WBO September 2009 Magazine

AIRPORT SECURITY TIPS

Sept 2009 $3.99U SD

ORGANIZATION

PROVIDING

EMPOWERMENT

FOR WOMEN

BUSINESS OWNERS

AND EDUCATION

FOR FUTURE

ENTREPRENEURS

www.womenbizowners.org

SUB SCRIBE

TODAY!

Be Proud

of Your

Marketing

Results

Balance: Productive

vs.

Busy

Take Pride In Your Business

2 | womenbizowners.org

Women Business Owners (WBO) is a 501c3 non profit organization, founded in February 2004, with the mission to educate,

empower, and enhance the lives of women business owners and children 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.

WBO National Business Convention presented by Office Max, Inc. will be held in Houston, Texas on October 22-24,

2009. 500 women entrepreneurs from around the world will experience a convention of networking, workshops, and a live business expo.

WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS Magazine

Magazine Team:

Cindy Clark, Editor in Chief:

Ginger Marks, Managing Editor:

Rebekah Jones, Copy Editor:

Ginger Marks, Production Coordinator

:Kristine Sheehan, Art Editor

Executive Board:

Anna Campbell, Founder & President

Cindy Clark, Vice President

Susanne Mariga, Treasurer

Lisa Wald-Guarino, Secretary

Diane Tegarden, Member at Large

WBO Directors:

Michelle Suman, Educational Director

Kathy Allen, Volunteer Director

Cindy Clark, Marketing Director:

Patricia Boes, Membership Director

Laura Wheeler, Technical Director

WBO Staff:

Sherry Simoes, Mkg Asst and Panel of Experts Coordinator

Wendy VanHatten, Asst. Marketing Director

Donna Crav otta, Marketing Assistant

Stacey Virgo, Events Assistant

Tracy Collins, Asst. Technical Director

Jylian Sy, Podcast Host

Julie-Marie Christin, Gift Shop Keeper

© Copyri ght 2009 W omenBi zOwner s.or g

All rights r eserved.

Sept 2009 | 3

must read Airport Security Tips 8 Balance: Productive vs. Busy 29

Be Proud of Your Marketing Results 24 How To “Green” Your Business With

13 Energy Efficiency Tips 23

Is Your Pride A Stumbling Block To Your Success 13 Simple Product Creation 16

Take Pride In Your Business 11 WBO Interview with Wendy Okkema 26

every issue About WBO 37 Ask Yak 19

Authors Corner 14 Calendar of Events 22 Member of the Month 15

Monthly Motivations 21 New WBO Members 7

Presidents Message 4 Quote of the Month 12 Welcome from our WBO Magazine Staff 10

WBO Staff & Volunteer Members 36


Visit our group website for more information: www.womenbizowners.org

Happy September! Fall is arriving. One of my favorite seasons

here in the Northeast. I love the autumn colors, the cooler air,

the changes in our midst.

We are fast approaching the final quarter of the year. Now is the time to take stock, re-

view what you'v e accomplished over the year and to start making your plans for 2010.

What do you want to change? What worked, but you could enhance? Empower your-

self, challenge y ourself and move forward!

Our WBO National Business Convention is right around the corner. We have some very

exciting things planned! Have you registered yet? I'm very excited about our line up of

speakers. We also have a very impressive group of women that have been nominated

for awards. If y ou haven't cast your v ote yet, be sure to let y our v oice be heard! Go to

our convention website for all the details of the convention. womenbizowners.org/

convention.

I look forward to meeting y ou in October!

"It’s not what happens to you, but how you handle it. I f Life gives you lemons, make

lemonade. If the lemons are rotten, take out the seeds and plant them in order to grow

new lemons." - Louise L. Hay

What are y ou doing to grow?

Cindy Clark

WBO VP

Vice President’s Message

Ci ndy Clark

Vice President

Sept 2009 | 5

of special note 2009 Annual Charity Jr. Apprentice 18 Feature Author 35

Gift Shop 6 Hot Pick Movie of the Month 12 Online Article Library 12

Open Staff Volunteer Positions 30 Teleseminar Schedule 23

Third Quarter Charity 28 Volunteer of the Month 31 Volunteers Needed 14

WBO Podcast 32

www.vanhattenwritingservices.com


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 Tote ~ Handcrafted by Jennifer Hudson with Mimsi Bags. This tote is perfect for the Bu siness Woman-on -the-Go! Originally designed with the

Women Business Owner, Realtor ®, Mortgage Lender or Attorney in mind, this tote 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 to 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 roominess. Price: $125

Java Jammie ~ Handcrafted by Julie-Marie with Julie-Marie Bags

This cute and fun Java Jammie has a pink background with white polka dots and white daisies. A matching daisy button makes it irresistable! This Jav a Jammie is ex -tra special because all pr ofits benefit Women Business Owners. Price $7 .00 Women Business Owners prov ides education and support for more than 3,000 women business owners throughout the world with online and offline resources. WBO's mission is to help more women 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 scotti . Made with: stone ground

organic w hole wheat fl our , or ganic peanut butter , milk , unsweetened applesauce and cinnamon.

As alway s, The Gour met Dog Bakery only uses the best i ngredi ents w hen baking our goods. Our Pawnut Butter - Appl e Biscotti is sol d i n quantities of 1 /2 dozen. Price: $5.99

http://www.womenbizowners.org

Sh ow Case Your Product in the WBO Gift Sh op:

Star and Premier members are encouraged to participate in our WBO Gift Sh op by choosing one product or serv ice they will donate 30% or more back to Women

Business Owners. Contact [email protected] for more information about our Dr op Ship Policy .


Sept 2009 | 7

New WBO Members

Lorena Hawkins

www.aSiteToSee.tv

Sandra Olsson Priority Living

www.themastersprogramforwomen.org


Security Lines at the Airport Don’t Have to be a Hassle… TSA

It’s best to know the up-to-date rules for airport security and be prepared to follow them. Not sure what they are? Go to the TSA web site for some good tips. How many times have I heard "Why can't I take my 20 oz. bottle of soda with me?" Know the rules about liquids and gels. Remember 3 oz./100 ml or less is okay...more is not, regardless of how expen-sive the product. Did you know pudding is considered a liquid?

But what might catch you off guard are some sim-ple items that are pro-hibited en-tirely: gel shoe inserts and snow globes are a bs o lut e l y

prohibited from carry-on luggage. Who would have guessed that?

Packing

It seems everyone wants to be a carry-on traveler. Put things that security might want to double-

check in your personal item, purse, or briefcase. Since it’s usu-ally a smaller bag, things are eas-ier to find. This might include your iPod, mobile phone, anything else electronic or that has a cord, and your bag of liquids and gels. You'll still have to take your laptop out of its case and put that into a sepa-rate bin, but if you have all your other things segregated into a sin-gle, smaller bag, it will make your life easier.

Shoes and Jackets

Flip-flops make a lot of sense at the airport security line. They're easy to take off to send though the x-ray. Best of all, you won't have to sit down to put them back on. Shoes are the big time-consuming obstacle at security for most peo-ple, so it does make some sense to wear shoes that are easy to re-move and put back on. Since jackets have to be put through the x-ray machine, it might make more sense to pack your jacket or cardi-gan in your carry-on bag. And if

Airport

Security Tips by Wendy VanHatten

Sept 2009 | 9

you are wearing a belt, you could pack it in your bag. You can always put it back on later.

Pockets

The time to keep your collection of coins, two money clips, and a bunch of keys is not in your pocket when you are getting ready to board a flight. And even though they look good, it is not the time to wear seven metal bracelets. Simplify your experience, and that of those behind you, by tak-ing off your watch and metal jewelry and taking your change from your pockets before you go through the security line. You could put all your metal in a zipped pocket in your carry-on and then send it through the x-ray machine. This process also makes it harder for thieves if every-thing is put safely away deep in your carry-on. Keep your wallet safely in your pocket or purse. Unless you're carrying a piece of metal, it won't set off the detector.

ID and Boarding Pass

You need to show only two things to get through security at the airport: your government-issued photo ID and your boarding pass. If you don't have both of these things handy, then perhaps you should stand aside before entering the line. Once you reach the metal detector, you only need your boarding pass. On domestic flights they no longer check your

ID again at the gate at U.S. airports. Before boarding an in-ternational flight, you will need your passport. Some other countries have secondary security checks at the gate, and in these places you may have to produce your ID again.

Happy Traveling

Wendy VanHatten left the corporate w orld to become a professional freelance editor, travel writer and author. Check out travel t ips, photos, and destination ideas on her blog www.travelsandescapes.blogspot.com. Her w ebsite, www.vanhattenwritingservices.com highlights her w riting services. Her latest book “My Life the Sequel…A Girlfriend’s Guide to Personal Success” can be found at www.mylifethe sequel.com.

W EN DY VAN HATTEN


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 Non-Exclusive 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 submitted to our WBO Magazine Yahoo! Group. finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/wbomagazine WBO Magazine reserves the right to edit submitted articles. Each author will be credited by name in publication.

Clark Marks Sheehan Jones

Sept 2009 | 11

A s business owners we

need to be proud of what

we do. When we show this pride our

potential clients and customers will see

this. It will also show in the way we share

our business with others. When y ou are

proud of y our business y ou will have a

desire to share it with others so they can

share your excitement with y ou.

Think about it this way: We are proud of

our children when they get good grades

in school or they are a part of a sports

team and they do well. We take pride in

that by sharing with others how good

they did. We may put a bumper sticker on

our car, or we may display a yard sign in

our front yard.

The same can be true with our business.

Purchase a sticker for your back window

that has y our website on it, carry business

cards with you and hand them out when

you are talking with someone at the

grocery store, or send out postcards to

people that are in y our target market.

If y ou are unhappy or not proud of the

business y ou own, then more than likely,

you will do very little to share it with

others. The reason for this could be a

number of different things. Of course,

you will need to figure out what to do to

fix this so the excitement comes back.

The unhappiness could be that y ou are

embarrassed about y our business; it

could be that you don’t have enough

training to do it right so y ou are not

reaching a level of success that you want,

or y ou might not really enjoy doing what

you are doing. If any of these are the case,

then you should look at your options. You

may need to find a new business to run or

you might need to go through some

training so y ou are refreshed and get the

pride back.

Showing pride in your business will help

you reach new levels of success. The more

excitement y ou have for y our business,

the more y ou will want to share it with

others and this will lead to growth. Of

course you want to grow y our business so

that it is a huge empire, but remember

that the more you grow, the less time y ou

will have to dedicate to each and every

person. At this point, y ou will need to ask

for help so y ou don’t get overloaded.

When y ou hit that point of ov erload, you

will begin to lose the pride y ou had if y ou

do nit have the resources you need to

handle the load as you grow.

There are so many different things that

you can outsource so y ou can keep

yourself in front of y our clients and (Continued on page 37)

Take Pride In Your Business By Corrie Petersen


WBO Online Article WBO Online Article WBO Online Article LibraryLibraryLibrary

Our Article Library has been created for the use of our members. It is for women

who would like to learn how to start a business, grow a business, maintain a

business, and lead the life they are search-ing for. You will find a variety of catego-ries below that are filled with articles, re-corded classes, and other informational

type documents just waiting to be opened and explored.

We are alway s looking for additional resources to add to our directory . Please feel free to con-tact us with any articles, business documents,

and other business related items that y ou would like to see added to this directory . You

may contact us v ia email [email protected].

Visit Today: http://www.womenbizowners.org

(Under Business Tools)

Quote of the Month

“The first thing to do is to fall in love with your work.” - Author Unknown

Love Happens

Release Date: Sept 18, 2009 Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Aaron

Eckhart, Dan Fogler, Judy Greer,

Martin Sheen, Joe Anderson, John

Carroll Lynch Genre: Drama / Romance

Off icial Site: www.lov ehappensmov ie.com

Rated: PG-13

Sometimes when y ou lea st expect it...Lov e

Happen s.

Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston star in the

romantic drama LOVE HAPPENS. When a self-help author arriv es in Seattle to teach a sold-out

seminar, he unexpectedly meets the one person

who might finally be able to help him help himself.

Dr. Burke Ry an (Eckhart) is on the precipice of a major multi-media deal, but the therapist who

asks to openly confr ont their pain is secretly

unable to take his own adv ice.

Eloise Chandler (Aniston) has sworn off men

and decided to focus on her floral business.

Howev er, when she meets Burke at the hotel where he is speaking, there is an instant

attraction. But will two people who have met the right person at exactly the wrong time be able to

giv e lov e another chance?

As each struggles with the hurt of lov e and loss, they realize that in order to mov e forward, they

need to let g o of the past. And if they can, they ’ll

find that, sometimes, lov e happens when y ou lea st expect it.

Sept 2009 | 13

Is Your Pride a Stumbling Block to Your Success by Ginger Marks

The Bible clearly warns us that pride goes before a fall. I know some of you don’t believe in God, but you must admit the Bible is full of sage advice. This one piece is no exception.

The re i s cle arl y a difference in being a “Guru” and a “Know-It-All.” Be careful not to cross that line; it can make the difference between amazing success and failure. For example, I used to hang out with some very smart people that always had a kind word and helpful advice. We could chat for hours about many d i f f e r e n t s u b j e c t s . Sometimes helpful advice was shared but most times not. When we went to chats

together, everyone had equal time to converse. Then one day, something changed. They began to dominate all conversations and chats. I began to feel like it was their way or no way at all. Could they possibly be right about

everything? When would the other chat room attendees get a word in edgewise? “We are on a mission to change the world,” was their retort when anyone suggested their means were not the best or even the only way of accomplishing the intended goal.

Another example I recall is the time when another person I care about was critically lambasted for not agreeing with the speaker's concepts. Being rude to your

audience is not the method to win friends and influence people. This sort of thing happens when the speaker forgets that she is the person most responsible for clearly relating her message.

A conversation is a two-way street. It is when you get to the point that you begin to feel that if someone else doesn’t understand you it is their fault for not listening to what you are saying and not that you couldn’t have better

(Continued on page 20)

Conversation is a two-

way street. So, who’s

fault is it if someone

else doesn’t understand what you are saying?


Volunteers needed for the WBO Marketing Department: Do you have excellent writing skills? Do you enjoy writing? We need your help! We are looking for a few people to assist us with writing press re-leases and articles to promote WBO to the media. We need to promote our upcoming July Expo and National Business Convention in October. Volunteers needed for the WBO Membership Dept.: Do you like to meet new people, and welcome them with an email, card, or phone call? We need help sending our welcome packets to new Star & Premier members. Emailing new members with information and membership e-book. Keeping track of expiring members, contacting them for renewal. Promoting WBO for membership purposes. Create membership ads, flyers, and other marketing materials.

Visit http://www.womenbizowners.org and submit a volunteer form to [email protected] .

This team of publishing companies, authors, writers, and marketers; network, mentor and promote each other. We believe that by working together, we will suc-ceed in our individual goals.

Authors Corner Leader: Cindy Clark with CCDesign z Business Services, LLC Authors: Diane Tegarden with FireWalker Publications, Inc Ga zelle Simmons with Admin Services Ginger Marks with DocUmeantDesigns.com Lisa A. Fredette with Passionate About Life Coaching Sabrina Schleicher, Ph.D., A CC with Tap The Poten -tial Sherri Walker with Poems by Daughter of the King Writer's: Lisa 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 to all Star &

Premier Members.


(Under Explore WBO - Business

Tools- Online Resources)

WBO Authors Corner

Sept 2009 | 15

aula Horlick states, “Af ter years of working in the administrativ e side of real estate, I was laid off, but that

ev ent has allowed me to pursue an entrepreneurial dream.

It gav e me that push that I better try to do what I really want to do and not look back and regret that I didn’t giv e it a try. I think it is ev ery one's passion to own their own business.

My grandma had a closet full of her old clothes. Ev ery time I would go there, I would get in her closet and dress up in her clothes. She had the “real” grandma clothes. She was 82 back in 1978.

There has to be something that I can do that I am passionate about, My mom sent me a vintage scarf to sell on eBay. I just started thinking about the scarf and who had owned it and where it had been. That is when The Vintage Scarf name came into my mind.

I started my own Web site dedicated to showcasing and selling v intage scarv es and scarf accessories, like clips and buckles. My Web site also f eatures the Nostalgic Gif t Shop, where customers can purchase retro Clocks, memo pads etc.

I get my scarv es f rom a supplier, garage sales or f riends.

If there is a tiny fray , I won't put it on the Web site. It seems like it's alway s the most beautiful scarv es that hav e the f laws."

The biggest challenge of starting the Web site was getting the word out that the Vintage Scarf exists. I recently became a v endor and started selling her scarves to Boutiques. If interested please email me at thev intagescarf @cox.net

I am dedicated to customer serv ice and offers f ree shipping along with sending f ollow-up thank-y ou cards.

I like the personal touch because nobody sends out a personal thank-y ou card any more. I always ship the purchase out the next day after payment has been receiv ed.”

The Vintage Scarf

Specializ ing Exclusively in Women's Vintage Scarves and Scarf Accessories P aul a M H orlick Personal Fashion Expert Of Vintage Scarves 888-364-9749 - Toll Free www.TheVintageScarf.com www.TheVintageScarfBlog.com Nobody AGES As

Good As The Vintage Scarf

P

Sept 2009 | 15

XCP!Nfncfs!pg!uif!Npoui!PAULA HORLICK


O nce you've figured out y our niche (or you've at least narrowed it down significantly), it's time to

figure out what problems they are struggling with and what they want by way of solutions. Remember, if y ou will only ask your market, they want to help you create the products they want to buy!

How do you find out what y our target market wants? There are several ways to get this information and use it to help you create an offering that will solve your niche's problems and make a profit for y ou at the same time.

The best way is to do y our research. The most critical research to do is to join the conversations that y our market is having. Here are two ways to do this:

1. Simple: Ask them!

Ask y our prospects a simple, open-ended

question like, "What's y our biggest

challenge with building your business

online?" or "What's the one thing y ou'd

like to learn more about that relates to

balancing y our work and family life?"

Tailor the question to y our niche and use

the information y ou receive to help

spark ideas for new products and

services.

2. Almost as Simple:

Do a simple survey that asks 1-10

questions using a survey tool like

Zoomerang or Survey Monkey. This

allows y ou to ask more specific questions

to elicit more specific responses. Doing a

survey like this really helps you to NOT

waste your time creating offerings your

target market simply doesn't want.

Once y ou've figured out what your

niche's problems are, you can create or

find the solutions to solv e those

problems. Your solution can be

packaged in a variety of ways: an e-

course, a PDF manual, an e-book, an

audio download and/or CD, group

programs, teleseminars, e-manuals, etc.

Here's a very simple process to follow to

create a product to add to y ou funnel

quickly:

3-Step Process to Creating Products:

1. Do a free or paid live class on your product

Once y ou've done y our research and

you'v e chosen a topic your target market

is interested in knowing more about,

offer a one-hour teleclass on that topic.

Cov er three points and offer your

solutions. Most important is to make

sure you record the teleseminar as this is

what leads to a product for y ou.

As y ou're designing y our outline for the

class, do so in a way that creates notes

for y our participant. (If y ou're a member

of my Coaching Cafe, you know that I

Simple Product Creation by Alicia M Forest, MBA

Sept 2009 | 17

give very detailed class notes, so y ou

know what I mean by this.)

As the end of your live teleclass, y ou'll

have the recording and notes to then...

2. Package it virtually

Now you have the audio recording and

notes to offer as a bundled product and...

3. Package it into a tangible product

You can then take it up a notch and turn

it into a physical product and offer it

that way as another income stream.

And here are some of my other favorite tips for simple product creation: If y ou don't have a list or access to a

list, you can offer a free class on a

topic and then charge people for the

product down the road or afterwards.

Another option is to have someone

interview y ou on y our topic to

create your product. You can offer

the questions along with the

interviewee's answers. This is a good

strategy if you don't think y ou can get

enough people on a call.

You can record live classes and

workshops y ou're holding as well

and repackage those presentations

virtually or tangibly. Try to record

ev erything so y ou always have the

option to offer it at some level down

the road.

Promote your teleclass to your list via

colleagues who are willing to

spread the word (especially if it's

free) and at teleclass listing services.

Promote on the discussion lists

and groups that y ou're a part of.

Promote it there with permission and

on the appropriate day.

Pricing: If this is a new

process for y ou, if y ou're

offering y our topic for the

first time and sort of feeling

out y our market, go with the

lower end. If you're putting

together a 90-minute class

with lots of comprehensive

step-by -step information,

charge more.

When it comes to creating



Women Business Owners (WBO)

announces their newest initiative,

a Jr. Apprentice US Program.

This program will be for children

ages 10-18, within the United

States that are interested in

becoming business owners.

WBO President, Anna Campbell

explains the program, "We will start the program off

with a summer camp in June 2009. One week will be

for 10-13 year olds and one week will be for 14-18

year olds. Each camp will comprise of workshops/

hands on time, and company building time. We will

invite area female and male entrepreneurs to

volunteer for a workshop. The program is open to

both male and female students.

At the end of each week, 4 students from each group that have shown promising initiative,

drive and real interest in owning their own business will be selected to be paired up with an

adult male or female business entrepreneur mentor for a year. The summer camps will

culminate in an annual Jr. Apprentice Summit once it is established."

Students

The students will participate in the summer program at the camp and then will

be assigned mentors starting in September 2009, ending in May 2010. The

process will continue as a new group of students join the existing students by

attending the summer camp program, and then be assigned mentors.

Mentors

The mentors will be matched to students with similar interests in business

ownership and skill set interest. Planned workshops include: choosing a

business, business planning, networking, marketing, and accounting.

More information can be obtained through their website at:

www.jrapprenticeus.org

2009 Annual

Charity

Jr. Apprentice US


Sept 2009 | 19

Q.I’ve heard so much about these boot camps. What are they and what’s so special about them?

Think of the military. Jogging on the spot, drop and give the officer 20 push-ups and so on. The idea is to target a specific muscle group in 1 minute intervals. Very often a personal trainer will tell you to do 8 repetitions of a certain exercise, a bicep curl for example, and then 8 repetitions on the other arm. Repeat for 3 sets. Try doing bicep curls for 1 minute. Trust me you will feel the burn. It’s a little more intense workout, and I personally feel very energetic after one of my boot camps. Q.My shoulder hurts when doing certain exercises. I can only lift my arms up so high. What do you think the problem might be and do you have any suggestions? My first recommendation would be to see your doctor to find out if you have something seriously wrong with your shoulder. After taking that first step, I would seek out a personal trainer. Show him or her what specific exercises are bothering you, and that trainer should be able to recommend other exercises

that will strengthen your shoulder without hurting during the process. Q. Should I work out every other day? This depends on the intensity of your workout. For the women I work with, I say workout when you have the opportunity. If that’s two days in a row, can’t the third & fourth day, but can the fifth and sixth but not the seventh, then you still have your workouts in. As busy moms, we can’t always say when we can work out. We just have to seize the opportunity when it arises. Wendy is a w ife, mother, personal trainer, lifestyle coach and author. Wendy shows women how to f it exercise into their day, how to lose w eight, inches, body fat and more importantly how to keep the w eight off. Wendy also helps w omen discover or rediscover their gifts and talents and w ill teach them how to apply these to their daily lives. To w ork one on one w ith Wendy in your home or on line e-mail [email protected].

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 [email protected]


stated your message. This is when you make the proverbial turn, and you begin to lose credibility in the eyes of those watching from the sidelines as well as those with whom you are conversing.

Business communication coach and friend, Felicia Slattery, owner of Communication Transformation states, “When you are the speaker, it’s your job to be sure your audience fully understands your message. After all, as a business person, your message is a reflection of you and your business. If you present your message clearly so your audience can follow you, then you’re showing that audience you are k n o w l e d g e ab l e , h e l p f u l , a n d professional. Allowing your audience to prov ide feedback and us ing that feedback as a way to make your presentation better is the hallmark of a competent communicator and good business person overall.”

There is a fine line between humility and timidity too. A little too much either way, and you end up failing at every turn. For example, hiding in a corner taking it all in or ‘lurking’ on a network chat board will add to the number of places you can say you have been in the daily course of business. However, don’t expect to get any referrals. Unless you openly participate, the other members won’t even know you are there. And it goes without saying, if they don’t know you are there you will not gain any benefit from attending.

Put on your party dress and shoes and get out there on the dance floor. Make friends first, and the business will come. Then focus on your strengths but don’t

(Continued fro m page 13) overdo it. Offer advice when asked in a spirit of love and kinship.

No matter what stance you take, be certain of one thing: your reputation will precede you. Promoting your own importance leads to stumbling. But focusing on and meeting the essential needs of others gives us the healthy approach of the wise and successful entrepreneur.

© Copyright 2007 Ginger Marks

Ginger Marks is the founder of WINning Sisters and the author of the hottest new marketing eBook, “the 2009 Weird & Wacky Holiday Marketing Guide” available at www.HolidayMarketingGuide.com. Her design website www.DocUmeantDesigns.com offers custom graphics at pre-fab pricing. Mention this article and receive $10 or 10% off (whichever is less) your first branding/marketing piece.

Special thanks to Felicia Slattery, M.A., M.Ad.Ed. of Communication Transformation, www.communicationtransformation.com/ for her contribution to this article.

GIN GER MARKS

Sept 2009 | 21

O f tentimes, w omen w ho w ork and parent feel guilt—guilt for not being home more w ith their children and guilt for skipping out of w ork early

on occasion—there are so many reasons to feel guilty !

Let’s take the more diff icult path and focus on the reasons you should NOT feel guilty ! Below are just a few reasons that working parents can take pride in themselves for being able to do both:

An intellectually stimulated parent has much know ledge to pass down to her chil-dren.

Your children are learning about self re-spect and responsibility. You are show ing them that they go hand in hand.

You are providing (f inancially) for your family.

Stimulation breeds creativity w hich you can pass down to your children.

Chances are you are meeting people w ho can offer opportunities for your children in many w ays in the future.

Work provides daily accomplishments that you can be proud of and so can your chil-dren.

You are leading by example—show ing your children that there is no limit to your potential and that you are vital.

Focus on the positive! The next time guilt creeps up on you, turn around and stand proud! Stand up tall and take pride in the fact that you CAN do it all.

Do you have a business issue you need help tackling? Email 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 founder of The Women’s Nest, a free on-line community for women. Come escape the chaos of your daily life! Connect w ith other w omen like yourself - Share a laugh, gain advice, friendship, and fun. Book club, scrapbook club, forums, blogs, and free medical, f inancial, and relationship advice. It’s your community—Sign in for a chat! Join us at www.thewomensnest.com

Melissa Foster is the founder of The Women’s Nest, a free on-line community for women. Come escape the chaos of your daily life! Con-nect with other women like yourself - Share a laugh, gain advice, friendship, and fun. Book club, scrapbook club, forums, blogs, and free medical, financial, and relationship advice. It’s your community -Sign in for a chat! Join us at www.thewomensnest.com

Standing Proud! Monthly Motivations by Melissa Foster


Annual WBO National Business Convention October 22-24, 2009 - Houston, Texas - Marriott and Humble Civic Center. Early Bird Special ends Sept 1, 2009 - Accepting Registrations! http://www.womenbizowners.org/convention

WBO Membership Coordinator: Sherry Lynn Simoes

[email protected]

Volunteer Director Kathy Allen

[email protected]

September 2009 SEPTEMBER 9

WBO Podcast

SEPTEMBER 16

WBO Podcast

SEPTEMBER 17

Online Biz Chat

SEPTEMBER 23

WBO Podcast

SEPTEMBER 30

WBO Podcast

Sept 2009 | 23

How To “Green” Your Business With Energy How To “Green” Your Business With Energy

13 13 Efficiency TipsEfficiency Tips Examiner.comExaminer.com

Today’s business buzz word is ‘green’, but how does a business begin to

reduce their carbon footprint and become a green business? Here are 13

easy steps to begin the greening of your business.

Sell products that are made from recycled or post-consumer content.

Using compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs throughout your business instead

of incandescent light bulbs will reduce y our electric bill. The energy used for

lighting constitutes approximately 40% of y our electric bill.

Use non-aerosol cleaning products throughout y our business because aerosols

emit chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), a class of v olatile organic compounds that

have been used as refrigerants, aerosol propellants, foam blowing agents, and other

cleaners. The use of products containing CFCs has been known to deteriorate the

ozone layer.

Install solar powered attic vent fans in your attic to reduce the temperatures in

summertime and keep y our attic dry in the wintertime. Keeping the tempera-

ture 10-20 degrees below outside air temperature means you will use less air condi-

tioning, thereby reducing your electric bill.

Get inv olved politically by writing letters to your congressperson on environ-

mental issues. Keep abreast of new legislation by signing up for free newslet-

ters from various political/environmental action organizations.

Buy products that are in minimal packaging, av oid excess packaging, and make

sure that the package is a recyclable container/ wrapping.

Conserve water by fixing any leaky faucets in the building; leaking faucets can

cause precious water to be wasted and drive up y our water bill.

Buy recycled office products or purchase supplies from an environmentally

friendly company like Real Goods. (Continued on page 26)

6

7

8

4

5

3

2

1


Be Proud of Your

Marketing Results by Sherry Simoes

The first step to be able to take pride in your marketing results is to get GOOD RESULTS

To get good results you have to

PLAN


Sept 2009 | 25

The phrase MARKETING PLAN sounds scary for most entrepreneurs but with the right tools and instruction it can be fun, especially if you are doing what you love!

So where do you begin? Instead of diving right in you need to put aside some time to do some research and record some very important things that will guide you to the right methods of promoting your business.

Your target market is the most important thing to know so you just do not randomly start targeting everyone everywhere and getting nowhere! If you are targeting seniors then you are not going to be advertising in places where teens hang out!

The next thing is to plan time in each week to put your marketing in action! Plan it into your Day-Timer and stick with it! You will never run out of business if you keep at it. If you only market when you are not busy you are setting yourself up for failure.

Choose 5 or 6 ways of marketing that you are going to implement into your plan. In my program Marketing Magic we choose 12 but if you are doing it on your own, 5-6 is a good number to handle and do them all well. If you try to do too many things you will find it a burden and give up and the results will be poor.

After you have chosen the ways, set up a budget and stick with it. Decide how much each method will cost per week or month and set aside that money to make sure you do not have to cancel or postpone any of your methods.

You will need to decide for each way you choose if you can do it yourself or if you need help. If you need help make sure you speak to some of your fellow networkers or associates and s e e w h a t experience they have had that you can learn from. Ask where they get certain services done and call for quotes. We often have roundtable discussions at the Women of Today meetings about these types of things, and it really does help narrow down the search for reliable suppliers!

These few simple steps can help you get on the path to the start of marketing results you can take pride in!

Happy Marketing and remember, have fun!

Sherry Simoes is ow ner of Creative Concepts Design & Marketing Group and creator of the Marketing Magic Program, a program designed to help entrepreneurs to f ine plan a successful marketing plan w ith a fun, easy to use system.


When replacing the roof, consider

installing SunSlate roofing mate-

rial that also doubles as a generator of

electrical power. These roofing shin-

gles, made by Atlantis Energy Systems,

give y ou a two-for-one value for y our

money by both generating power and

protecting y our business.

Plant trees on your property; they

help clean the greenhouse gases

out of the air. To learn more about the

planting and care of trees, contact the

Arbor Day Foundation.

When purchasing y our next com-

pany car, perhaps you’ll consider

a hybrid vehicle. These vehicles

use both a gas motor and an electrical

engine reducing your gas consumption

considerably.

Heat the water in the building

with passive solar panels on the

roof, and you can save money on

your heating bill using the clean, renew-

able energy of the sun.

Recycling is key, recycle all y our

glass, plastic, metal, cardboard,

and waste paper.

(Continued fro m page 23)

Related links:

How to stay involved politically www.care2.com

Real Goods

www.gaiam.com

SunSlate Roofing Shingles

www.atlantisenergy.com

How to fix a leaky faucet www.thisoldhouse.com/toh /article/0,,193895,00.html

The Arbor Day Foundation

www.arborday .org

Ford Hybrid Vehicles

www.fordv ehicles.com/suv s/

escapehy brid/?

searchid=426441|28124909|205370178

Toyota Hybrid Vehicles: Prius,

Camry, Highlander

www.toy ota.com/prius-hy brid

10

11

12

13

9

Sept 2009 | 27

your big-ticket item, it

can be created from all

these little products

along the way. So if y ou

were creating a product

a month or every other

month, that gives y ou 6-

12 products at the end of

the year that can be

packaged together into

your big ticket item.

© 2008 Alicia M Forest

and

ClientAbundance.com

Alicia M. Forest, MBA , Multiple Streams Qu een & Coach(TM) teaches self-employed professionals how to attract more clients, create

profi t-making produ cts 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 e s s , v i s i t www.ClientAbundance.com.


Global Business Solutions

Business Marketing with WBO


WBO: How did you get started in the f itness and nutrition f ield?

Wendy: Basically I just happened into it. I really w anted to be a stay-at-home mom, but a few months after my f irst son was born I realized that I needed some adult stimulation. So I w ent to w ork for my brother at a racquetball club.

After working there for only a short time, I decided to take a f itness & nutrition course. I took a course in f itness testing as w ell and my CPR, and the rest is history.

WBO: I understand you prefer to w ork w ith women. Why is that?

Wendy: As a woman myself, I totally understand how diff icult it is and how sometimes w e feel guilty w hen we do take any time for ourselves. So I can relate to women much better of course, and it truly is my heart’s desire to help w omen shed that guilt and take the little time that it takes to start to look better and feel better.

WBO: Your business name is Yak’s Healthy Lifestyles. Where does Yak come from?

Wendy: For me, a healthy lifestyle encompasses many things. When one’s relationships are intact, w hen one feels comfortable w ithin their ow n skin (no matter what size jeans they wear), when our life and our home is in order, then w e can achieve a healthy lifestyle. Now Yak comes from my maiden name. My family alw ays did, and some still do, call me Yak, and as you have to pay for a business name and there are many f itness businesses out there, I really didn’t think anyone w ould have taken the name Yak’s Healthy Lifestyles.

WBO: What goes into designing an exercise program?

Wendy: I look at the individual’s lifestyle, any injuries they may have, exercise

equipment that they already have (and none is necessary so that’s not an excuse), and then I design an exercise program for them.

WBO: What is your main goal or purpose in life?

Wendy: My main goal or purpose in life is to teach w omen to enjoy each day, to really be comfortable w ith w ho they are and how God created them, to use their gifts and talents, and, as I said, enjoy each and every day.

WBO: I’d like to hear more about your f itness and nutrition manual. Can you tell us about that.

Wendy: My f itness and nutrition manual is made up of practical steps one can take in implementing an exercise program. I have done them, and these steps are w hat I show my clients w hen they want to implement an exercise program either at home or even at the gym. It is a lifestyle change, so changes do need to be made. But one has to realize w hat they w ill do and w on’t do in order to set themselves up for success instead of failure.

There is also a chapter that covers how one can f igure out “What turns their crank” I call it. And again, some practical steps one can do w ithin their season of life that w ill help them achieve their bigger goal which may be dow n the road.

There are sample w alking and jogging programs. There’s a good breakdow n of foods and the calories they


WBO Interview with Wendy Okkema

Sept 2009 | 29

contain in there. There’s a chart that w ill tell you how many calories you burn w hile doing various activities.

There are also over 100 different exercises and stretches. All have w ritten instructions along with diagrams.

WBO: If you w ere to give a w oman one piece of advice, what would that be?

Wendy: Enjoy every season of life. Even if it’s not such a great one. It w ill pass and w hen you get through it, you w ill come out a stronger person. Also, I interview ed a woman a couple of years back. She w as an older w oman, raised six children, and she gave me a piece of advice w hich I just love. She said, “You can have it all, just not all at once.”

WBO: What are your future goals for your business?

Wendy: I w ould love to have online groups, so that is one avenue I am exploring. I also believe that w ith the busyness of life, employers need to help employees in achieving a healthy lifestyle. Hence, I really want to get into places of employment. For me, the income is steadier. I w ant to be the big w ig that employers come to to hire a personal trainer for their company.

WBO: What advice w ould you give to someone considering or just starting their ow n business?

Wendy: Make a list. Do w hat you can now. And don’t give up. Connect w ith other w omen w ho have their ow n businesses and listen and learn. Get support and give it.

WBO: When did you start your ow n business?

Wendy: I started my ow n business approximately 13 years ago. My children and my husband have alw ays been my f irst priority. Thirteen years ago our second son w as on his way. At the time I had been w orking part time at a f itness club w hich required me being aw ay from home in the evenings and on w eekends. I

wanted to be home w ith son #2 as much as I was home w ith son #1, so that w as when I started personal training w omen in my home.

After working at the f itness club, I observed that at least 80% of the w omen w ere unable to get to the gym the three t imes a w eek required if you want to reap the benefits of an exercise program. You see, in order to see improvement, you must be consistent w ith your program. I can give a w oman a 20-minute toning program that she can do at home three times a w eek, and she w ill absolutely see improvement.

WBO & Me

The women at WBO have encouraged me so much and given me so many ideas in promoting my business. When you have your own business, it can be very easy to get discouraged with the lack of time you can spend on your business because raising children and keeping our homes is the first priority for many of us. Often I’ve been discouraged, then I join in on a meeting and boom, I was ready to go.

I truly encourage women to get on board, make some online meetings, take the advice from other women and just get support and give support. It feels great!

Wendy has been a personal trainer f or ov er 15 years. As a stay at home mom herself, she understands how easy it is for a woman to put herself last on her priority list. Wendy ’s goal is to help women f it exercise and a time of relaxation into her day.

Wendy has written for a Christian woman’s magazine for ov er a year. She has a f itness and nutrition manual av ailable and is in the process of being published. She continues to work one on one with clients in their home or via the internet. Wendy supplies her clients with an exercise program that is doable f or that particular persons busy lifesty le. Each exercise program is unique and geared to the individuals time restraints, physical injuries and exercise equipment her client already has at home. Wendy says no exercise equipment is necessary.

Wendy will not set y ou up for failure! Yak’s Healthy Lif estyles Personal Trainer/Lif estyle Coach www.yakshealthylifestyles.bravehost.com


Children of the Night www.childrenofthenight.org

Children of the Night is a private, non-

profit, tax-exempt organization founded

in 1979. We are dedicated to assisting

children between the ages of 11

and 17 who are forced to prostitute

on the streets for food to eat and a place

to sleep. Since 1979 we have rescued

girls and boys from prostitution and the

domination of vicious pimps. And we

provide all

programs with

the support of

private

donations.

We are

making a

difference in

the lives of hundreds of children

each year. Our commitment to

rescuing these children from the ravages

of prostitution is shared with a small but

committed group of detectives, FBI

agents, and prosecutors in Los Angeles,

Hollywood, Santa Ana, Anaheim, San

Diego, other areas of California, Las

Vegas, Portland, Billings, Montana;

Seattle, Washington; Miami, New York,

Minneapolis, Atlanta, Phoenix, Hawaii

and Washington D.C. — all stops on the

child prostitution circuit. And our

numbers keep growing as more and

more dedicated individuals become

concerned about the welfare of these

desperate children.

Children of the Night is in demand to

assist other agencies across the country

and around the world to develop similar

programs.

WBO Third Quarter Charity

Sept 2009 | 31

Just the other day I w as thinking to myself, “Should I get a real job?” As a business ow ner, wife, and mother I sometimes forget that I do have a real job. When you run your ow n business you can very often be as busy as you w ant, schedule your w ork around your family’s needs, and take advantage of a beautiful day or lunch w ith a friend. I don’t have to get up every day at a specif ic time and drive into w ork, but I still have responsibilit ies. I need to get my children off to school, and I myself have clients each and every day that are strategically placed in amongst my family’s busy schedule. Often, though, I feel that I’m not w orking hard enough because I’m not running around like crazy in so many different directions w hich I see much of society doing. How silly is that? If you have ever felt this w ay, both you and I need to get over it. Life is a gift; he older I get the more I realize how short our time here really is. To be productive it’s not necessary to be running and doing so many things. As a matter of fact, I w ould say the opposite. To be productive you must have time to do things well, time to regroup and re-evaluate w hen the need arises. Is it really how much w e do or how much pleasure w e take from w hat we do? I take great pleasure in my w ork, in caring for my family, and developing my relationship w ith my husband and my children as they grow into young men. It all sounds beautiful doesn’t it? But w hat about when business is slow or when strife hits and turns your life upside dow n? What then? How does one take pleasure in that? How quickly the tables can turn from feeling confident in w ho you are to questioning yourself and feeling like a failure. It ’s easy to rejoice and f ind pleasure in your day when things are going well. Your true strength w ill shine through w hen you can

stay focused and remain opti mis tic through the tough times. Much of the trouble we face in life leads u s t h r o u g h a mourning process. It may be a death in the family or it may be the d e a t h o f a relationship. Whatever stage of the journey I am on, as a personal trainer and one w ho exercises on a regular basis I can tell you that by taking t ime each day to exercise, stretch, and relax I can forget my troubles even for a time and clear my mind in order to see the forest for the trees. Give yourself the extra boost of energy that can only come by putt ing on your favorite music, strengthening your muscles, deep breathing, and gett ing oxygen into your body. Don’t look at exercise as another job. Find an exercise routine that you w ill enjoy and look forw ard to. Make your routine f it into your existing schedule. Don’t choose a routine that you need to rearrange your entire schedule for. Be realistic in w hat you will and w ill not do. Set yourself up for success, not failure. Wendy is a w ife, mother, personal trainer, lifestyle coach, and author. Wendy shows women how to f it exercise into their day, how to lose w eight, inches, and body fat and more importantly how to keep the w eight off. Wendy also helps w omen discover or rediscover their gifts and talents and w ill teach them how to apply these to their daily lives. To w ork one on one w ith Wendy in y o ur h o me or o n l i n e e- ma i l [email protected].

Balance: Productive vs. Busy by Wendy Okkema


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 market-ing materials to draw in the needed participants for a project of this nature. Must have time to partici-

pate 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)

Building Project Coordinator - works on promoting co-working environments in cities across the US.

Builds database of current existing websites and locations for our members to participate in. Connect with business leaders to involve the co-working option in larger buildings that are partially vacant, and

submit information to Project Director Monthly. May create an assistant position to help with duties.

Overall Group Positions Available:

Project Director: 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 informa-

tion to Project Director Monthly. May create an assistant position to help with duties.

Assistant Networking Director - assisting the Director with the coordination and execution of all ad-

ministrative, business, and data management functions related to day-to-day department operations. The

duties include, but are not limited to the following: networking management, chapter monitoring, group administration, monthly leadership meetings, and personnel systems and management of clerical work

over flow.

Charity Coordinator: This person will help collect data of submitted national, global, and local chari-

ties, present to board and secure upcoming quarterly or annual Chosen Charities, and submit informa-

tion to Project Director Monthly. May create an assistant position to help with duties.

Fundraising Assistant: This person will assist the fundraising director with research for available

grants, contact information, sending out letters and emails to qualified recipients, organizing files and

database of information.

Visit our group site to apply for these positions. www.WomenBizOwners.org Volunteer Director: Kathy Allen [email protected]

Sept 2009 | 33

Stacey Virgo, President and Owner of SHARGO USA started her business when she decided that she wanted to spend more time with her and children and also was tired of Corporate America. SHARGO USA is a Virtual Assistant/Professional Business Support Company who develop collaborative business relationships with business owners by assisting them in their day to day operations in areas such as administration, bookkeeping, event planning, real estate support, graphic design and marketing support. Assistance is provided both to national and international clients. Stacey currently serves as the Events Department Assistant for the Women Business Owners, she also serve on the Board of Directors for The True Vine Community Outreach Organization which is a non profit organization whose mission is to assist women and children around the world. Virgo also just started a Virtual Assistant Group in Central Florida. Stacey volunteers at WBO because she has always had a passion for helping women in business succeed. She states, “I like giving back and helping a good cause.“ She has been a member of WBO for about three years. Stacey previously assisted with the

Local Chapters, and is now assisting with the events. As the WBO events department assistant, she supports the events department in the planning of all events. For the convention she is responsible for ensuring that all of the exhibitors are registered for the conference and all their needs are met. Stacey was born in Jamaica and she is married to her husband Donovan and they have two children André 16 and Jordane 10. Her hobbies are listening to music, networking and going on nature trips with her family. If there is anything else that you may need, please let me know. Stacey Virgo -Events Department Assistant Women Business Owners www.womenbizowners.org [email protected]

WBO Volunteer of the Month

Stacey Virgo

WBO Volunteer of the Month

Stacey Virgo

Sept 2009 | 33


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 monetary donations from members and the general public.

● 2009 annual charity is Jr. Apprentice US (http://www.jrapprenticeus.org)

● 2009 first quarter charity is Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (www.wilpf.org)

● 2009 second quarter charity is Cypress Assistance Ministries

(www.cypressassistanceministries.com)

● 2009 third quarter charity is Children of the Night (www.childrenofthenight.org)

● 2009 fourth quarter charity—TBA

WBO PodCast Producer:

Position Open

WBO PodCast Host:

Jylian Sy

If you would like to be

interviewed for

our podcast, contact

Educational Director, Michelle Suman

[email protected]

WBO PodCast

Airing Every Wednesday at 11am EST Listen to our Podcasts on the front page of our website www.womenbizowners.org.

Sept 2009 | 35

http://www. HolidayMarketingGuide.com


For all your creative & Technical Business Solutions.

Web Design & Hosti ng Solutions,

Live Sound Sol uti ons, and

HomeBased Business Sol uti ons

Michelle Suman

[email protected] http://www.jamsum.com

Sept 2009 | 37

Featured Author Anna Campbell

My Monthly Business

Journal

Achieving Your Business Goals Achieve your business goals easily and efficiently with this step by step monthly journal. Each month in-cludes relevant questions, ideas, notes, and journal area. Available online at https://www.createspace.com/3365337 [email protected] or call 832-375-9435

E-Book: $9.00 Print: $15.00

customers. Outsourcing is where you hire

someone to do work that needs to be done, but isn’t

directly related to y ou making money. Things y ou can

outsource would be newsletters, website updates,

mailings, scheduling, financial records, email

management, blogging, article writing and submitting,

and networking.

Those tasks are things that need to be done, but they

can cause you to be spread too thin. When that happens

you will lose your excitement and y ou will begin to have

less and less pride in y our business. You work y our

business so y ou can help others and that’s what gives

you the excitement and the continuous drive to reach

new levels of success.

Show pride in y our business like you do y our children

or our country and y ou will see levels of success that

you hadn’t seen before. Make sure y ou outsource tasks

that are needed, but not directly related to your clients

or customers and you will feel better about it and have

more time to dedicate to your business to help it grow.

We are all proud of our businesses and want to show as

many people as possible what we do and how we can

help them. Show y our pride to someone today and

ev eryday!

Corrie Petersen runs a successful Virtual Assistant

business. She enjoys helping others reach their goals

and dreams. Check out her website at

www.virtualfreedom4you.com.


Sept 2009 | 37

CORRIE PETERSEN


Anna Campbell with My Business Journals

www.mybusinessjournals.com

Andrea Okrentowich with Creative Nonprofit

Solutions

www.creativenonprofitsolutions.org

Cindy Clark with CCDesignz Business Services,

LLC www.CCDesignz.com

Dawn Kirk with ambrielpublishing.com

Diane Tegarden with Firewalker Publications

FirewalkerPublications.com

Donna Crav otta with Virtual Management Con-cepts, LLC

www.virtualmanagementconceptsllc.com

Ginger Marks with DocUmeant Designs

DocUmeantDesigns.com

Jylian Sy with InterPlay Communications inter-

[email protected]

Julie-Marie Christin with Julie-Marie Julie-

Marie.com

Kathy Allen with Accents of Home

Accents ofHome.com

Kristine Sheehan with TheMerryBird.com

Laura Wheeler with Firelight Web Studio Fire-

lightWebStudio.com

Lisa Wald-Guarino with Lisa's Art & Horses

LisasArt.com

Michelle Suman with JamSum Limited Jam-

Sum.com

We are honored to introduce our esteemed Premier Members, Volunteers and Staff Members.

Patricia Boes with Memories in Pastel Memo-

riesInPastel.com

Patricia Garrison with Gifts N’ More

ryze.com/go/GiftsNMore

Sherry Lynn Simoes with Creative Concepts

Design www.creativeconceptsonline.net/

Susanne Mariga with Susanne Mariga CPA

SusanneMarigaCPA.com

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

Sept 2009 | 39

Join Us Next Month…

Thank y ou for allowing us to be apart of the journey you are on with y our business. This i s an amazing jour ney

with ups and dow ns. Remember that we are her e to help y ou learn about all areas of y our business and we are

cheering y ou on for success!

We l ook forwar 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 you can share with friends and family. Shar -

ing infor mation i s an amazing freedom and w e ar e 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


Become a WBO Premier

WE’RE ON T HE WEB WWW.WOMENBIZOWNERS.ORG

This membership is for our ladies who are focused on their primary busi-ness and are looking for educational support, networking opportunities, promotional advantages, and real time business success. Cost is only $10 a month or $100 for a whole year! With your Premier membership: - Star Membership benefits - Featured member for 1 week on WBO Ryze Network and in WBO Magazine - Free invitation to all of our WBO produced classes and seminars - May list unlimited events/classes/seminars in group calendar per month - Included in Member 2 Member Discounts - Opportunity to be a local networking group leader - A personalized press rel ease - Opportunity to be on Panel of Experts - Discounted advertising opportunities - Included in the Premier Members Circle Contact us today for more information: WomenBizOwners.org Membership Director: Suzette Holley [email protected]

Sponsors

Office Max, Title Sponsor

Jr. Apprentice US

CCDesignz Business Services LLC

Julie-Marie Bags

Delaney Imaging

Savvy Ladies

Houston Marriott North Houston Greenspoint

Communication Transformation

Firelight Web Studio

Design2Train

Accents of Home

Lisa's Art & Horses

AlphaWomen Media, Inc.

Occasions To Savor, Independent Chocolatier

Support Women Business Owners by

sponsoring our National Business

Convention

WomenBizOwners.org/Convention

Documents

WBO September 2009 Magazine