Have You Heard?

Posted on April 20, 2009 by editor

7 Days Left to Register for the Annual Dinner

 

    Tickets are still available for WBN’s Annual Dinner – a celebration of the organization’s 20-year anniversary. This very special annual dinner, hosted by the Laurel Highlands chapter, will be held Thursday, May 7th at The Willow Room  in Belle Vernon. Register online at Blacktie Pittsburgh.

 

Recruitment Events Planned 

 

   Several recruitment events are coming up to help you gather information and share WBN with your friends, colleagues and acquaintances. If you know any businesswomen in one of these areas, come to one of these events and bring them along as a guest. The first is being held by the Women’s Business Network – Armstrong-Kiski Chapter as a Spring Recruitment and Fundraiser Event on Thursday, April 23rd from 6-8 p.m. at the Addison House, 85 First Street, Leechburg.

   The Women’s Business Network – Zelienople/Harmony Chapter will also be holding “Spring Training…Take a Swing at Networking” event on Thursday, April 30th from 5-7 p.m. at the Kaufman House, 105 S. Main Street in Zelienople. Cost to attend is $10 (before April 23rd) or $12 if paid at the door and includes appetizers, refreshments, networking, door prizes, and cash bar.  Guest speaker will be Melissa McGavick of McGavick Interactive doing a presentation on “How to Get More from Networking.” Extra door prize tickets will be given to all attendees who bring staple food items with them that evening to be donated to the Harmony/Zelienople Food Cupboard. For additional information or to RSVP contact Cindy O’Hara at 724-452-6970.

   The Allegheny Valley Chapter is hosting an evening of information about WBN and our businesses on May 5, 2009, from 6-8 p.m. at Emilia’s Garden Restaurant, 702 Gulf Lab Road in Cheswick. The cost is $20 and RSVPs are requested by May 1st. In addition, the chapter is asking attendees to bring an item in support of the charity Angel’s Place, www.angelsplacepgh.com. Acceptable items include Saran wrap, energy saving light bulbs, aluminum foil, all sizes of food storage bags, 13-gallon kitchen trash bags, household cleaners, cereal, dish soap, dishwasher soap, brooms/dust pans, dryer sheets, paper towels, healthy snacks for kids. Cash donations will also be accepted.  The featured speaker will be Beth Caldwell, Executive Director of Pittsburgh Professional Women, who will speak on the topic of Social Networking. For additional information, contact Beth Egan at 412-487-0333 or healthyhome@comcast.net.

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Cost-Effective Connecting: Promoting Your Business on a Limited Budget

Posted on April 20, 2009 by editor

By Kathy Pfistersocial1

Robinson Chapter

 

Today one of the cost effective ways to market your business is using inexpensive or even free Internet tools.  Some of the social media applications are available at no cost.

Linked-In is a business oriented social networking site.  Users build a profile and invite others to become a connection.  Connections may be users or new to the site. Users can then give recommendations to other users and request recommendations.  Profiles include present and past work experience.  People from your past and present can connect to you through this site for networking, job opportunities, recommendations and more.

Facebook is another social networking site that many business people are beginning to utilize for increased exposure.  A member on Facebook can “friend” many people very quickly by building a profile that includes high school and college and corporation information.  Members are suggested for “friending” and as your network grows so does your outreach to people who have a connection to you.  Members can post photographs, videos and blogs to their profile.  As you are talking with friends and contacts mentioning your business is a way of putting it in front of them time and again without being overly pushy.  People tend to want to work with people they know and trust and this on-line community gives us a forum for connectivity.

Another cost effective marketing tool is to constantly build your email database.  There are several e-newsletter formats and e-postcards available.  Send your client and sphere of influence cards for New Years, Valentines Day, St Patrick’s Day, Day-Light Savings Time change.  Find a newsletter format to put timely and informative articles about your business that people will find interesting or helpful.  In each of these e-mails make sure to reference your contact information and a link to your website if you have one.

 

Kathy Pfister is a real estate agent for Coldwell Banker.

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WBN Members Making It Big

Posted on April 20, 2009 by editor

murray

Mary Murray Running for District Judge

 

   Mary P. Murray, a member of the Pittsburgh West Chapter, is running for re-election as a Magisterial District Judge for the areas of Coraopolis, Crescent, Moon Township and Neville Island. If you are interested in helping her campaign, please contact her at reelectjudgemurray@hotmail.com.  
   Also her re-election committee is hosting a Latin Dance Night (learn different Latin dances) on Friday April 24, from 7 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the St. Peter and Paul Ukranian Catholic Church on Mansfield Avenue in Carnegie. Cost is $15 per person or $25 per couple; checks made payable to “Friends of Mary P. Murray”. Refreshments will be served. RSVP to 412-264-0440 or reelectjudgemurray@hotmail.com. 

 

Ellen Deslam Enterprises’ Women’s Expo a Stunning Success

 

   Congratulations to Ellen Deslam of the Laurel Highlands chapter, and her staff on a very successful Women’s Expo. Owner of Ellen Deslam Enterprises, Ellen created the Women’s Expo in 2008 to offer her WBN sisters an opportunity to promote their products, enlarge their customer base and increase their bottom line. In addition, the show offers women in the area a chance to meet successful women entrepreneurs, shop for products and services to enhance their families lives and win great prizes.

   Sold out early, this year’s Women’s Show broke both vendor and attendance marks from last year and was a stunning success. If you weren’t able to be there or exhibit this year, mark your calendars and make sure you are a part of this important show next year.

   Congratulations, Ellen! 

 

More Kudos, Please! We’d like to make this a regular feature, but we need to hear your kudos. Please send kudos (for either yourself or other members) to:

 

Amy S. Fauth

Newsletter Coordinator

637 Buckingham Dr.

Greensburg, PA 15601

 

Kudos can be e-mailed to amyfauth@verizon.net.

 

The deadline for the each edition is the last day of the month. 

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Building a Winning Team: Success Depends on Several Factors

Posted on April 20, 2009 by editor

staffBy Ramona Selvoski

 McMurray Chapter

 

    Building a winning team in business comes down to a number of factors. No matter if you are hiring employees, networking to surround yourself with success-driven colleagues or searching for external partners for outsourcing work, the formula is the same.

  

   Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to hear a number of successful and knowledgable speakers on the subject, who all agree on some key points.

 

   Potential team members should:

 

1. Have a positive attitude

2. Be self-disciplined

3. Be a person of integrity

4. Have a strong level of commitment

5. Have strong work ethics

6. Have a willingness to try new ideas

7. Have the ability to “bounce back” from disappointments and to learn from them

8. Have the ability to relate to others and work together for a common goal.

 

Surround yourself with the right people with the right characteristics and all of your goals and aspirations for your business can be not only met, but exceeded.

 

Ramona Selvoski is a Mary Kay Cosmetics representative.

 

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Mom: A Job Description

Posted on April 20, 2009 by editor

laughing_kittenIf the “job” had been presented this way in the beginning I doubt any of us would have taken it. 

 

POSITION:
Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma


JOB DESCRIPTION:
- Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment.
- Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.

- Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities!
- Travel expenses not reimbursed.

- Extensive courier duties also required.


RESPONSIBILITIES:
The rest of your life.

- Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.

- Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.

- Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.

- Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
- Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
- Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next.
- Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.
- Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
- Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.
- Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION:
None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

 

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
None required unfortunately.
On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

 

WAGES & COMPENSATION:
Get this! You pay them!
- Offering frequent raises and bonuses.
- A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent.
- When you die, you give them whatever is left.
- The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.


BENEFITS:
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life –  if you play your cards right.

Footnote: THERE IS NO RETIREMENT  –  EVER!!! **

If you are fortunate enough you will come grandparents!  

 

Author Unknown

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