Sponsored By:
ACTIVITIES THIS MONTH:Newsletter and broadcast
sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, call Debbie
Anders at |
"Effective Networkers are: Confident, Empathetic, Appreciative, Tenacious, Enthusiastic, Energetic and Caring."
Andrea R. Nierenberg
Nonstop Networking
Does this sound like you or someone you know?
In this Issue: |
Put the South Shore Women's Business Network to work for you. There are exceptional people and businesses waiting to meet you.
Our regionally located luncheon events are developed to give you lots of opportunity to get connected on the South Shore. Enjoy great food, introductions from everyone attending and facilitated networking. Increase your visibility to prospective clients and referral sources by participating in any of our events. All luncheons run from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
Hingham Luncheon - October 11, 2005Rustic Kitchen
Meal: or Professional Development Workshop - October 20, 200512:00 – 1:30p.m. Network Office Are you tired of being a "me-too" company? Does
your business have a distinct image or message that sets you apart from
the competition? Do you know what kind of impression you're making on
your target audience, whether it's with your web site or in print materials?
Are you trying to take your business to a new level, but don't know
where to start? $15.00 for members, $20.00 for nonmembers. Bring Your own lunch and we'll provide beverages and dessert. Plymouth Luncheon - October 19, 2005East Bay Grill Menu: Seafood casserole in lemon butter with rice and vegetable or and Greek dressing Breakfast Meeting - October 25, 20057:30 - 9:30a.m. Featuring Speaker, Lisbeth Wiley Chapman, Principal, Ink & Air Beth designs and implements strategic media and web communications campaigns. She is skilled in client advocacy and in translating client viewpoints into trend-based news stories. She is a sought-after speaker to audiences of financial advisors on the strategies for marketing professional practices. She is the author of "Get Media Smart! Build Your Reputation, Referrals and Revenues With Media Marketing". South Shore Showcase - November 3, 2005
November 3, 2005 - The South Shore Women's Business Network (SSWBN) will be hosting their annual "South Shore Showcase" at The Lantana in Randolph, MA on Monday, November 3, 2005 from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM. A different kind of expo, The "South Shore Showcase" is a full day event and this year is designed around the theme of "Reinvention". This Best of the South Shore Expo will provide networking opportunities and educational workshops for South Shore business people looking to enhance their professional success. The exhibit hall will be filled with diverse resources and local businesses waiting to introduce themselves to the community. Several Makeover Workshops will be offered in the areas of marketing, home office management, and personal image. Public relations experts, image consultants, interior designers, organizers and business professionals will be on hand to offer one-on-one advice to help grow your business. "The South Shore Showcase provides the general public with a great opportunity to meet and greet high-profile South Shore business people and acquire skills that will benefit their careers and businesses," says Debbie Anders, Executive Director of the SSWBN. "Whether you're a new business owner looking to launch a new service or company, a seasoned professional looking to make new connections or a homemaker looking to re-enter the business world, the resources and programs offered at this year's Expo will help you redefine and polish your professional presence." Anyone interested in attending or exhibiting at the event can register by calling 781-749-8883 or sending an email to info@sswbn.org. Expo 2005 is sponsored by RBC Dain Rauscher, Sovereign Bank and The Lantana. |
Shannon
O'Brien - CEO of Patriots Trail Girl Scouts, former State Treasurer
and former Massachusetts Candidate for Governor, to make keynote presentation
at South Shore Women's Business Network kickoff luncheon for the "South
Shore Showcase". NOTE: The cost for Lunch and Breakfast is Pre-registration $25.00 members, $40.00 nonmembers. At the door $30.00 members, $45.00 nonmembers.
First Time Attendees are invited
to take advantage
of our member rate prior to joining the Network.
Psst…here’s your chance to help your network grow it’s membership. Bring a guest at the member rate! You can extend this offer to just about anyone: colleagues, friends, family and even clients. We all know that SSWBN is a great place for coaching, contacts and collaboration so why not share that with your acquaintances. We want to help grow their businesses. There is no limit to the number of guests you can invite to use the member rates. So start spreading the word today.
| NOTE: REGISTRATION POLICY |
Cancellation Policy: Must be received 2 business days prior to 5:00 p.m. for credit to alternate meetings.
FREE MEMBERSHIP!!!!
A $225 Value!
The SSWBN will award one lucky member a free one year membership. Starting
immediately, the SSWBN member that brings in the most new paid memberships
by June 1, 2006 will win a free one year membership. The winner will be
announced at the Celebration event to be held in June, 2006.
AS IF THAT WERE NOT ENOUGH...any member that brings in a new paid membership
will receive a $20 SSWBN Gift Certificate to be used as a registration fee
for any of our regular networking events. There is no limit to the number
of $20 SSWBN Gift Certificates you can win! If you bring in a new paid member,
you get a $20 Gift Certificate, it's that simple. And if you bring in the
most members - you win the Grand Prize - a free one year membership.
Strategic Pricing - Don't Sell Yourself ShortBy Larry Rice, Rodman & Rodman CPA Every business needs an appropriate vision. A vision is not a business plan, but is how the owner(s) of a given business view where they would ideally like to see their business in a three to five year time frame. To achieve the vision, each business must have strategies to achieve it. The strategies are the plans, ideas, principals that will take them there. Pricing is a part of the strategy. How you price your product or service must align with the vision of the business. If you choose to offer a boutique-type service or product, you should not price yourself low. You also should consider whether discounting should even be a part of your vocabulary. Therefore, how you price is important. It is part of the 4 P's of marketing: Product; Price; Place; Promotion. When we price however, the greatest barrier to pricing our offering is our own sense of what that price or product is worth. We do not end up charging as much as we can, we do not end up charging what the market will bear. Far too often we tie the product or service to OUR self worth, and being critical souls, we almost always price ourselves TOO LOW. We must first overcome ourselves in order to clear our minds to price appropriately. Activities that we should undertake are:
Unique Core Differentiators are the things that we do differently and/or better than our competition. They can also be the things we do that cannot be imitated by our competition, therefore making it harder for customers to draw comparisons. In order to achieve the best pricing, we must look for our Unique Core Differentiators. Customer service can always be one. The business world is suffering through a customer service crisis. It's easier these days to exceed customer expectations. Wow your customers in how you deal with them and you'll have incredible loyalty, gain lots of referrals, and you'll be able to command the highest prices. Ways to enhance your perceived value (and therefore your price) to your customers:
Service providers should consider using Fixed Price Agreements (FPA). Set the price ahead, include all phone calls and follow up. You can sometimes gain a premium price AND more business by taking the fear of the clock ticking away from your clients. |
Paula and Bill Harris, CFP of WH Cornerstone Investments (www.whcornerstone.com) are teaching a one-night course entitled Women, Beat the Investment Pros! on Tuesday, October 18. For more information visit http://fc.duxbury.k12.ma.us/~p_walsh/ (Duxbury Before and After Dark), or contact WH Cornerstone directly at 888.797.9009. And on a different note, Paula will be teaching a one-night course on Homemade Cheesemaking on October 13th through Duxbury's Before and After Dark program. A woman of many talents! Speaking of which, Linda Merrill, Chameleon Interiors, appeared on the September 14th radio program "Real Estate Coast to Coast" by Mark Nash for the online radio station VoiceAmerica Business www.business.voiceamerica.com. Linda and Mark discussed the issue of preparing a home for sale and the raging debate about whether it's best to go with neutrals or "commitment" colors. In October, Linda will be teaching her interior decorating class "Jumpstart Your Interior Decorating" via Duxbury's Before & After Dark Adult Education program. This upcoming class is a two-parter that will be held on October 15 and 22. This is the third year Linda has been teaching in Duxbury. Finally, Linda was selected to be a member of Constant Contacts Client Advisory Board. Constant Contact is a leading web-based email marketing service used by over 35,000 small businesses and associations. Linda has been using Constant Contact for over two years to create her quarterly newsletter "Welcome Home!" As a CAB member, Linda is contributing to the continued growth and development of their user-friendly templates. This is all wonderful news, Linda! Please send information about your successes and new projects to gretje@gfergphoto.com. I'd love to hear from you all! |
Autumn is upon us, and many of us are back in the swing of things.
Case in point:
Lisa Rooney, LRB Direct, www.lbrdirect.com, wishes to thank Lois Wood, Lois Wood Communications, for creating her new website. Says Lisa, "Lois was able to take my business logo and identity, and help me bring it to a whole new level. Lois was easy to work with and got the job done in a professional way. Thanks Lois!" Editor's note: I took a look and it looks great, Lisa and Lois! Karen Dinger, Personal Spaces, thanks Jayne Pelosi, Renaissance Interior Design, for sending a decorating consultation her way. Says Karen "It just goes to show you how wonderful this organization is. Within industries there is no competition." Jennifer Bruni, Mercury Communications, www.mercom.com, thanks Lois Wood, Lois Wood Communications, for referring her to Susannah Brown, Webster, Nagle, & Brown and to Carl Menconi, Integrated Massage Therapies. Jennifer worked on website copy for Webster, Nagle, & Brown and a brochure for Integrated Massage Therapies. Jennifer also wishes to thank Paula and Bill Harris, WH Cornerstone Investments, for hiring her to work on the copy on their website. Is it just me, or has Lois Wood become the new Carl Menconi when it comes to acknowledgements and thank yous? Just checking...Don't forget to send in your thanks and kudos (to Lois or anyone else!) when you think of them. We're in the business of making connections, after all! Linda Merrill |
|
copyright © 2006 South Shore Women's Business Network | All Rights Reserved