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Celebrating Small Business Saturday!

on November 15, 2010 in Events, Women in Business

This holiday season make an extra effort to support local community small businesses with your hard-earned cash! Small Business Saturday℠ is a national movement to drive shoppers to local merchants across the U.S. We have all heard of Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving). In 2005 Cyber Monday was penned based on the appeal of online shopping. Cyber Monday was the second highest spending day of 2009! As entrepreneurs and solopreneurs, we all know the importance of small business to the economy. Small businesses are the engine of job creation and have generated from 60 % to 80% of net new U.S. jobs annually over the last decade, according to the Small Business Administration.

November 27^th will mark the first-ever “Small Business Saturday℠”. This is your opportunity to invest in the success of small businesses in your own community! Buy local and help keep your neighborhood and community economically strong. As an added bonus, for those who support “Cause” and effect, by Liking the Small Business Saturday Facebook page, American Express will donate $1 up to $1,000,000 to Girls Inc. “to teach and empower young women to be entrepreneurs of tomorrow”. There are other great offers on the Facebook site including FREE small business Facebook ads for 10,000 small businesses and American Express statement credits for 100,000 Cardmembers who register and “Shop Small” (check out the site for details).

eWomenNetwork is excited to be a part of this incredibly important initiative to support Small Business Saturday℠. So, help us spread the word about #SmallBusinessSaturday! Let’s all make an extra effort to support our friends and local vendors as they continue to provide value for their customers and deepen their roots in our community!

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What is Coaching?

on November 11, 2010 in Coaching Corner, Women in Business

Coaching is a jointly-designed partnership that supports you and forwards your actions toward the achievement of your goals and vision of your business, career, or personal life. Success means different things to each of us, and this partnership allows you to reach greater personal and business success. Strategic coaching principles and tools are used to empower you and restore a dynamic state of balance in the key areas of your life.

Throughout the coaching relationship, your coach will engage in direct and potent questioning, and may, on occasion, be directive. You can count on your coach to ask honest and straightforward questions designed to open new thought processes, to make inquiries that offer inner discovery, and to make requests that lead to action and achievement.

Why does eWomenNetwork think that it is important to include two complimentary Coaching sessions as a Member Benefit? Sandra Yancey, CEO of eWomenNetwork, believes that entrepreneurs and solopreneurs need a way to break through the isolation that comes from doing it all on their own. “I would have never made it without help. It was a pivotal turning point in my business. Coaching represents an honest and objective third party who can help you with your challenges and conflicting demands. It’s similar to why you may hire an exercise trainer or join a weight loss group. You know what you need to do, you just want someone to guide, support and hold you accountable.” I asked Sandra how to select the appropriate coach. “If you have several challenges and not sure which one to focus on first, think about the one thing that keeps you up at night,” she said. “It can be either your greatest pain-point or that single burning idea you are so excited about.”

Coaching provides an opportunity to gain clarity, translate your dreams and ideas into achievable goals, change old beliefs and patterns that hold you back, develop and maintain focus, design structures and systems to support your journey, and choose how you are going to live the rest of your life in a whole new way! To learn more about coaching, go to http://www.ewomennetwork.com/coaches.html.

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Catering Business Matchmaker Dishes Up Advice

on September 2, 2010 in eWomenNetwork Foundation, Relationship Networking, Success Stories, Women in Business

Rhona Silver CaterBid.com

Rhona Silver of CaterBid, has been in the catering business for over 40 years. She is a trailblazer, changing an entire segment of the catering industry by identifying and filling a niche. She transitioned from marketing to a select segment to owning the biggest catering hall in the USA. This 150,000 square foot venue on 18 acres of land showcased events that honored Presidents, Heads of State and Governors as well as hosting trade shows and corporate events. Ms. Silver is a member of the eWomenNetwork Foundation Advisory Council.

How did you come up with the idea for CaterBid?

Several years ago, I was single and using online dating services to meet new people. After meeting my significant other on the worldwide web, I realized that if you can find love online why couldn’t you use the internet to find a great caterer? Together with my children, Matthew and Rebecca, we developed the idea of bringing catering into the 21^st century. And so, CaterBid.com was born!

How does Caterbid work?

CaterBid.com is a completely new way to book events, and the only way to have caterers come to you and bid for your business. It allows you to save time and money organizing the best party at the best price and it is completely free to use. You can use it for planning any type of party – holiday and corporate events or birthday parties and weddings. I wish CaterBid existed back when I was a caterer!

What kinds of things should our members consider when hosting an event for their business?

Don’t be afraid to be creative and festive with your business events. A simple thing like an invitation can set the tone for your gathering.

Consider what type of business you are in when creating the theme for your event. For example, if you are in communications you might create an invitation shaped like a computer or a telephone. Have your food service create opportunities for people to communicate. Instead of doing box lunches at a one-day training, put large share-worthy portions in the middle of the table. As the food is passed and shared, the conversation will flow. You might have notes on the table with ice breakers to spark discussions about your business or even about the food. Or, add a fun element like a magician or a psychic to spark conversation.

You have a successful history as a woman business owner and entrepreneur. Reflecting on your experiences, what are the key things that you feel our readers can do to create thriving businesses in this economy?

Despite every adversity in my life, I’ve always kept in mind one inspirational quote that gives me strength to keep moving forward – “A winner never quits and a quitter never wins.” Just remember that if there is a roadblock, there is still a road on the other side. Whether you go under, over, or around it, remember that you can and will eventually get to where you are going.

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Love and Money, How to Thrive and Survive in Tough Economic Times

on August 31, 2010 in Uncategorized

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Brenda Wade, psychologist, author, speaker and expert commentator for CNN and NBC’s Today Show. eWomenNetwork members and attendees of the 10^th Anniversary eWomenNetwork Conference had the opportunity to hear Dr. Wade speak this summer. She is the Founder of the International Love and Money Summit which will be held in San Francisco, CA December 9-12, 2010.

Dr. Brenda Wade

Q - Dr. Wade, what did our Conference attendees share with you was their largest issue with Love and Money?

A - Entrepreneurial women want to have it all. The problem is that they have all the stressors of running a business, maintaining relationships and raising a family in addition to the economic stresses that we all face. Women business owners are at a higher risk for divorce. It is possible to have it all, you just have to learn how to do it. When we learn better, we do better.

Q - Could you elaborate? I know you base your approach on scientific studies by major university marital labs.

A - If you don’t know how to do something, it is critical to reach out to someone with the skills to help you improve. We need to invest time and money in our relationships. We invest less money in our relationships than we do to maintain our cars! It costs $325 billion dollars to support our current divorce rate of 51%. This includes healthcare costs, counseling expenses, loss of productivity, extended leave, juvenile delinquency, higher crime and jail costs. And, children of divorce are 70% more likely to end up divorced themselves. In today’s economy, families and couples need to understand that if you want to invest in anything right now, it should be your families.

Q - It is your mission to cut divorce in half by 2015. That is an incredible challenge. What would it take to accomplish this?

A - In my latest book, 99 THINGS YOU WISH YOU KNEW BEFORE FALLING IN LOVE, I reference research that indicates that the divorce rate should never be above 8.5%. It has been between 50% and 51% for the last forty years. If two-thirds of all couples did premarital counseling, it would cut the divorce rate to 17%. If the remaining couples did marital coaching, it would cut the rate to 8.5%.

Q - You talk about four important secrets that can help you build lasting love and grow your money. Would you share these with our readers?

A -

1. You need personal insight. What things do you need to learn to improve your personal relationships and finances?

2. You need skills. Start with yourself. Do you give yourself appreciation, admiration, affection, and acceptance? You have to give yourself these things before you can share them with others. And you need to withhold criticism, contempt, coldness and competitiveness from yourself and from your relationships so that they can flourish.

3. Your next step is to create action to keep your relationship growing. Everyone has heard, “Oh, we just grew apart.” We need to develop ways to grow together.

4. And the last secret is don’t accept things the way they are.

Q - What is the main take away that you hope our readers will get from this discussion?

A - Learn better and you do better. In order to tackle these issues you need strategies, tools and daily action steps. I look forward to talking more about these issues with eWomenNetwork members during my upcoming Success Institute Tele-Session on November 16, 2010 and at the International Love and Money Summit on December 9-12, 2010.

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Dream Along With Me – Goal Setting for Results Beyond Your Wildest Dreams!

on December 1, 2009 in Coaching Corner

A guest post by Joelle Prochera

Dream Along With Me
Goal setting for results beyond your wildest dreams!

Joelle Prochera

What is a dream but a thought about what could be. If you look around, what do you see? A building, coffee mug, piece of furniture, the city you live; they all started as someone’s dream.

Your favorite song started as someone’s dream.
The airplane started as someone’s dream.
Your business started as a dream.

You each have dreams for your life, your family, your business. Dreams of the person you can be and the difference you can make. Contrary to what some say, dreaming is not just idle fantasy. Dreaming is the beginning of all things. With clear intention and specific action, your dreams can come true.

So, as you sit down to create some fresh new goals….are you ready to dream?

Step 1. Clear the way.

Before you can get clear on what the year will bring, you may need to first clear some clutter out of the way. I am not talking about cleaning out your closets or organizing the garage (although those are great ideas as well). What I am suggesting is that you first clear your head.

After speaking with thousands of people as a professional life coach, I can say with confidence that the #1 thing standing between you and your dreams is your own thinking about what you can’t do and why you cannot do it. It’s time to clear the way for your dreams.

Action: Let go of…

•    what you think you cannot have.
•    what you think you could never accomplish.
•    what others have told you, you could never be.

In fact…for right now, let it all go. Yes EVERYTHING! (Ahhhh, it gets nice and quiet when you clear out all that mental chatter.)

Now you have that great big space to create in, let’s fill it up with your dreams

Step 2. Ready. Set. Dream!

Whatever you are moved and inspired to create in your life, those desires are there for a reason. Following your dreams is the path to joy and fulfillment. So let’s get dreaming!

Action: Answer the following questions in detail:

•    If anything were possible for you and your life ….what would you want?
•    Who would you have around you?
•    What would you see out your window?
•    What would you create with your business?
•    How would you spend your days?

Write it all down and fill in every detail. Keep working it until you can read what you wrote and it puts a great big smile on your face.

Once you have created this masterpiece, give it the place of honor it deserves. Put it somewhere that will demand your attention. Put it on your bathroom mirror, the door to your office, on the front of your “personal development” binder. Not a day should go by when you are not reminded of what you have chosen to create. (Need a little inspiration? For examples of other visions visit www.coachjoelle.com/dreambuilder.html .)

Step 3. The path to your dreams is paved with action:

Action is the key to taking your dreams out of the clouds and rooting them firmly in reality. Your actions do not have to be grandiose, scary or painful. They just need to move you forward. In fact, the most effective actions are usually the ones that follow your interests, come naturally or feel fun to you.

Action: Write down 3-5 things can you do this week to make your visions reality, put them in your calendar and do them!

• Schedule 30 minutes every Monday to review your vision, celebrate the week’s accomplishments and set 3-5 new actions.
• For the courageous: Call 1 person who you trust, who believes in your dreams and supports your success and tell them what you will be doing this week. I am not kidding. Go ahead. Make the call now.

Make Your Dreams Reality

Know that you were never given a dream without the ability to fulfill it. In the months ahead, keep your vision close. Keep taking action and surround yourself with people that support you and believe in your dreams.

Enjoy the ride!

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