Notes From Mandie's Desk
July 4th 2008


It's Independence Day in the USA - but for many small business owners - everyday is Independence Day!

Independence brings many exciting moments - both good and others not so good - but I cannot ever recall hearing a business owner telling me that they were BORED!

So this week's end we will be celebrating our independence as business owners and bringing you some great news about changes we are making to insure you remain independent and building a business you LOVE!

GREAT RADIO INTERVIEW - last sunday's interview was fantastic - listen here

Natalie Waddell was covered recently in the news here

This week:

New Changes for Roaring Women - for serious business owners only!

Taking your business form here to there - part #4

Protect yourself and your business - a few simple tips

What to do before you quit or close your business.

Site Map - ever wondered where everything is on the site?

Administrative Services for your business - now available!

Sad News
Every week I hear of people I know and care about closing their businesses.  This past week there were two I just learned about - and it really makes me feel for those business owners.  Both had a dream - and sadly both closed their businesses for reasons many cite for closing business.

In addition, as many know, the  Direct Sales Company company WEEKENDERS has closed their doors without any notice to their sale force.  Learn how you can protect yourself by reading some of the articles below.

Exciting News
I have been asked to appear on the Business News Network (BNN) show called Money Talk - hosted by Patricia Lovett Reid of TD Waterhouse.  We will be taping July 15th in the Toronto Studio and I will let you know when it will air.  This is a nice opportunity for me as I will be speaking abut my book : When Every Second Counts.

It is summer - take some time to rejuvenate - but remember also that September will creep up quickly and no activity now means no business later!

Have an abundant week!

Mandie and the Roaring Women Team

Dinner Meetings

JULY Meetings

Many entrepreneurs take more time to spend with their families in the summer months!  It is a good thing to take time off.....

We are however hosting a few meetings in the following areas:

Brampton Roaring Women Summer Finale Meeting - July 12th

EDMONTON Roaring Women Summer Dinner Meeting at the Sweet Mango - July 16th

Barrie CONNECT meeting - July 22nd

Calgary - Breakfast at Cora's - July 22nd

Victoria- Let's Have Lunch - July 22nd

New Pages on the site

ROAR Boards

Coaching Services

Become a certified RW coach

Online Workshops page

Workshop Development

Be a radio guest!

Roaring Women Bookstore

Special Offers

PR Services

Administrative Services

Web site Update Services

Webinar and Conference Services

Roaring Women Travel

Most popular

Are you sending people to your profile? These ladies must be!

June Favourites so far....

Jane Lever
523 Unique visitors

Cheryl Scoffield
(331 unique visitors)

Kerri Fargo
(263 unique visitors)

Caroline J Wong
(237 Unique visitors)

Bonnie Gray
(210 unique visitors)

 

Special Offers

Last week for great prices on our
ALASKA Trip

Also new travel services

Favorite Links

Join our Facebook group here

This week's
business tip

Coaching Coach web site

Health Benefits

Telephone Services

Member Benefits

All upcoming Events

Business Services

Video Testimonials

Roar Store

Blog

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Roaring Women
Box 89084
MacKenzie Towne RPO
Calgary, AB
T2Z 3W3
1.888.726.3361

 

 

NEW NEW NEW!


As a result of needs expressed by small business - we now offer the following:

ROAR Board Meetings - Success training for the Committed Business Owner

What if you could belong to an exclusive group of supportive business owners who gather monthly to share in vital information needed for their growing business? Imagine the dreams of success you focus on regularly actually coming true. Is it possible? Of course it is - if you are really interested in doing what it takes - but a little more on that later. First some history....

In May of 2008, after completing a 6 week coaching tour from the west coast of Canada to Toronto, we conducted an extensive survey to find the needs of small business. The survey revealed what we had already known - only now the results gave us numbers to back up our suspicions. The bottom line - business owners who received coaching had a 50% better chance of becoming profitable. Unfortunately most businesses feel that coaching is outside of their budgets.

Our goal at Roaring Women is to help facilitate profitability and success for women running their own business. We have always known how valuable the good information and assistance that you get from a coach can give you. It is often the edge that you need to help you succeed. We surveyed many of you to find out how we can best give you what you need. After much research as to how we can best do this - we have developed our ROAR Boards and are rolling out the program September 2008.

ROAR Boards - (Results Oriented Accountability & Resource Boards)

ROAR Board is a unique concept we have developed which will provide coaching, peer mentoring, brainstorming, and problem solving opportunities for those who are serious about business growth. The ROAR Boards will be led by a Roaring Women Certified Coach who has undergone extensive training and is able to advise, lead, mentor and coach business owners at any level.

ROAR Boards are not for everyone. We have structured these boards to have an intensive educational component and also provide problem solving within the allotted time frame each month.

The ROAR Boards are designed exclusively for those who have a GOAL in mind - and seek to create profitable businesses. Business owners applying to participate on a ROAR Board must first complete an application and confidentiality agreement and commit to 12 months on the Board.

ROAR Board Meetings will run monthly from 8 am - 12 pm on a weekday - twelve months of the year. The goal of each board is to provide business owners with vital information they need to organize, administer, and lead their businesses forward. A sample agenda looks like this:

* 8:00 am - Recap of previous month and feed back of successes from Board members
* 8:30 am - Facilitated Presentation by ROAR Board Coach or Key presenter
* 10:00 am - 15 minute break, networking, coffee
* 10:15 am - ROAR Board Participants each have 10 minutes to raise issues, questions and problems. Feedback from Board Members and RW Certified Coach
* 11:45 am - ROAR Board Convenes

Each months topics for the learning portion will vary and include everything from Examining Business Structure, Goal Setting, Human Resources Issues, Marketing Strategies, Financial Viability, Succession Planning, Forming Viable Alliances and much more.

Additional monthly one on one coaching will also be made available to each ROAR Board member to assist them in their growth and problem solving.

Application here

More info here

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Taking your business from here to there #4


Last newsletter we covered #3 - so this week #4! Many have asked for the online course - you can buy it here.  Here is the next part.

#4 Become and Expert - and let others know!

You may not realize it yet- but you probably already are an expert in what you do.  What most of us do not realize is that once we become immersed in doing what we do , we have become experts.  And women in general do not blow thor horns enough about it.

People love to buy from trusted experts.  They are glad that YOU have the your research and can answer the questions that they have for you. 

How do you show that you are an expert?

  • Offer information or instructional workshops
  • speak at events
  • write blogs
  • write articles
  • send out newsletters  (see how here) or (mail out here)
  • form relationships with the media and provide tips for them
  • get publicity - in the news or on TV or radio (get on RW Radio here)
  • have a tips list
  • write a short book (easier than you think!)
  • offer free info on your website
  • claim your name (eg: we are Canada's Largest Business Women's Organization)
  • offer webinars - (see how here)

These each in their own are not difficult things to do - and if you make a plan - you can accomplish each and every one of these things. This is really abut working on your business.  Let others know you are the expert. It gets you exposure - and increases visibility and sales.

For those who would like to buy the workshop you can you can buy it here. 

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Protect yourself - a few simple tips!


Enthusiasm is a great sales person - but not such a great decision maker! (yeah I said that!)  And just as we know that we need to be enthusiastic about selling because people buy on emotion - we also need to know that we need to be cautious when we 'sign up' for something because when we become the emotional buyer - we do not always think logically, reasonably, or make good decisions.

I know the following tips may upset some 'sales professionals' from certain industries as it challenges what they do - but here goes anyway! Here are a few things to consider to protect yourself when it comes to making decisions about your business:

  • NEVER ever buy ads just because they are 'on sale'.  Especially when they are in newspapers, print media of any kind, radio or TV.  Ad Rep's job is to sell 'real estate' within their medium.  And although they are may very well be interested in your success - their job is to sell ads!
  • Company templates web sites: Many MLM and direct sales have sites you can have for free.  Sites that cost $25.00 a month are not as advantageous as your own site as the key words and meta tags are not geared towards YOU - although they may be for product. 
  • Brand YOURSELF first and use the MLM or direct sales agency as your tool.  Face it, if you were  painter you would not be a CIL guy or a Benjamin Moore man - you would be a painter first and the tool is the paint brand.  So please brand yourself as a skin care or health expert carrying a product.  Promote YOU not the product.
  • Never ever purchase any company promoted program that they 'sell' you to promote your business.  I have heard of people paying from $300 - $1500 a month for advertising and lead programs.  Someone is making big $ on this and if you gave me $1500 to promote you I guarantee we could garner lots of sales with that kind of money
  • Choose smaller events over bigger ones. Trade shows and events where you spend over $300 for a table (plus booth costs, lighting. electricity, posters etc. and much more time and energy) may not be the place that you will stand out at. Spend your money at places where you can build relationships and get referrals this way.  It is more effective and you can spread your $ farther.
  • Network OUTSIDE your industry.  You will need to make great contacts outside your area of expertise. That's where the buyers are.
  • More next week!

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 Before you quit.....


Winston Churchill said it best: "Never ever ever quit."  However this is much easier said than done.

Sometimes we get discouraged, run out of money, run out of time, energy and knowledge.  When we are at this point - everything seems pointless!  SO what do you do?  (PS it happens even to me!)

The question really is how much are you willing to spend to help your business become more profitable? 

Take a second to think about it - you might spend $40 - $100 a month on cable, $30 - $100 a month on drive through coffee - and well you know where your money goes....

Would you invest $150 a month to increase the profitability and viability of your business?

I have had almost 100 businesses call me in the last several years that I have been able to help become profitable. Their average investment - $1000 in total over 6 months.

Please - if you are considering closing your business - call an expert to help you.  We will be certifying business coaches this fall to make the advise you need accessible to you.  We also have a great new program designed especially to help you with your business- see it here:

 

Administrative Services Now Available


Services available:

 

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