When: Tuesday, October 10 with Barbara Underhill, World figure skating champion Where: Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre
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on our website
 Our blog
Company Chat
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to our new members who joined us in September:
Anne Bergman,
Your Kitchen Coach, Toronto
Audrey Ciccone,
Human Perspective Consulting Ltd, Oakville
Debbie Evans,
Silkenborg, Oakville
Barb Kelly,
Anne Sportun Experimetal Jewellry, Toronto
Christine Merritt,
Coldwell Banker Terrequity Realty, Brokerage, Toronto
Pilar Portela,
Anne Sportun Experimetal Jewellry, Toronto
Carol Razmov,
Rainbow Creations, Thornhill
Carol Sachowski,
Couhrage, Toronto
Veena Sagoo,
Arkflorals, Oakville
Camelia Stefanescu,
Oakville
Liz Stevenson,
Royal LePage Real Estate Services, Toronto
Deborah Tomasek,
Two Men and a Truck, Mississauga
Jeniffer Thomas,
Inspirational Directives, Hamilton
Monika Vaskova,
The Chippettes, Mississauga
Terri Williams,
Distinct Writing Services, Burlington
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"It is far more useful to be aware of a single shortcoming in ourselves than it is to be aware of a thousand in somebody else. For when the fault is our own, we are in a position to correct it."
Dalai Lama
And You said...
"The conference was well-organized and effective. It was well worth the investment of time and money."
Louise Fox,
Etiquette Ladies
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October 15th, 12-3pm
Harvest of Hope
Champagne Brunch and Silent Auction with proceeds going to Danielle's Place, an eating disorder support and resource centre. To be held at the Burlington Golf and Country Club, 422 North Shore Boulevard East, Burlington, tickets are $40 per person. To order tickets contact Carolyn Mayeur at 905 333 5548.
October 20
Party in Pink
This fun filled PINK evening will be held on Friday, October 20th, 2006 at the Holiday Inn Burlington, Ontario with over 500 women in attendance! To prebook your tickets, call Lynn Beechey at 905 331-8182
Check the website at www.partyinpink.ca for more information.
October 25
10th ATHENA Gala Event
Oakville Conference and Banquet Centre. Keynote speaker – Susan Aglukark, Singer and Songwriter
Tickets on sale September 1st and can be ordered through Company of Women.
Do you have a fundraising event you'd like to promote? Submit it here
Call for Nominations For the 27th year, the YWCA will honour seven women leaders, one an exceptional young woman under the age of 25, for their outstanding contribution to improving the lives of women and girls in their community.
The deadline for nominations is November 1, 2006 and forms can be downloaded from womenofdistinction.ca. The awards will be presented on Tuesday, May 29, 2007.
Did you know... Visiting the US on business? You can now find out the best restaurants, hotels and excursions before you go. Check www.openlist.com for a comprehensive guide to top restaurants, hotels and attractions.
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Dear friends,
How did your September go? From all that I have heard from members – it was a whirlwind. I know for us at Company of Women we certainly started the “season” with a flurry of activity, with two dinners and an all-day conference within eight days. Our Toronto meeting was sold out - a first!
A total of 270 women participated in these events which speaks to the number of women running their own business and the interest in belonging to a community of like-minded women.
Why are more women are wanting to run their own business? Many are looking for flexibility and control over their lives; while others are pursuing a passion, a dream. It is predicted that by the year 2010, there will be one million women entrepreneurs in Canada.
That’s why it is so exciting to launch Company Chat, because then we can connect with each other online no matter where we live in Canada. We can dialogue with one another and share our stories, experiences and expertise.
It’s women helping women.
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THE TOP SEVEN SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
By Jan Marie Dore
Here are seven strategies that work best to market your small business.
- Choose a narrow niche to dominate
Your marketing efforts are simplified when you narrow your niche. Standing out in a small, defined niche is much easier and more effective than being one of many in a broad market.
- Create a powerful, self introduction
Make it succinct. Say in as few words as possible who you work with, what their main challenge is and how you help them solve that problem. Then get the word out and ask others to spread it for you too.
- Start a newsletter
You need to get in front of your prospects an average of seven times before they are ready to buy for you. An email newsletter or ezine is one of the most effective ways to stay in touch with clients and provide value.
- Offer free talks and small scale seminars
Small seminars are one of the best ways to grow your business and get referrals. Put on your own free talks and seminars, or offer them through organizations that can put you in front of your ideal clients.
- Rewrite your website to focus on keywords
If you don’t use targeted keywords at your website, people will never find you through the search engines. Find out which words potential customers are searching on, and sprinkle those words throughout your website copy and your articles.
- Write articles to demonstrate your expertise
Writing and promoting articles that showcase your wisdom and experience can give you lots of free publicity for your business. Write about the latest trends, have an opinion and take a stand. Marketing with articles will help you stand out and get noticed.
- Expand your Network
You need a large network to grow a small business. Develop strategic alliances and ask others to help get the word out for you. Leverage the power of your connections to promote your business.
Take action on at least one of these items, and watch your business grow!
Jan Marie Dore, the Women Entrepreneurs Success Coach helps women business owners and independent professionals attract more clients with creative marketing strategies. Get her marketing tips and free report Seven Critical Small Business Marketing Mistakes at www.femalepreneurs.com. She can be reached at admin@janmariedore.com.
Read our newest articles at companyofwomen.ca
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Create Your Brand Identity Package
By Pam Walters Branding isn't new. It's been around forever... ever since there was more than one sandal maker for gladiators to choose from. Building your business (brand) used to have more to do with your reputation.
Then, as more and more products and services began vying for the same customers, it became critical not only to offer a superior product or service, but also to differentiate yourself from your competition. [ more ]
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Pitch like A Girl
By Ronna Lichtenberg In her latest book, Pitch Like a Girl: How A Woman Can be Herself and Still Succeed, she argues that instead of trying to be more like men, we should use our natural powers of persuasion and relationship- building skills to gain support for what we want.
Introducing the concept of Me, Inc. she argues that whether you are an employee or an employer, you are the chief executive officer of Me, Inc. "You are in charge of what you offer, how you offer it, where you offer it and what you will accept for your offering. You are also free to leave."
[ more ]
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Linda Towart had a solo exhibition at the Burlington Art Centre, 1333 Lakeshore Road, Burlington with a Gala Reception and Meet the Artist Event on September 17.
Congratulations to Mary Cardamone of Royal LePage and Wendy Perkins of PrizeLawn Sprinklers Inc on their recent nominations for the ATHENA Award.
Congratulations to Betty Wood, on being runner-up to the JoAnna Townsend Award presented by the Organization of Women in International Trade.
Liz Scott of Organizational Solutions Inc will be speaking at the International Forum on Disability Management in Australia.
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CHICKS OUT WALKING I am proud to report that we not only completed the 60K walk to end breast cancer, but we were in the first 20% of the walkers to go over the finish line. Not bad for a group of “old broads”. We also raised over $25,000. So thank you to everyone who donated to our team. There were a total of 5,200 walkers and together we raised $17.2 million. An amazing experience.
DINNERS
Oakville
On October 10, join us when Barbara Underhill, World Champion Skater will be sharing her story. Barbara Underhill is best known for her many years dedicated to the sport of figure skating. She and her partner of 21 years, Paul Martini were five time National Pair Skating Champions, World Pair Figure Skating Champion and seven-time World Professional Champions.
Barbara is a proud mom and step-mom to five children. In 1993, Barbara’s life was shattered when she and her husband Rick Gaetz experienced the tragic loss of their eight-month old daughter in a backyard pool accident. In her memory they founded The Stephanie Gaetz KEEPSAFE Foundation, dedicated to childhood injury prevention and safety education.
Barbara takes us on her personal journey of world-acclaimed triumphs and devastating losses. Barbara has had to overcome obstacles and personal setbacks, yet she shows us how we can all find a way, not just to survive, but to thrive despite the difficult curves life throws us.
Toronto
On October 19 (note a Thursday not our usual Wednesday) Robin Lee Kennedy has a compelling style that combines her rich life experiences and deep business insights to inspire people to embrace life and be the very best they can be.
Join us as she shares her story of going “Against the Tide” and hear how the survival skills she developed both helped and hindered her in her personal and professional endeavours.
As founder and principal of MotivatedMinds Inc she draws on her expertise in training, coaching, assessment and team building. Robin has the ability to open people’s hearts and minds with her energetic speaking style and insightful delivery of her message. Robin’s talk will provide you with the knowledge and inspiration to move forward.
Our Toronto speaker on November 29 will be Marg Hachey, President of Duocom. She will be talking about Managing Change
TRADESHOWS
Christmas Show and Mini-Fashion Show – November 21
Mark the date in your calendar and plan to make a dent in your holiday shopping.
Space still available for booths. This year the cost will be $75 for a full booth, and $35 for a half booth + GST for members, and $100 /$50 + GST for non members. This does not include dinner. Register early to ensure you have a spot.
MASTERMIND GROUPS
Interested in growing your business? We are looking for just a few good women to join our mastermind group in Toronto. What is a mastermind group? Basically there are eight women who own a different type of business and they meet on a monthly basis to discuss their business. It’s led by a trained business coach who lends her expertise and facilitation skills. This service is available to members only.
If you are interested in learning more, check the website at www.companyofwomen.ca or contact me at anneday@companyofwomen.ca.
BUSINESS BREAKFAST CLUBS
Are you a morning person? Then check out our new Business Breakfast Club. Starting October 5, 9-10.30 at the Burlington Arts Centre, 1333 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, we will be meeting to connect and discuss issues that impact us as business owners.
Meetings will be held there on the first Thursday of every month. In Mississauga, the first breakfast will be October 24, with meetings held at the Rosewood Bistro, 1900 Dundas Street West, Mississauga. Cost will be $20 for members and $25 for non-members + GST and pre-registration will be required.
WORKSHOPS
We have organized a series of workshops to be held in Burlington and Toronto.
Check the workshop section of our website for more information.
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SERVICE OUTSOURCING
Beyond9to5.com is a new Canadian online marketplace that connects skilled professionals with business service needs that can be outsourced.
For small and medium sized business, the opportunity to hire professionals on a per project basis given them access to top talent that would typically not be financially feasible or available on a full time basis.Businesses can post their projects for free and have local, national and international experts competitively bid to obtain the business.
There is no cost to the employer. Check it out – www.beyond9to5.com
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO SUCCEED?
The top hot 50 companies as identified by Profit Magazine, identified the following five attributes that are critical to building a business:
- Personal Persistence (96%)
- Positive Personal Attitude (96%)
- Ability to Overcome Unforeseen Challenges (94%)
- Ability to Attract Good Staff (88%)
- Ability to Retain Good Staff (88%)
BRILLIANT! is the online magazine created especially for you - the Canadian woman entrepreneur. A vehicle to bring you what's on the leading-edge in small business ideas, information, and practices, tools and technology today. A place to be inspired by the courage and conviction of your sister entrepreneurs; to build on the communities you've created in your local networks and connect and share with women business owners all over the country.
Go to www.brilliantonline.ca
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