Tina Pennington, aka Red
After getting a degree in Theater Arts from Wake Forest University in North Carolina, Red moved back in with her parents until she married an outgoing Englishman and followed his career around the globe. Her eldest daughter, Natasha, was born in The Netherlands in 1998 and her youngest daughter, Sawyer, was born in Houston in 2002. Today she lives in Sugar Land, a suburban city on the outskirts of Houston, Texas where her family also includes two labradoodles, a red one called Oink and a black one called Moo. (Imagine calling for your dogs with those names!) Red is a warm and fuzzy, philosophical mom whose life revolves around her two red-headed girls. With Red, it’s all about the feelings.

Mandy Williams, aka Black
Black, on the other hand, is all business. By the time she was 21 she had an Economic degree from Wilkes College (now Wilkes University) in Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. in International Finance from New York University and the London Graduate School of Business. After a short time in New Orleans, she moved to Houston during the oil boom of the 70’s. She survived – no, she flourished – during the ups and downs of the oil and gas industry, and managed to retire from corporate life before she was 40. No longer with a day job when she married her second husband, her life didn’t provide enough excitement and challenge. She began racing cars, first Porsches and then Ferraris, and became the first woman to race the road course at Indianapolis. She has been involved with The Make-A-Wish Foundation for over 20 years and has raised over $1 million. Black, the ultimate pragmatic, still lives in Houston where she approaches everything with high-speed intensity and determination

Join us for this action packed, fun filled luncheon and hear Red and Black discuss their book:  “What I Learned About Life When My Husband Got Fired! a real approach to personal finance and prioritizing your life” and visit their website www.redandblackbooks.com.

Program for female-owned businesses continues despite missing goal

Nell Merlino says that even though her Make Mine a Million $ Business program fell short of its ambitious goal to get 1 million female-owned businesses to $1 million in annual revenue by 2010, she hasn’t given up. She discusses how the program is continuing, the biggest stumbling blocks for female entrepreneurs and what the best businesses have in common. Bloomberg Businessweek

Take your eCommerce payment processing to a better place

—and get up to $200 in free processing!* Express Merchant Processing Solutions (EMPS) powered by First Data can help make it easy to grow into new payment channels, as well as reduce transaction expenses and risk. Click or call 1-866-712-8028 to learn more. *Certain restrictions apply.

BUSINESS TRENDS

More females in the labor pool may impact benefit strategies

Since about 52% of the workforce is female, employers who want to hang onto top talent will need to consider how to retain those workers as the economy improves — and family-friendly benefits will be key, says Fran Durekas, founder of employer-sponsored early-childhood education provider CCLC. There’s a wide range of benefits employers can offer, from on-site child care to resource and referral programs, she explains. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Workforce (7/6)

Microlending grows in tight credit market

Microfinance-loan applications were up 66% in 2009, according to a survey by the Aspen Institute, as tight credit requirements continue to hinder small-business lending. Cecilia Aspiazu sells clothing and beauty products out of her home in New York and is paying off her second $2,000 loan from Grameen America, which specializes in providing small loans to immigrant women. “It helps me to keep working and keep my business growing,” Aspiazu said. The Wall Street Journal (7/5)

Sam’s Club sets up loan program for members

Sam’s Club, the Wal-Mart warehouse chain, is establishing a program that will loan as much as $25,000 to members who are starting or expanding small businesses. The program, believed to be the first of its kind, will focus on businesses run by minorities, women and veterans, and an outside lender will handle the specifics. The Wall Street Journal (7/6) , USA TODAY/The Associated Press (7/6) , Bloomberg Businessweek (7/6)

OTHER NEWS

U.K. study shows women graduates have an easier time finding jobs This Is Money (U.K.) (7/5)
Why small businesses should be looking for opportunities in China USA TODAY (7/2)

FREE Whitepaper: A simple way to increase your bottom line. According to a recent economic impact study, for every dollar spent on business travel, companies benefit an average of $12.50 in increased revenue and $3.80 in new profits. That’s a compelling case to support face-to-face meetings. Especially ones held in Orlando. Here, employees and customers are more inspired, engaged, and productive. Click Here.

SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Cheap samples help mom make a better lunchbox

Terri Denno says she got into the lunchbox business after her husband was laid off. Recognizing that “kids don’t like their foods to touch,” Denno said she created compartmentalized lunchboxes by mixing and matching containers she found online. Experts say she started her business right: creating cheap prototypes in small quantities to avoid an excessive, risky investment. The Wall Street Journal (7/4)

Online Video: Merchandising that Converts

What are the quantitative results retailers can hope to achieve by incorporating video into their eCommerce sites?
• Longer site view times
• Increased value of sale
• Improved conversion rates
Learn how to integrate video into your online merchandising strategy.

Social Media Buzz

10 things people always ask about Facebook marketinG

When it comes to Facebook marketing, companies always have the same basic questions, writes Maggie Georgieva. To sell bosses or brand managers on the medium’s potential, shape your responses by focusing on key talking points such as the need to be conversational rather than promotional, the platform’s ability to target specific audiences and the urgency of online reputation management. HubSpot.com (7/2)

Want more social media best practices for business?

Subscribe to SmartBrief on Social Media

What to do about High Cholesterol

Improvements in testing, medications and treatments have made high cholesterol a health risk factor you can do something about. This Special Health Report from the experts at Harvard Medical School helps you safeguard your health and make informed decisions about what to do and how to do it. Order here in paper or PDF.

NAWBO (R) NEWS

NAWBO jointly releases Roadmap to 2020

The Roadmap to 2020, an unprecedented collaboration of the nation’s major women’s business organizations and entrepreneurial thought leaders, was released last week, launching a comprehensive action plan to achieve exponential revenue growth and job creation among women’s businesses during the next decade.

Member Spotlight

Carrie Carter and Disc, Inc. Provide Data Recovery and Storage For Customers Nationwide

In a world where we’re all trying to minimize our carbon footprint and keep up with emerging technologies, organizations like Disc, Inc. help us to do just that. NAWBO member and company co-owner Carrier Carter has been leading the company with her husband David since 2007 when they purchased the business from the previous owners. The company specializes in storing and replicating data in many mediums, including CDs, DVDs and USBs as well as providing paperless solutions and data recovery.

Carrie says the company is flexible in its audiences, which has allowed them to remain viable as technologies change. “We work with individuals, small businesses and large corporations,” she explains. “This year, we went to our long-term clients and asked what we can do better. Based on their responses, we added more one-off solutions where they can pick, pack and ship their supplies directly from our website.” For individual customers, Carrie offers services that include creating DVDs of weddings, anniversaries and graduations as well as converting VHS tapes to DVD. Her small business clients create DVD marketing materials to get the message out about their services, send out data or for many musicians, to send sample music to radio stations. Meanwhile, larger corporations use Disc, Inc.’s services for safety and training that requires a consistent message.

For the past few years, Carrie has worked to educate people on how to use data correctly. She cites file cabinets as one example of improper use of data. “A lot of people use file cabinets to store their documents,” she explains. “When they’re looking for something, they spend so much time searching not to mention the cost of the storage and paper; you’re investing nearly $150 to find a piece of paper.” To help people realize how they can make their documents searchable, and provide more efficient storage, Carrie and her team have been hosting seminars and posting information on social media sites.

Regardless of your industry and mission, Carrie believes she’s learned something from NAWBO that every business owner can identify with. In fact, this practice has really helped her business remain strong and be positioned for growth in the months to come. “Make a plan, evaluate it and follow it,” she says. “We decided what we wanted, made a plan and followed that—we’ve done our own thing and it’s really worked well for us.”

www.onewomanconference.com

281.213.9554

NAWBO Houston is excited to have Minerva Perez of Latina Voices: Smart Talk as our guest speaker this month. Minerva is an Emmy nominated broadcast journalist and former News Anchor in Houston, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Dallas and San Antonio. She is a community leader who’s been recognized through the years with countless journalism, service and community awards.

In addition to being NAWBO Houston’s guest speaker this month, Minerva will take on the responsibility of swearing in the 2010-2011 Board of Directors.

This is a luncheon you don’t want to miss. Be there to hear how Minerva used strategic alliances to help make her new business ventures a success, cheer as we sign MOUs with three of our Strategic Alliance Partners and welcome the new Board of Directors.

These Strategic Alliances offer additional NAWBO Houston Member Benefits! This month we recognize:

1.      The Women’s Resource (TWR) – Did you know…

TWR annually provides free personal finance classes to over 3,000 adults and teens; implements Project LEAD- a program for high risk 9th and 10th grade girls; and supports research that focuses on issues critical to women, girls and families.

2.      UH Small Business Development Center (UH SBDC) – Did you know…

At UH SBDC you can attend practical affordable business workshops.  UH SBDC Consultants help you evaluate business ideas, research your target market or industry, prepare marketing strategies, determine financing needs, put together a loan proposal and create an actionable business plan..all for FREE. You can even rent conference rooms and classrooms for your next event!

UH SBDC representatives will be attending to answer questions.

3.      Texas Business Alliance – (TBA) is our newest strategic alliance – Did you know…

TBA’s mission is to equip minority and women-owned businesses to be qualified suppliers ready to compete for public, private and international opportunities, through progressive development and specialized training.

TBA’s One Woman Conference is scheduled for August 6-7 and as a benefit of our new strategic alliance, NAWBO Houston Members attend at member prices!

So join us and get connected to our strategic alliances, meet new members and take advantage of all the NAWBO Houston member benefits to grow your business! Don’t miss out, Click Here to Register.

In order to produce this important new Top List in celebration of women in business, Inc. requires more applications from eligible women-led private companies as soon as possible, as the published application deadline has passed.

Is your 2009 revenue greater than your 2006 revenue?  If so, Inc. encourages you to apply and join other women-led companies to be featured in a collective show of strength for our business communities.

Apply now by calling 212-389-5505 (toll free 800-248-0308) to apply over the phone.

To be eligible for the award, companies must have:

· Generated revenue by March 31, 2006
· Generated at least $100,000 in revenue in 2006 · Generated at least $2 million in revenue in 2009 · Be privately held, for profit; based in the U.S., and independent (not a subsidiary or division of another company) as of December 31, 2009.

To the recognition and celebration of women entrepreneurs!

Decision making, like exercise takes discipline. Learn how to master the art of making a decision, whether simple or complex, private or public, decisions are an essential part of your life. Hidde

Date: Thursday, June 24
Time: 11:00 – 1:00 Networking /  Luncheon
Member Reservations: $35 prior to Mon, 6/21/10 @ 2:00 p.m.
Guest Reservations: $45 prior to Mon, 6/21/10 @ 2:00 p.m.
(add $10 to rate after 2:00 on Monday, June 21, 2010)
Location: The Briar Club
(2603 Timmons Lane Houston, TX  77027 MAP)
RSVP: Make your reservations now!

The Power of the Decision Factor to be a Big Girl Panty Player Decision making, like exercise takes discipline. Learn how to master the art of making a decision, whether simple or complex, private or public, decisions are an essential part of your life. Hidden problems, not visible ones, are the true enemies of effective decision making.

Speaker: Sandra Levitin, Founder/CEO/Publisher of Kalön Women, an online magazine for women forty plus. Her first book, “Learning How to Hop Again” is due to be released in 2010. Sandra’s experience and leadership capabilities for the past 30 years led her to be a top sales trainer for several national and international companies. As a top leader in her field, she moved companies into guiding their training efforts toward the topics of: Developing a Success Blueprint ▪ Creating a Personal Brand ▪ Evaluating “First Impressions” ▪ The Art of Selling ▪ How to Convey Who You Are and What You Do.  After making a tough decision, Sandra decided to leave the corporate environment at 50 and fulfill a 15 year dream that started with a friend who died from breast cancer before they could see it through together. Kalön Women launched in November 2008.  Sandra is a Mid-Life Strategist who specializes in supporting women through the myriad of life changes after forty.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Member Name Badges

Houston Chapter – National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)

Following is a Request for Proposal for the provision of member name badges for the Houston chapter of NAWBO. RFP NAWBO Name Badges

Proposals will be accepted from all vendors; however, preference will be given to NAWBO Houston members.

Forward proposals to Kim Kelley, NAWBO Membership Director, at .

Please note in the subject line ‘NAWBO Name Badge RFP’.  Should you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Kim Kelley at 281.220.2763.

Please respond by close of business on Monday, June 7, 2010.

Company Contact Information

Company Name:

Contact Name:

Address:

City, State, Zip:

Phone:

E-mail:

Fax:

Specifications

Size:                                       2” x 3”

Material:                               White / Black Plastic

Text Style:                            Upper / Lower – Gothic

Type:                                     Magnet

Logo:                                     NAWBO Logo in color

Lines of Text:                       Please quote price of 2 lines and 3 lines

Please include set-up fees, minimums, and any other necessary details.  Thank you!

Brad Sugars, ActionCOACH presents the Business is Booming Tour. Key winning strategies you will walk away with at this event:
* Successful selling strategies – Understand the sales process with practical hands on advice.
*How to keep your customers coming back – Learn tried and tested customer loyalty strategies.
*Managing your team in a downturn – Learn how to motivate your team to become a winning team.
*Action Planning – Map out a plan for next quarter using all that you have learned.
*Cash flow is king – Discover tools and templates to keep cash flow on track.
*Mastering  your margins – Make the most of your margins and increase your profitability.

This is a limited FREE by “Invitation Only” event.
To attend, you must register with Ticket Code SHOU120 at www.businessisboomingtour.com

Where:
Westin Galleria & Westin Oaks
5060 Alabama
Houston, TX 77056

When:
May 20, 2010
6:00-9:30 pm

The 5 Steps to Business Freedom
Roger Boneno
What separates successful businesses from those that just “get by”?  Why some business owners have time for their lives, a great team, and hig profits while you work too many hours for little profit.

Turn your Marketing Caterpillar into a Butterfly
Sandy Lawrence
What is the difference between a “Caterpillar” marketing plan that inces along with low results and a “Butterfly” plan that will make your business soar!  Learn how to get out of your current “cocoon” and achieve beautiful results.

Retirement Plans for Small Businesses
Richard Dvorak
How can you use your business to efficiently reach the goals that are most important to you and your family?  Know why choosing the right retirement plan and taking advantage of recent tax law changes can create opportunities for you and your business.

Where: University of Phoenix in Sugar Land Town Center 16190 City Walk Ste 200 (2nd Floor, net to Minute Maid offices)

When:  Tuesday, May 18, 2010 8:30am – 12:30pm

Investment: $20 (pay online at www.perceptivemarketing.com)

RSVP: Roger Boneno – or 281.937.7198

Click here to print flyer