NOMINATE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS WOMEN

RBC's Annual Canadian Woman Entrepreneur Awards is accepting nominations till June 29. I was nominated for 2003 and it was a tremendous honour to have a client think that highly about me and the work we do at unleash pr. So who do you know who is extraordinary -- a co-worker, business associate, friend, family member, client, supplier? Download a nomination form by clicking here completed.

ARTICLE OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESS WOMEN

WOMEN CAN DO ANYTHING accepts articles on the following topics: building wealth, health & wellness, internet marketing, and other business related topics. Send articles ideas and a writing sample to Tracy Matthewman Visit the WCDA website for writer's guidelines.


While you're there, list your business for free in THE DIRECTORY. The site ranks high in Google and receives hundreds of visitors each day.

WINGS and HEROS has launched a new website - www.wingsandheros.com

The new site features a Forum, Marketplace, Profiles of Members, a Calendar of upcoming events. The next WINGS and HEROS meeting is Thursday, May 28, 2009 At 8:00 AM
in Thornhill. Contact Info: RSVP with Sharon 647-298-0112.

MAVEN BUSINESS NETWORK -- TORONTO is looking for experts... This is a new business networking group in Toronto. If you are an expert in your field and want to share your knowledge with others this group is accepting applications. You will meet with other experts in a non-competitive forum setting where you exchange knowledge. Full details are available at: http://www.womenspost.ca/mbn

PROSPECTING vs MARKETING DURING RECESSION

For the month of November 2008, the National Federation of Independent Business reported that the number one concern of small business owners is sales or lack of. Twenty-five percent of small business owners polled said poor sales was their main concern. This a 22-year high and is caused not by fear but by results.

Here are some suggestions on how to maintain and increase sales:

Prospect: Increase activities like business networking that get you in direct contact with your prospects. If you make any cuts to marketing dollars do so with marketing that attracts new buyers. Increase time and money for prospecting, though, which gets you face-to-face with people and turns them into business fast.

Increase market share: During a recession, many of your competitors fit into the 25 percent of small business owners who are concerned about sales. Many react by cutting back on prospecting and marketing activities. Knowing this you can capture market share from those willing to reconsider their current supplier.

Look for NOW sales: Flag people who may need your services sometime in the future. But spend your NOW time and money attracting and qualifying near-term buyers. Research how your prospects' needs may have shifted in the down market, and adjust your marketing messages to attract those who need you NOW.

HOW YOUR BUSINESS NETWORK CAN BE YOUR SOURCE OF HAPPINESS

Did you know that happiness is contagious? A recent study found when you surround yourself with happy people your happiness increases.

From 1983 to 2003, scientists from UC San Diego and Harvard University studied 4,739 people to identify happiness clusters within social groups. They found happiness flows through social networks up to three degrees of separation. Interesting, unhappiness does not spread through social networks to the same extent.

The researchers found distance and time influences happiness. When you becomes happy, a friend living within one mile has a 25 percent increased chance of becoming happy, your spouse an 8 percent increased chance, and a next door neighbor, 34 percent.

"But the real surprise came with indirect relationships. Again, while an individual becoming happy increases his friend’s chances, a friend of that friend experiences a nearly 10 percent chance of increased happiness, and a friend of *that* friend has a 5.6 percent increased chance—a three-degree cascade."

International Networking Day 2009 - Toronto

On Tues, Feb 3 it was International Networking Day 2009 - Toronto. And more than 250 small business owners and professionals gathered at Seneca Conference Centre for a day filled with learning, connections, and word-of-mouth referrals. You can view the expert speakers and more by CLICKING HERE