October 2009 Newsletter

The President’s Corner – Debbie Steg
Program – Selling Like a Big Fish
Pre Meeting Class – for Members Only
Welcome New Members
Renewing Members
Platinum Profile – Sandy Cody
Tidbits from the Public Policy Committee
NAWBO Members Receive Reduced Reservation Fee for October 21st F. E. E. Program
NAWBO NNM International Forum
New Member Orientation – A Testimonial
Are You Getting Your Money’s Worth From NAWBO?
Three NAWBO Satellite Breakfast Meetings
Corporate Sponsors and Platinum Members

The President’s Corner – Debbie Steg

Harvest Time

October is traditionally a month of harvesting crops, the scintillating play of yellow and red leaves, warm apple cider and Halloween. There are still enough warm days that show up to remind us of summer past and cool days that portend the coming of winter. It is also an excellent time to start planning for future growth. In any sales cycle, the planning, planting and harvesting when successfully implemented can mirror the natural cycle of nature’s crops. And we can learn much from nature’s seasonal cycle. As the harvest season passes into winter, from the outside it would appear that nature has gone to sleep. Yet deep beneath the ground and out of visible sight, preparation is already underway for the next cycle that only starts to become visible in the spring. A sales cycle can be strikingly similar when well implemented. Often as entrepreneurs, much like a Halloween costume party, we wear so many masks and juggle a plethora of tasks that taking time to plan may seem like a luxury. And yet, taking the time to map out a sales plan can reap bountiful rewards. Sales are the lifeblood of any business, and giving this aspect of your business that attention and planning it deserves can actually save precious time in the long run. This month, in our Financial Possibilities – Financial Opportunities theme, we have a charismatic speaker, business owner, and sales expert Lorin Beller Blake, to show us how to think about sales in an entirely exciting new way. Sales are so integral to a business’s success that we’re giving it double billing this month. For the lucky first fifteen ladies who sign up for the members only pre-meeting, you’ll get to have personal time with Lorin to get your sales questions answered and learn how to use proven and successful corporate sales techniques in your business. In our dinner program, “Selling Like a Big Fish” you’ll find ways to increase sales, shorten your sales cycle, close sales more frequently and from an inspiring and, yes, fun perspective! Unless you already have all the sales you’ll ever want to have in your business, you’ll definitely want to attend these events. Wishing you abundant sales in your business!

Prosperity blessings,

Debbie Steg
President 2009-2010
Northern New Mexico NAWBO
505-920-7141
Email Debbie

Program – Selling Like a Big Fish – How to increase your bottom line, shorten the sales cycle, and close more sales

Lorin Beller Blake, author, national speaker, business coach, and entrepreneur, helps women business owners create a whole new perspective on sales and the sales process. Generally, entrepreneurs don’t think about the dynamics of sales and the sales process, unlike corporate America. Blake will teach us to think much more intentionally about creating sales successfully and increasing our bottom line exponentially.

Blake will discuss the importance of documenting the sales process to increase the number of sales. She will show us how to consider sales in a whole new perspective so we close sales more frequently and increase our bottom line.

For all the details, and to register, click here

October pre-meeting for members only

Marketing is critical to every business. October meeting speaker Lorin Beller Blake of Big Fish Nation will show us how to use her one-page marketing plan so you will have a plan to market your business like a big fish. Blake believes that entrepreneurs can be wildly successful and can create a lifestyle that lets you enjoy life fully at the same time.

This 1-hour workshop from 4:30-5:30 on October 21 is limited to the first 15 members who add pre-meeting in the comments section of the registration page. The cost is $10.

Welcome New Members

Meredith Ellis
Owner
Rare Earth Landscaping LLC
505-506-3271
Visit Rare Earth Landscaping Website
Meredith Ellis, owner of Rare Earth Landscaping, takes gardening to a whole new level of customer service through integrity and hard work. The company specializes in custom designs, quality installations, and reliable ongoing maintenance. The company also designs custom planter arrangements on hand forged platforms for home and business entryways. Visit Rare Earth Landscaping Website for more information.

Jeanneth C.Lopez
Owner
Rio Rancho Cleaning LLC
7820 Enchanted Hills Blvd NE #A-175
Rio Rancho, NM 87144-8638
505-771-0093
Email Jeanneth
Visit Rio Rancho Cleaning Website
Jeanneth Lopez, Owner of Rio Rancho Cleaning LLC is a new NAWBO member. She specializes in janitorial service and residential cleaning service in the greater Albuquerque metro area. She is the New Mexico founding partner of Cleaning for a Reason Foundation providing free cleaning service to women cancer patients.

Renewing Members

Mamie Chan
Optometrist
Eye Care For You, PC
5341 Wyoming Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109-3164
505-821-8333
Email Mamie

Patricia Chavez
President/Consultant
PLC Enterprises
705 Vista Abajo Dr NE
Albuquerque, NM 87123-2246
505-275-7261
Email Patricia
PLC Enterprises is a Hispanic woman owned professional service firm. PLC Enterprises specializes in corporate and community relations, legislative and government relations, business & economic development, youth program development, as well as special event & independent meetings management.

Platinum Profile – Sandy Cody

Tired of being laid off and having no control over your life? That’s what motivated Sandy Cody (Resources for Excellence), to take the plunge. She attributes her success to her wide range of business experiences and NAWBO, whose members were instrumental in helping her get up the guts to go into business for herself. They virtually held her hand and provided her with the “good, the bad, and the ugly” of business ownership.

Apparently, it has worked, since not only is she involved in business consulting through Resources for Excellence, but she also is a consultant for adult care/eldercare resources, and an instructor at the graduate level in management and human resources at Webster University. A busy lady. But that’s not all. She has been a member of NAWBO since 1997 and has been active at the local and national levels. Currently, Sandy is the National NAWBO Chair of the President’s Assembly, a group of past and future NAWBO presidents, who are liaisons between the Board and the various NAWBO Chapters.

Sandy loves people, and feels that they are the best part of being in business. She would much rather go out and meet new people and hang with her ‘buds’ than stay at the desk doing paperwork. In fact, her best achievement is having mentored her employees so successfully that she would be comfortable having them take over her business! Another great success is having stayed in business for over twelve years.

For relaxation and rejuvenation, she loves to go hiking with her dog in the Sandia foothills, or if she has time, in Lincoln County or the Jemez Mountains. She wishes that all the women in NAWBO could have as much fun as she does getting to know such interesting women, learning about their strengths, challenges, and successes.

Thank you, Sandy, for your contributions to NAWBO, as a Platinum Member, a tireless volunteer, and an inspiration!

Tidbits from the Public Policy Committee

Review of National Healthcare Legislation
Ann Riley
Email Ann
With all the discussion around the proposed National Healthcare Legislation, the Public Policy Group, at a recent meeting, asked Samantha Lapin to review with members the Kaiser Foundation synopsis of the national healthcare legislation. The synopsis is 12 pages, while the legislation is 1200 pages. You can download the synopsis in PDF: healthreform_tri_full_-_kaiser.pdf (PDF; 274K). Key issues reviewed pertained to individual mandates and employer requirements, such as:

require all individuals to have health insurance;
require all individuals to have “acceptable health coverage”
require employers to offer coverage to their employees and contribute at least 72.5% of the premium cost for single coverage and 65% of the cost for family coverage…

Also reviewed were the expansion of public programs, subsidies to individuals, tax changes, insurance pooling, benefits, cost containment, and prevention and wellness.

Consumer Driven Health Plans
Ann Riley
Consumer Driven Health Plans (CDHPs) have really caught on nationwide. These are addressed in the national health legislation with small business insurance pooling and Health Reimbursement Accounts. This may be of interest to our members.

Some years ago, several groups including NM Industrial Development Executives Association (NM IDEA) began working with business groups including Association of Commerce and Industry (ACI) to help sponsor a Town Hall about building a healthy workforce and/or about wellness. As a result, wellness became part of the discussion at the NM First Town Hall on Health Care. At the time we discussed the idea that businesses would eventually opt out of the health care and health insurance business. Ideas about how this would happen included the business negotiating the overall plan and the employee managing their own wellness and health insurance plan including filing their own claims. These new health insurance products and services are called “CONSUMER DRIVEN HEALTH PLANS” (CDHP).

The new health insurance plan for Sandia National Laboratories is a Consumer Driven Health Plan that has an emphasis on a healthy workforce and practicing wellness. This may be the future direction for employer health insurance as described in an issue of Sandia’s health newsletter that states “In fact, 40% of all employers that are Sandia’s size or larger offer these kinds of plans, and survey information indicates that over 60% expect to in the near future.” You can download Sandia’s health newsletter in PDF here: SNL_Consumer-Driven_Health_Plan.pdf (PDF; 2655K).

N.M. Legislative Corner
Debbie Maestas-Traynor
Email Debbie
Welcome to the NAWBO Public Policy legislative corner. I will briefly share with you the history and background of our state’s legislature and legislators. Our state’s legislative body dates back to the first Diputacion Provincial of 1822. It was a “citizen legislature” then, as it is today. A citizen legislature is one made up primarily of citizens who have a full-time occupation besides being a legislator. Oregon, Wyoming and Idaho also have a citizen legislature. In contrast other states have a professional legislature, where they are full time, compensated legislators. Our elected legislators represent districts of approximately equal populations, so some legislators cover several hundred miles in remote areas of our state. They are not compensated and are given a daily living allowance for each day of official legislative business. The NM State Legislature is composed of 112 members; the House has 70 members, and the Senate has 42. Your legislators introduce legislation and participate in and/or chair Standing committees during the session and Interim committees when the legislature is not in session. Key dates for the 49th Legislature, Second Session are:

Dec 15 – Jan 15 – Legislation can be pre-filed
January 19 – Opening Day
February 3 – Deadline for introductions
February 18 – Session ends
March 10 – Legislation not acted upon by the governor is pocket vetoed
May 19 – Effective date of legislation not carrying an emergency clause or other specified date

As small business owners it is critical that we understand and are engaged in the legislative process. Government regulations have a big impact on our businesses. The easiest way to get involved is to talk to your legislator. Legislators are busy but are willing to visit with their constituents. I encourage you to get to know your legislators and share your ideas and concerns with them. If you do not know who your legislators are, you can find this information on the New Mexico Legislature web site.

Our next article will cover how a bill gets introduced and the process required to get it passed! Also please stay tuned for the “Special Session” in October; this will focus on budget issues. Our state constitution requires that the annual state operating budget be balanced.

NAWBO Members Receive Reduced Reservation Fee for October 21st F. E. E. Program

NAWBO members who register for the Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence (FEE) presentation will receive a $5 discount for the event to be held on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 from 1:00PM to 5:00PM at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 1000 Woodward Place NE., just prior to the NAWBO dinner meeting.

The program, an interactive course targeted to owners and managers of emerging business, is entitled, “Getting a Second Wind to Run Your Business…Adjusting to the Landscape.” Experience an interactive session led by event keynote, Lucy Rosen. Rosen, who is president of The Business Development Group and a NAWBO member, will speak on “What Now? A Program for Business Owners after They’ve Launched Their Business.” Wayne Story, president of Direct Marketing Strategies LLC, will provide inspiration with his talk: “The Economy Sucks, So What Now?”

Reservations are required and the fee is $40 per person until October 9, and $50 per person afterward. NAWBO member will receive a discounted rate of $35.00. Register online or send a check to Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence, PO Box 91956, Albuquerque, NM 87199. For more information or to enquire about sponsorships for the FEE event, contact Robin Dozier Otten, (505) 856-7244 or by email.

FEE was the brainchild of a group of NAWBO past presidents saw a need to expand financial opportunities for women business owners. Through the initial fundraising efforts hosted by NAWBO, FEE developed into its own philanthropic organization, as a 501©3. This year FEE and NAWBO have decided to formalize their collaboration and strengthen their partnership by working together on their fundraising efforts. This will allow both to thrive and to build upon each other’s strengths.

Have You Joined the Conversation?
Eloise Gift
Email Eloise

If you attended the last NAWBO NNM dinner and satellite meetings in Albuquerque you already joined the International Forum conversation. We hope it led you to discover (maybe to your surprise) that you are in fact set up to conduct if not already conducting business on an international scale.

How many [of you] have heard of International Forum?
How many [of you] have a business?
How many of you have a website?
Can people connect with you and your business through your (www.) presence?

Most in attendance at the meetings were able to answer yes to all four questions. If you were not at the meetings but can answer yes to questions 2 – 4, you are among the NAWBO NNM women who have the capability for doing business internationally. If you are reading this article, you, are now a part of the International Forum conversation and can say yes to having heard about International Forum.

In our last newsletter we described International Forum as a NAWBO resource that seeks to enhance the wealth-building capacity of its members by providing resources to help build relationships and expand business beyond the borders of our city, state, and country.

With your [www.] presence, you are well poised to take advantage of the opportunities provided through these resources as you connect socially, build relationships that have the potential to expand your business. Visit both the NAWBO national and NAWBO NNM websites regularly to learn about international organizations and alliances and for updates on international events, activities, and conferences relevant to women and business around the world. Continue to be a part of the conversation with your suggestions and questions, and consider becoming a member of your International Forum Committee. It’s all about the financial opportunities and possibilities we seek.

New Member Orientation – A Testimonial
Jane Emberty
Email Jane

Bueno Foods hosted the Orientation this month and what a great time for the attendees. The Bueno staff welcomed us and Anna Baca provided a brief history of Bueno Foods. I was amazed that during the production of NM chili, Bueno actually gets the chili from the field to the freezer in less than 24 hours. Another interesting statistic that Anna shared is that 99% of their chili is from NM. No other chili processor has that guarantee! They fed us their wonderful tamalitos and other snacks and, gave a general overview of the history of the company. Everyone attending the orientation seemed very impressed and loved the food.

Barbara Dawson provided the orientation in an interesting and informative way. She provided details about the website and a great overview of the organization. The orientation packet contains some great tools for the new members and others who may not be using the numerous benefits we receive. It was a great way to get to know some of the members on a more intimate basis. All sorts of possibilities surfaced. What a neat organization this is! Thank you all for making us feel so welcome.

I walked away from the meeting with a great goodie bag from Bueno Foods, more aware of some of the challenges facing the chili industry in NM but also better educated about NAWBO and the benefits at my finger tips. This meeting exceeded my expectations.

Thank you Bueno Foods and NAWBO Board members.

Are You Getting Your Money’s Worth From NAWBO?
Barbara Dawson
Email Barbara

We are all in business. We have to watch our ROI (Return on Investment) and watch our P&L (Profit and Loss).

Would you like to expand your network and also your net worth? As Dennis Waitley says “If you are not networking you may end up not working.”

May I make a suggestion?
The Northern NM Chapter of NAWBO may be a hidden asset that you are not fully taking advantage of. My experience in my early days with NAWBO was that I committed to attending the monthly meeting. I put it on my calendar and knew that I would show up regardless of the meeting topic, who I sat beside, and what other things were going on in my life; the monthly meeting was where I was committed to show up. After all I had paid about $200 of my hard earned cash to join. Why not follow-through on my investment?

How about you? Are you showing up to the meetings? How are you taking advantage of your NAWBO membership?

We now have 4 NAWBO sponsored meetings each month, masterminds that meet at all times of the month, committees that meet monthly, a direct communication and advertising that’s available weekly through AGORA and other opportunities to meet, connect and build relationships every week. My experience in NAWBO is that the more I show up the more growth I experience and the more growth potential is there for my business.

Please connect with one of the current board members or the committee chairs. See how your unique talents can be “exploited,” let others get to know you and watch what happens.

Three NAWBO Satellite Breakfast Meetings

Establish relationships, network, share business building tips in an intimate casual NAWBO group, and experience the added benefit of being part of a powerful group of New Mexico business owners.

NAWBO-NNM NORTHWEST Satellite

Breakfast Meeting
the FIRST Wednesday of every month
Where: WESST Corp Facility in Rio Rancho
For information please contact Lorie Guthrie at 892-1238

NAWBO-NNM UPTOWN Satellite

Breakfast Meeting
the SECOND Wednesday of every month
Where: Le Peep Restaurant
For information please contact Roz Dufour by email or phone 880-0400

NAWBO-NNM SANTA FE Satellite

Breakfast Meeting
The SECOND Tuesday of every month
Where: Zia Diner in Santa Fe
For information please contact Susanne Kennedy by email or call 505-820-6342.

Corporate Sponsors and Platinum Members

We extend special thanks to our chapter Corporate Partners

They look forward to working with our members. Click on a company logo to visit the web site in a new window or click on a name to send an email.

DIAMOND NAWBO-NNM CORPORATE PARTNER:

New Mexico Business Weekly has the right tools to help you grow your business. The Business Weekly is chock full of local business news, in depth information and tons of leads. Stay in touch with New Mexico Businesses by subscribing to the NM Business Weekly! Our contact is Nancy Salem, 505-768-7008.

Jobing.com exists with one key mission: to connect local employers and local job seekers. It’s that simple. Our company was founded by a human resources professional who believes passionately that HR is the driving force behind the success of every business and that finding and keeping great talent is the key to that success. Contact Randy Richardson, General Manager, 505-440-6351.

SILVER NAWBO-NNM CORPORATE PARTNERS:

We are a full service regional financial services company with a strong focus on a superior level of customer service. We provide a range of services for commercial banking, retail and business banking, and consumer finance. Bank of the West is big enough to help and small enough to care. Please contact Leslie Quade, 505-271-9770

Perfectly situated between the University of New Mexico and the downtown business district, the Embassy Suites Albuquerque provides a relaxing guest experience with comfortable accommodations and impeccable service. Our contact is Natalee Hoff, Catering & Sales Manager, 505-275-7100

COPPER NAWBO-NNM CORPORATE PARTNERS: