Business Success SPRING 2010
n e m o for W
Meet the Women of Today Coaches Women of Today is run by Sherry Simoes (Founder and Director of Member Marketing Support), and Alison Empey (President and Director of Member Business Support). Sherry Simoes Founder and Marketing Coach
Alison Empey President and Business Coach
Sherry is a Marketing Guru who has used her creative skills for 2 decades to develop unique and profitable marketing plans for her clients. She is diligent about researching new marketing methods and sharing with and training our members on cutting edge techniques. Alison is a business executive and Professional Engineer with an MBA and 2 decades of operational and strategic experience. Together, Sherry and Alison are dedicated to nourishing and supporting women entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.
INSIDE The Right Blogging Platform for Your Needs............................3 Alison Article..............................................................................4 Gina Adams Talks Loyalty Cards...............................................5 Girlfriends Forever.....................................................................6 Tips For Improving Your Life Through Personal Growth..........7 A Mothers Story.........................................................................8
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Member Spotlight Scarlet Paolicchi Moms Wear Your Tees
Now You Can Have Your Own “Before� to "After" Transformation!.......................................................................10 Did you know LinkedIn lets you join up to 50 groups?.........11 3 Steps to Healthy Skin!..........................................................12
The
Women of Today DIRECTORY
LONDON ONTARIO EDITION
Get Your Business Seen! Get Listed Now! Online and in print yearly when 100 listings is reached www.womenoftodaydirectory.com
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DID YOU KNOW... As a member you are entitled to a FREE Coaching Session with each of the Women of Today Coaches? Contact Alison for Business Coaching alison@womenoftodayinc.ca Contact Sherry Lynn for Marketing Coaching sherry@womenoftodayinc.ca
The Right Blogging Platform For Your Needs By Sherry Lynn Simoes Choosing which blogging platform to use is one of the most important decisions that you can make as a blogger. The right platform can make blogging a breeze, and the wrong platform can make blogging a chore. Because the program that you use to blog with is such a powerful part of your blogging experience, it is well worth putting in the time to find a platform that provides your ideal balance between a user-friendly interface and a flexible framework that allows you to make your blog look and feel unique. Finding the right platform isn't always easy, but with a little bit of contemplation and a little bit of research, you will be on your way to finding the perfect blogging platform. Decide what your priorities are in terms of ease of use versus customization. Most highly customizable blogging platforms, like moveable type, are a bit more difficult to use than very automated platforms like Wordpress. If you are new to blogs and to internet technology, you might want to sacrifice the ability to create a custom background design or to integrate a unique font into your template in order to find a program that will be easy for you to use. On the other hand, if you are a veteran web designer with knowledge of html or javascript, you will probably find the limitations of a user-friendly platform to be frustrating.
Personally I prefer Wordpress and can pretty much do what I want design and feature wise except for a few limitations. There is no such thing as a blogging platform that is objectively the best platform, because every blogger has unique needs. The blogging movement is very much about individuality, so it makes plenty of sense that there would be many different platforms available that are designed to meet the needs of different kinds of individuals undertaking different kinds of projects. This diversity is a good thing, because it means that you will almost certainly be able to find a program that suits your level of technical aptitude. However, the fact that no two bloggers need the same thing
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
from a blogging platform can make your search for the right platform a bit tricky. When you are reading reviews of different platforms, try to keep your priorities in mind and do your best to take into account the position that the reviewer is coming from. For example, a negative review written by an accomplished software designer who complains that a popular platform is too limited may tell you that the platform in question is ideal for a beginning blogger. There is no such thing as the perfect platform for everybody, so instead of looking for the "best" platform, look for the best platform for your specific criteria. If you do not have a blog and would like to discuss your options book a free coaching session.
Do You Need a Blog? Women of Today offers blog set-up and customization Only $99 or $159 Custom Contact sherry@womenoftodayinc.ca
FREE Teleseminar - Blogging with a Purpose! Tuesday, March 2 from 9:30 - 10:30 am EST Conference Dial-in Number: (605) 475-4850 - Participant Access Code: 428403# RSVP sherry@womenoftodayinc.ca for the chance to WIN a FREE Marketing Coaching Session
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Finances and Taxes for the Home-preneur Yucky doodles! Finances and Taxes! The agonizing paperwork is so vital to your business but, let’s face it, ITS not your business! The less time you spend on your bookkeeping, the better! And the more organized you can be with your bookkeeping, the easier your Tax preparation will be! Women of Today has 2 solutions for you! Together at between just $52 and $85 including HST; just think of the money you’ll save on both a monthly book keeper and annual tax preparer! Step One: Simplified Bookkeeping Recording Step Two: Organized Filing Step One: Simplified Bookkeeping Recording. Are you a home-preneur using a tedious paper-based bookkeeping system because you can't justify purchasing complex bookkeeping software? Or are you paying someone else to do your bookkeeping (and can't really afford to) because complex bookkeeping software is way over your head? Our Excel based bookkeeping system for home-preneurs is several steps above manual paper systems, but still so simple that even if you've never used Excel before you'll be up and running within a few minutes. Our Bookkeeping for the Home-preneur spreadsheets includes everything you'll need to complete your Canadian Income Tax return: Business Expenses,Vehicle Expenses, Home Expenses, Sales Log, Customer Log,Vehicle Driving Log and,YES, even a customizable INVOICE template so you can print professional looking invoices for your customers. It will let you easily analyze your sales of different products and services, or customers. It's not fancy, because you don't need fancy! The home-preneur just needs functional! Step Two: Organized Filing. Once you’ve recorded each of your receipts in the Women ofToday bookkeeping spreadsheets, take 3 seconds and file that receipt in an organized manner! The Women of Today Tax Receipt Organization Kit includes all the expense accounts you’ll need to complete your Canadian Taxes (Business, Household and Vehicle Expenses) comes in three variations: 1 - Physical Kit with storage crate 2 - Physical Kit without storage crate 3 - Electronic DIY kit More information about both of these products at: http://womenoftodayinc.com/cms/?q=content/business-support-0 Contact Alison, TODAY, to get your bookkeeping and tax preparation organization started! alison@womenoftodayinc.ca
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Gina Adams Talks Loyalty Cards That is where the 365 Loyalty Program comes in! The card is just like a credit card in appearance, with your own personalized number, and unlike so many coupon magazines online, you do not have to print anything off to take with you, nor is there any limit on how many times you can use your card in one business you simply show the staff your card, and the discount will be honored. It's nice and simple earn while you shop. It's time to go green. Coupons are no longer needed as merchants coupons are active on your loyalty card. The card is valid for one year, and costs just $25.00
My business crossed into the loyalty marketing programs by accident. I studied internet marketing for several years and worked on my own web sites, before deciding to help local businesses by founding one card multiple merchant local loyalty program in South Jersey and across the U.S. Today, businesses are slowly realizing that coupons and discounts are a fantastic way to draw in new business. However without a secure-proven system to retain the new business may be foolish. Most business owners know it costs 8 times as much to attract a new customers than it does to keep them coming back. So to install a program that is affordable to business owners to retain those new customers is a vital tool.
You could use the 365 Loyalty program as a gift card, loyalty card and an electronic coupon card. 365 Loyalty is one card that can be used by many merchants offering different programs to each consumer they choose. By using this feature you have created a targeted, permission based avenue to pre-sell them again. The program is beneficial to by virtually every brick and mortar business in our region. Helping businesses attract, persuade and connect with consumers through a community loyalty program. When consumers shop local more money stays in the local community which is always a plus for your town.
I define a community savings program as “a place where locals can save and get rewards for shopping at participating retailers". Thus helping the local business as well as the local community. . “I see so many small businesses struggling and paying a fortune to attract new business. "Everybody advertises discounts and coupons now,� she said. Then they fail at retaining the new consumers.They do not persuade them to join their loyalty program. Rewarding shoppers will entice them to come back multiple times.
In six years of perfecting her skills in Internet marketing she now wants to implement her nationwide expertise into small businesses across New Jersey and other states to help improve the economy and other states. She along with the co-founder Toni Clifford are the operators of http://www.365loyalty.com
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Girlfriends Forever! A good relationship is based on mutual respect and trust. To be a friend involves sharing – sharing your time, your secrets, your support, and your life stories. You have to KNOW a person to be a friend. Sharing creates a bond with another woman and makes her special.
By Dominique Petersen A couple of years ago, I attended my high school reunion. To my surprise, I ran into a woman whom I hadn't seen in 40 years! We hugged, got teary-eyed with joy, and spent most of the afternoon together recalling all the fun and heartaches we'd shared as best girlfriends in high school. When we parted, we promised to keep in touch, and we have. What a great day that was! In one afternoon we were able to recapture that close relationship we had had in those important teenage years. That encounter got me thinking about the importance of relationships, especially our relationships with other women. Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, mothers, grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family, all are so valuable and bless our lives. It takes another woman to listen to and understand our woes. Perhaps because she is a woman, she feels it in her soul when we share ourselves with her!
Husbands and boyfriends may come and go in life, but girlfriends always seem to stick by us.
What is cozier than a night in with your girlfriends, watching a “chick flick” and passing around a box of Kleenex – and a box of chocolates! www.NikDesignsGraphics.com
www.chapters.ca
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Join me on Facebook www.facebook.com/NikBooks
Close relationships enhance our lives and keeps us healthy. A study done by Harvard researchers showed that people who have relationships of friendship, love, or other positive bonding, experience emotions that positively affect their immune systems. Strong friendships help to protect us against stress, depression, anxiety, and some forms of mental illness, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is known that people who frequently interact with others, whether face-to-face, or by phone, mail or email, live longer and healthier lives than those who live in isolation. Sociable people get sick less often and recover faster when they do fall ill. Sometimes our relationships are interrupted when our girlfriends take different paths – get married, have children, or move away. Jeffrey Zazlow, in his book The Girls from Ames, followed the lives of 11 women for 40 years. He found that although these women moved apart, they managed to maintain their friendships. Not only that, their friendships sustained them through stressful times in their lives, such as battling cancer, losing a job, or going through a divorce. Again and again, they supported each other with phone calls, gifts, and emails. Girlfriends are there for each other, no matter how much time and how many miles separate them. Here's to Meaningful Relationships!
CAP
Remember the Cub Scout motto? DYB,DYB,DYB, DOB,DOB,DOB! Do Your Best and Do Our Best.
Unfortunately, for some, this is easier said than done. Bad habits, fear, low self-esteem, poor role models, etc. can quickly diminish your self-perceived capability to succeed. However, you can be successful, regardless of your circumstance or past, with Women of Today’s Custom Accountability Program that leads you to create positive habits and the processes that support those habits. The CAP is based on 7 simple steps; Schedule, External Accountability, Accept Responsibility for your own life, Environment, Plan your Spending, Celebrate, and Learn! The customized 12 week CAP program provides you with external accountability, and takes you through selfexploration to determine what your poor triggers are, and helps you create positive processes to avoid those triggers, gives you permission, nay, insists that you celebrate your baby steps regardless of how small, and helps you learn! If you’ve been struggling with the same goal and never reaching success, contact us for a free consultation, alison@womenoftodayinc.ca You can be all you want to be!
Tips For Improving Your Life Through Personal Growth Get A Life! You have heard the saying, now put it to use. While you may think it is necessary to work long hours and get a big fat check, if you ask your children if they would rather have lots of toys or see you more, more than likely they will choose you. Cut back on your demanding job and find time to invest in your family. Their values will improve, your relationship will improve and you will go to bed with a smile on your head. Look Hard at Yourself Self help means looking hard at you. While it is not easy to do, you’ll need to face your faults and find ways to improve them. Find out what you dislike about yourself and then work on improving these aspects. Don’t like the way you look? Then change it. Don’t like the attitude that you have? Add things into your life that are worth being happy about. Time for you. It is also important to spend quality time doing things that you personally enjoy doing. Want to get away for a bit? Then take a walk after dinner and leave your spouse with the kids. A ten minute break from everyone is the time you can use to explore your own self and to learn about who you are and where your life is heading. When you take the time to learn about yourself and to develop your relationships, your personal growth will allow you to become the person that you want to be.
WANT TO BE FEATURED? Submit the anwser to the following 4 Questions to sherry@womenoftodayinc.ca 1) Tell us a little about you and your business 2) Why did you choose this business? 3) What hobbies do you enjoy when you are not working? 4) Can you share some business advice with our readers.
BOOK YOUR FREE PERSONAL GROWTH COACHING SESSION TODAY! As a member you are entitled to one free session per year. Email: sherry@womenoftodayinc.ca OR alison@womenoftodayinc.ca
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A Mothers Story By Una My son suffered l0 years with a severe dark depression/suicidal thoughts. He has lost two of his closest friends to suicide. Music was his savior. From his suffering and pain in Nov 2008 he founded a safe non-judgmental positive online community, www.compassionandpeace.org where young people can come together and be given a voice. Some have suffered depression, social anxieties, isolation, BPD, or simply, like my son, have been bullied and ostracized within their peer group. We now have over one thousand members worldwide between the ages of l3l8 years. Through positive reinforcement, members can express themselves creatively by putting their thoughts and feelings into poetry, stories, art and discussions. As a family in Dundas, Ontario we run this site, and recently formed a not for profit organization called Compassion And Peace Association of Canada (www.compassionandpeace.ca)producing a book “Alone Together Out of the Shadows� of all the youths creative expressions. You can help support this work and receive a copy of the book by going to www.compassionandpeace.ca with an offering of $20 (or more - your choice)
Responses from our forum youth: Kids have expressed how the site has saved their lives
My son Blake also runs monthly gatherings for the youth in Burlington Ontario and many travel miles to connect with the new friends they have made on the forum. Blake Bliss is also using music as a medium to reach out to the teens, as this is/was the vehicle that helped him. He writes all his own lyrics and music.
They were on the verge of killing themselves till they discovered CAP
music videos www.youtube.com/blakebliss
How it has changed their life
music career www.blakebliss.com
Seeing all the poetry, stories, drawings has been such an inspiration
www.facebook.com/blakebliss Not for profit organization www.compassionandpeace.ca
Their thoughts have gone from negative to positive and they can now actually see good in the world CAP has made life easier to bear.
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Youth forum www.compassionandpeace.org
Member Spotlight Scarlet Paolicchi Moms Wear Your Tees I recently met Scarlet online and was impressed with what she had to offer. I had to try out her services. I was featured this month on Moms Wear Your Tees! You can have a peek at http://www.momswearyourtees.com/entrepreneurinterviews/women-of-today-interview/ I thought you may want to meet Scarlet and learn more about her!
Scarlet, can you tell us a little about yourself? I graduated with a B.S. from Tulane University with a major Biology and minor in Economics. I was a store manager The Limited, Express, and Ann Taylor LOFT. Your business has such a unique twist. Can you share what the name Moms Wear Your Tees represents? I named it Moms Wear Your Tees because I will wear the t-shirt of the company I am promoting that day. It is an optional feature of the promotion that gives customers a visual to connect with in the photos I use when promoting the site. It also broadens exposure to my interactions off the computer too. I called it "Moms" because my vision for this site was to be able to employ other moms in promoting the sites by giving the option to book two moms or more to promote a site. So far I have been able to give very part time work to three other moms.
What services do you provide? Moms Wear Your Tees does your website promotion for you, effectively increasing targeted traffic to your website! We use social media marketing (Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, etc) because it is the hottest new trend in internet marketing and advertising and it works- plain and simple. Not only does social media marketing drive targeted traffic from the networks of people that read the postings, it also helps with search engine optimization, SEO, because of the increase in links to your site. What motivated you to start this business? When my children were born I wanted to find a way to make some extra money while staying home with them. Can you share one social media tip with our readers I find Twitter and Facebook bring the most traffic to my websites and I highly recommend that every business have a Twitter and Facebook account and consistently work to build them. If you could give one piece of advice to women entrepreneurs what would that be? I would say, don't wait for it to happen. Get out there and make it happen using your creativity and perseverance. Network because it is much more effective than trying to do it on your own! You can connect with Scarlet in many ways! Email momswearyourtees@gmail.com Website http://momswearyourtees.com Blog http://familyfocusblog.com www.twitter.com/MWYTsocialmedia
When did you stat your business? I started Moms Wear Your Tees Social Media Marketing in January of 2010. www.facebook.com/Moms.Wear.Your.Tees.SMM
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Now You Can Have Your Own "Before� to "After" Transformation! Carol Sloetjes is excited about her new venture of being able to help women look their best! Carol is a Colour Alliance Consultant with a company called Jeunique that has come up with a proven system to determine your unique color harmony. They use a highly individualized computer analysis of your skin, hair and eye colors From the analysis results, Carol will prepare a custom palette of forty colors that harmonize with your coloring. Your best colors will make you look healthier, younger and more vibrant. This palette helps simplify life; saves you money; automatically organizes your wardrobe, accessories and makeup; while always looking your best. The palette comes in a small zippered case perfect for shopping. If you are tired of buying something and then not wearing it again because it is not the right colour, this is the answer!
Resources Email/Autoreponder System Women of Today Web Connect www.womenoftodaywebconnect.com Marketing Training http://womenoftodayinc.com/cms/?q=content/marketing-support-0 Business Training http://womenoftodayinc.com/cms/?q=content/business-support-0 Free Courses http://womenoftodayinc.com/cms/?q=content/free-courses Women of Today Forum http://womenoftodayinc.ning.com/ Woman of Today Blog http://womenoftodayinc.ca/blog/
You can contact Carol by email at carolsloetjes56@hotmail.com
Women of
Today
WEB CONNECT List Management Email Campaigns Newsletters Autoreponders Special Members Only Rate $10 per month OR $100 per Year
TRY IT FREE! www.womenoftodaywebconnect.com
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NOT A MEMBER YET? Did you know LinkedIn lets you join up to 50 groups?
WOMEN OF TODAY GIVES YOU FREE
The following info came to me in Joan Stewart’s,The Publicity Hounds newsletter:
Help to Find the Right Marketing Methods!
Support To Build Your Business!
Direction to Grow Your Company! ? Why Join Groups? ? Joining groups in which your
customers, suppliers or vendors hang out is a powerful way to connect, answer questions and share expertise and resources. ? Groups make it easy for people to
find you. ? You can become a credible expert by
answering questions and posting articles of interest for the entire group to see. ? You can promote an event you're hosting to a group of people who have the same interests, even if they aren't connected to you. ? Within groups, you can search for
people who you want to connect with even though you aren't connected yet. The secret is that you don't just join, you need to participate too, The more groups you join the busier you are going to be so before you embark on joining them make sure you have the time to devote! In my opinion you need to set aside at least 15 minutes per group so use that to calculate how many groups you can join. 1 hour per week – 4 groups 2 hours – 8 groups You get the picture! LinkedIn remains to be one of the most popular social site on the net today so make sure it is in your marketing plan!
A Way to Connect with Other Like Minded Women
Benefits of FREE Membership Include: Free Blossoming Business Toolkit When you join you get a free tookit with 4 components to get you started on your journey to success Online Business Profile! Get found by people searching the internet with your own profile on our website Free Article Marketing Resource Post your articles on the Learning Den Article Directory Free Subscription to Business Success for Women Magazine Promotional Opportunities The chance to be featured in Business Success for Women Magazine Weekly Business & Marketing E-Tips Short weekly tips to keep you on track with your marketing and business growth Business Support Group Membership Join a local support group or start one in your area Masters of Marketing Training Monthly marketing education training and teleconference Masters of Successful Strategies Monthly business development educational training and teleconference Monthly Q&A Marketing Day A chance to get your marketing questions answered Members Only Forum Discussions to help you learn and grow Discounts and Special Offers Member Discounts on tools and resources Special Member Rates on Private Coaching & Consulting One-on-one coaching with your Women of Today coaches at less than half the cost!
JOIN NOW FREE!! What are you waiting for?
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3 Steps to Healthy Skin! Step 1: Wash your face with a gentle cleanser. When it comes to your face, it’s important to choose a gentle face wash.You want a cleanser that’ll remove dirt and make-up without damaging your skin. Steer clear of cleansers that contain parabens, mineral oil, petroleum, and artificial fragrances. These things can irritate your skin and rob it of natural moisture. Instead, choose a cleanser that contains natural ingredients to gently remove dirt and pollutants. First, wet your face with warm (not hot) water. Then take a small amount of the cleanser and massage it onto your face with the pads of your fingers in a circular motion. Be careful around your eyes. Finally, rinse your face thoroughly and pat dry with a clean towel. Wash your face twice a day. Once in the morning when you wake up, and once at night before you go to bed. Quick Tip: NEVER, EVER go to sleep with make-up on. This can cause clogged pores, acne, and premature aging. Step 2: Apply a revitalizing toner. Okay, now on to step two of a healthy skin regimen – toning. This step helps minimize your pores and restore the tight, smooth skin you want and restores the PH balance to your skin. After washing your face, saturate a cotton ball with a toner. Apply lightly in circular motions. Be sure to avoid the area around your eyes. Alternatively you can spritz on toner. Stay away from toners that contain alcohol. They’ll
strip off the natural moisture from your skin. This can cause dryness, irritation, and premature aging. Instead, choose a toner that contains natural ingredients. It helps you retain moisture and replenish essential nutrients. Step 3: Don’t forget to moisturize. Moisturizing is one of the most important things you can do to combat the aging process. When applying moisturizer, use a small amount (about the size of a dime) to the pads of your fingers. Then rub into your face in a light, circular motion. Be sure to stay away from your eyes. I recommend a moisturizer that contains only natural ingredients. Remember…A healthy, youthful glow starts on the inside. Without water and good nutrition, you won’t get the results you want!
Ingredients are always fully disclosed… * Paraben Free * Alcohol & Chlorine Free * Petrochemical Free * GMO Free * Gluten Free * Fragrance Free * Formaldehyde Free * Pesticide Free
www.trulynaturalskincare.net 12