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Contents February 2005 Newsletter |
 Join us on February 10th for "Flying with Eagles" |
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WelcomeWelcome to the February 2005 issue of NAWBO-SF's enewsletter. We'd like to thank everyone who participated in the nomination process for the 2005 Women Entrepreneurs Benefit awards. We will be announcing our winners in an upcoming issue, so stay tuned! We'd also like to welcome Cynthia Fassler as our newest committee chair, for the newly formed Ambassadors Committee. She is also our member of the month this month, so thank you and congratulations Cynthia. |
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NAWBO Events Calendar |
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Join us at these upcoming NAWBO events:
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President's Letter |
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Grow, Thrive, Lead
The Year 2005 has definitely started with a bang for our Chapter. Here are some updates: NAWBO-University Our first-ever NAWBO-U, sponsored by Citibank, will be held on April 22, the morning of our Women's Entrepreneurial Benefit (WEB) luncheon. We have been able to secure top women professors from the Ageno School of Business at Golden Gate University. These professors are well known writers and experts on two topics which face emerging and established women-owned businesses:
This expertise will help you grow your business, as large women-owned companies are more likely to have large corporations (34% to 12%) and government (17% to 5%) as their clients. Mark your calendar for April 22, the day you will become part of the first graduating class of NAWBO-U! Relationships and Referrals Obviously NAWBO-SF members appreciate the value of networking! Our monthly World Trade Center dinner meetings have been sold out, so we are expanding to a larger room. But hurry and reserve your seat now, as Flying With Eagles is a popular topic with a distinguished panel of successful women business owners. Also, our monthly relationship and referral meetings in Marin County and Oakland are regularly filled with women wanting to exchange ideas and information in a more relaxed setting. Susan Grant has now launched another series of breakfast meetings in Walnut Creek. Personal networking is a wonderful way to promote business among our members. We also urge you to take advantage of the member roster when you are in need of personal or business goods and services, or when someone asks you for a referral. We will soon be launching another web-based tool—our Marketplace forum. Stay tuned for more on this! Values and Ethics One of the world's most respected women, Shirley Chisholm died on January 1, 2005. As the first African-American women elected to the US Congress, Chisholm fought for equal rights for women and always stood up for fairness toward men and women alike. Her values are evident in the title of her first book, "Unbought and Unbossed." While the main purpose NAWBO-SF revolves around helping members grow our businesses, we never lose sight of the fact that many of us started our own businesses because we wanted to do well by doing good. As Shirley Chisholm said "Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth." Once we have done well at our businesses, women business owners are very generous with our support of the community: 70% volunteer at least once per month. We also "do good" by contributing our hard-earned dollars: 31% contribute $5000 or more per year. (Source: Center for Women's Business Research.) A final quote from Chisholm reminds us that we need to be strong advocates for other women and for diversity: "That I am a national figure because I was the first person in 192 years to be at once a congressman, black and a woman proves, I think, that our society is not yet either just or free." Happy New Year,
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Member of the Month |
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Each month we present an award for "Member of the Month," who is selected by the NAWBO-SF Board of Directors. The purpose of the award is to express appreciation for volunteers who have helped NAWBO to Grow, Thrive, Lead.
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Featured: WEB and NAWBO-U 2005 |
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Women Entrepreneurs Benefit —
Join us for our chapter's premier event celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit. Each year, the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of NAWBO honors outstanding women business owners at our Women Entrepreneurs Benefit (WEB). Hundreds of business and community leaders join us to celebrate the Trailblazer and Rising Star honorees. The event includes NAWBO University classes, lunch, a mini-trade show / exhibit for members and corporate partners, guest speakers, and inspiring presentations from our honorees.
NAWBO University — Sponsored by CitibankThis year, NAWBO-San Francisco introduces an exciting new program for NAWBO members and Bay Area women entrepreneurs: NAWBO-University. NAWBO-U is modeled after NAWBO-LA's very successful daylong event and will provide a first-of-its-kind educational forum for women business owners in the Northern California region.
Beginning at 8:30am at the Argent Hotel, two concurrent seminars will be offered to give women business owners the best education possible, as follows:
8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. — Choice of Seminar A or Seminar B
Seminar A is entitled, "How to Effectively Run a Small Business - How to Compete and Cooperate with Big Business." Seminar B is entitled, "Understanding Business Cycles and How to Manage and Grow Your Business During These Ups and Downs" NAWBO-U is designed for all women business owners, whether you are an emerging business (under 5 years in operation), or a seasoned business owner. NAWBO has sought out qualified instructors to conduct the NAWBO-U from an esteemed local business school - Golden Gate University. The day is designed to provide you with practical education in the morning and inspiration in the afternoon as you attend our WEB event immediately following NAWBO-U. Stay tuned! Online registration for NAWBO University and our annual WEB event coming soon.
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NAWBO News & Events |
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February 10 Dinner Event: Flying with EaglesThe opportunity to hear three outstanding Bay Area business women tell their story is a great program to share with a client or colleague. We'll hear from our successful panelists, whose companies have all been listed on the San Francisco Business Times' Top 100 Women Owned Businesses, how they built their businesses into the multi-million dollar enterprises they are today. Panelists include:
Whether your goal is to remain small, grow modestly or become a major industry player, the lessons learned from these exceptional "eagles" will introduce ideas and practices you can apply to your own business. Find out more about this event.
Networking Breakfast Meetings: Relationships and Referrals
Registration Information Cost: $12 for members and $15 for guests
Dates & Locations Oakland Date: Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Walnut Creek Date: Thursday, February 17, 2005
Marin Date: Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Second Tuesday - Mastermind SeriesMastermind is an advisory board program for women leading businesses. Participants, who commit to attending the six-month cycle, meet on the second Tuesday of each month for continental breakfast. Mastermind provides program members with an advisory board of NAWBO women who share business know-how, feedback, and insight from their own experience, and it's a great way to connect with other NAWBO members in a supportive environment. The most recent Mastermind Series began in January. Those interested in participating in the next Mastermind series beginning in mid-year should contact Rhoda Singer at 415.333.2130 or email: register@nawbo-sf.org to be placed on the waiting list. Cost for the series is $100.
March Dinner EventMarch comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Stay tuned to see what NAWBO does in March!
Brown Bag Lunch Series: How Increasing Your Self-Worth and Value
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Date: Thursday, March 10, 2005 Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Location: Law Offices of Carlton, DiSante, and Freudenberger, 260 California Street, Suite 500, San Francisco (map and directions) |
Cost: $10/members, $15/guests Register: Online at www.nawbo-sf.org; with Rhoda at 415.333.2130; or email: register@nawbo-sf.org |
Retrospective:
This year's Progressive Networking Dinner sold out in a hurry and was attended by over 65 members and guests. Most agreed that there was electricity and excitement in the air, "amped up" by the participation of many entrepreneurs who were new to NAWBO.
When the evening ended, most had gained over 20 new contacts and run out of their own business cards.
Thanks to everyone for their participation and for helping make this a great night of networking!
NAWBO believes in the power of mentoring to help women entrepreneurs. After all, who knows the ropes better than someone has "been there" and who has navigated the twists and turns leading to business stability and growth. As a result, NAWBO-SF has created a partnership with MicroMentor, an award winning, innovative online mentoring program for small business entrepreneurs. NAWBO-SF is the first chapter to be able to offer our members the opportunity to become mentors to other emerging entrepreneurs, and eventually be able to access mentoring assistance.
It's simple and easy. All mentoring takes place on-line, or by telephone. Go to www.micromentor.org and click on "Be A Mentor." After being screened, MicroMentor will send you a password that will grant you access to an array of entrepreneurs located in the Bay Area and across the country.
As the first NAWBO chapter to partner with MicroMentor, we are seeking 20 mentors from our members, after which MicroMentor will accept our members as "protégés," which will enable NAWBO-SF members to tap into mentoring assistance whenever they feel like a helping hand would help! We’ll post an update after 20 members have become mentors and let you know when you can get that special boost from connecting with business expertise, online. Welcome MicroMentor!
Find out more about MicroMentor:
MicroMentor was featured on a radio program hosted by Entrepreneur Magazine and eBay last week. You can listen to the nine-minute interview with the executive director, David Rand. (Look for his interview under January 14, 2005.)
Award-winning Faculty Offers 4-Day Certificate Program
To succeed in today's turbulent economy, entrepreneurs must be able to seize opportunities and meet critical challenges. Even the savviest business owner needs to redefine business goals and create innovative strategies to excel at new levels. The Management Development for Entrepreneurs (MDE) Academy offered by the UCLA Anderson School of Management in partnership with ChevronTexaco, Cisco Systems and the SBA, enables entrepreneurs to develop essential managerial skills to build effective and profitable organizations.
Chevron Texaco, NAWBO's Corporate Partner, invites NAWBO members to this intensive 4-day certificate program where they will be instructed in entrepreneurial business theory and practice. Attendees will work with UCLA Anderson faculty to develop a Business Improvement Plan (BIP) that serves as a blueprint for action for their own company.
The Academy takes place in San Jose April 7-10, 2005. Program tuition is $1295 and completed applications must be submitted by February 25, 2005.
Recent MDE graduate and woman business owner, Nikole Ford of Applied Geodetics, Inc. acknowledges, "The MDE Academy provided me with invaluable tools to create a Business Improvement Project that enabled our company to develop a marketing strategy in order to access the supply chains of large corporations such as Chevron Texaco. For all of this, I offer my heartfelt thanks."
For more information, review the attached PDF file, phone 310.206.4169, or visit www.anderson.ucla.edu/mde.xml.
One of NAWBO-California's corporate partners, Blue Cross, announced on January 25 a new health plan specifically aimed at small businesses. The plan, BeneFits, is offered through Blue Cross or its affiliate BC Life & Health Insurance Company.
Read full Press Release from Blue Cross
Visit the BeneFits website
Read more about Blue Cross's benefits to NAWBO members
Welcome to our new members:
We look forward to meeting you all at our February event!
A Free 3-Part Educational Series
Women entrepreneurs and small businesses owners, take note! Staples, Inc. is sponsoring a series of FREE events to help you achieve your goals for 2005! Join NAWBO-SF Member Caterina Rando, speaker, author of Learn to Power Think and featured expert on Staples.com, as she leads this three-part series designed especially for Bay Area small business owners and women entrepreneurs. Caterina has invited three exceptional speakers to co-present these events:
Wednesday, February 16th: Create a Compelling Vision in 2005
Caterina shares Power Thinking tips to help you expect success and achieve and exceed your goals, and organizational expert Rhonda Elliott of Organized by Design offers innovative techniques to control clutter and streamline your schedule.
Wednesday, March 16th: How to Attract and Retain Clients with Ease
Caterina reveals how to increase referrals with ease, create a circle of 8 alliance group, and make powerful requests to win new clients, and customer service consultant Craig Harrison of Expressions of Excellence offers techniques to strengthen client loyalty by providing exceptional service.
Wednesday, May 4th: How to Be Recognized as an Expert in Your Field
Caterina offers tools and strategies (articles, public speaking, and quick-tip cards) to help establish yourself as an expert, and public relations specialist Jill Lublin, author of Guerilla Publicity teaches you how to grab the media spotlight and use it to your advantage.
View informational flyer [PDF]
All events will take place at the Staples store at 855 Harrison Street, San Francisco. To register, call Staples at 415.495.2810. For more information, visit Caterina Rando's website or call 415.331.1334.
Do you need administrative or retail support or assistance at your home? Nationally recognized as a leading youth development/employment organization, Enterprise for High School Students has been successfully helping San Francisco high school students for 36 years with job readiness training, career exploration and job referrals. Our city-wide youth opportunities represent a broad spectrum of professions and careers. There is no fee to list your opportunities.
Find out more at our open house. All are welcome!
When: Wednesday, March 9, 2005
Time: 4:00pm - 5:30pm
Location: 200 Pine St., Suite 600, San Francisco, CA
RSVP: Contact Leonard Weingarten, Director of Business Partnerships, lweingarten@ehss.org, or call 415.392.7600 x 304.
National Coalition of 100 Black Women
Oakland/Bay Area Chapter presents:
7th Annual Madam C.J. Walker Business and Community Recognition Awards LuncheonDate: Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Location: San Francisco Marriott Hotel, 55 Fourth Street, San Francisco
Tickets: NCBW Hotline 510.287.2534, www.onehundredblackwomen.com
Diana Kimbrell Offers Teleclass
Marketing Pros Share Insights on Working with
Community Organizations
NAWBO member, Diana Kimbrell is teaching a teleclass on Thursday, February 24th designed for nonprofits entitled, "What Do Companies Want From Nonprofit Partners." Diana will be interviewing two marketing professionals about how they work with nonprofit organizations.
The practice of nonprofits and companies aligning for mutual benefits is growing. Often, nonprofits are not sure how to break out of the "grant request" mindset and understand how they can bring value to a company. Diana's business, Kimbrell & Company, specializes in cause-marketing, bringing together community organizations and companies for mutual benefit. The teleclass will touch on what companies are looking for in nonprofit partners and what to avoid. During the teleclass, participants will hear how a large corporation and a small company work with their nonprofit partners and what they expect from them.
Diana will interview Jennifer MacCloskey, Wells Fargo's Marketing Director for the San Francisco Bay Region. In 2003, Wells Fargo contributed more than $11 million to non-profit organizations and was ranked by the San Francisco Business Times as the #1 corporate philanthropist. With 13,000 employees in the Bay Area, Wells Fargo is the largest private employer in San Francisco.
For the perspective of a smaller business, Diana will also interview Joey Chandler, the Marketing Manager of the Sports Basement, a close-out sporting goods retailer that offers high-end products at 30-60% off. The Sports Basement has two locations in San Francisco and often works with nonprofits as part of their community marketing.
Date: February 24, 2005
Time: 10:30 a.m. – Noon
Cost: The fee to attend is $39 for a 90-minute call.
Register: Go directly to acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=82179.
For more information call 415.331.1334.
After more than 7 years of working together at Thinknicity, NAWBO-SF members Cindy Reuter, Dyana King and Helga Grayson have agreed to part ways. Dyana King and Helga Grayson will continue as owners and managers of Thinknicity. Cindy will be leaving Thinknicity to pursue other opportunities.
Cindy Reuter may be contacted at: 415.706.4727 or cindyreuter@yahoo.com.
Dyana King and Helga Grayson's contact information will remain the same: 415.247.7700, helga@thinknicity.com, dyana@thinknicity.com.
Good luck to all of you!
• Join NAWBO, if you haven't already.
• Attend one of our networking breakfast meetings.
• Join a committee. You can contact the committee chairs directly. Go to our committees page online for more about the committees and for contact information.
• Take a guest or a client to the meeting. If each member recruits one new member, we will double our membership!
• Visit our evolving, and expanding website: www.nawbo-sf.org.
• Let us know how you and your business are doing. Contact Donna Bletzinger: donna@dyerstephenson.com.
"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thanks to all our corporate partners who help make NAWBO-SF's programs possible:
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Media Partner:
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If you would like to submit stories, news, events, or happenings for the next issue of NAWBO-SF's e-news, please send to the newsletter editor,
Anastasia Fuller, at news@nawbo-sf.org. Copy submission deadline is the 22nd of the current month for the next month's newsletter (e-mailed out the first week of the month).
We invite anyone who is not already a member to join NAWBO-SF. Take advantage of a growing package of member benefits and activities. To find out more, visit our website: www.nawbo-sf.org/membership.html.
To subscribe to (or unsubscribe from) this newsletter, contact Rhoda Singer at 415.333.2130, or email: join@nawbo-sf.org.
© 2005 The National Association of Women Business Owners - San Francisco Bay Area Chapter (NAWBO-SF). All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of NAWBO-SF is prohibited.
Clipart: ©1999-2005 www.clipartconnection.com
by Sharon Gadberry
Cynthia Fassler
Save the date: April 22, 2005!
Sponsored by our corporate partner, Citibank, NAWBO-U is designed to create ongoing leadership support for women business owners and accelerate the growth of women-owned businesses in the Bay Area.
NAWBO-U is a half-day event that takes place on April 22nd, the same as our signature Women Entrepreneurs Benefit (WEB), but will be held earlier in the day.
This series of breakfast meetings provide an efficient, comfortable forum for business women and entrepreneurs to meet monthly, exchange ideas and discuss challenges. While promoting networking, these meetings focus on just-in-time topics and encourage relationships that build ever-widening circles of influence. Unlike a leads group, these meetings concentrate on moving from casual contacts to trusted colleagues who bring a wealth of insight and know-how to motivated business women. Cost includes continental breakfast.