L IKE ABLE L E AD ERS
www.wom enbi zown ers.org
ORGANI ZATION PROVIDING EMPOWERMENT FOR WOMEN
S UB SCRIBE T ODAY !
Managing People –Not Things!
BUSINESS OWNERS AND EDUCATION FOR FUTURE ENTREPRENEURS
Increase Your Future Income with Gratitude
Article Writing—Write Like
a PRO! Feb $3.99U SD
WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS Magazine Magazine Team: Cindy Clark, President Rebekah Jones, Copy Editor Ginger Marks, Production Coordinator Kristine Sheehan, Art Editor Luanne Stevenson, Production Assistant Executive Board: Anna Campbell, Founder Cindy Clark, President Wendy VanHatten, Vice President Lisa Wald-Guarino, Secretary OPEN POSITION, Member at Large OPEN POSITION, Treasurer WBO Leaders: JoAnne Barton, Volunteer Organizer Cindy Clark, Marketing Director Patricia Boes, Membership Director Tracy Collins, Technical Director Ginger Marks, Managing Editor WBO Staff: Andrea Okrentowich, Exec Asst/Grant Writing Coordinator Sherry Sim oes, Mkg Asst and Panel of Experts Coordinator Donna Crav otta, Marketing Assistant Stacey Virgo, Charity Coordinator Kathy Allen, Author's Corner Coordinator Agnes Ikotun, Marketing Assistant Patricia Garrison, Butterfly Coordinator Laura Wheeler, Technical Assistant Deneen Wilson, Technical Assistant
Š Copyri ght 201 0 W omenBi zOw ner s.or g All rights r eserved.
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Women Business Owners (WBO) is a 501c3 non profit organization, founded in February 2004, with the mission to empower, educate, and enrich the lives of women business leaders throughout the world.
*Women Business Owners (WBO) announces their newest initiative: Jr Apprentice US Program. This educational apprentice program is for children 10-18 in age, within the United States that are interested in being business owners.
WBO Podcast, listen to amazing women from around the world covering all areas of business and personal life for women. Available on our group website. www.womenbizowners.org
must read Article Writing-Write Like a Pro Increase Your Future Income with Gratitude
17 9
Leadership is Important in Business Likable Leaders Managing People – Not Things!
13 15 11
Be Prepared
14
every issue About WBO Authors Corner
34 12
New WBO Members Presidents Message Quote of the Month
7 4 10
Welcome from our WBO Magazine Staff WBO Staff & Volunteer Members
8 33
WBO Volunteer of the Month
18
Feb 2010 | 3
President’s Message Well the first month of 2010 is over. We all set goals for ourselves and worked hard through January on those goals. Some goals may still be on track; some may not be. The important thing is to Ci ndy Clark recognize where you are, what you need to do to get back on track, Pr esi dent do it and stay there. Maybe you decided to change some of your goals – add some new ones and take away some you felt were not in line with where you want to go. And that’s okay. It’s important to remember to acknowledge yourself and celebrate your successes along the way. During February, make some decisions on your goals. I recommend revisiting and revising your goals once a month. Do you need to add some details to those goals? Keep on top of your goals and decide how you are going to accomplish them. February’s issue is about People. “People” to me, means connections. We are making some exciting changes to our website. Now you can connect and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. We also have a link to our Social Networking Ning site. If you are not on our Ning Site, I invite you to join. This is another great way to connect with others. You will find all of this on the WBO Home page under “Connections”. We have also made some changes to your Profile section on the WBO website. You can now go into your profile and under Profile book, then Networking you can add your Twitter, Facebook, Blog information and other contact information. This way other members can find you and connect with you. If you haven’t been in your profile for a while, I encourage you to update it, and connect with other members. Information on our WBO National Business Conference will be coming out by the end of this week. We hope you are making plans to attend. It’s going to be very exciting! As always, if you have ideas, suggestions or thoughts please feel free to email me at anytime, cindy@womenbizowners.org. I love to hear from you! Until next month
Fondly, Cindy Clark WBO President Visit our group website for m ore information: www.womenbizowners.org 4 | womenbizowners.org
of special note 2010 Annual Charity Feature Author
26 30
First Quarter Charity Gift Shop Hot Pick Movie of the Month
21 6 10
Online Article Library Open Staff Volunteer Positions
10 24
Volunteers Needed WBO Member of the Month
12 19
Feb 2010 | 5
Shop from a wide variety of items created by our members to help you with your business or personal needs. Each item is donating 30% or more back to WBO. Elizabeth T ote ~ Handcrafted by Jennifer Hudson with Mimsi Bags. This t ote is perfect for the Bu siness Wom an-on -the-Go! Originally designed with the W om en Business Owner, Realtor 速, Mortgage Lender or Attorney in m ind, this t ote will carry ev erything y ou need, and make sure y ou arriv e in sty le! At 18 " wide and 12" tall, it is large enough t o carry legal-sized folder s, plus y our pens, palm , calculator, wallet, checkbook... y ou get the idea! We can also add a key fob so y ou don 't lose them in the room iness. Price: $125
Java Jammie ~ Handcrafted by Julie-Marie with Julie-Marie Bags This cute and fun Java Jamm ie has a pink background with white polka dots and white daisies. A m atching daisy button m akes it irresistable! This Jav a Jamm ie is ex tra special because all pr ofit s benefit W om en Business Owners. Price $7 .00 W om en Business Owners prov ides education and support for m ore than 3,000 wom en business owners throughout the world with online and offline resources. W BO's m ission is to help m ore wom en succeed in business.
Pawnut - Apple Biscotti ~ Handmade by The Gourmet Dog Bakery Let y our canine di g hi s teeth into our crisp on the outsi de but soft on the insi de Paw nut Butter - Apple Bi sc otti . Made with: stone ground organic w hole wheat fl our , or ganic peanut butter , milk , unsweetened applesauce and cinnamon. A s alway s, The Gour met Dog Bakery only uses the best i ngredi ents w hen b aking our goods. Our Pawnut Butter - Appl e Bisc otti is sol d i n quantities of 1 /2 dozen. Price: $5.99
http://www.wom enbizowners.org Sh ow Case Your Product in the WBO Gift Sh op: Star and Prem ier m em bers are encouraged to participate in our W BO Gift Sh op by choosing one product or serv ice they will donate 30% or m ore back t o Wom en Business Owners. Contact info@wom enbizowners.org for m ore inform ation about our Dr op Ship Policy .
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New WBO Members Pam Brooks Arizona Pottery
Tracey Delcamp Tracey Delcamp & Associates
www.ArizonaPottery.com
www.T raceyDelCamp.com
Deneen Wilson Typing Bug VA Services
Luanne Stevenson Writers 1 Stop
www.typingbug.com
writers1stop.com
Need time for You? Order your copy today to get started‌ Contact Wendy VanHatten at wvanhatten@gmail.com www.mylifethesequel.com Feb 2010 | 7
Welcome from our WBO Magazine Staff Area
All articles must provide useful and high integrity information that is helpful to women in business. We accept topics related to business, marketing, integrating home and family with business, and much more relating to women in business. We ask that you provide unique, well-written, informative articles. We reserve the right to refuse any article for any reason. All written content that you submit to this site must be writing that you have the legal rights to post to our site. By posting your article to our site, you are granting us NonExclusive Copyrights - which means you are giving us the legal right to use it, but you are NOT surrendering your right to use it elsewhere. WBO does not own or retain any rights to the articles written...we are merely privileged to read and grow from them. WBO Magazine reserves the right to edit submitted articles. Each author will be credited by name in publication. The number of articles to be written is decided by each article writer herself. We encourage members of the WBO News Magazine Writers Team to submit at least one (1) article a month, however we do understand the flow of creativity is different for everyone and we do not want this to become a chore. Therefore the final decision will be yours. Each article must be publication ready (edited) and submitted to our WBO Magazine Editor Rebekah Jones @ rebekah@womenbizowners.org for approval. WBO Magazine reserves the right to modify submitted articles. Each author will be credited by name in publication.
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Marks
Sheehan
Jones
Increase Your Future Income with Gratitude by Alicia M. Forest, MBA,
As we head into the season of giving, now is a great time to show appreciation to your clients and customers. Taking the time to give thanks to your clients will set you apart, increase loyalty, improve retention, inspire more sales, and deepen relationships that last long after the initial sale.
3. Invitations One of the things you can do for your top clients is to invite them to a special
Here are 10 easy ways you can say thank you to your clients:
1. Greeting Cards My husband often teases me that I should ow n stock in Hallmark for the amount of money I spend a year on cards. I love to send cards; for a specific reason or for no reason at all. For business, you've probably heard of SendOutCards (and no, I'm not an affiliate or a distributor). I get a lot of cards this way from colleagues, and it definitely deepens the relationship for me. And it is a super-easy way for you to do that w ith your customers too.
2. Personal Notes I love to send personal notes too. I have specially designed note cards that I send w hen I just w ant to connect w ith someone after a particularly pow erful coaching call, when someone makes an investment in Platinum, w hen I've made a special connection w ith someone in person, or w hen a client just needs a little cheer.
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WBO WBO Online Online Article Article Library Library Our Article Library has been created for the use of our mem bers. It is for wom en who would like to learn how to start a business, grow a business, maintain a business, and lead the life they are searching for. You will find a variety of categories below that are filled with articles, recorded classes, and other informational type docum ents just waiting to be opened and explored. We are alway s looking for additional resources t o add t o our directory . Please feel free t o contact us with any articles, business docum ents, and other business related item s that y ou would like to see added to this direct ory . You may contact us v ia em ail articles@wom enbizowners.org.
Visit Today : htt p://www.womenbizowners.org (Under RESOURCE AREA)
Quote of the Month Remember the difference between a boss and a leader; a boss says "Go!" - a leader says "Let's go!"~E.M. Kelly
Dear John Release Date: Feb 05, 2010 Starring: Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried, Henry Thomas, Richard Jenkins, Keith Robinson Genre: Romance / Drama Official Site: dearjohn-movie.com/ Rated: PG –13 (For some sensuality and violence.)
Directed by Lasse Halstrom and based on the novel by best-selling author Nicholas Sparks, "Dear John" tells story of John Tyree (Channing Tatum), a young soldier home on leave, and Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried), the idealistic college student he falls in love with during her spring vacation. Over the next seven tumultuous years, the couple is separated by John's increasingly dangerous deployments. While meeting only sporadically, they stay in touch by sending a continuous stream of love letters overseas--correspondence that eventually triggers fateful consequences.
WBO Business Coffee Club February 2010 Meetings: Friday, February 19, 2010 at 10:00 AM Coffee Society next to Cupertino Library 10300 Torre Avenue, Cupertino, CA 95014 Organizer: Anna Campbell www.vanhattenwritingservices.com
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(925) 399-1629
anaging People –Not Things! by Sherry Simoes
There is a huge difference in leadership between managing people and managing things. Managing people is a very personal job, and one must have certain qualities to be able to be a good leader. Managing people takes much patience, understanding, and mentoring.
normally have control over, and for some that is not easy.
Just because you can perform well in a certain industry does not make you an expert in leadership. It is a role where you need to respect, listen, understand, and tread lightly in some circumstances. As a leader, you're expected to bring you and your team to success. As a leader, your team looks up to you for guidance and support.
Leaders can make or break a business. While some people are adept at knowing what needs to be accomplished and how to
It invol ves passing responsibility and delegating tasks that you may
There is no magic to leadership. Great leaders are not born great leaders. They are simply people who are passionate about being a great leader, and they are willing to do the little things that matter.
do their job, the majority need a leader to implement some structure and order in the workplace in order to be effective in what they do. Good leaders create a vision, a picture of the future, of where they want to take their organizations and then get their team involved in these visions and inspire everyone in the company to get on board and be passionate about what they do.
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WBO Authors Corner This team of publishing companies, authors, writ ers, and market ers; net work, ment or and promot e each other. We believe that by working t ogether, we will succeed in our individual goals. Authors Corner Leader: Kathy Allen with Accents of Home Authors: Diane Tegarden with FireWalker Publications, Inc Ga zelle Simmons with Admin Services Ginger Marks with DocUmeantDesigns.com Li sa A. Fredette with Passionate About Life Coaching Sabrina Schlei cher, Ph.D, ACC with Tap The Potential Sherri Walker with Poems by Daughter of the King Writer's: Li sa A. Fredette with Passionate About Life Coaching
Visit the Authors Corner and learn about the amazing books these members have published and are currently working on. This group is open t o all Star & Premier Members. htt p://www.womenbizowners.org (Under Resource Area)
Volunteers needed for the WBO WBO Board Posit ions: Treasurer and Mem ber at Large Assistant for the Mem bership Departm ent WBO St aff Posit ions: Telesem inar Organizer Social Networking Administrator Departm ent Administrator Assistant for the Volunteer Organizer Ev ent Organizer Visit http://www.womenbizowners.org and submit a volunteer form to JoAnne@womenbizowners.org NOTE: Please be aware that the Treasure rs position is one that requires the person to be a CPA and requires us to perform a background check on you.
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W
hether you are in direct sales and have a dow n line or you ow n a business where you have people you w ork w ith, leadership is important. Without it, you w on’t have success. You can be a coach, a virtual assistant, or a marketing strategist and have the need for leadership. When you ow n one of these types of businesses, you have the need to lead people in the direction they need and want to go. Leadership is defined as the activity of leading. This means you lead and guide people in the direction you w ant them to go. You teach them and do things for them that will get them going in this direction. When you have the perfect leadership in your business, you’ll grow in w ays you never thought w ere possible. You’ll do things you
write articles as a means of showing they are an expert in their field. Once you find a person that you think w ill be able to help you, read their site, ask for testimonies, and ask around to see if anyone has heard of them or used them. This w ill help you even more w ith your decision. When you find the right person, you’ll have the leadership you need to grow your business. They w ill help you do things in
Leadership is Important in Business by Corrie Petersen your business that you’ve wanted to do but didn’t have the guidance to do or you didn’t know how to do correctly. Leadership is important in any business. Sometimes it’s hard to find the encouragement and support that you need in your business. When you find a coach, VA, or marketing strategist that has the leadership skills you need, you’ll find favor in everything w ithin your business.
never imagined, and you’ll do things you were scared to do because you have the right leadership for it. Finding a leader is hard to do if you don’t know what you are looking for in a person. The best thing to do is research the person. One of the best w ays to research a person is to see if they have written any articles. Usually a person in the leadership role w ill
CORRIE PETERSEN
Corrie Petersen runs a successful Virtual Assistant business. She enjoys helping others spend more time w ith their families w hile grow ing their business. Check out her w ebsite at http://www.virtualfreedom4you.com.
Feb 2010 | 13
Be Prepared
by Wendy Van Hatten
What do dive instructors teach you? Always be prepared. Always. We should have been…and we weren’t.
to the boat. And our captain didn’t seem to be overly alarmed at seeing that many fins in the water.
Our six-person dive boat left Key Largo for a 45 minute ride to the dive site, North Dry Rocks.
As soon as he figured out we had no idea what these creatures were, he
Sun was shining brightly…water was clear…waves were under one foot… visibility was over 50 feet…this was a great day for diving. Our boat was skimming along when suddenly our captain cut the motor and motioned animatedly to 8 or 10 fins in the water about 20 feet off the side of the boat. He quietly told us to put on only our snorkel gear and slide quietly into the water. In return he was rewarded with “deer in the headlights” looks from all six of us! What were those fins attached to? They certainly didn’t leap out of the water or race our boat like the playful dolphins do. Sea turtles here can be large but usually don’t swim in groups so close
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Quietly we slipped into the water. We counted nine of these magnificent creatures swimming in a diamond shaped pattern. Each one of the rays was easily six feet from wing tip to wing tip. White dots speckled across their dark topsides, earning them their names. Their undersides were light gray, allowing them to glide right over the top of their prey without being detected. These were no doubt the most graceful things we had ever seen. It was if they were suspended in the clear turquoise water. With a flick of a wing tip, they all moved in formation. No group of fighter pilots or Olympic synchronized swimmers could come close to their precision swimming.
explained. This was the largest school of spotted eagle rays he had ever seen. They were gracefully gliding in the water beside our boat. When he stopped the boat, they stopped. It was if they were waiting for us.
Even though they were within touching distance we respected their space. In turn they let us “swim with them” for about 20 minutes. Every once in a while the lead ray would turn slightly, the others (Continued on page 22)
Likable Leaders by Melissa Foster
Many of us aspire to climb a corporate ladder or even a social ladder. Neither is done easily, and they both require a modicum of grace and know-how . We all know some leaders w ho are a bit harsh, and if you’re like me, you hope that you don’t become that person. Here are a few tips on becoming a likable leader.
Making Your Mark Whether it’s a corporate or a social ladder that you are trying to scale, it’s something that should be done tactfully. Making your mark in a corporate structure takes hard work and dedication. You have to reach beyond w hat your coworkers are doing and show your supervisor that you are not afraid to take a few risks. Social structures are a little different. Social rungs of the ladder are also earned based on your social skills and oftentimes your corporate skills as w ell. Whichever one you are striving to scale, be sure to do your best and take the extra steps required to get noticed.
Confidence and Appreciation Taking extra steps to get noticed goes hand-in-hand w ith not belittling others. By doing your job better, you might make others look a little w orse, and that should never be your goal. Find w ays to appreciate your peers and coworkers; point out to your supervisor how great of a job they are doing rather than focusing on patting yourself on the back. Confidence can come across as arrogance if others are not appreciated. After all, it takes many steps to get to the top, and stepping on toes w ill never keep you at the top. If you’ve moved up socially, take a friend along w ith you. Confidence in yourself w ill help your friend’s confidence bloom, too— and that’s alw ays a good thing.
Delegation with Tact When you move up to a more senior position, oftentimes it also means (Continued on page 23)
Feb 2010 | 15
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Article Writing-Write Like a Pro by Luanne Stevenson How to begin? I’m a writer and I still have to spend tim e scratching my ideas on scrap paper before I sit down at my lap top. I’m not an expert on “how to” but I do know what works for me. This article will outline how I write an article. If y ou feel the task of writing an article is daunting, then maybe som e of these suggestions will help.
Things to consider: Who’s your audience? Know who your reader is and speak to him in his language. In other words, if you are posting on a blog, y ou should write in a casual style. If it is a business newsletter, then it should be m ore formal and straight to the point. If it’s a news article, don’t write in first person; leave the word “I” out and don’t share your own experiences; keep it subjective and factual; no opinions should be included if it is news related. (Continued on page 25)
Feb 2010 | 17
WBO Volunteer Volunteer of of the the Month Month WBO Kristine Sheehan Sheehan Kristine Kristine Sheehan came across a group called Women Business Owners a few years ago, while surfing the net. It was a chat network that opened doors to new women business owners and offered entrepreneurial "threads". She found that it was such a pleasure to read about the growing pains and progressive steps that each woman made in their own business that she could not do anything but participate. WBO opened up a dialog which was helpful in finding what made business good, bad and unusual. It is with this group that women quickly could relate to each other as business women, mothers and catalysts for each others growth. She stuck with the group through the years and volunteered as an Art Editor for the online WBO Magazine. She enjoys working with the magazine team and finds it a stimulating experience that has helped her business The Merry Bird Designs as well as her personal growth. The Merry Bird Designs company of Trumbull, Connecticut has officially been in business since March 2006. Kristine Sheehan, the owner, began working in the design/art industry because her passion is drawing with pen and ink, painting and photography and computer graphics. Her company offers Logo Development, Book Cover Creation, Ad Design and a line of pen and ink motifs on note cards, holiday Tags and invitations. The Merry Bird Designs is ever changing and adding more beautiful ideas to choose from, come take a peek at a local arts festival or Fly in!
The Merry Bird Designs • www.themerrybird.com • 203-551-1155 info@themerrybird.com • skype: themerrybird • twitter.com/them errybird
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WBO Member of the Month LORRAINE LEGASSE
L
orraine joined WBO because my Marketing Mentor is a member and she advised me that it w ould be a great place to connect w ith women across the globe and advertise my business. I have met some very interesting women and made some great connections to help build my business. My business allows people to journal online and have their special occasions turned into lasting memories in the form of professionally edited and designed books that are bound by hand, not glued. They include artists renderings that make each book a w ork of art and one-of-a-kind treasure that can be handed dow n from generation to generation. I started this business as I have a passion to help people preserve special life moments.
Feb
Contact Information: Forever Your Keepsake www.forevery ourkeeps ake.com 888-894 -0636 ext 103 lorraine.lagasse@forev eryourkeepsake.com
Feb 2010 | 19
(Continued fro m page 11)
Good leaders are committed to results. They thri ve on facts, figures, numbers, and data and also share the results of their efforts with their team. Good leaders are focused and achieve what they set out to do before launching new initiatives and do not set more than one goal or initiative at one time. Good leaders speak from their hearts. They motivate by persuasion rather than intimidation. They are truthful and honest. Good leaders can make decisions quickly and are decisive. A good leader must know how to act swiftly and must encourage quick thinking among his or her people. Good leaders share responsibility and the credit for a job well done. They create a win-win situation where everyone benefits from a team effort. Good leaders are direct and straightforward. They set clear performance expectations and hold people accountable. Good leaders are open and seek feedback about their performance and leadership skills. Before taking on a leadership role, study and access yourself and your skills and make sure you know what is expected of you so you can effectively be a good leader.
SHERRY SIMOES
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WBO First Quarter Charity Since its founding in 2007 by visionary leaders Bobby and Sharon Bailey, The True Vine Community Organization has touched the lives by meeting the needs of many in emergency response and by the distribution of food and clothing through our “Barrels for the Harvest Program.” As ministers of the gospel we saw not only a spiritual need but also the emotional physical needs of the people. With the support of other ministries and contributors we were able to send many barrels to the Caribbean in the islands of Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. These barrels were able to be a blessing to many churches, children homes, and local communities. The True Vine believes, practices, and respects the needs of an individual and the family. We have trained diverse staff which is culturally competent and understands cultural differences and special needs regardless of the populations of different races, religions, ethnicity, gender, physical disability, or other characteristics are identified and addressed. The True Vine needs assistance with clothes, food and supplies for children.
http://www.true-vinecommunity.org/ P.O. Box 953212 Lake Mary, FL 32795 Phone: 407-365-2982 Email: Sharon@true-vinecommunityoutreach.org
Allow our independent WBO Design Team to create your business’ Ad. See our WBO designer discounted prices below. Member Price
Non-Member Price
Business Card Ad:
$2 5
Business Card Ad:
$4 5
1/2 Page Ad:
$50
1/2 Page Ad:
$75
Full Page Ad:
$100
Full Page Ad:
$125
(All WBO designers are paid independently from WBO and direc tly from the cus tomer. Ass igned des igners are s olely respons ible for the referred WBO ad cus tomer and w ill w ork with c lients on an indiv idual and c ontrac t bas is .)
Feb 2010 | 21
Author Corner Leader Kathy Allen kathy@wom enbizowners.org For all your creative & Technical Business Solutions. Web Design & Hosti ng Solutions,
WBO Marketing Assistant Sherry Lynn Simoes sherry @wom enbizowners.org (Continued fro m page 14)
would follow and so would we. Apparently finished with the game, the lead ray flicked his wing tip one last time and…they literally vanished! That sounds impossible, but it’s how they left us. One second they were gliding slowly along and the next there was nothing but a ripple in the water. We didn’t even really “see” them leave. They just did! Silently we all swam back to our boat, each with memories of those special rays. This was a swim worth remembering. I’m sure the dive was good, too.
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Live Sound Sol uti ons, and HomeBased Business Sol uti ons
Michelle Suman michelle@jamsumweb.com http://www.jam sum.com
Is Your Website Meeting Your Expectations? Are y ou getting the traff ic you need? Is it selling as much as it should? If not, you need to know WHY! It doesn’t cost a thing to learn what to do to improv e y our website. Call or e-mail for y our f ree website rev iew. No catch, no pressure, just helpf ul information that lets y ou know where to go f rom here! Firelight Web Studio—Ask for Laura! http://www.f irelightwebstudio.com webtech@f irelighwebstudio.com—307-379-2502
(Continued from page 15)
supervising others, letting go of former responsibilities, and taking on new ones. If you get bogged dow n by trying to do it all, failure w ill be close behind. Appreciate the skills of your team members, delegate w ith kindness, and set them up to succeed. Their success will mean you are doing your job w ell. Jealousy w ill slow ly fray your ability to lead.
Staying On Top All too often, those that climb ladders miss a step or tw o and have trouble staying on top. Staying on top means continuing to reach beyond your current capabilities and continually proving yourself. Hoping that your prior success will keep you on top w ill quickly br ing you dow n. After all, w hat you’ve done yesterday is gone. What you do today and tomorrow are the things that count. Want to go a step further? Once you reach the rung of the ladder that you have been striving for, reach beyond it. What’s your
next goal? Do you have a personal or business issue you need help tackling? E- mail me and I’ll try to accommodate your request in an upcoming issue: thinkhappy(@)live(dot)com. Come back next month for more Monthly Motivations ! Melissa Foster is the author of Megan’s Way, a w ork of literary fiction (www.megansw ay.com), and the Founder of The Women’s Nest (www.thewomensnest.com), a free online social and support community for women. Connect w ith other women like yourself - Share a laugh, gain advice, friendship, and fun. Daily at-home exercises and motivations, monthly healthy challenges, book club, scrapbook club, forums, blogs, and free medical, financial, and relationship advice. MELISSA FOSTER
Feb 2010 | 23
WBO Open Staff Volunteer Positions National Building Project Team Marketing Hound: Spread the word about this project to national and local media resources interested in promoting or joining the project. Needs to have marketing experience and capacity to create marketing materials to draw in the needed participants for a project of this nature. M ust have time to participate on this National Building Team. This team will be building the foundation for local models around the world. 1-4 hours weekly (We meet online monthly)
Sponsor Recruiter, Events Departme nt:
Willing to devote a few hours a
week to recruiting sponsors for our Fall 2010 Confrence. This position involves researching potential sponsors, sending an already prepared letter to the potential sponsor and following up with them. It also involves documenting the requests sent and the responses in a spreadsheet.
Overall Group Positions Available Project Coordinator: Is responsible for overseeing projects by building a team of the necessary member for the particular project. Task and member types will necessarily change according to the particular project. Also responsible for establishing timeline and deadline for each project.
Jr. Apprentice US Coordinator: creates team of individuals to set-up program, maintain program, run program, focus on improving the program, assist with fundraising for program, and submit information to Project Director M onthly. M ay create an assistant position to help with duties.
Visit our group site to apply for these positions. www.WomenBizOwners.org Volunteer Director: Kathy Allen kathy@wom enbizowners.org 24 | womenbizowners.org
(Continued fro m page 17)
What is your topic? Be an expert on the topic. Know what it is y ou are writing about. Why should the reader believe y ou? For exam ple, I’m a writer. I blog and I used to write for the Exam iner and Associated Content. Now, I’m helping out with the WBO magazine. Writing is what I do. Am I an expert? Nope. But that’s okay, you know y ou can trust m e because I’v e studied the craft of writing and have experience on the subject. The reader needs to buy into the idea that what y ou have written is trustworthy and reliable and you are giving them som ething they need. Once I know the topic, understand who my reader is, I then ask myself: “Who cares?” I’m not being glib. I’m asking myself, “Why would someone want to read this? What will it give them?” Rem ember, the reader wants to receive. If y ou have nothing they want, y ou’ll lose them. That brings about the question; “How do I hook and reel them in?” I want to grab their attention and keep them interested so they won’t click away. I’v e got only 20 seconds to let them know why they should park on my page and receive what I’m giving. How do y ou do that? Good question; I’ll tell y ou how I try to accom plish this. Before I think of a hook; an opening statement to grab my reader’s attention, I map out
Feb 2010 | 25
an outline on scrap paper. I call this the bones of the story. I make sure the outline has a Heading, Introduction, Body, Conclusion, and Resources are listed at the end of the article or within the body. Stay focused. If my outline is written correctly, then there is only one topic and a few sub topics. If the outline is too long, then I’m trying to do too much all in one swoop. There might be two or three articles that are hiding inside the outline. This tells me I need to rem ove some of the bones; they don’t belong with this body. Focus is the key. The keywords for the search should be in the heading. When y ou think about the heading, ask y ourself “What are the key words that someone would use to search for this information?” If I’m writing a lov e story and I call it Stepping on Toes, the title is creative but the WebCrawler’s will never find my page on Google. Then try to com e up with a catchy heading or clearly stated heading for each category and sub category. On the internet, the reader usually scans. If the first heading sounds interesting or clearly states the purpose for the article and it’s on the topic they want, then you caught them for the first 4 seconds. Now keep them with y ou. Write clearly, av oid clichés. Sometimes sim ply stated is best. Creative writing is wonderful, but if it’s too wordy your reader will lose interest. He’ll think you’re trying too hard. Rem ember; the reader stopped for a reason. They spotted som ething (the title or first heading) that caught their attention. They now want to quickly know what it is you are giving them and if it is worth their time to receive it. Make your writing clearly understood. This is where I sound like your high school English teacher;
“Check for grammar children! Watch out for spelling mistakes, repeated words, redundancy and be sure you write in complete sentences!”
“Check for grammar children! Watch out for spelling mistakes, repeated words, redundancy and be sure you write in com plete sentences!” (Continued on page 31)
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WBO Annual Charity
Feb 2010 | 27
Napa Valley Information coming soon! http://www.womenbizowners.org/conference WBO Annual Awards Nominations N ominati on Gui delin es: Th e reci pi ents of th ese awards are required to be presen t at th e WBO Nati onal Busin ess Con ference in October 2010 in Napa, CA to receiv e their award. All n ominated wom en will receive a $50 v ou ch er that may be used towards th eir 2010 WBO Nati onal Con feren ce ti cket. All WBO A ward Reci pi ents will receive on e (1) com plimen tary 2010 WBO Nati onal Conferen ce ti cket. N ominati on s will be accepted un til August 15, 2010.
Volunteering Heart : N ominate a wom an y ou kn ow that has v olunteered within y our l ocal or online community and has im pacted th ose sh e has worked wi th through h er v olunteering h eart. Share with us h er story an d where sh e has v olunteered. 2009 Awa rd Recipient : Pat ri cia Boes 2010 N ominati ons:
Leading Business Woman of the Year: N ominate a wom an wi thin y our l ocal or online community that has prov en to be a leading busin ess woman by growing h er busin ess, m entoring th ose she surroun ds h ersel f wi th an d h elping h er community grow through h er own busin ess su ccess. Share with u s informati on abou t h er an d h er busi n ess. 2009 Awa rd Recipient : Regina Ba ker 2010 N ominati ons:
Persevering Business Woman of the Year: N ominate a wom an wi thin y our l ocal or online community
that has continued to buil d h er busin ess through personal or econ omic struggles an d has deni ed defeat through tim es of real trials. Share wi th us h er story of determinati on an d h er triumph. 2009 Awa rd Recipient : Kathy Allen 2010 N ominati ons:
Networking Woman of the Year: N ominate a wom an wi thin y our l ocal or online community that kn ows h ow to get aroun d an d m eet oth er peopl e within h er community an d build lasting busin ess relati on ships wi th th ose she m eets. Share wi th us h ow she networks and h ow sh e i s able to maintain th e business relati onshi ps. 2009 Awa rd Recipient : Ma ry B. Rel ott o 2010 N ominati ons:
Woman of Courage: N ominate a wom an wi thin y our l ocal or online community that has truly sh own courage through ou t h er life or at a speci fic tim e in h er life. Share with us h ow sh e maintain ed h er courage an d the results it brou ght to h er life. 2009 Awa rd Recipient : Leyla Hu r 2010 N ominati ons:
Em powering Woman of the Year: N ominate a wom an wi thin y our l ocal or online community that has em powered th e peopl e wi thin h er life an d th ose wi thin her community. Share with us h ow sh e has impacted th ose around h er by em powering them . 2009 Awa rd Recipient : Stephanie Brehm 2010 N ominati ons:
WBO Chosen Charities Each year WBO selects 501c3 groups to be their one (1) annual charity, and four (4) quarterly charities to receive physical and m onetary donations from m embers and the general public. â—? 2010 Annual charity is Girls For A Change http://www.girlsforachange.org/ â—? 2010 First quarter charity is True Vine Community Organization www.truevinecommunityoutreach.org 28 | womenbizowners.org
Feb 2010 | 28
(Continued fro m page 9)
event just for them. It can be a lunch or dinner at an event you'll all be at, or carve out a portion of your own live event to spend time just w ith them. You can also invite them to special teleseminar or w ebinar where you offer them free content just for being your top clients.
4. Small Gifts Flow ers, books, a mug, or something more specific are all thoughtful gifts for clients. They can be sent for certain occasions or just because (that's actually my favorite way to send a gift).
5. Gift Cards These days you can get gift cards for almost any product or servic e. Some companies, like Starbucks, offer having your logo or business name imprinted on them. Other ideas besides coffee include restaurants, movies, bookstores, office supplies, and online vendors like Amazon.
6. Referral and Affiliate Rewards Even if your referral or affiliate programs offer a commission on each referral, sending a personalized note along w ith it w ill go further in encouraging your netw ork to continue to promote your offers into the future.
whom they w ill benefit from. Making this a part of the way you run your business w ill come back to you tenfold as it shows the universe your belief in abundance.
8. Customer Appreciation Days Pick one day a year to designate as a Customer Appreciation Day to celebrate your clients. Make a special offer only to them and make a lasting impression.
9. Host Events Host a gathering at the next event w here your clients and customers are likely to gather. A Tw eetup is a popular w ay to connect w ith both current and prospective clients, and they are super-simple to set up and cost you nothing but a bit of time. You can also hold a virtual event anytime you w ant to bring your clients and customers together.
10. Life Events Weddings, baby show ers, major moves, book contracts, big speaking gigs, TV spots, or any other major event warrants an acknow ledgment. A nice card or personal note, or even a quick phone call, w ill make you memorable for sure. A LICIA M FOREST, MBA
Alicia M. Forest, MBA, 6-Figure Business Breakthrough Mentor, teaches self-employed professionals how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to create w ild abundance in your business, visit http:// www.ClientAbundance.com
7. Reverse Referrals Whenever appropriate, refer your clients and customers to others
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Featured Author Ginger Marks 2010 Weird & Wacky Holiday Marketing Guide This second edition calendar of marketing ideas is fast becom ing the hottest marketing tool for business owners both online and offline.
“I just glanced at the content and WOW what a phenomenal marketing tool. Love the info presented, and because I am a Small Business Developmental Specialist, I see potential sharing this info with other small business owners throughout my community. It’s a treasure chest of marketing ideas. I love it. It is laid out so well and for me, a person who is also thinking of doing something different, I find the book a most excellent resource guide. -Sandra Lynch The One Page Business Plan Consultant, bookkeeper and tax preparer Available in three formats: Kindle, PDF and MobiPocket, for your convenience. www.Holiday MarketingGuide.com eBook $ 19.97
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(Continued fro m page 26)
Never plagiarize. If y ou are reporting from a source, paraphrase and be sure to include the bibliography/footnote at the bottom . If you want to add a photo, be sure there is no copy right. Go to I stock or any one of those com panies where y ou can purchase a photo and not worry about any copyright infringes. Be original. You have y our own style that should shine through. Speak in y our own v oice. Never try to imitate an author you lov e because it won’t be real to the reader. Be authentic; dare to be different! If y ou are writing about how to create the best clam chowder in New England, then don’t put the ingredients in the middle of the body. Capech? The paragraphs should transition sm oothly and make sense. Think of a story map. Every book has a beginning, middle, and ending. Make sure your ideas flow and m ove in correct sequence.
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Quitting T ime
“Those
who write clearly have readers; those who write obscurely have commentators.” ~ Albert Camus.
My job is done. I hope you can use som e of the ideas I listed to help y ou create y our own article. These are only suggestions that have worked for me, and y ou will find your own m ethod for putting it together. But there are ingredients y ou can never leave out or skim p on if y our article is to be published. Here’s the list to keep in mind: All articles have to have a Heading, Introduction, Body, and Conclusion and list y our resources. A Resource Box is optional. This is where you can provide links to m ore information y our audience would find useful or link to y our website, etc. All articles should be original work. Check grammar, spelling, format.
Hope this helped you., Good luck! Luanne Stevenson is the managing editor and writer for pandoraspantry.com and the writer, editor and m oderator for Divine Mom s, a blog for m others raising children with disabilities.
Advertising Options Our Wom en Business Owners (W BO) 5 01 (c)(3) organization currently works with m ore than 41 ,000 wom en entrepreneurs worldwide. We also work with y outh, y oung adults, and seniors.Our v isitor s are from ev ery walk of life and fr om all ov er the world. The people we are reaching are primarily wom en from 1 8-78 y ears of age, are interested in owning a business, currently own a business, are affiliated with nonpr ofit organizations, corporations, and are in a position of power for local or national decision m aking. Current Advertising Opportunities: http://www.wom enbizowners.org/adrate
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We are honored to introduce our esteemed Premier Members, Volunteers and Staff Members. Anna Campbell with My Business Journals www.mybusinessjournals.com
Luanne Stevenson with Writers 1 Stop www.writers1stop.colm
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Lisa Wald-Guarino with Lisa's Art & Horses LisasArt.com
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www.virtualmanagem entconceptsllc.com
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Deneen Wilson with The Typing Bug www.TypingBug.com
Susanne Mariga with Susanne Mariga CPA SusanneMarigaCPA.com
Ginger Marks with DocUmeant Designs DocUmeantDesigns.com
Stacey Virgo with ShagoUSA www.shargo.us
JoAnne Barton with Self Care Essential http://www.selfcareessentials.com
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Jylian Sy with InterPlay Communications interplay@social.rr.com Julie-Marie Christin with Julie-Marie Julie-Marie.com
Wendy VanHatten with Vanhatten Writing Services www.vanhattenwritingservices.com
Kathy Allen with Accents of Home Accents ofHome.com Kristine Sheehan with TheMerryBird.com Laura Wheeler with Firelight Web Studio FirelightWebStudio.com
Feb 2010 | 33
WE’RE ON T HE WEB WWW. WOMENBI ZOWNERS. ORG
Become a WBO Member Today! This membership is for our ladies who are focus ed on their primary business and are looking for educational support, networking opportunities, promotional advantages, and real time business success. Memberships starting at only $10 a month or $100 for a whole year! Premier Level I Membership: Thi s member ship i s f or our l adies who are focused on products or services they are selling. $1 0 monthly . Benefits: - N ew Memb ers announced in W BO Magazine - Compli mentary i nvitation to attend all of our W BO pr oduced classes, w ork shops and teleseminar s - Receive Monthly W BO Magazi ne - Di sc ounted adverti sing r ates f or W BO Magazine and W BO Web site - N ew Memb ers Welc ome E-Book - A nnual Member Directory with your single business listing - Li sted in online Business Directory - A uthors Cor ner - A cc ess to entire or ganizati on w eb site Premier Level II Membership: Thi s member ship i s f or our l adies who are focused on r eciprocati on f or business gr owth and b eing featur ed speak ers in W BO r elated semi nar s, c onventions, and other non-W BO rel ated events. $30 monthly . Benefits: Includes Level I Benefits - One (1 ) Seat on Panel of Experts - Invited to speak at a mi ni mum of two (2) w b o pr oduced teleseminar s, rec eive c omplimentary rec or ding f or your busi ness marketing use. - Half (1 /2) Page ad i n eac h i ssue of the W BO Magazine f or length of active member ship - W BO National Conf erence attendee di sc ount and ability to regi ster early Premier Level III Membership: Thi s member ship i s f or our l adies who are focused on empowering other w omen thr ough health and wealth philosophies. $50 monthly. Benefits: - Includes Lev el I & II Benefits - One (1 ) Seat on N ational A dvi sory Boar d - Private Level III bi -annual retr eats - Full Page ad i n eac h issue of the W BO Magazine f or length of active member ship - W BO National Conf erence speaker invitati on
Join Us Next Month… Thank y ou f or allowing us to be apart of the journey you are on with y our b usiness. This i s an amazing jour ney with ups and downs. Remember that we are here to help you l ear n about all areas of y our business and we are cheering y ou on f or success! We l ook f orwar d to w orking with each and every one of you over the next year to buil d your business. Having a gr oup that believes in y ou and supports you i s an opportunity that y ou can share with friends and f amily. Sharing inf or mation i s an amazi ng fr eedom and we are thankful to share this fr eedom with you. We believe in y ou and we believe in y our success!
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