April 2005 Newsletter
The NAWBO Member Survey Results are featured in the April newsletter. Highlights are presented here. You can also download the full version in PDF: April, 2005 Newsletter (PDF; 496K).
The President’s Corner
Platinum Member: Cheri Tillman Anderson
The President’s Corner
We hope you will take the time to look at the Member Survey Report, which has been posted on the members-only part of our web site. I want to thank Wells Fargo for sponsoring this survey and member Diane Thome of DT Research for developing it and analyzing the results.
At the March meeting, Diane presented a report on the survey. Here, however, I want to highlight the most thought provoking (at least for me) of her conclusions.
The survey affirmed our belief that our members are looking for solid business training with practical application. Solid business training requires a different venue from our monthly meetings, but we’ve had very low turnout for seminars in the past. We’ve also partnered with Bank of the West to provide training. (Last year, they provided scholarships for some of our members to attend WESST Corp’s Market Link. This year, they sponsored a seminar on fraud prevention and identity theft.)
Related to this is the fact that members have very different perceptions of the chapter. One respondent, an established business owner, complained that the chapter consists primarily of very small businesses and thus doesn’t meet her needs. Another respondent said that the chapter was primarily focused on larger businesses and that her business was too small to benefit from involvement in the chapter. I believe the first question we need to answer is: “What can we do to deliver high-quality seminars that meet the needs of both emerging and established business owners?”
Our members are also looking to us to help them further their business interests locally. People join NAWBO looking to obtain business from other members, but stay primarily because of the relationships they build with and the support they receive from other members. The Board has grappled with this disconnect between expectations and reality for some time. If we are to propel women in economic spheres of power, we need to help them grow their businesses. The survey points out that there is an untapped potential for our members to acquire customers through NAWBO. Fifty-two percent of respondents report that more than 50 percent of their gross revenue in 2004 derived from business-to-business sales. The second question we need to answer is: “How can we facilitate business match-making between members and between our members and our corporate partners?”
The fact that our chapter is experiencing growing pains was also highlighted. Survey respondents asked us to grapple with size, venue, program relevance and depth of our interactions. Respondents indicate that they find it difficult to get to know other members. However, survey results also indicate a low participation by members in committees and MasterMinds. These are venues for more personal interaction and the development of stronger relationships. The third question we need to ask is: “How do we help our members get to know each other better and to build relationships that can help them grow their businesses?”
The survey has helped highlight the issues we need to focus on. This year, we have focused on developing the infrastructure to support the 200 percent growth we experienced over the last few years. Now that the infrastructure has been developed, we can turn once more towards growth goals, but our focus will be growing the quality of our services and member interactions. The Board will develop a detailed approach to answering these three questions at our Strategic Planning Retreat this summer. And we will repeat this survey in 2006 so we can monitor how well we are doing in meeting your needs.
—Deborah Weaver Parker
Platinum Member Profile: Cheri Tillman Anderson, The Reality Education Group
Cheri Tillman Anderson is president of The Reality Education Group, a training services provider located in Albuquerque. Reality Education helps people understand the impact of economic and financial decisions they make in everyday life. Before starting the group, Cheri spent 18 years working in international trade and finance, 11 of which were in her own consulting business. So a move into economic and financial literacy training was a natural next step.
Cheri received her undergraduate degree in education from New Mexico State University. She then earned a master’s degree in international management from the Thunderbird School in Arizona. Both degrees have served her well.
A member of the Board of Directors of Union Savings Bank in Albuquerque, she has also served on the boards of the Association of Commerce and Industry and WESST Corp where she was a frequent guest workshop presenter and consultant. She is currently an active volunteer in the deaf community of Albuquerque.
Cheri has been a member of NAWBO since 1996, serving as Member Services chair, Programs chair, president-elect and president. As president in 2001-2002, she created the Platinum Program in response to members who wanted to contribute more in support of NAWBO. She has also served at the national level in NAWBO as the Southwest Region coordinator for the Member Services Council and on the Nominating Committee for the National Board. As a result of her involvement with both NAWBO and WESST Corp, Cheri was the 2003 recipient of the SBA Women in Business Advocate Award at both the state and regional levels.
| Please Join Our Mailing List! |
OUR CHAPTER PARTNERS
SHOP ON AMAZON.COM
