WNGCO

Support OnTray, by 42 Kids in the 2008 StartupNation Home-Based Business Competition

2008-08-26T08:01:00.001-07:00

Support OnTray, by 42 Kids in the 2008 StartupNation Home-Based Business Competition

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I Took a Chance!

2008-05-14T11:48:00.001-07:00

I receive e-mails from HARO (www.helpareporter.com), and I responded to a query that had nothing to do with being a mom, or an inventor, or a Mompreneur. It was in response to a query about Tools for Success. At first I thought "Maybe I should just stick with what I know". Then I thought, "Wait, I'm successful in getting a product to market. I might have a tip." So I responded and this was what I got back:
Thanks Laura for your "Tool For Success." That's actually one of the ones I would given. We want to feature your insights on the show! We'll be airing your TFS on our episode titled "Contribute Hour" which will be released Monday, May 26th on our website media.toolsforsuccess.com. Right away, we want to feature a photo of you on Toolsforsuccess.com that links to your website. Can you email me a small picture of yourself along with the URL of your website? Also we would love your help!! if you could help us out by inviting others to contribute their "Tool For Success" to the show, we would be forever grateful. We would also like to invite you to contribute more of your Tool For Success advices to the show whenever you desire. We want Toolsforsuccess.com to be a great resource for business owners to learn and to gain exposure. Talk to you soon, Ryan Inlow Tools For Success
Ok, so who wants to e-mail him? Tell him I sent you. His e-mail address is: ryan@toolsforsuccess.com Now go do something and take a chance!

I took a chance!

2008-05-09T16:06:00.000-07:00

Thanks Laura for your "Tool For Success." That's actually one of the ones I would given. We want to feature your insights on the show! We'll be airing your TFS on our episode titled "Contribute Hour" which will be released Monday, May 26th on our website media.toolsforsuccess.com. Right away, we want to feature a photo of you on Toolsforsuccess.com that links to your website. Can you email me a small picture of yourself along with the URL of your website? Also we would love your help!! if you could help us out by inviting others to contribute their "Tool For Success" to the show, we would be forever grateful. We would also like to invite you to contribute more of your Tool For Success advices to the show whenever you desire. We want Toolsforsuccess.com to be a great resource for business owners to learn and to gain exposure. Talk to you soon, Ryan Inlow Tools For Success

Ok, so who wants to e-mail him? Tell him I sent you. His e-mail address is: ryan@toolsforsuccess.com Now go do something and take a chance!

I took a chance!

2008-05-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

I receive e-mails from HARO (helpareporter.com), and I responded to a query that had nothing to do with being a mom, or an inventor, or a Mompreneur. It was in response to a query about Tools for Success. At first I thought "Maybe I should just stick with what I know". Then I thought, "Wait, I'm successful in getting a product to market. I might have a tip." So I responded and this was what I got back:

Talk to you soon,

Ryan Inlow

Tools For Success

Ok, so who wants to e-mail him? Tell him I sent you. His e-mail address is: ryan@toolsforsuccess.com Now go do something and take a chance!

Need a laugh?

2008-03-11T13:25:00.001-07:00

Ok, so a friend sent me a link to http://www.inthemotherhood.com/. The site has skits on there that are written by moms, for moms and performed by Jenny McCarthy, Leah Remini and Chelsea Handler. The skits are seriously some of the funniest TV or webTV(not that I watch a lot of webTV) I've seen in a long time. The skits are about 6 minutes or so long, but when it's over you're like, "I need more!" I was laughing so hard at the latest episode that my youngest, Ty, said, "Mom, why are you laughing at your puter?" Which made me laugh even harder because he calls the computer the puter. Anyway, if you need a laugh (and who doesn't), check out the site. I guarantee you'll crack up!

Interesting Information From PayPal

2007-11-19T12:07:00.001-08:00

I received the following information in an e-mail from PayPal. I thought it would be helpful to some of you who run Internet based businesses. For those of you who don't, it's still great information about your Holiday packages you might be shipping! Looking forward to seeing everyone on the 27th!

Know these important dates
There are four crucial days to plan around to have a successful holiday shopping season.
1. Black Friday – November 23, the Friday after Thanksgiving, traditionally this is the largest shopping day of the year.
2. Cyber Monday – November 26, the Monday after Thanksgiving, this day is the largest online shopping day of the year.
3. Ground shipping cut off – the last day you can offer ground shipping and have packages arrive by December 25.
a. FedEx International Ground – Friday, December 14
b. UPS Ground coast to coast – Saturday, December 15
c. FedEx Ground economy international – Sunday, December 16
d. Drop ship deadline – Wednesday, December 19
4. Two-day and overnight cut off – Saturday, December 22. The last possible day you can offer these shipping methods and have packages arrive by December 25.
Above all, make sure to clearly communicate deadlines to your buyers. You know your system. If it takes several hours to process orders, don't let customers order until midnight. Informed customers are happy customers.

Featured Member: Melody Hodges

2007-11-10T22:08:00.000-08:00

Melody Hodges joined Cala Luna Salon and Spa, in January, 2006. As a 10-year licensed cosmetologist, I meet the demands of the ever changing beauty industry by attending the latest hair shows, taught by the most respected in the business. Clients have been known to call me their, "Image Designer." Let me explain the extra attention you will receive: I pay close attention as you describe exactly the style you have envisioned or desire. I enjoy focusing on your style, hair, and beauty needs. I will work with you until we've changed your image into a reality. I can also enrich your natural beauty with reliable make-up and skin care suggestions. Vivacious to subtle, work or play, I use make-up to reveal your true spirit no matter what the occasion. I will also relieve you of any worries you might have in regards to special event clothing or hair removal. Whatever your needs, I am devoted to making your experience pleasant. Rest easy knowing your image details will be handled appropriately and professionally.

Working with men's style is just as important to me as anything else. I start by consulting on lifestyle and habits to make sure the look we go with will work for you. We can discuss product use making sure you're educated on what is available and best for your hair type. For those of you that think "hair products are not for me," there are significant amounts of professional and masculine grooming product lines. Most importantly, we would discuss eye brow, ear and nose hair clean-up. That's right men; women do notice that kind of thing. It's my job to help keep your look professional along with cleaned-up. Never worry about Cala Luna's environment being too feminine, it was designed in catering to both men and women offering hair, nail, facial, waxing and massage services.

You can find Cala Luna, in the heart of uptown Westerville, at 20 South State Street. For more information contact me directly at 614.448.6176 or by email, melthehairmesser@gmail.com.

If Google Owned the World

2007-11-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

This article caught my eye after our discussion of super-targeted ads and Google. Free, ad-based phone service? I think it sounds both wonderful and terrifying at the same time!

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/WhatAGooglePhoneMightLookLike.aspx

I can't wait to hear what you think!

By the way, Job You Deserve Internet Radio's page is www.blogtalkradio.com/jobyoudeserve.

Kristen

2008 Guest Speakers

2007-11-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

The new year is almost here, and we're excited to announce several guest speakers for upcoming WNGCO meetings in 2008! A special thanks to Laura Hamrick and Janene Jaroscak for spending their valuable time researching trusted women business owners who can give WNGCO members advice and help us with many of our most important business needs.

On our schedule for the upcoming year:

January 22, 2008: Gwen Nichols - CPA (Pusateri & Nichols)
February 19, 2008: Meredith Liepelt - Rich Life Marketing
March 18, 2008: Maureen Kominar - Financial Planning

Here's to kicking off the new year with refreshed energy and a lot of great information we can apply to our businesses!

PDF attachment to blog

2007-11-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

Hi Ladies,

I have some documents saved in WORD that I want to link to my blog but I don't know how to do this. Someone in the group mentioned something about PDF files, but I don't know how to do that either!

If anyone can help, I would appreciate it. Feel free to just email me in private if the answer is too long for here.
Thanks!

- Kathy S.

New Online Advertising Method

2007-10-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

I just learned how to do some very inexpensive advertising that is specifically for driving traffic to a website or landing page. I will be happy to show anyone who may be interested.

It is on Zango.com and allows you to target very specific traffic for $.01 per impression!

Much cheaper than google, easier to set up and much easier to really target so the people who see your "add" are looking for what you are offering.

See you on the 30th!

Phyllis Nichols

Holiday Shopping Event - October 27th

2007-10-08T19:45:00.000-07:00

For those WNGCO members who aren't planning on going to the Mompreneurs conference, Schultz Elementary in Delaware is hosting an annual Holiday Shopping Extravaganza, in which small companies that sell products can promote their items to a ton of shoppers. We're heavily publicizing it to the surrounding community, and have food and some great raffle prizes to draw buyers in. Tables are inexpensive, and it's a terrific way to get your product out to a lot of parents!

For more information, contact Susan S. We only have limited tables available, and competing businesses aren't allowed, so please let me know what you're planning on promoting and I'll make sure we don't have a duplicate yet.

Direct Marketing Opportunity

2007-10-08T06:27:00.000-07:00

I advertise on www.FunForOurKids.com The site is very inexpensive and caters to kids. Along with the ad, you get access to various events such as opportunities to have a display table and pass out literature and the one a few of you might be interested in Boo at the Zoo. They will be distributing 2000 bags to families attending. The cost is only your materials so it is a great value. If you are interested in inquiring, Angie Travis at angie@funforourkids.com is who you should seek out. The deadline for the Boo event is October 19th.

Just a chuckle!

2007-10-08T04:03:00.000-07:00

For us Entepreneurial Moms -- this is too good to pass up!
Enjoy!

Printing Services

2007-10-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

Based on the discussion from our meeting on Oct. 2, 2007 it seems that there is a need for printing services. I have talked with the owner of the company I work for and if there is an interest, we can do printing here for basic flyers, letters, and simple brochures. This will be for files that can be printed on a color laser printer, or mono laser printer.

Costs will be minimal, just enough to cover the paper and toner expense. Let me if you'd like me to get some ball park pricing together.

This will be most helpful for small print quantities (small color brochure runs for example) or for mono print flyers etc. for mass distribution where you want to keep expenses to a minimum.

Any feedback or questions?
Thanks
Phyllis

Featured Member: Tracy George

2007-10-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

Tracy George is a very active parent and mother. While in the business world, Tracy worked for food giant, Kraft Foods. Her responsibilities covered sales, analysis and local area marketing. As her daughter started school full time, Tracy decided that PTO and Girl Scout Leader were not enough and it was time to take on a challenge she had always wanted; owning her own business. And so it was that Stuff and Fluff Friends was created.

A full start-up LLC, Stuff and Fluff Friends had its first sales in May of 2006. Tracy currently runs the company with great support from her husband Bill who does all her web design and helps with marketing as well. Her daughter Jessie is her target market expert; being 8 and in third grade this year, she is a great help in product line choice, order filling and dresses as company mascot; Fluffy the Bear.

Stuff and Fluff Friends has two areas main areas of business. The first is kits which make great gifts, and are also sold in packages for Birthday/Scouting or any other party occasion. The kits all contain an animal of choice, fluff, star to wish on, name tag and a white t-shirt to decorate for your 'New Friend'. The company also offers a full line of clothes and accessories for the 'New Friends'. The second area of business is custom finished goods which are sold completed and customized to schools, organizations and business for promotional and fundraising purposes. Current projects include a Phi Bear designed for local alumni chapters of Alpha Phi Sorority of which Tracy is a member.
If you have a need for a fun, marketing idea, turn key party for your kids or just would like a great gift, please give Tracy’s company a call.

You can view our full line of products at our web site www.StuffandFluffFriends.com

Worth checking out this weekend

2007-10-03T17:09:00.000-07:00

This weekend, the Westerville Recreation Center is hosting a Holiday Home Fair for home based businesses. There will be representatives from the usual Pampered Chef, Creative Memories groups but also some interested small home based business' like Stuff and Fluff Friends. Might be of interest to some of you for networking, seeing what other interesting ideas are around or.... just fun to shop. The show is from 10-1 at the Recreation Center on Cleveland Ave.

October 2nd Meeting

2007-10-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

We had another fun WNGCO meeting this Tuesday!

Janene started us off by talking about the Mompreneurs Getaway on October 27th and 28th. A group of women from different parts of the country will meet to talk business and have a fun and casual girls weekend out. See http://www.wngco.com/labels/Discussion.html for more information.

We also discussed a little web site business. Tracy wanted more information about what we should add to the discussion area. Good questions! The blog is there for us to talk to other members, post great resources, talk about our ups and downs, etc. It's a great place for discussions. If you haven't already logged in and need help, contact Susan or Kathy T. for help. And if you need assistance posting discussion messages, you can go to http://www.wngco.com/info/help.html for screen shots.

We will have two featured listings on our site each month. The featured listings are bios about you as a person, and while they should be business-centric, they should also focus on your own personal goals, interests, experiences, etc. The two featured listings will appear on the home page of the site, and will stay there for one month. We'll cycle through all the members and start over again when needed.

At the first meeting of the month, we'll choose two people to be featured on the site during the next month (ie. October 2nd we picked for November). Those two people will have until the next meeting to complete their featured bios and send them in to Kathy T. to put up on the site. If a featured member does not have their bio complete by the next meething, a new member will be chosen, and they will have until the next meeting to turn in their bio.

As far as topics for the meeting, we discussed teaming up with others. Some ideas on how to work with other members included:

Cross Promotions - Company A mentions Company B and vice versa during networking events, to perspective clients or to existing clients via mailings, web site links or word of mouth.
Referrals - Similar to cross promotions, but it is usually one sided (ie. Company A refers clients to Company B but not vice versa), and sometimes involves payments in terms of referral fees or affiliate commissions.
Promoting Co-op - Multiple companies create a cooperative organization and work to promote that organization, thus helping all members of that co-op. WNGCO is an example.
Joint Ventures - Two or more individual companies work together on projects. Could be a more informal joint venture or more structured partnership.
Outsourcing/Wholesale - Company A hires Company B to perform services and sells those services to their clients, or Company C buys Company D's products and resells those products to their customers. Usually there is a markup involved.

We also discussed the importance of making sure both sides benefit.

This sparked a lot of discussion about working on promoting each other through the web site (buttons will be coming soon!) and by using printed materials like the Buckeye Bag. Phyllis suggested getting groups together to share costs of these marketing methods; everyone agreed it would be a good idea.

Thanks for the support

2007-10-03T07:51:00.001-07:00

Ladies,
I just wanted to say thanks for the opportunity to network with all of you. After just two meetings, I feel that I have some friends that "get it". That is to say understand that opening you own business is full of ups and downs, success and well lets just say minor set backs. I have left the two meeting I have attended, full of ideas. I think if I can just make even 10% of them work I will be very happy and hopefully more successful. Thanks again,

Quickbooks got you down? Help is out there!

2007-10-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

When I began my business I talked to many people who highly recommended QuickBooks. I purchased the product, installed and got going only to find that without any knowledge of the product, I was 'Quickly' lost! I decided that this was something worth spending some money on as it would help run my business as I moved along. I found Joyce Shanahorn who is local in Westerville, and she is AWESOME. Joyce took the time to find out my need and how I wanted to use QuickBooks. She came to my office and within two visits and a few phone calls I had the knowledge to set up everything. Joyce works out of her home and is a small business of her own. If you have a need, or maybe one you don't even know of yet, it might be worth giving her a call. (614) 899-2734 email GenoaFG@sbcglobal.net

Featured Member: Jennifer Reynolds

2007-10-01T21:55:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Reynolds is an illustrator, graphic designer, and editor in Westerville. Most recently, Reynolds has been working with Kathy Shelton on illustrating a line of greeting cards for Stay Positive Greetings, humorous cards for women undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The illustrations and the characters for the cards reflect a lighthearted effect on the very serious message that Shelton is conveying to her audience. "Dealing with cancer can be devastating. Kathy wanted funny breast cancer cards that would help brighten some dark days. So we worked closely together to create images that really bring her characters and product line to life, and hopefully a smile or a laugh to the receiver," she says.

In addition to illustrations, Reynolds also helps companies with marketing, public relations, and employee communications efforts, primarily in health care. Her scope of work includes everything from overseeing special events for the smallest of babies and their proud parents to developing, writing and creating community mailings and newsletters for 70,000+ households.

Looking for a way to stand out from the crowd? Reynolds can help you and your company with your marketing initiatives, large and small.

Mompreneurs® Getaway

2007-09-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

Janene has been working together with Leslie from grillcharms.com to create a getaway for mom entrepreneurs from all parts of the U.S. - and they have a great event planned!

We are getting together the weekend of October 27, 28th. It is wine season the end of October so we are doing a wine tasting at some vineyards and a tour of QVC.

Homewood Suites in Audubon, PA is about 20 min from West Chester (QVC headquarters) and 20 min from a few vineyards. Also, there are restaurants within walking distance. The average temp in Oct is 68 degrees. They have suites that are $139/night with 2 beds and a hide-a-bid in the living room in case anyone wants to share rooms. We are keeping this very casual, nothing “official” but a group of like-minded gals eating, drinking, networking, socializing, shopping and learning from each other. Pat and Ellen from the Mompreneurs and a few other board members are hoping to be able to arrange their schedules to be there.

To make reservations at the hotel the phone number is 610-539-7300. Janene will keep a list of who is going and if someone wants to share a room, she can hook up 2 or 3 people together if you’d like to split the cost. Please contact Janene to RSVP by October 15th.

I hope many of us can make it. It'd be a great way to get to know each other even better, and connect with other mom entrepreneurs as well.

For more information about Mompreneurs, visit http://www.mompreneursonline.com.

Entrepreneur Women In Charge Conference

2007-09-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

Janene mentioned this free event, which takes place January 29, 2008 in Miami Beach, Florida. Get five minutes with an Entrepreneur editor (be sure to bring a press kit!) and learn about marketing, money and networking.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/womenincharge/

FREE workshop on Wed. 10/3

2007-09-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

HI, everyone! I am new to the group, and I thought this might be of interest to some of you...

Terilee Harrison, author of The Business Mom Guide Book, will visit the Upper Arlington Public Library to share tips on how to succeed at the fine art of juggling business and motherhood on Wednesday, October 3 at 7 p.m. at the Main Library (networking at 6:00pm). This program is presented in collaboration with the UA Chamber of Commerce. Register at 486-9621 or
http://evanced.info/uapl/evanced/eventsignup.asp?ID=2112&rts=&disptype=&return=eventcalendar.asp&pointer=&returnToSearch=&SignupType=&num=0&ad=&dt=mo&mo=10/1/2007&df=calendar&EventType=ALL&Lib=ALL&AgeGroup=ALL

Jennifer Jupp

September 18th Meeting

2007-09-21T18:01:00.001-07:00

For those who weren't able to make the WNGCO meeting on September 18th, I thought I'd jot down what transpired.

The bulk of the meeting focused on Danielle from the PR Store. She gave us some great tips on some things that we could do to help market our businesses, namely:

Narrowing your niche: we should focus on a smaller market instead of trying to be everything to everyone

Multi-channel strategy: we should use different marketing means to create the impression that we're doing more

Consistency: we need to be consistent - if we are primarily web based, market more on the web

Branding: we need a good brand, which is more than just a logo - it encompasses who we are and how we approach our business

SEO & PPC: she discussed using search engine optimization and pay per click methods (mostly Google adwords) to drive online sales

Customer service: it helps to be more personal with our customers; using a customer forum or a more personal blog may be good approaches

Google analytics: using Google's tools to track hits is a good way to judge your visitors

We also picked feature members - Tracy and Jennifer were chosen. We're getting a list of guidelines together and will send an email out shortly.

If anyone else has notes to add, updates, etc., please feel free to post them!