NAWBO National News
FOR UP-TO-DATE NATIONAL NEWS, VISIT www.nawbo.org
2008 Women's Business Conference
Attend NAWBO's 2008 Women's Business Conference, June 12-14 in Phoenix, Ariz., and you'll have the opportunity to learn new strategies for growing your business. Experience the power of NAWBO's community while enjoying the beautiful Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa. Register today!
Get the Attention Your High-Growth Company Deserves
NAWBO is joining Inc. in its search for the 2008 Inc. 5,000, Inc. magazine and Inc.com's annual list of the fastest growing private companies in America. The top 10 percent will be featured in Inc. magazine. The Inc. 5,000 also recognizes the top 100 companies in every major metro area and several other categories. How many of these lists will your company make? How much local and national media coverage will your company receive? If you don't apply, you'll never know. The Inc. 5,000 is an editorial award and there are no fees involved with entering or qualifying. The deadline to apply is April 30th, 2008.
Influence:
Rising - Join NAWBO in Celebrating Women’s History
Month
20 years ago, women leaders worked to pass the Women’s Business Ownership
Act. Continue their efforts to encourage the spirit of women’s entrepreneurship
by referring a friend to join NAWBO this month during our membership drive.
When you refer a new member, you will be entered to win a NAWBOgear gift pack
worth over $200.
Visit the Newly Designed www.nawbo.org and
Make connections with other NAWBO members using
the expanded Membership Directory, get informed by visiting
the Article Library, and stay on top of political issues
with the Legislative Action Center. Don’t forget
to renew your membership and update your profile while
you’re on the site!
Share Your Advice with Other Women
The 2009 Woman’s Advantage Page-a-Day Calendar is now in the works. Submit
your advice on strategy, life balance, marketing, or any other pertinent topics
and your name, company name, and website could be featured on a page of the
calendar. Share your ideas by clicking
here.
Take
Action on Women Owned Business Set-Aside Program
At a January 16 hearing of the House Committee on Small Business, NAWBO submitted
testimony stating its disagreement with the Small Business Administration's proposed
rules on the women owned business set-aside program. Read
the full statement. You can take action by letting the SBA know that the
proposed rules won't help women business owners win more government contracts. Find
a list of action steps, along with talking points to help you craft your
message.
Raise Your Voice through NAWBO's
New Action Center
Are you ready to make a difference on the top policy issues affecting women
business owners? Visit NAWBO's new Legislative Action Center to access tools
and resources that will make contacting your elected officials easy. You can
sign up to receive alerts regarding key issues, track current legislation,
learn about candidate issues, and more! Take
action today.
Help with Growing Your Business
Looking for insights on running, marketing and growing your business? Head
to NAWBO's new online article library to read advice and ideas on everything
from growth and marketing to technology and team building. New articles will
be added every month, so check back often! Start
reading now. And don't forget that NAWBO-OC has a wealth of expertise
submitted by our chapter members...see
OC's articles.
Expand Internationally with NAWBO
Join NAWBO April 13 to 18, 2008, for its Women in Business Trade Mission to
the United Kingdom and Italy and take your product or service to the global
marketplace. This special trade mission will help get you in the door with
one-on-one business meetings, in-depth market briefings, networking receptions
and more! Apply
by Feb. 28. Get ready to go global!
5
Ways to Safely Dispose of Old IT Equipment
Businesses face risks—both internal and environmental—when dumping
old IT hardware. Find out what the risks are and how to avoid them. Read
the article from NAWBO Corporate Partner HP.
Seven
Deadly Sins of PC Users
From ignoring anti-virus protection to neglecting to back up data, even the most
seasoned PC user may be guilty of risky or irresponsible usage habits. Read
advice from NAWBO Corporate Partner HP and find out the seven most common—and
most dangerous—mistakes PC users can make.
Public Policy Issues: Fuel Efficiency
Requirements Needed
NAWBO believes that responsible requirements for improved fuel efficiency for
future new cars and light trucks should be part of our Nation's overall energy
security strategy. Read
about H.R. 2927, an important piece of legislation that seeks to improve
the fuel economy of passenger cars, SUVs, minivans, and pick-up trucks.
Economic Development Forum: How
to Begin Government Contracting by Judy
Bradt, Economic Development Forum Member. The U.S. government
will spend over $400 billion this year on goods and services.
State and local government contract spending will hit
$5
trillion. Find out if you’re poised for new business
with the U.S. government. read
article
Save the Date: 2008 Public Policy
Days Mark your calendar to attend NAWBO's 2008
Public Policy Days, February 4-6, in Arlington, Virginia.
You'll learn how public policy affects your bottom line
and find out how you can become an advocate at the local,
state, and national levels. Network with other women business
owners from across the country and celebrate the collective
power of the women's business community. Voices: Rising. Find
out more.
Prepare Today for Tomorrow's Disaster Statistics
show that 93 percent of companies that had trouble restoring
their data after a disaster were out of business within 18
months. It's not just a hurricane, fire or flood that can
ruin a business; it can be a hard drive that unexpectedly
crashes or an important document that is misplaced. In the
day to day building of a business, preparing for the worst
is often overlooked or put on hold for more pressing matters. Read
more about preparing your business and access resources from
HP and SCORE.
Are You a Family Caregiver?
If not, chances are you will be. The number of aging Americans with chronic
illness is skyrocketing, and many NAWBO members are already personally aware
of this problem both as family caregivers and as employers of caregivers.
Prepare to Care, a free resource from the AARP Foundation's Benefits Outreach
Program, offers planning tips for families and employers. Access Prepare
to Care online or order free copies for your employees using this downloadable
order form. You can also learn more about this important topic during
a free webinar on December 5 at 11am California time. Register
with Brynn Slate at bslate@nawbo.org.
NAWBO
California Health Care Survey Shows Mixed Opinions
In a survey conducted by eight NAWBO chapters making up NAWBO California, women
business owners are not united in their support of current proposals for health
care reform in their state. Read
more about the results. Are you interested in weighing in on health care
reform? Join NAWBO's National Health
Care Policy Task Force.
Put yourself in the Spotlight
Want to be featured on NAWBO's homepage? Share the story of your business and
its success in NAWBO's Member Spotlight. Click
here to view the current featured member. Click
here for submission guidelines.
Sponsor or Exhibit at NAWBO's 2008
Women's Business Conference
Expose your business to an ambitious group of women entrepreneurs from across
the country by sponsoring or exhibiting at NAWBO's 2008 Women's Business Conference
in Phoenix, Arizona. Conference sponsors will be recognized on signage and
in the onsite program. Exhibitors have the chance to market their products
or services in a bustling exhibit hall. NAWBO members receive a special exhibitor
rate of $1,000. click
here for details.
Jump
on the Global Bus: NAWBO 2008 Trade Mission
Join
NAWBO April 13-18, 2008 for its Women in Business Trade
Mission to the United Kingdom
and Italy. You'll take part in one-on-one business meetings,
in-depth market briefings, networking receptions, and more!
Apply by December 7 to reserve your space. Get
the details.
Wanted:
Dynamic Session Leaders to Guide Ambitious Learners
If you're an expert
on small business issues and a skilled facilitator who
is passionate about helping women entrepreneurs grow their
businesses, NAWBO invites you to submit a presentation
proposal for its 2008 Women's Business Conference, June
12-14, 2008 in Phoenix, AZ. more
info
Further your learning from 2007
Women's Business Conference:
Continue building
knowledge and access information you missed from NAWBO's
2007 Women's Business Conference in Atlanta. Download presentations
from featured experts and view leadership training materials
to help your chapter grow. You can also view fun photos
of the event on NAWBO's post-conference
page.
Share Your Media Coverage with a
National Audience
Have you and your business been featured in the media? Let fellow women business
owners across the country know by submitting your coverage for inclusion in
NAWBO's Weekly Digest. E-mail your name, company name, the name and issue date
of the publication you were featured in, and the URL where the article can
be found online (if available) to Brynn Slate.
And don't forget to also let the OC Chapter know by using our
submission form.
Get started in Government Contracting
Are you interested in doing business with the federal government but aren't
sure where to begin? Visit NAWBO's Intro
to Government Contracting page to find useful resources to help you get
started.
Get Involved in NAWBO National:
Join a Strategic Forum!
Joining one of NAWBO's
strategic forums is a great way to get to know other women
business owners, develop your network and hone your leadership
skills.
• Diversity/Market Development Forum
• Economic Development Forum
• Education and Leadership Forum
• International Forum
• Public Policy Forum
Get started by joining a monthly conference call. Visit the national
website to learn more
National NAWBO Membership Directory
To
maintain members' privacy, the online membership directory,
available at www.nawbo.org,
is now password protected. If you don't have your login and
pasword, send an email to national@nawbo.org.
It's
One Big Planet - New Member Benefit Card Offers Discounts New
and renewing members of NAWBO receive
a "one big planet" card
that will also serve as a NAWBO membership card. Members
must initially activate their card by registering on National's
customized member benefits website. Once registered, they
will be able to enjoy the special offers and discounts
offered through the program. Members can easily save hundreds
of dollars per year by visiting any of the 100,000 participating
merchants.
Join
the NAWBO National Speakers Bureau!
As a benefit of NAWBO membership you
can join the NAWBO Speakers Bureau. As a member of this
bureau, your name will be sent to NAWBO chapters and promoted
on the national website (www.nawbo.org)
to meeting planners and other individuals looking for professional
speakers. To learn more, click
here.
NAWBO
SmartBrief is
a twice-weekly e-news summary for women entrepreneurs
providing news important
to running your business, links to highly relevant stories hand-picked
by our editorial staff, and insider info from NAWBO National. If you would
like to take advantage of this member benefit, which
is generously sponsored by OPEN:
The Small Business Network(sm) from American Express, you must subscribe by
visiting
www.smartbrief.com/nawbo.
Use of NAWBO Member Information for Business
Promotion
While marketing is an integral component of the
success of all business ventures, it has come to our attention
some
members are soliciting business through the use of the NAWBO
On-Line Directory. Please note the following policy regarding
any use of the NAWBO Directory, in either its on-line or
printed form.
