When considering a commercial lease, don’t just sign on the dotted line! For many businesses, leases are a large part of overhead. Tenants have bargaining power to garner for themselves the best deal for their bottom line. Here are some items you should consider when negotiating a commercial lease. Your Goals Identify your goals. Here are some important variables: Size of … [More]
Why You Should Issue 1099-MISC in Your Business
These days, businesses rely on additional services from contractors and freelancers for tasks that don’t require employee headcount. This means that it’s essential for them to understand IRS rules and varied prerequisites for issuing 1099-MISC forms in their business. Unfortunately, a lot of business owners “wing it” when it comes to following the rules and requirements because … [More]
Summer 2016 Message from the NAWBO President
When I first visited NAWBO Phoenix back in 2004, I knew I had found my tribe. It was my district manager who had handed me a newspaper clipping a few weeks earlier and thought I might be interested in the group. I didn’t hesitate to become involved and started volunteering on a committee, and, finally, the board! I am so grateful to have the women of NAWBO in my life — they are … [More]
Announcing the New NAWBO 2016/2017 Board of Directors
The Phoenix Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) recently installed its new board of directors for 2016-17. This board will be responsible for fulfilling the mission of the 5,000-strong women in NAWBO to: strengthen the wealth-creating capacity of its members and promote economic development; create innovative and effective changes in the … [More]
What to Do when Disaster Strikes
Have you ever heard the phrase “better safe than sorry”? Having a disaster plan is one step in making you safe. As a business owner, the last thing you want to think about is a disaster striking. Today’s disasters are not the same as those of previous generations. We not only have natural disasters which everyone seems to think about, but, with our world being run and … [More]
What Fortune 100 Firms Know about Teambuilding that Women Business Owners Need to Know!
Remember when you started your business a few years ago? You may have had visions of scaling up, living large, having a large team of people, or a company with more than a thousand employees. Or you may have decided to pursue your passion and see where it leads you. You could be a team of one or two. Either way, sooner or later, you can’t do it all alone. … [More]
The Technology Paradox: Are You Hooked into Technology or Is Technology Hooked into You?
I was recently traveling in the Colorado Rockies “off the grid” with no cellular service and no Internet access — unless I took a hike up the hill to the pasture and stood under the big pine tree, where I was able to access three bars on my smartphone. I wonder if this is how the indigenous felt when they sent out their smoke signals. … It’s amazing how much technology rules … [More]
Rights of Publicity: A Potentially Catastrophic Pitfall for the Unwary Marketer
Business owners and marketing departments need to have at least a basic understanding, if not a proficient grasp, of the legal vetting necessary before using an image in an ad or marketing piece. A marketer needs to know not to use trademarks owned by other companies, when to obtain a copyright license before using a photo, and how to avoid using trademarks in her own company’s … [More]
Protection from Hackers; Network Security for Your Business
As more home and office products become Wi-Fi enabled, having a robust network becomes a must. With all the hacking reports in the news, many of our clients have become very aware of network security concerns. There are several best practices that can help secure your home and office networks. The first step is having the right network installed. Different Types of … [More]
Spring 2016 message from the President
The Valley’s Premier Event for Women Entrepreneurs is Now Presented by NAWBO! Change is one of the few constants in life and especially in business. That’s why it’s so important for entrepreneurs to invest regularly in their personal and professional growth. For busy women business owners, however, there’s no time for events that are full of fluff and non-stop sales … [More]
Hell in High Heels
Learning to be a great leader takes training. There are countless leadership training courses, classes, videos, books and even degrees available for people who truly want to be great leaders. Much of the training available is excellent; however, when you look at the majority of the great training out there, it was developed by men for men. Women can still use it, of course, but … [More]
Close the Sale at Hello!
Some people feel they aren’t cut out for sales while others love it, thriving on the adrenaline of a closed deal. The bottom line is that we are all selling something: an idea, our opinion, a product, service or decision. Whether at work, on the road, with family or with friends, we tap into the ability to persuade and negotiate with others. That, my friends, is sales. Some … [More]
Three Lessons for Lasting Leadership
Too much. Tired of reading long lists about how to be a leader? A better leader? An effective leader? But, think about the few, core characteristics that create lasting leaders. Not the job jumpers, but leaders who stay and create sustainable success. Who are they? Simple searches will provide the lists of attributes associated with lasting leaders. You have read these lists … [More]
Why Video Should Be Part of Your Business Strategy
Despite the fact that most brands know they should be using video as a part of their business strategy, most aren’t. Here are some of the most important reasons why you should be using video, which will help give you the push you need to finally use this powerful technique for reaching your target customers. Videos are More Compelling than Other Forms of Content We are … [More]
Be Bold and Courageous
"Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the ones you did.” —H. Jackson Brown Most of us have something we promised ourselves we would do in this lifetime that we haven’t done yet. We tell ourselves it is because we don’t have the money, we don’t have the time, and we don’t have the right support or resources … [More]
Message from the President
As president of NAWBO Phoenix and regional center director for the Maricopa Small Business Development Center, not to mention all my personal roles, I’m busy. No busier than you are. And this is certainly a busy time of year — wrapping up projects (and gifts!), giving and attending numerous holiday gatherings, rushing to get it all done by December 25 or December 31. And there … [More]
3 Marketing Strategies to Stay Ahead of the Competition in 2016
Marketing is a constantly evolving part of every business, and the marketing function is continually adjusting and reacting to changes in technology that will help businesses better communicate with prospects and customers. While digital marketing has gone through a substantial transformation in the last few years, the technology that sparked these changes is growing at an even … [More]
Message from the President
I am so pleased to be serving as the president for the Phoenix Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, a dream I’ve had since I wrote my check and was the first charter member of the NAWBO Colorado Springs Chapter in 1996. And, as much as I am an entrepreneur, I am a team person … I want to do more, have a greater impact. Thankfully, five years ago a … [More]
