PLUS+ These discounts and programs are ONLY available to the following business-level memberships: uu MicroBusiness MomTM, uu Business Partner, uu Corporate Partner and uu National Partner

Featured Member Discounts! More Coming Soon

National Offers

Sears.com - Marketplace - Sears.com is one of the top e-commerce websites offering merchandise from Sears stores as well as from third party merchants, carrying a total assortment of over 20 MM items.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT: Sears is offering a benefit valued at $480 exclusively for members of the National Association For Moms In Business. The monthly service fee of $39.95 is waived for one full year. And there is a 10% discount on the commission. This deal is exclusively for members of Moms In Business. This membership benefit is only available to Microbusiness Mom(TM), Business and Corporate members.

Email, Social & Mobile Marketing - Try It For Free! - This is the best priced email marketing system we have ever found, and in addition, you can do social media marketing and mobile phone marketing -- all from ONE account! Members Try it FREE!

PAGE 12 • March, 2012 • Moms In Business Magazine

NEWS

continued

Shoeboxed - We take the work out of paperwork, so you can focus on doing what you love. We take the work out of paperwork, so you can focus on doing what you love. “Make your life easier using Shoeboxed.” — New York Times. “An essential tool for any size business.” — TechCrunch. “Shoeboxed saves me a few hours each week and days around tax time!” We love our customers and our customers love us too!

Free Yourself From Accounting with Outright - Say Goodbye to Accounting. Automate your small business accounting, and get back your nights & weekends. Outright automates your small-business accounting tasks by pulling all of your accounts into one place and organizing them in a smart way. No more deciphering confusing reports or weeding through data you dont care about. $2000 PR Toolkit from PRNewswire - The PR Toolkit is designed to help you understand the basics of public relations and how PR Newswire can help you cost-effectively create visibility for your small business, products or services.

This Month’s Action Item: Check Out the Progress of the NEWLY Designed Site! Check out the beginnings of the newly designed site. our site navigation of MIBN.org! We are updating our look and We’ll now have: ÎÎ Navigation that is easier to get to all of the great programs we offer. ÎÎ A brand new look. ÎÎ Eye-catching article features. ÎÎ A new “My Community” page with access to all the great online networking and social media benefits available throughout your membership in mibn.org. ÎÎ Download the toolbar

Check it out and give us your feedback! www.MIBN.org

Rewards!

To celebrate the launch of our new toolbar we have some great Rewards. For each reward program you can sign up to win DAILY. Download the toolbar to find out what great rewards are coming up from these companies:

Moms In Business Magazine • March, 2012 • PAGE 13

Announcing the

Moms In Business

SUPER TOOLBAR! The Moms In Business Super Toolbar is a free search and navigation companion that accompanies you as you surf the internet, providing useful information about the sites you visit without interrupting your Web browsing AND giving you INSTANT ACCESS to the tools you value most at Moms In Business After you install the Moms In Business Toolbar, you will have a new toolbar built into your browser that looks like this: 99 Search the Web and other resources directly from your Moms In Business Toolbar. 99 Convenient access to Moms In Business tools and resources. 99 Direct access to Moms In Business Members. 99 One click gets you to the latest edition of Moms In Business Magazine no waiting for an email or searching the site. 99 Special Rewards - Yep, ONLY for those with the Moms In Business Toolbar - a special link to sign up for special giveaways and rewards.

Features of the Moms In Business Toolbar Web Search

The Moms In Business Web Search is a whole new way to search the web. Begin by typing your search term into the box then press enter. You will be transported to a world of behind-the-scenes information about each site on the web. Use the Moms In Business Web Search and know before you go. In addition, every time you use the Moms In Business Web Search feature you raise money for charity.

Get Connected!

Moms In Business Connection Forums allows you instant access to other members and over 500 unique visitors each day. Promote a new job listing, promote a new sale or discount, and engage instantly with other members and business experts during national webinars – all with the click on your Connections link.

Moms In Business Magazine

Never have to search for your favorite magazine again. Gain instant access to the latest edition of Moms In Business Magazine - read about the latest offers, updates, and news in the only monthly magazine for entrepreneur, executive and CEO moms!

My Programs

Instantly Access to Moms In Business Programs - with events, free downloads, resources and tools at your fingertips. PAGE 14 • March, 2012 • Moms In Business Magazine

My Community

Instantly Access to your Moms In Business Community - View the Membership Directory, your business profile webpage, your blog, other member’s blogs, the Mom’s Marketplace, Connection Forums and more -- all instantly available in one click.

Rewards

We’ve partnered with some great companies to offer special rewards exclusively for members and users of our toolbar. For each reward program you can sign up to win daily. Win everything from electronics, to books, to business services. It’s the greatest Giveaway Connection!

Oh yes and it’s completely FREE!

The Moms In Business Super Toolbar is free. There is nothing you need to purchase, no fees, just use the Moms In Business Toolbar packed with features you value.

You Raise Money for Charity Every Time You Search

Every time you search on the Moms In Business Toolbar your clicking to results from your search raises money for The International Association of Working Mothers - a nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to supporting working mothers with amazing programs that make a difference. You don’t pay anything; however, the advertisers you click on do. It’s a WIN/WIN - you get great tools and your actions on the web make a powerful and positive impact for women and children. Read more about the toolbar here.

Moms In Business Magazine • March, 2012 • PAGE 15

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

WIPP WORKS IN WASHINGTON by Ann Sullivan WIPP Government Relations

www.WIPP.org

This Month’s Mom’s Vote Matters is Powered by Women Impacting Public Policy

Love Is Blind

If you listen to the Congress and the White House, small business is the key to the economic recovery—everyone loves us. But all that love will not translate into business growth unless public policies reflect that priority.

While business owners make revenue projections, hiring

decisions and determine capital needs, we are not the only ones making those decisions—our elected officials are making them with us. A significant portion of our business and personal income is subject to taxation—not only on the federal level, but state and local. No matter how much we plan, unless we know our rate of taxation, we are in a position of guessing. Outstanding issues are expiring tax breaks to stimulate investment and growth and the expiring Bush tax cuts in 2013. Although it sounds painfully simplistic, the small business owner’s personal income is derived from her business income. There is an inextricable tie between the two. The good news is that on the small business tax front, Senators Snowe, Landrieu and Brown just introduced a small business tax extenders bill, S. 2050 which extends tax deductions and credits which expired and enjoyed bipartisan support. The five tax provisions that are extended are as follows: (1) Simply put, we are operating without critical knowledge necessary to create jobs. So we sit and wait blindly for elected officials to make decisions critical to our business growth. To coin the old adage, actions speak louder than words. That goes for us as well. We need to take action. Contact your Senators, urging their support for legislation such as S. 2050. Tell them what you need to make good business decisions. deduction for health insurance premiums for the self employed; (2) allows PAGE 16 • March, 2012 • Moms In Business Magazine

general business credits to be carried back 5 years and taken against the Alternative Minimum Tax, AMT; (3) Section 179 expensing up to $250,000 for real property and up to $250,000 for equipment, or up to the full $500,000 for just equipment; (4) shorten the recognition period for S corporation built-in gains tax from a decade to 5 years and (5) complete exclusion on capital gains attributable to small business stock held for five years. If business owners get behind this bill, it has a real chance of enactment. On the personal tax front, all of the experts predict no action on the expiring Bush tax cuts until after the election. That pushes the decisions to the end of the year. And that is bad for business planning. For a business owner the calculation is—how much more revenue do I have to generate to overcome the additional tax burden on my personal income to stay at the same level. And that question likely will not be answered satisfactorily until the end of the year. The behavior of a small businessperson is to hold onto money to make up the shortfall, in the absence of a definitive answer. The consequence is no new hires.

Moms In Business Magazine • March, 2012 • PAGE 17

NOW

Events

EVENTS

March Calendar of Events March, 2012

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

-My Business Action Plan

-NATIONAL Moms In Business Grant Coaching

-NEVADAInternational Womens Day Celebration -LAS VEGAS, NV - Healthcare Policy & Opportunities for Growth -My Business Action Plan -My Business Action Plan 15

-NATIONAL Moms In Business Grant Coaching

-Marketing Your Business Without Money -NEVADA - Moms In Business Grant Local Competition -LAS VEGAS, NV- Business Plan Assesment (Evening Session)

-15 wk Microenterprise Course- Henderson -My Business Action Plan -My Business Action Plan

-LAS VEGAS, NVBusiness Plan Assesment (Evening Session)

-Marketing Your Business Without Money -NEVADA - Moms In Business Grant Local Competition -Assessment Class -Business Assessment Class

-15 wk Microenterprise Course- Henderson -My Business Action Plan -My Business Action Plan -My Business Action Plan

-LEARN HOW TO MAKE A GOOD WEBSITE -My Business Action Plan -My Business Action Plan

-Marketing Your Business Without Money -NEVADA - Moms In Business Grant Local Competition

Fri

Thu

-15 wk -My Business Microenterprise Action Plan Course- Henderson

-My Business Action Plan -My Business Action Plan

-NATIONAL Moms In Business Grant Coaching -LAS VEGAS, NV- Business Plan Assesment (Evening Session)

-Marketing Your Business Without Money -NEVADA - Moms In Business Grant Local Competition

-15 wk Microenterprise Course- Henderson -My Business Action Plan -My Business Action Plan -My Business Action Plan -My Business Action Plan -Women’s Initiative Connect Event

-LAS VEGAS, NV- Business Plan Assesment (Evening Session) -My Business Action Plan

-NATIONAL Moms In Business Grant Coaching

PAGE 18 • March, 2012 • Moms In Business Magazine

-NATIONAL -LAS VEGAS, Moms In Business NV- Business Grant Coaching Plan Assesment (Evening Session)

Sat

For more information go to EVENTS at www.MIBN.org

Moms In Business Magazine • March, 2012 • PAGE 19

Donna James

Leading the Way for Women

onna James, President and CEO of Lardon & Associates LLC. is a very matter-of-fact woman who, like many women dedicated to a mission of service, seems to downplay the enormous challenges she’s faced to get where she is at. She’s not one to discuss awards or achievements either. Donna shows you what she’s made of rather than telling you. Kind, gentle, and soft-spoken, she does not fit the stereotype of the hardened and ruthless woman who has made it in a man’s world. Her story starts as a teen mother making her way through college and business and brings her to this point of being one of the most influential voices on women’s business issues. Donna James manages and owns Lardon & Associates LLC, a small consulting firm that specializes in advising business leaders on issues related to governance, new business development, strategy, financial and risk management and leadership development. In that capacity she serves on the board of directors of Coca-Cola Enterprises, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Limited Brands, and Time Warner Cable. Donna is also an advisor for a select few small business enterprises. Combined with her superior work ethic, Donna’s brilliant business and entrepreneurial skills enabled her to climb the corporate ladder and to become the first black woman executive at Nationwide, a Fortune 500 insurance and financial services company. In addition, she is the first African American (male or female) to sit on Nationwide’s executive committee. She was also the first to head an operating division within the company. Her position at Nationwide enabled Donna to advocate for diversity throughout the company, which had a ripple effect on the corporate world. It was her work with Nationwide that captured the attention of the Limited Brands CEO who asked her to serve on their

PAGE 20 • March, 2012 • Moms In Business Magazine

Feature

By Gina Robison-Billups

board of directors, and it was a small stroke (TIA) that led Donna to radically change her career direction, which led to creating the exceptionally successful “lifestyle business” she has today. In 1981 Donna was recruited as an accounting specialist by Nationwide, in Columbus, OH. She became a one-woman accounting and finance office for Nationwide’s first health maintenance organization (HMO). Over the following decade she moved rapidly up the corporate ladder, holding various management positions in several different divisions within the company. Donna first became the director of operations and treasury services, then on to being the executive assistant to the company’s chairman and CEO. Thereafter, she moved up to the position of vice president of human resources and then finally she became the senior vice president and chief of the human resources office, being responsible for 290 employees and a $35-million budget. Donna spearheaded a Nationwide Insurance Enterprise project that would make a four-year $600,000 investment in the College Fund/UNCF (United Negro College Fund), a nonprofit consortium that raised money for historically black colleges and universities. The program provided scholarships, internships, and mentorships for undergraduate students in business management, financial services, and administrative sciences. Soon, the Nationwide board of directors appointed Donna as executive vice president and chief administrative officer of the program. Donna’s dedication to young people and their education kept growing with innovation solutions. In 2001 Donna represented American business leaders in joining with National Urban League, President Hugh Price, to call on colleges and universities to de-emphasize standardized

tests - such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) - in college admissions. Such tests had proven to be a barrier to college admissions for talented black and other minority students. The Urban League commissioned a survey of top business executives to evaluate the importance of such tests in identifying future corporate leaders. Donna was quoted in Black Issues in Higher Education as saying; “Long-term success is determined by an individual’s ability to solve problems creatively, rather than by the results of standardized tests.” Donna became president of Nationwide Strategic Investments, overseeing several of Nationwide’s businesses including a venture capital division of $150-million in assets. The purpose of Nationwide Mutual Capital was to develop

and incubate new ideas, innovations, and businesses involved in financial services. This division developed innovative ideas and started new businesses, as well as investing in existing businesses. Today, Donna brings the best of all business worlds to her own business, Lardon and Associates, “Part of my reasoning for stepping away, because I loved what I was doing as President of a division called Strategic Investments, was because I had a stroke. It was a mini stroke, a TIA, but it was enough of a wakeup call for me to say, ‘All right what do I really want to do next, and how do I want to do it, and what kind of flexibility do I want to have in my time?’ I started Lardon & Associates so that I could really focus on

Continued on page 22

Moms In Business Magazine • March, 2012 • PAGE 21

Continued from page 21

Donna James

Feature

Leading the Way for Women

my corporate board work, taking those skills and supporting small business as well, which is sort of the best of both worlds for me. I get to stay in business but do it from a different platform.” “Now, I tell companies trying to figure out how to grow their business, whether they have the right strategy put in place, corporate governance that will stand the test of public company, corporate governance scrutiny. I think of myself as a problem solver, and I also like to think of myself as a trusted advisor to executives who are running large public company organizations because there’s just a different nuance you have when you’re running a public company.”

team of advisors. It may start out to be one or two people, and then it grows over time, but you really can’t do it well alone.” Surprisingly, Donna doesn’t have a business website or major advertising campaigns for Lardon and Associates. Her marketing plan is simple: Reputation and Referrals. She has spent several decades building an impeccable reputation, and she intentionally manages her business growth through word of mouth. Donna also currently serves as the Chair of the National Women’s Business Council, a bi-partisan Federal government council created to serve as an independent source of advice and counsel to the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration on economic issues of importance to women business owners. Members of the Council are prominent woman business owners and leaders of women’s business organizations. As the nation’s advocate for the more than 10.4 million women-owned businesses in the U.S., the National Women’s Business Council works to promote increased access to affordable health care, access to capital, access to federal contracts and international markets, and access to the information and expertise women business owners most need to succeed. The Council conducts research on issues of importance to women business owners and their organizations and connects the women’s business community to policy makers in order to expand and improve opportunities for women business owners and their enterprises. As an experienced business leader, Donna brings an appropriate balance of corporate and small business perspectives and resources to the National Women’s Business Council.

“It’s developing a capacity to deal with change and “It is constant plotting the course, assessing whether you’re on seeing change as course, and if you need to change. Talent, having the right talent, motivating and compensating an opportunity for that talent appropriate with the performance that they’re driving, growth…” staying connected with your customers, understanding the regulatory environment that you’re in, and how that’s changing and what you can influence and what you have to make sure you can navigate through. Capital issues, liquidity issues, sometimes different scales and different magnitudes but very similar issues.”

“It’s developing a capacity to deal with change and seeing change as an opportunity for growth. Sometimes change can be an inhibitor to growth but that’s why you have a team. With a large company scenario it’s never one person trying to figure it out. You’ve got the CEO, and you’ve got the management team, but then you’ve also got the board of directors, so probably one of the big differences is that there’s a constant team approach to getting things done. When you’re a startup sometimes it’s just you and that’s where startups really have to start developing their team, even if they can’t afford to hire people, they need their own PAGE 22 • March, 2012 • Moms In Business Magazine

“It is an honor and a privilege to serve as the Chair for the National Women’s Business Council,” says Donna. “There is an inherent value proposition for strengthening our

nation’s economy and the pipeline of aspiring women as leaders, employers, producers and visionaries.” “I’m hopeful we will continue to explore and get a better understanding of the different segments of women business owners in the marketplace, because if you really want to impact a market, you really have to understand the segments of that market and understand the drivers of growth within those segments in order for us as a council to make recommendations that meaningfully can help Congress and the President in the White House help move the needle on full engagement of women in entrepreneurship and high growth entrepreneurship. As mundane as segmentation of this market sounds, I think it’s important to do so that as a community when we try to address the issue of how to help women on businesses growth, grow faster, grow larger and help more of them to startup and be successful. We’re very targeted in terms of how and what needs to be done and how to leverage with existing resources to take advantage of growing this market.” “I came through during a time, and not so distant, where I watched and I was part of the struggle. I think a lot of things have changed. I think women have changed how they go about creating balance for themselves. I do think corporations are much more responsive to women and mothers as they go through the ranks. It’s not easy, it’s not perfect, but it is better than it has been, and I think in part that’s because from a talent perspective, companies realize they cannot afford to be so selective that they leave out a large segment of the talent pool that women represent.” In an interview with Essence magazine Donna said, “Being a teenage mother without much money placed a lot of odds against me from the start. It was hard clearing those hurdles, as well as those inherent for all black businesswomen, so I’m proud of where I am and how I got here.” It was this experience that lead her to found the Center for Healthy Families, a non-profit focused on transforming the lives of pregnant and parenting teens and their children.

“I think it’s important that if these things are important to you, you’re engaged in them and they’re part of the fabric of your life throughout the year. I started an organization focusing on pregnant and parenting teens; 90% of that group is young teen moms and helping them to take a circumstance and a misstep and turning it into a stepping-stone so they reach social and economic self-sufficiency.” “Balance is not something that is constant. There will be times when you will put more time into family and there will be moments when you put more time into work, but over a continuum of time you create balance. They’re choices that you make and you can have it all; you just can’t have it all at one time. So, I’ve been able to be a mom and a grandma in corporate, in my own business, and create balance over time — but also have the opportunity to do the things I enjoy, and then come up with strategies to handle the push back. Strategies to handle the juggle of who’s going to stay at home with the kids, the juggle of finding appropriate childcare, it is that — it’s a juggle. I don’t know that it is supposed to be easy because anything that’s worthwhile will be difficult, and balancing family and balancing career to take care of family is all worthwhile.” In addition to their two sons, Christopher and Justin, Donna and her husband Larry now have five grandchildren. ####

Moms In Business Magazine • March, 2012 • PAGE 23

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Giveaway Connection Powered By: Giveaway Connection The Leading Giveaway Resource Site

High-Impact Viral Marketing Strategies By Keith Gloste

The term “viral marketing” has been tossed around the Internet for the past two or three years now. If you’ve been marketing online for a while, chances are that you’ve heard legendary marketers like Mark Joyner, Marlon Sanders and Yanik Silver refer to this term countless times.

B ut do you REALLY understand what this marketing term means and how it can greatly impact the success of your online business?

If not, here’s a brief definition: Viral marketing involves allowing people to give away and use your free product or service in order to multiply your marketing quickly over the Internet. The idea behind viral marketing is that you include your ad with the freebie people give away or use. Below are ten high impact viral marketing strategies: 1. Allow people to reprint your articles on their web site, in their e-zine, newsletter, magazine or ebooks. Include your resource box and the option for article reprints at the bottom of each article. 2. Allow people to use any of your freebies as free bonuses for products or services they sell. Include your ad inside all of your freebies. 3. Allow people to use your online discussion board for their own web site. Some people don’t have one. Just include your banner ad at the top of the board. 4. Allow people to sign up for a free web site on your server. Since you are giving away the space, require them to include your banner ad at the top of the site. 5. Allow people to add their link to your free web site directory. Just require that they return a link back to your web site, advertising your directory. 6. Allow people to provide your free online service to their web site, visitors, or e-zine subscribers. They PAGE 24 • March, 2012 • Moms In Business Magazine

could be free e-mail, e-mail consulting, search engine submissions, etc. 7. Allow people to give away your free software. Just include your business advertisement inside the software program. 8. Allow people to give away your free web design graphics, fonts, templates, etc. Just include your ad on them or require people to link directly to your web site. 9. Allow people to place an advertisement in your free ebook if, in exchange, they give away the ebook to their web visitors or e-zine subscribers. 10. Allow people to give away your free ebook to their visitors. Then, their visitors will also give it away. This will just continue to spread your ad all over the Internet. Now that you have a better understanding of viral marketing and the above 10 strategies, what’s next? Start experimenting with what you’ve discovered. Use one or more of these proven strategies. Brand yourself and grow your list and income exponentially.

Keith Gloster provides advice on effective traffic and lead generation tools and techniques. For more creative strategies on permission-based direct e-mail marketing and lead generation, and to claim some valuable bonuses, you can subscribe to his popular newsletter at: www.free-mlm-leadsgenerator.com.

The Leading Giveaway Resouce site: www.GiveawayConnection.com. Tons of Tools and Benefits

Moms Making A Million

Helping One Million Moms Creat a Path To One Million Dollars in Personal Net Worth One Million Dreams, One Million Moms, One Million Dollars

Collection On My Credit Report

By Jacobey Larstons

How You Can Remove This Listing A

collection on your credit report is a very serious mark and will cause your FICO score to drop. You can get a collection for an unpaid medical bill, credit card, personal loan… If you have a collection on your credit you should follow the following steps to challenge and remove this item. 1. Get all 3 of your credit reports - you will likely be surprised that all 3 will contain different information. Examine these reports and identify the collection marks and any other items that you believe are inaccurate. 2. Dispute the credit bureaus - you can do this yourself or you can hire a professional to do it on your behalf, but you will need to send a dispute to each credit bureau. In your dispute you must include the reason the item is incorrect such as: the dates are incorrect, the balance is wrong, it is not my account… 3. The bureaus will investigate - they will contact the collection agency and ask them to verify the account, the balance, and the dates on it. If the item is verified that it will remain on your credit report and you will have to work out a settlement with the collection agency. However if you account is not verified then by federal law it must be removed. It is estimated that over 80% of all bureau investigations result in the item not been verified and the negative mark being removed from your credit report.

is because the collection agency purchased your debt for only a fraction of the total balance. There are reports of collection agencies paying just pennies on the dollar for debt accounts. After you have made your settlement payment then you should dispute this item with the credit bureaus once again. When they investigate this time and contact the debt collector the account will not be verified as per your settlement agreement, and the bureaus will remove it from your credit history. If you have a collection on your credit report this is causing you to pay higher interest rates and even get rejected for financing. In today’s new lending atmosphere your credit score has never been more important. It is important to address a collection right away because many times debt collectors will follow up by filing a lawsuit against you. This could potentially result in a judgment placed on your credit report which is a very bad mark. In summary, you don’t just have to live with bad credit for 7 long years. Frequently once you get the bureaus to investigate you can get bad credit items including collections off of your credit report which will improve your payment history. Your payment history is roughly 40% of your overall credit score and in other words it is a very important piece of information.

4. Settlement offer - if your account is verified and then you need to settle with the collection agency. In exchange for your settlement payment you must get them to agree to stop reporting the negative information to the credit bureaus, that way after you make your payment you can dispute the item again and it will not be verified and the bureaus will remove it from your report.

For a free credit consultation call 800-483-0256 or for more about how to remove collections Visit: http://cardsuggest.com

During your negotiations with the collection agency you need to be aware that you should never pay the full balance due. This

Go to www.MomsMakingaMillion.com for financial information and tools to grow your business. Moms Making a Million is a program of the National Association For Moms In Business Moms In Business Magazine • March, 2012 • PAGE 25

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B2B Moms

Bringing Business Buyers 2gether with Business Moms: Building Relationships 2 Build Your Business

Time Your News Release

By David Leonhardt

For Maximum Publicity “Cindy, where’s that local news story? I need it yesterday!”

Stop!

“Coming right up, boss. I’ll have it to you soon.” Cindy shouted back.

Was that your news release Cindy just deleted? Too bad you sent it to her at the wrong time. You may have heard that “timing is everything” and that is even more true in media relations. But how do you know when is the best time to send a news release?

“Yesterday isn’t soon enough!” Cindy clicked on her screen. “You have mail.” She looked at the messages. “Three news releases,” she murmured. “I don’t have time for public relations now.” [delete] [delete] [delete] PAGE 26 • March, 2012 • Moms In Business Magazine

Media relations is an art more than a science, so there is no single rule. If there was, everyone would be a media star.

Here are a few guidelines to help you zoom ahead of your competition for the media’s attention: Each type of media and each type of journalist is different. Here are just a few of the variables: • • • • • •

National or local media TV, newspaper, radio or magazine News reporter, features reporter or columnist Consumer magazine or trade journal Daily, weekly or monthly publication Print or electronic media

Each company or organization is different, as is its PR needs and the news stories it can offer. Here are just a few of the variables: • Local, national or international operations • Pre-scheduled news release, or last-minute reaction to today’s news. • Product announcement, policy announcement, financial announcement

Get the best publicity in the morning Bearing in mind the wide range of news you might announce and the wide range of media targets, 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. tends to be the best time of day to release news. You want to give the assignment editor time to send them out to cover your news. If you hope to get into the noon news, you don’t want to go too late, because you run into TV deadlines. Early afternoon is a second-best time, but if you get much past 2:30, you will catch Cindy’s [delete] button at most daily newspapers and local television stations.

time. There is one golden rule. Do not send out a news release when the world is wrapped up in some all-consuming event like the death of Princess Diana or the attack on the World Trade Center. Remember how much TV airtime and newspaper print space were devoted to those tragic events? The media and its audiences had other things on their minds than your publicity. You can’t control events, but you can control the timing of your news release (most of the time). How far in advance should you send out your release? Some book reviewers usually need several months. Others don’t want to see your announcement until the book is on the store shelves. Many consumer magazines have a sixmonth editorial preview. Features editors often run several weeks ahead of time, but sometimes squeeze items in on short notice. News departments want only breaking news. Yesterday’s news is, well, yesterday’s news. Your news release is already forgotten.

You may have heard that “timing is everything” and that is even Does all this sound more true in media relations. But how do you confusing? It is. The bottom line in any marketing is to know know when is the best time to send a your target market and give it what it wants. Same news release?

I have been asked about the best day of the week to send out a release. There isn’t one. I have witnessed plenty of debates on this. From personal experience, the only difference I ever noticed is when I could pick a slow news day. For instance, if in your city the daily newspaper can be reached on Sunday and not too much tends to happen that day in your subject area, you may find it easier to get into Monday’s newspaper than if you try later in the week. This worked for me when I was dealing with government policy issues, since very little happened on the weekend and they needed some policy issues to report on in the Monday newspaper. But on average, there is not much difference from one day to the next. Best time of month, year, etc? Again, there is no single best

with the media. The guidelines above give a very abbreviated list of what you need to consider. If you are still unsure, a media coach might be a good investment. But be careful - find someone with enough experience and success to coach you in the right direction.

David Leonhardt is a freelance media relations consultant and a website marketing consultant. For a free quote, call 613-448-3931, or send us an email. Visit: http://www.seo-writer.com/. Have a news release to send? For $50, I will review your news release, provide a professional edit to make it as successful as possible, and make whatever additional recommendations to maximize your publicity success. This article and more resources and events can be found at www.B2BMoms.com. Moms In Business Magazine • March, 2012 • PAGE 27

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Hiring: Moms

A Place for Moms to Find Great Jobs A Place for Companies to Find Great Moms

How to Use Keywords in Your Resume to Improve Your Online Job Search

By Kimberly Ben

Including keywords in your resume is a job search strategy you can’t afford to ignore! Once you have a strong career document in place, add the keywords throughout the content. Make sure that the document still flows and sounds natural when you read it out loud. Include keywords: • In the objective or summary • In your key accomplishments • In your listing of hard skills or core competencies Geographical keywords that show employers where you’re located, or where you’ve lived and worked before, should also be included whenever possible. How employers use keywords to find job candidates

eywords are words or phrases used to help jobseekers find jobs and employers find the right candidate to fill available positions. Put them into a search engine the same way you would normally search for information on the Internet. Certain industry buzzwords will often yield better search results. For instance, you’ll find better opportunities searching online for “retail project management” than you will if you use the term “retail” alone. Finding the right keywords If you have no idea about what keywords should be included in your resume, start by doing some simple research. Go online and find two to three ads for jobs in the industry you’re targeting. Read through each of the listings and study the ads carefully. Pay close attention to any repeated words or phrases. They are the keywords you need to know.

Employers are constantly sourcing the web for job candidates. They utilize a technology that makes it easy for them to zero in on the best job seekers who post resumes on private company websites, networking sites like LinkedIn or career-based websites like CareerBuilder and Monster. Keywords are important because if an employer is looking for someone with a specific skill, he will use a keyword, for example: “Data Architect,” Online Marketing Coordinator.” It’s also a good idea for job seekers to periodically update a resume that’s been uploaded into a database. Some databases provide an option for employers that allow them to only select the most recently uploaded resumes for viewing. Making sure to seed your resume with targeted keywords, and regularly updating the career document you upload into a database can give you an edge in this market.

Kimberly Ben is a professional resume writer (http://www. topresumewriting.com) can create an employer-focused career document designed to get you noticed. Find out how professional resume writing services can give you an edge against the competition in your job search.

Adding keywords to your resume Keywords are an important part of creating a competitive resume, but the strategy of the document and impact of the words used to highlight your strengths and experience are most important. Write a resume that positions you as the best possible choice for the job you’re targeting first. PAGE 28 • March, 2012 • Moms In Business Magazine

Looking for a great job? Looking for great people? If you are, then participate in the (beta) HiringMoms.com program from the National Association For Moms In Business.

A Proud Sp onsor of t 2012 MOM S IN BUSIN he ESS GRANT

Moms In Business Magazine • March, 2012 • PAGE 29

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Market Your Business Powered By: Market Your Business Without Money How do you grow your business without breaking the bank? Creativity, Ingenuity, and Resources are the answer.

By Sue Clement

Business Success Strategies: How to Be Lucky in Business And Not Just on St. Patrick’s Day

ne of my favorite business success strategies sayings is “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Since Saint Patrick’s Day is this month, I wish that quote had been by someone Irish, but it’s in fact by Seneca, a Roman philosopher who lived in the first century AD. But since everyone can be Irish for a day, why not make Seneca a temporary honorary Irishman too. So let’s take a closer look at Seneca’s quote and see what we can do to get lucky too, especially in business, other than hunting around for four-leaved clovers and checking for pots of gold at the end of rainbows.

1) Be prepared so that when you meet opportunity PAGE 30 • March, 2012 • Moms In Business Magazine

you’ll get lucky: Your Audio Logo The first major ingredient of luck is preparation. And for us, as business owners, preparation means having our perfect audio logos ready to go no matter where we are. Whether you’re at a St. Patrick’s Parade or at a BNI meeting, you should know what to say when someone asks you what you do – and be able to say it within 30 or 60 seconds, or use it in a more conversational approach.

2) Be prepared, part two: Carry business cards wherever you go In addition to having your audio logo ready to go, also be sure to carry business cards anywhere you go. If you

meet someone who might be a suitable client or a possible referral partner, you can still ensure you both have each other’s contact information so that you can follow up later. And yes, you can do that even if you meet that person at a parade or a party, i.e., in a place where talk about business is not really appropriate.

What do the Irish have to do with it? So Seneca certainly hit the nail on the head when he made that statement about luck happening when preparation meets opportunity. But what do the Irish have to do with it? Well, the Irish have a reputation of being friendly and gregarious, and those are characteristics that can make anyone lucky, whether they’re Irish by birth or whether they’re “Irish” just for the day.

3) Be where opportunity has a chance to find you: Get out there The second key ingredient of luck is opportunity. Be sure to spend time in places where opportunity can happen. One thing it needs is other people. You won’t make a big splash and gather lots of new clients when you’re home watching TV. At least you won’t unless you’re watching your own TV commercial, which is also seen by thousands of others, and your phone is about to ring off the hook. In that case, staying home so you can answer it might be the perfect to do.

Making luck your powerful business success strategy

thing

4) Help opportunity along: Follow Up Giving opportunity a chance to put you in contact with people you can create a business relationship with is one thing. But there’s a second part that’s just as important, and that’s follow-up. You see, opportunity lies not just in doing the right thing in the moment but also in what you make of it afterwards. So once you have made the initial connection, be sure to call or otherwise get in touch with that new connection and do whatever follow-up is appropriate, including possibly suggesting lunch or coffee.

5) Expect to be lucky Luck loves those who expect it. Seriously. There have even been research studies that have proven that expecting a good outcome will make it much more likely for good things to occur. Whether it’s the law of attraction, or whether it’s something much more down-to-earth, it works. What down-to-earth thing could it be? Someone who expects a good outcome is much more likely to act in a way that brings it about. They’ll be out there, creating opportunities for themselves, and making the most of them. They’ll also be outgoing and positive when they meet people, which makes those people want to connect with them. And they won’t flub their lines when it the time comes to talk about doing business together either.

And all those characteristics work year-round, so be sure to use them, along with the other how to get-lucky tips. In the meantime, if you’re hoping to be lucky on Saint Patrick’s Day, be sure to wear something green. And a shamrock won’t hurt either. And if you want to get lucky in business too, join Sue Clement at her FREE business teleseminar (http://www.sueclement. com/teleseminar-mc.html).on how to be “lucky” as you socialize your way to more clients and profits. Can’t make it? Missed it? Sign up anyway — Sue will be happy to send you the audio download link. And if you’re in the Vancouver area, you’re invited to my upcoming LIVE seminar on the Secret to Easy Referrals (http://www. sueclement.com/referrals.html).. #### Sue Clement stands for expedited business success. Having built a local business into a multi-million dollar enterprise, Sue is an expert in marketing, sales & customer service. As a certified business coach since 2000, she currently works with a diverse group of entrepreneurs and small business owners and helps them build powerful networks to leverage their business success. Visit: http://www. SueClement.com/teleseminar-mc.html & http:// www.SueClement.com/teleseminar.html. Copyright © 2008 LadyPens. All rights reserved.

Visit www.MarketWithoutMoney.com, providing marketing resources, tools and training that keeps more money in your wallet while still getting great results. Moms In Business Magazine • March, 2012 • PAGE 31

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Marketing2Moms

The #1 Resource and Information Center for Marketing to Moms

Power and Influence

The

Mommy Bloggers

By Leslie Truex

hile many may dismiss mom blogs as another form of gossip and talking about spit-up, the reality is that mom blogs have a great deal of influence particularly in the consumer market place. A good example of this is the controversial Motrin commercial.

their babies in packs do so to look like an “official mom” and that the pain of carrying a baby in a pack makes moms look “tired and crazy”. Within hours of the video going online, it was one of the most popular topics on Twitter, but not because women felt like Motrin understood their pain, but because they were offended.

On a Friday in November 2008, Motrin launched an online video ad meant to sympathize with moms who carry their babies in packs or slings as opposed to pushing them in a stroller. However the video suggested that moms who carry

At the time Motrin wasn’t completely connected to the blogsphere, so it didn’t respond to the uproar until the following Monday when it removed the video (although you can still watch it on YouTube) and issued an apology. Peter

PAGE 32 • March, 2012 • Moms In Business Magazine

Shankmen, a media and PR guru posted on his blog, “The problem is, Motrin happened to mess up at the expense, and in the face of, one of the most vocal, quickest-to-blog, “strongest-to-band-together-and-form-one-opinion-likethe-Borg” collectives out there – The Mommy-Blogging community.” Although Peter’s quote makes moms sound a little nutty too, it is true that moms band together. They’ve done it for centuries. Blogging has simply allowed moms to reach each other more easily and wield a greater influence.

With Power Comes Responsibility Over the last few years, companies have realized and embraced the power of mothers. Before the Internet, the Motrin incident would have still occurred, just on a smaller scale. One mom would tell another mom about how offended she was by the ad during a play date. Over the course of the week, a small group of moms may have boycotted Motrin, but Motrin wouldn’t have known or felt the effect. Today moms have access not just to their neighbors, but also to millions of moms all over the world. Now when a company messes up and one mom complains, it’s online for the world to see and to respond to. Companies realized they could use this power for good. If mommies could complain and cause a major PR fiasco, what could they do if they liked a product? Companies started sending these mommies everything from diapers to all-expense-paid resort vacations. Moms blogged about these new gifts and as predicted, readers responded. But

did to mommy blogs what mommy blogs did to Motrin.

…If mommies could complain and cause a major PR fiasco, what could they do if they liked a product?… when it was discovered that these moms had received free items or even compensation for their blog posts, the readers felt betrayed and responded with anger. In effect, readers

When you embark on a career as a mom blogger, your readers will develop a relationship with you. You must respect that relationship by working to provide the best content and referrals, and be honest about any freebies or monetary reimbursement you receive through reviews or recommendations you make on your blog. Not only is it required by the FTC, but it is necessary to maintain the integrity of the relationship with your readers. ####

Leslie Truex is the author of The Work-AtHome Success Bible and owner of Mommy Blogging Success, free resources with tips and advice on turning your rants, raves and reviews into revenue through blogging. Visit http://www.mommybloggingsuccess. com to learn more.

www.Marketing2Moms.com, a program of the National Association for Moms In Business, is leading the charge to affordably and effectively help members more effectively market to the #1 consumer in America. Moms In Business Magazine • March, 2012 • PAGE 33

Wisdoms for Thought

Influence the Life of a Child “When you thought I wasn’t looking...

uu I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one. uu I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals. uu I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that little things can be the special things in life. uu I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God. uu I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other. uu I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don’t. uu I felt you kiss me good night and I felt loved and safe. uu I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given. uu I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn’t feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up. uu I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but its all right to cry. uu I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything I could be. uu I watched you, and I learned most of life’s lessons I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up. uu I looked at you and wanted to say, ‘Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.’” ----Each one of us - whether parent, grandparent or friend - can influence the life of a child... Be a GOOD influence. Author Unknown

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PAGE 34 • March, 2012 • Moms In Business Magazine