C OMPUTE R F ILE M AN AGE MEN T T IPS
ORGANI ZATION PROVIDING EMPOWERMENT EDUCATION AND ENRICHMENT FOR WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
www.wom enbi zown ers.org
Mar $3.99U SD
Soar to New Heights in Your Business with a
S UB SCRIBE T ODAY !
Strategic Plan of Action
WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS Magazine Magazine Team: Cindy Clark, President Wendy VanHatten, Copy Editor Ginger Marks, Production Coordinator Delaine Ulmer, Art Editor 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 Tunisia Jones, Sponsor Coordinator
Š Copyri ght 201 0 W omenBi zOw ner s.or g All rights r eserved.
2 | womenbizowners.org
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 Ask Yak Cambridge Beer Festival‌in May
30 14
Computer File Management Tips Free Financial Ed Comes to Houston Soar to New Heights in Your Business with a
16 13
Strategic Plan of Action Turning on Your Money Taps
g 20
every issue About WBO Authors Corner
38 12
New WBO Members Presidents Message Quote of the Month
7 4 18
Welcome from our WBO Magazine Staff WBO Staff & Volunteer Members
10 37
WBO Member of the Month WBO Volunteer of the Month
25 23
Mar 2010 | 3
President’s Message March for me, means w e are one month closer to Spring, my favorite season. Here in Connecticut w e may still get snow but it doesn’t last as long, the days are getting longer and the temperature is rising. Did you review your goals during February? Do you know w here you are? Setting monthly goals, rather than long-ter m goals, means reaching goals sooner, feeling a sense of accomplishment and that you are one step closer to your long-term goals.
Ci ndy Clark Pr esi dent
Our March issue is chock full of business tips: How to create a strategic plan of action and soar to new heights; computer file management tips; and money tips. Last month, w e introduced a new benefit to our members: mailing (in the US mail, not email) a tip sheet created by another member to each our members. This has been w ell received and w e will continue to provide this service, for all of members, no matter w hat level you join us on. If you w ould like to provide a tips sheet, please email me for information on w hat needs to be included: cindy@w omenbizow ners.org. If you did not receive your tips sheet, please let me know . If you haven’t taken advantage of your membership benefits, I encourage you to do so. You will find them listed on our w ebsite under “Join WBO” as w ell as on the last page of this magazine. At WBO w e are striving to provide the best experience for our members. Please watch as new and exciting happenings w ill be revealed over the coming months. The information on our WBO National Business Conference w ill has been slow in coming out and I apologize. Many people have been asking for it and patiently w aiting and w e very much appreciate that. All information, including the conference website and registration forms are being finalized and w ill be published very soon, but I can give you the dates and location: September 30-October 2, 2010 at The Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa, Napa, California – Save the dates! We are very thrilled and excited about this! As alw ays, if you have ideas, suggestions or thoughts please feel free to email me at anytime, cindy@w omenbizow ners.org. I love to hear from you! Until next month… Fondly, Cindy Clark WBO President
“Starting a new month is like receiving a brand new opportunity for success and adventure in our journey of life and business ownership.” Anna Cam pbell , Foun der of WBO
Visit our group website for m ore information: www.womenbizowners.org 4 | womenbizowners.org
of special note 2010 Annual Charity Feature Author
31 34
First Quarter Charity Gift Shop Hot Pick Movie of the Month
27 6 18
Online Article Library Open Staff Volunteer Positions
18 24
Volunteers Needed WBO Monthly Tip
12 23
Mar 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 .
6 | womenbizowners.org
New WBO Members Join WBO today and connect to other like-minded business owners.
Need time for You? Order your copy today to get started‌ Contact Wendy VanHatten at wvanhatten@gmail.com www.mylifethesequel.com Mar 2010 | 7
Soar to New Heights in Your Business with a Strategic Plan of Action
by Sherry Lynn Sim oes
Soaring…what do you think of when you think of the word soaring? 8 | womenbizowners.org
So, how do y ou create a Strategic Plan of Action? 1 – Create a Marketing Plan
An eagle, an airplane, a glider, success? The dictionary definition is “To rise, fly, or glide high and with little apparent effort.” Soaring to new heights in your business does take effort but with a strategic plan of action it can be achieved with less effort!
2 – Get Organized 3 – Manage Y our Tim e
Creating a Marketing Plan W orking on a marketing plan can be a daunting task. You may need t o seek help on this if it is not y our area of expertise. Making sure y ou hav e chosen the right m ethods that will for y ou and a plan to carry them out are key . Your chosen m ethods should be ones y ou can handle or be able t o afford to pay for. Once y ou hav e a plan, I recomm end one day per week t o spend on y our marketing which includes connecting with y our existing clients.
Getting Organized Som e people are just organized by nature and som e hav e to really work on it. It really depends on the extent of help y ou need t o determ ine if y ou need a professional to com e in and help y ou get a sy stem set up. There are a ton of resources out there on the internet y ou can read and im plem ent them y ourself or if y ou can afford it have som eone in t o help. Hav ing an organized working area with sy stem s set up helps y ou t o be efficient and just plain feel better!
Managing Your T ime Tim e can fly by so fast and as a business owner y ou need to make sure y ou make the best of the tim e y ou hav e to work on y our business each day. A sim ple way to m anage y our tim e is t o start by filling out a m onthly calendar with the current and ong oing ev ents and appointm ents y ou have. Then look at the tim e left. Book in hours y ou will work in y our business and hours y ou will work on y our business. W orking in y our business is the billable tim e that y ou spend and working on is y our m arketing and follow-up. Use color coding - a different color for each aspect and y ou will ea sily be able to plan y our tim e accordingly . Don’t forget y our m arketing day ! When y ou hav e com pleted these 3 task s y ou will be organized and ready to w ork efficiently in and on y our bu siness and begin y our journey soaring to new heights! Sh erry Ly nn S im oes has a pass ion for supporting entrepreneurs succ ess fully mark et th eir bus inesses . She w orks w ith y ou not for y ou as she believes that every bus iness owner mus t hav e a hand in their marketing. Her new Ac tion Plan Coach ing Program is quickly gaining popularity w ith entrepreneurs worldwide. Vis it h er at www .sherry lynnsim oes .c om .
SHERRY SIMOES
Mar 2010 | 9
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, Wendy VanHatten at wendy@womenbizowners.org for approval. WBO Magazine reserves the right to modify submitted articles. Each author will be credited by name in publication.
Clark 10 | womenbizowners.org
Marks
Ulmer
VanHatten
Women Business Owners National Organization Celebrates Six Years of Sharing! Founded in 2004, Wom en Business Owners (WBO) organization, a 501(c)3 has been educating, em powering and enriching the lives of wom en business leaders throughout the world. Now in its sixth year, the WBO has started 2010 with a bang! Newly elected President, Cindy Clark of Business Coaching by Cindy Clark has announced some exciting changes to begin this year. Members can expect m ore telesem inars, networking events and an even m ore informative magazine than ever before. Members are already getting pumped for the Wom en’s Business Convention to be held in Napa, California this fall. The WBO started with one woman’s dream to bring women entrepreneurs to the forefront of the business world through education and empowerment. Anna Cam pbell, owner of My Business Journal founded WBO in 2004 with only a handful of m embers. Today, WBO has grown to hundreds of successful business owners from all over the globe. The WBO is expecting an even greater number of m embers to join this year with the addition of many new events and benefits! Perhaps the m ost exciting addition to this year’s WBO events schedule is the m onthly WBO Business Coffee Clubs, an opportunity for women business owners to com e together for an hour a m onth and enhance their business through networking, business goal creation and achievement. The WBO is currently looking for members to host their own WBO Coffee Clubs in their area, giving wom en business owners the opportunity to reach out to their neighboring wom en entrepreneurs.
If y ou’re a wom an business owner and would like t o find out m ore about the W om en Business Owners Organization, st op by the W BO website: http://www.wom enbizowners.org or call 1 877 -209-9461.
Mar 2010 | 11
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.
12 | womenbizowners.org
Money Week Houston
prov ides another year of free financial educational program s to the residents in and around Houston, Texas. This years events will be during April 18-24, 2010.
WHO WE ARE We are Houston’s largest city-wide financial education event. The event is organized each April during National Financial Literacy Month. The April 09 event provided financial education information to m ore than 160,000 Houston area consumers. Visit our events section for upcom ing classes in y our area.
WHAT WE DO We provide financial education sem inars throughout Greater Houston. The 2009 ev ent offered 160 FREE financial education seminars to help individuals create household budgets, initiate savings plans, manage debt, and make strategic investment decisions for retirem ent.
HOW WE WORK
Money Week Houston Launches Free Financial Education Program
We work closely with financial institutions, gov ernment agencies, corporations, colleges & universities, small businesses, and community and faith based organizations to provide consumers with a vast array of financial education topics during our weeklong activities each April.
Learn m ore about volunteering, teaching, or attending an upcom ing Money Week Houston ev ent at m oneyweekhouston.org/.
Mar 2010 | 13
Cambridge Beer F
What am I, a wine drinker, doing here… heading off to a BEER festival? Cambridge, England, proudly hosts the oldest beer festival in the country. Last May it celebrated the 800th anniversary of the University of Cambridge. Beers, Real Ales, Laagered Beers, Keg Beer, Bitter, Mild, Stout, Porter, Barely Wines, Golden Ales, Pilsner, Helles, Trappist, Sour Brown Ale…must I go on?
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Deciding t o tag along to this large, really large festival, I’ll take phot os of beers. After all, for blocks around and from across the rugby green, footballfield sized tent s beck on ev en the non -beer drinkers t o check out the festiv ities. With a tent of this size, there m ust be a good tim e waiting to happen. H o s p i t a b l e v ol u n t e e r s encourage festiv al goer s to com e on in, buy a beer glass
Festival …in May
and wake up their taste buds. The “Festival Programme” is m ore like a sh ort n ov el with 59 pages of beer s, ales, ads, etc. Wait…they hav e wine glasses, t oo. Just where would the wine be? W ooden plank make-shift bars line all av ailable sides of this gigantic tent sy stem . Stacked behind, kegs of v ary ing sizes await their turn t o be tapped. Rem em ber the program ? With ov er 280 beers, ales, and hard ciders listed getting started is n ot a pr oblem . Deciding where
by Wendy VanHatten
t o start...now that’s the problem. Tastes are av ailable before y ou fill y our glass. If y ou’re not sure, ask for a couple of tastes. One beer-drinker’s glass was filled with one dark as m olasses, the next on e light as weak tea. Another one was as red as crushed strawberries y et had a strong m alt sm ell. Consult y our pr ogram or y our neighbor…and find a new fav orite or two. (Continued on page 33)
Mar 2010 | 15
Is
your email inbox a mess? I learn a lot about a person from a glance at their email inbox or file management system. I recently w orked with a client w hose email inbox w as, quite frankly, a mess. I define ‘mess’ by one or both of the following: too many unread messages and/or messages that are never deleted. If you fall into either of these categories, you are not alone. How ever, failure to delete your emails or at least create and move them into folders puts you at risk of missing out on potential new business. Worse, if you allow your messages to pile up w ithout review ing them, a lack of response may signal to existing customers that you've forgotten about them. It is not uncommon to receive 100 or more emails in your inbox in the course of a day’s work.
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TIPS Robin Matuk, Digital Coach
Computer File Management
A Place for Everything &
Everything In Its Place! Here are tw o simple rules that can help you manage the high volume of emails.
1. Org anize b y file t ype s . Ma ke applications easier to find by creating a
else. Whether it’s a s prea ds h eet , a business letter or a P o w e r P o i n t
RUL E #1: Read the em ail once and file, flag, delete or reply. RUL E #2: Delete em ails that do not contain im portant inform ation
One place for all. NOWHERE ELSE!
Are you bew ildered about file management? It’s equally important to keep the files on your computer organized and up-to-date. The goal of computer file management is to ensure that you can alw ays find w hat you’re looking for, even years after its creation. What good is all your hard work if you can't find w here you stored your file?
folder called Program Files on your drive and keep ing al l y our applications there. For ins ta nc e , t he executables for Word, P o w e r P o i n t , Q uic k B oo ks , a nd WinZ ip should all reside in the Program Files folder.
These file management tips will help you keep your files accessible:
2. One place for all. Place all documents in the My Documents folder and now here
(Continued on page 19)
Mar 2010 | 17
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 If y ou don 't hav e integrity, y ou hav e nothing. You can 't buy it. Y ou can have all the m oney in the world, but if y ou are not a m oral and ethical person, y ou really have n othing. -Henry Krav is
www.vanhattenwritingservices.com
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Hubble 3D Release Date: Mar 19, 2010 Starring: Leonardo DiCapr io (Narrator) Genre: Documentary Official Site: www.imax.com/ hubble/ Rated: G
The IMAX 3D camera, which flew onboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, captured stunning 3D images of the intricate spacewalks required to service the telescope during the most recent mission last Ma y. Shot b y the STS-125 astronauts, this intimate look at the complexities of repairing the telescope will put IMAX audiences right there along-side the spacewalking astronauts. Hubble 3D will combine this awe-inspiring IMAX footage with breathtaking up-close imagery of distant galaxies, the birth of stars and planets, and more - revealing the cosmos as never before.
(Continued fro m page 17)
presentation, make sure to save it there. This w ill make it easier to locate your files and to run backups. 3. Create folders in My Docum ents. Having trouble naming your folders? Envision your folders as the draw ers of your computer’s filing cabinet. Use plain language to name your folders. Otherw ise, you may be looking at this list of folders in the future and wonder what “rtm” or some other invented abbreviation means. Create file and folder names that are meaningful to you. Keep business and personal folders separate.
4. Nest folders w ithin folders. Create other folders w ithin these main folders as need arises. For instance, a folder called “invoices” might contain folders called “2007”, and “2008”. A folder named for a client might include the f older s “c us tomer data” and “correspondence”. The goal is to have every file in a folder rather than having a bunch of orphan files listed. 5. Follow the file nam ing conventions. Do not use spaces in file names, keep file names under 27 characters, and use all low er case. So a file named for a client should be “susansmith” rather (Continued on page 29)
Mar 2010 | 19
Turning on Your Money Taps
One of the things I've been working on for several years is cleaning up my money issues. That includes everything from thinking I ha ve to work really hard to make a lot of money, to taking care of old debt, to having a plan for paying down new debt, to plugging even the slightest money leak.
The truth for me is that I tend to not pay attention to my money as much as I should, so inevitably something happens where money MAKES me pay attention. It's not usually a positive experience. ;-) I've made some big strides in this area, and along the way I discovered that once I started really paying attention to my money, it started showing up a lot more in a lot more positive ways. Here are 4 tips that have helped me immensely to turn on the flow of money into my business and my life that I know can help you too.
TIP 1. Keep a daily tracking sheet of what comes in... I learned this direct from my million-dollar mentor Kendall SummerHawk. I track every penny that comes in on one simple sheet each day. When I first started doing this, I had days where I didn't have any (Continued on page 26)
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by Alicia M Forest, MBA
Mar 2010 | 21
WBO Volunteer Volunteer of of the the Month Month WBO Sherry Lynn Lynn Simoes Simoes Sherry Sherry has been volunteering for WBO for just over two years with a few different positions including magazine marketing assistant has just taken on a position on the board as Assistant Marketing Director and also the Panel of Experts Coordinator. She enjoys keeping involved with WBO both to meet and grow relationships with the members and to have the reward of knowing that has a part in helping to grow an organization that has so much to offer Women in Business. She is also the Networking Expert on the WBO Panel of Experts and is happy to have the chance to help you improve your networking skills and answer any questions you have on networking! She is a work at home entrepreneur who lives on their 50 acre goat farm with her husband and 15 year old son. As a family business they raise pure bred Boer goats for breeding and showing. She has a passion for supporting women entrepreneurs market their business and coaches them to implement marketing action plans. She also thoroughly enjoys ideas coaching when someone needs help to fine tune and bring their ideas to life. Sherry prefers to work with her clients, not for them as she believes every entrepreneur needs to have a hand in their marketing efforts and coaches in a manor so that her clients learn the techniques and can implement them on an ongoing basis. Her website is www.sherrylynnsimoes.com. She is the Author of Networking for Women Made Easy and is working on her 2nd book in the series–Social Networking for Women Made Easy as well as Daily Journal for Success to be launched in 2010. She looks forward in getting to know each member and is here to help with any questions you have on WBO advertising options. If you would like to connect with Sherry join her WBO Advertising Support Group on the WBO Ning site.
Contact Info e-mail: womenoftoday@gmail.com • www.sherrylynnsimoes.com
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WBO 0
Monthly Tip
Tips for Effective Marketing Materials When writing your marketing materials: press releases, articles, ads, brochures, etc., keep these tips in mind: Who is your audience? What are your audience’s needs or problems? How can your product/service fill that need or solve that problem?
Remember when writing your materials to focus on customer benefits first and your product or service features second. Keep these tips in mind and you will stand out from the rest! This m onth’s tip pr ov ided by Andrea Okrentowich; Pr ofessional Copywriter and Business consultant angeokren@yahoo.com (860) 417 -8304
Mar 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 Coordinator JoAnne Barton JoAnne@wom enbizowners.org 24 | womenbizowners.org
WBO Member of the Month
F
Fran Brocstein, J.D.
ran Brocstein found WBO approx. 1-1/2 years ago. She w anted to meet other women business ow ners and to have fun! After reading their w ebsite, she felt drawn to join this group. “It seemed like a friendly and fun group. As a divorce law yer, I need to laugh as often as I can.� I am an active family law volunteer at Houston Volunteer Law yers Program and the Dispute Resolution Center ( DRC) in Houston w here I do free mediations. I am also mentoring 2 new ly licensed family law attorneys. Lastly, I am helping my mom, dad and step-dad as they age. My step-dad has 2 sons and no daughters. My sister lives in Dallas and comes to tow n regularly to help me. My dad has been living in a personal care home for over 8 years. He has severe dementia. My mom almost died in fall, 2008 after she broke her hip and then her femur w ithin a 3 week period. I am a 5-year breast cancer survivor. I underw ent 2 surgeries, chemo and radiation. I did not w ork for a year during the treatments. I suffered a pulmonary embolis m after my first chemo treatment. In 2010, it is my goal to finish a project that I've been working on for the past couple of year. I want to do a presentation for engaged couples, hopefully through local churches. I w ant to encourage the couple to really make sure they understand the commitment of marriage and to make sure that the person they are marrying is the right person for so that they never need to hire me!
Contact Information: Law office of Fran Brochstein Holistic Attorney, Counselor at Law & Mediator 8978 Kirby Drive Houston, TX 77054 713-847-6000 office 832-415-0139 fax www.Family Law4U.com fran@familylaw4u.com Read my answers to people's questions at www.lawguru.com or www.avvvo.com Read my blog at www.txfamilylaw4u.blo gspot.com
Mar 2010 | 25
(Continued fro m page 20)
money coming in, but within just one month, it's rare if there's even one day that doesn't have some sum attached to it.
TIP 2. Have a purpose for each income stream I've always done this without really thinking about it, but once I started getting crystal clear about the 'what' and the 'why' for each and every one of my income streams, they turned from trickles to rivers.
TIP 3. Take care of any outstanding money issues Just yesterday I sat down with files and phone numbers in hand to cancel some memberships I wasn't utilizing, get a refund on an erroneous charge to my bank account, and asked my assistant to send reminders for two overdue invoices. In that day's mail, I received checks totally almost $3000. See, money likes being paid attention to.
TIP 4. Find and plug those money leaks In every business, there are places where money is leaking out. It could be the webmaster who charges by the hour and takes too long to complete a ta s k. It co u l d b e a m on th l y subscription that you either don't utilize at all or that you aren't clear on its return on investment to be sure it's actually a good one to make. It could be paying monthly for a service you use all year in your business, and that (Continued on page 29)
26 | womenbizowners.org
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 .)
Mar 2010 | 27
For all your creative & Technical Business Solutions. Web Design & Hosti ng Solutions,
Author Corner Leader Kathy Allen kathy@wom enbizowners.org
WBO Assistant Marketing Director Sherry Lynn Simoes sherry @wom enbizowners.org
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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
document is w hen you first create it. So get in the habit of using the “Save As” dialogue box to file and name your document. Put it in the right place in the first place.
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than “Susan Smith”. If you break any of these rules, be consistent about it. 6. Be specific. Give files logical, specific names and include dates in file names if possible. The goal w hen naming files is to be able to tell w hat the file is about w ithout having to open it and review . So if the document is a letter to a customer reminding him that payment is overdue, call it “overdue091207” rather than “letter”. This allow s you to know to w hom the letter w as written w ithout opening it.
8. Order your files for your convenience. If there are folders or files that you use a lot, force them to the top of the file list by renaming them w ith a “1” or an “aa” at the beginning of the file name. 9. Clear out your files regularly. Sometimes what’s old is obvious as in the example of the folder named “invoices” above. If it’s not, keep your folders uncluttered by clearing out the old files. Do NOT delete
7. File as you go. The best time to file a
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you could save 10% on if you chose the annual payment plan instead. When you start to pay attention to your money, it will immediately open up the flow of it into your business and your life.
Is Your Website Meeting Your Expectations?
Which one of these tips are you going to start doing today?
Is it selling as much as it should?
A LICIA M FOREST, MBA
Alicia M Forest, MBA, 6-Figure Business Breakthrough Mentor, t ea ch es s el f -em plo ye d 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 wild abundance in your b u s i n es s , vi s i t h ttp : // www.ClientAbundance.com
Are y ou getting the traff ic you need?
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
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Q&E Ask Yak by Wendy Okkema Ask Yak is made up of questions from readers and clients. If you have a question that you would like answ ered please e-mail me at ryakattack@aim.com Wendy Okkema with Yak’s Healthy Lifesty les has found a way to reach her clients throughout the world, through the internet. She is able t o lead indiv idual and group exercise and wellness sessions through her webcam ! Being a business owner in the 21 st century m eans stay ing current with the t ools available. This includes the Internet, com puters, webcam s, and so much m ore. Wendy has chosen 10 recommendations that she feels are necessary to live each day w ith energy and enthusiasm.
1 . Drink plenty of water. Especially in the afternoon. If y ou’re feeling a little sluggish y ou may be som ewhat dehy drated. After two or three glasses of water y ou m ight just be surprised how much better y ou feel. For an extra boost of energy in the afternoon, try a v egetable cocktail. Most contain approximately 60 calories per glass. 2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar. I per sonally find it difficult t o eat breakfast. I do lik e to hav e an egg with a piece of whole grain t oast (which I find v ery filling) and it holds m e for the entire m orning. Rem em ber, lot s of fruits and v eggies in between. If y ou’re t oo busy in the m orning to make y ourself breakfast, put a piece of whole grain t oast in the t oaster, grab a banana and/or a y ogurt. Then y ou will be good t o go. 3. Eat m ore food that grows on trees and plants. The closer to nature the m ore v itam ins and nutrients y ou will get from y our food. 4. Sit in silence for at lea st 10 m inutes each day and incorporate som e relaxing stretches before or after y our quiet tim e. Y ou will feel great. 5 . Seep for at lea st 7 hours each night. Good luck with this one if y our sleeping habits are anything like m ine. Apparently it is v ery comm on t o hav e difficulty sleeping as we get older. 6. Find y ourself an exercise program that y ou have fun with. Also, when y ou are walking and it (Continued on page 36)
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WBO Annual Charity
Mar 2010 | 31
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 32 | womenbizowners.org
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Directions were giv en t o m e… possibly the only wine drinker… fr om the nice m en at the entrance. They pr obably had a bet that I couldn’t ev en find the lone wine counter. “ Enter the large tent, take a left, and g o all the way to the back. The wine guy (y es, just one) will be on y our left, clear back in the corner after y ou get t o the back.” Word for word…these were the direction s. Sure enough, there he was with his two tall slim green bottles alm ost disappearing am ong all the hefty beer kegs. This probably was n ot a g ood tim e to get picky on ch oices…it is a beer festival, after all. Imagine my delight when he asked if I like really dry , crisp white Austrian wines. One of my all tim e fav orite wines, I knew this was the beer festiv al for m e. With liquid g old in my glass, my taste buds were in heav en am ong the heavy malt and barley sm ells. Need food? Billed a s “the fam ous cheese counter”, cheeses fr om cow t o g oa t t o ew e w er e w ell represented. Creamy in texture the robust flav or of a local Cam em bert paired nicely with the citrus flav ors in my wine glass. Try the Flower Marie with it s pale pink-tinged rind and soft m iddle or the g oat cheese coated in ash. And y es, y ou do eat the rind. The com bination of m ild soot followed by a strong goat cheese really challenges the palette no matter what y ou’re drinking. Pair all these
with a chunk of crusty bread, tender rosem ary spiced lam b and sweet grilled peppers. Follow up with sizzling hot, m elt-in-y our-m outh, cinnam on sprinkled donut bites and y ou ju st had a g ourm et m eal am ong the stars. Com plete the ev ening with one m ore gla ss. The wine pourer and I were becom ing good friends, since I seem ed t o be his only custom er. Far t oo soon it was tim e t o m aneuv er our tired, sated bodies back hom e. It ’s easy t o see why this was the 36 th Cam bridge Beer Festiv al. I know there will be a 37 th. If y ou go away thirsty or hungry …it’s y our own fault. Ev en for a wine drinker. W EN DY VAN HATTEN
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business related files unless you are absolutely certain that you w ill never need the file again. Instead, in your main collection of folders in My Documents, create a folder called "old" or "inactive" and move old files into it as you come across them. 10. Back up your files regularly. Whether you’re copying your files onto a flash drive, a disk, or an online storage site, it’s important to set up and follow a regular back up regimen. Protect your files from loss due to viruses, hackers, and damage. Save often but know where you're saving. There is a place for everything and everything in its place.
Robin Matuk founded My Digital Coach to help w omen reach their true potential by using technology to start a new venture, grow their business or expedite their personal dreams. She can be reached at info@mydigitalcoach.com or 415-898-5830.
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Featured Author LuAnn Stevenson Luanne Stevenson is the Managing Editor, Moderator and Writer for Divine Mom s, at Pandoraspantry.com Previously, Luanne worked for the Boston Examiner, as a “special-kids-and–special-education” contributor, writing content for the Education and Parenting Section. She owns and operates writers1 stop.com, a fully licensed small business, offering professional writing services. She is a freelance writer for Ellechor Publishing House and teaches virtual writing workshops on line for Ellechor Publishing House, as well. She has a book project forthcoming. She has been a ghost writer for a children series, and recently helped to develop and edit web content for a site sponsored by Boston University, that will launch in June 2010. She will be a writer for this site owned by Richard Wainwright, a published children author. His site, Like a Drop of Water, is focused on teaching children about global warming. Luanne will be a blogger, editor and contributor to Like a Drop of Water beginning this June. Originally from Cape Cod, MA, she graduated from Boston College with a BA in education and later earned her MED from Curry College, and received Master Certificates in literacy and special education. She joined CABF, the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation, in 2004, after her 10 year old son was diagnosed with the disorder that sam e year. In 2 004, she was recognized and included in Who’s Who Am ong America’s Teachers, 9th ed.vol.2, honoring our nation’s top 5% of teachers annually. In 2009, she left teaching, after a rewarding 15 year career. You can find m ore of Lu's writing on her blog; http://essenceoflifechronicles.com 34 | womenbizowners.org
New Board Members Arrive in 2010 to the Women Business Owners Organization The W om en Business Owners (W BO) organization announced t oday the addition of sev eral new board m em bers, com plim enting the addition of a new Pr esident and Vice President earlier this m onth. The W om en Business Owners organization has seen continuous success with the continuous gr owth in new m em bership, an inform ativ e and anticipated m onthly magazine and y early conferences. W BO was excited t o announce the addition of the following wom en business owners to the board: Andrea Okrentowich – Grant Writer and Executiv e Assistant with CreativeNonProfitSolutions.org JoAnne Barton – Volunteer Organizer with Self-CareEssentials.com Ginger Marks – Magazine Pr oduction Coordinator w ith DocUmeantDes igns.com Sherry Sim oes – A ssistant Marketing Direct or with WomenofTodayinc.ca
Our existing board m em bers that will carry ov er into 201 0 are Lisa Guarino with Lisa’s Art & Horses, Patricia Boes with Mem ories in Pastel, and Tracy Collin s with Fabulous Frugal Websites. We would like t o thank Diane Tegarden, Michelle Sum an, Kathy Allen and Susanne Mariga for their dedicated serv ice t o our board ov er the past few y ears. Their comm itm ent t o our organization prov ided our m em bers with a group of wom en that were eager t o share their knowledge and comm itm ent to all wom en.
The growth of the board is in respon se to the increase in m em bership ov er the past y ear. W om en business owners are finding a place t o connect with one another, discuss pressing issues, find support and friendship a s well as network and grow their businesses through WBO. It is n o wonder W BO has doubled in m em bership ov er the past y ear. With the addition of the four new board m em bers, W BO expect s t o see trem endous growth and new opportunities arise in 201 0. For m ore inform ation on W BO, or to becom e a m em ber today , log onto: http:// wom enbizowners.org/
Mar 2010 | 35
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doesn’t m atter where, walk with a spring in y our step and a sm ile on y our face.
7. Dr eam m ore while y ou’re awake. Life is t oo short n ot t o. 8. Realize that life is a school and y ou are here t o learn. Pr oblem s are part of the curriculum that appear and fade away, like algebra. 9. Keep in touch with y our friends and fam ily. They really are worth the effort. 10. Try to make 3 people sm ile each day . Num ber 4 will be y ou for doing so.
She is sure there are things on this list that y ou already do. Try to incorporate what y ou’re not doing and see if they can actually m ake y our day better. She for one plans t o make som e changes and if y ou do as well, she would lov e t o hear about the results.
Website: http://www.yakshealthylifesty les.brav ehost.com Wendy is a personal trainer/lifesty le coach and author. Her g oal is t o help wom en get off the diet rollercoaster and find their own exercise pr ogram that fit s into their own busy lifesty le. Wendy will help y ou im plem ent an exercise program that will put y our exercise equipm ent to g ood use (n one is necessary though) and will also take int o consideration any phy sical injuries or phy sical lim itations y ou may hav e. T o work one on one with W endy in y our hom e or in her liv e v ideo chat room call 519 484 1120 or e-m ail ryakattack@aim .com
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
Lisa Wald-Guarino with Lisa's Art & Horses LisasArt.com
Andrea Okrentowich with Creative Nonprofit Solutions www.creativenonprofitsolutions.org
Patricia Boes with Memories in Pastel Mem oriesInPastel.com
Cindy Clark with Cindy Clark Business Coaching Services www.CindyClarkBizCoaching.com Diane Tegarden with Firewalker Publications FirewalkerPublications.com Donna Crav otta with Virtual Managem ent Concepts, LLC www.virtualmanagem entconceptsllc.com Delaine Ulmer with Ultimate Design VA www.UltimateDesignVA.com Deneen Wilson with The Typing Bug www.TypingBug.com
Patricia Garrison with Gifts N’ More ryze.com/go/GiftsNMore Sherry Lynn Sim oes with Creative Concepts Design www.creativeconceptsonline.net/ Stacey Virgo with ShagoUSA www.shargo.us Tracy Collins with Collins Administrative Services Collins-Admin.com Wendy VanHatten with Vanhatten Writing Services www.vanhattenwritingservices.com
Ginger Marks with DocUmeant Designs DocUmeantDesigns.com JoAnne Barton with Self Care Essential http://www.selfcareessentials.com Jylian Sy with InterPlay Communications interplay@social.rr.com Julie-Marie Christin with Julie-Marie Julie-Marie.com Kathy Allen with Accents of Home Accents ofHome.com Laura Wheeler with Firelight Web Studio FirelightWebStudio.com
Mar 2010 | 37
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!
Join us online: Women Business Owners htt p://www.womenbizowners.org
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