Women Grow Business

Business owners know that connecting with other executives, mentors, and industry experts must be a key component of a growth strategy.

They also know that there aren’t enough hours in the work-week to attend every networking function that they would like to attend – especially in the DC region where there could be 8-10 high-profile, competing networking events on any given day. There are so many events now in this area that an individual could attend a breakfast, lunch, dinner, and reception event every day of the week and still not make the rounds to every event out there.

So how does one decide where and with whom they should spend their valuable time?

This was one of the excellent questions I received this past weekend when I presented at the inaugural Women Grow Business Bootcamp (photo of Marissa at the boot camp by Shashi Bellamkonda (cc), www.shashi.name | Social Media Swami | www.networksolutions.com).  In response to that question, I reflected on the process I use to evaluate organization membership.

First, analyze your objectives for joining specific organizations, and for attending specific events.

Some of the reasons people attend networking events or join networking groups include:

• Learning/education
• Business development/lead generation
• Meeting specific individuals that are affiliated with a specific group
• Competitive analysis
• Brand-building
• Taking a leadership position (committee member, Board member)
• Expanding your social circle
• Emotional support/personal connections

Every decision a business owner makes must be tied to the strategic objectives for the company’s growth. This includes evaluating which networking organizations and functions are most closely aligned with your strategic objectives.

Second, create a budget for networking and membership.

When considering the budget, it’s important to determine how you will measure a return on investment.

If a membership costs $2,000/year, are you anticipating contracts (through new contacts) that will exceed the $2,000 plus the cost of doing business? Are you expecting to meet a certain number of strategic partners? Are you working to build your brand recognition? Do you anticipate learning about specific topics that are relevant to your overall business strategy?

It’s important to factor in additional expenses that are outside membership fees, including fees associated with activities such as networking breakfasts, lunches or dinners, awards ceremonies, retreats, and conferences.

Third, realistically determine how much time you can dedicate to networking, and who else in your organization can/wants to participate.

Candidly assess your schedule and the competing demands in your life. We’ve all joined organizations with the best intentions of attending the majority of events, but often business and life gets in the way of networking. For example, if an organization hosts monthly lunches that run from 11:00 – 1:00, realistically you should set aside 4 hours of downtime to attend that event.

While the event may “feel good” and give you an opportunity to connect with interesting, enjoyable people, at the end of the day, does it impact your bottom line?

There is an “opportunity cost” to attend functions. What are you NOT able to do because you are attending this events? Write proposals? Meet with customers? Engage with your employees?

Your time is valuable, and the allocation of that time is either an expense or investment.

Fourth, correlate your organization affiliations to your growth strategy.

In other words, visualize where your company will be a year from now, and determine which groups can help you get there. Which groups will connect you with the people you need to meet your goals? You shouldn’t join a group based on where you are today.

Rather, you should join a group based on the future vision of your company, so that you can grow into your group, and your group to foster your growth.

Fifth, make your decisions based on logic.

It’s very easy to get caught up in the “fun” of networking when we are trying on a regularly scheduled event or organization for size and the right fit …

To read more of Marissa’s column, check it out at the DC Women’s Entrepreneurship Examiner, from where it’s been excerpted with permission and minor edits.

More from Women Grow Business:

• Jen Consalvo shares lessons from Austin for women in business
• Melanie Spring tells you how to get out of your comfort zone

Guest contributor Marissa Levin is Founder and CEO of Information Experts. Marissa was named a 2008 BRAVO Award winner, and a Smart100 CEO for both 2009 and 2010, by SmartCEO Magazine (which honors the region’s 25 most influential women CEOs); recently she was listed in Washington’s 100 Technology Titans by Washingtonian Magazine. She is also the DC Women’s Entrepreneurship Examiner. Describing her true passion as “helping other business owners be successful with their own business growth,” Marissa can be reached through her blog Marissa Levin.

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Clients: Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are

Small business owners often discuss finding new clients and the process of networking. “How do you get new clients?” I’m asked again and again. Over the years, I’ve discovered enjoyable ways to expand my business.

While you can attend a number of networking events in the area, such as a DC Web Women lunch or a Women Grow Business bootcamp, you don’t have to wait for someone else to take the lead. You can organize your own events or meetings.

Here are three ways to create networking opportunities:

Create a Networking Event

If you are organized and enjoy putting together an event, then this option might be for you.

Consider the following: Do you want to create a monthly event? What kind of people do you want to attend?

Considering those questions will help you uncover your goals.

When you place yourself at the center of an event, everyone will remember you. Most likely, they will be grateful to you for spending the time and energy to gather the group together.

Tweetups

If you are an avid Twitter user, or even if you’re just starting out, you may have messaged back and forth with people you’ve never had the chance to meet in person. A Tweetup, an in-person gathering of Twitter users, offers a way to turn virtual connections into real connections.

One inventive Tweetup organizer invited people on a progressive tour of bakeries in the DC area. The attendees met at a central location. Then, at each bakery, the attendees tasted cupcakes, chatted, and walked together to the next location.

Image: Kat Johnston/Sanura Sakai, Creative Commons

Recently, I co-organized a Women Grow Business Tweetup. Several WGB bloggers and small business owners met in real life and developed stronger connections as a result.

With someone I met at the WGB Tweetup, I am creating a workshop focused on creativity and entrepreneurship.

What I love best about networking is the potential, possibilities, and ideas generated when many minds come together.

Meet for Coffee

Over time, networking for business blends with gathering with friends. If you have a project idea or want to reconnect with someone, invite someone for coffee. Coffee works well for those who might not have time for a two-hour lunch.

Th0se are just a few ways you can create networking opportunities that you can then convert into business. What can you add?

More from Women Grow Business on networking and business:

• Jen Consalvo’s Lessons from Austin
• Terri Holley asks, “Got Trust?”
• Melanie Spring on offline transparency and grounding your business

Regular contributor Deborah Ager is principal at ClickWisdom, LLC, which helps organizations attract and keep their ideal customers using paid search, social media, search engine optimization, and email marketing. She’s a Google AdWords Certified Professional and has managed $1.5 million spends in paid search while achieving target opt-in rates. Read a Maryland search engine optimization success story and sign up for free internet marketing tips; you can also connect with her on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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Ever since this blog made its debut almost a year and a half ago, the one thing Jill, and then I, focused on, was building, and connecting to, our community.

We try to do this by giving you a range of topics to read about, but all focused on and for women entrepreneurs.

Because if we give you content that’s relevant to your life as a woman entrepreneur, we’re making a connection with you, no matter how ephemeral it might initially seem.

Making the Connection

From the connection point of view, May’s been a really interesting month for Women Grow Business. Well, every month’s a really interesting month for us, but this month has been particularly interesting, because:

• We held our second #wgbiz Twitterchat with Lori Saitz
• We had our first “IRL” happy hour (thank you, Network Solutions) where many of us met for the first time
• We announced the first-ever Women Grow Business Boot Camp (are you registered yet?)

I shouldn’t be, but continue to be amazed at how strong these connections are. Even though our Twitter chats are still very new, we get a great range of participants, not to mention learnings that you can apply in almost every field, regardless of your industry niche.

Consider these tweets from this month’s chat on customer appreciation:

Do read the entire trancript of the #wgbiz chat with Lori. There’s great stuff here that we can all apply in our businesses.

The #wgbiz happy hour was a long time coming. Don’t they say if it’s worth it, it’s worth waiting for?

That’s how I felt and hopefully others did as well. It was delightful to see some new Women Grow Business friends and supporters out for the first time (check out the photos, and that’s Faith Dow, Frank Gruber and Jen Consalvo that you see above), and I loved this note I got from someone new to us:

“I often feel very awkward at networking events, but tonight’s was fun and relaxed. I enjoyed it.”

How cool is that?! And Frank gets mad props for adding a touch of testosterone to our hen party.

As we gear up for June, I’m really looking forward to the Women Grow Business Boot Camp, sponsored by Network Solutions and Steptoe & Johnson LLP.

After connecting with each other online for so long, we’re finally going to have several #wgbiz contributors and supporters in the same room. I can’t even begin to imagine how high the energy will be.

Thank you for allowing us to connect with you. You are why we’re here.

Image © Shonali Burke, used with permission

Shonali Burke is editor of Women Grow Business and one of the country’s leading business communicators, who was named to PRWeek’s inaugural top “40 Under 40″ list of US-based PR professionals. She specializes in creating and implementing integrated (online and off), results-based, measurable communication programs for clients both large and small at Shonali Burke Consulting. An accredited business communicator, she is also Adjunct Faculty at Johns Hopkins University’s M.A. in Communications program and active in the local communications community as President of IABC/DC Metro. Talk to her via her blog, Waxing UnLyrical or Twitter.

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Are your shoes made for walking?

May 23 – 29 is National Small Business Week.  There are events all over the country sponsored by the Small Business Administration and state or local agencies to celebrate the contributions of small businesses and to help such businesses grow and succeed.

This is a great opportunity to enhance your knowledge and build your network. Or to help you re-energize after a tough winter.

It is also a fine time to remind your clients or customers of what you offer and give them another reminder of why they buy from you!

Take a few moments to figure:

How can you use the week effectively to enhance your marketing?

What could you say or offer to bring in some referrals or repeat business?  New business?

How many contacts have you “been meaning” to send a note or add to your social media marketing efforts, and how could you target them this week effectively?

What could you do with 15 minutes a day of concentrated effort this week that would upgrade your game?

If you are in Metro DC, check out the National Small Business Week 2010 Conference, May 23-25.

Wherever you are, these resources are likely to be useful:

• Regional events/celebrations during the week
• An online conference for women May 26th
• The IRS list of seminars and events for small business owners (and yes, it covers more than IRS events and taxes)

Carpe Diem!

More:

• Patricia’s recent “tale of business infrastructure“
• Jen Consalvo’s pre-launch checklist for your small business
• Katie Kemple on defining your corporate culture

Image: uggboy‘s Flickrstream, Creative Commons

Regular contributor Patricia A. Frame is an experienced management consultant, speaker, and executive with expertise in human capital. Launching a new Women Grow Business series on human resources for small business, Patricia is founder of Strategies for Human Resources. She helps small to mid-size organizations achieve their goals through more effective human capital strategy and management. She can be reached through her website SHRinsight.com, where archives for her ongoing management series can be found.

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Examining Austin

Last month I spent several days in Austin, Texas, for SxSWi (South by Southwest Interactive festival). This year, I went with an examining eye, looking for how women would represent.

Knowing many women who were attending and presenting, I knew it wouldn’t disappoint, but …

… what I didn’t expect was to walk away with a new goal:  to spend more time seeking out women I can learn from and find more mentors.

Women Women Everywhere

I’ve attended a fair number of tech conferences through the years and I remember on more than one occasion, feeling a bit lonely and sometimes, dare I say it, a little out of place.

At an O’Reilly Etech event a few years back, I recall getting my lunch and sitting down at the one lunch table that had an open seat. About six or seven men were around the table. Not one attempted to make eye contact or say hello. I attempted to make conversation but there wasn’t much interest.

The next day I went and had lunch by myself in a nearby park – not very much like me at all. However, at SXSWi, from day one, I saw women (that I knew!) everywhere – in lines, panels, restaurants, throwing their own social mixers. While men still make up the majority, it was encouraging.

Smashing the Glass Ceiling

During one of the days of back to back sessions, I decided to stop into a talk titled Smashing the Glass Ceiling (you can read my coverage of it here). When I first saw the title, I was hesitant about going. Sometimes I worry when I see “women’s panels,” as if women can’t talk about the same issues as men in a gender-mixed session.

That worry quickly passed – the panel was great and reminded me that it is still critically important for women to carve out the time to learn from each other. The women of this panel carefully guided a room full of mostly women (and a few men) to talk about challenges and solutions.

The bottom line: many women don’t feel the confidence they need to expertly leverage the changing business landscape.

In a world of real-time tweets, non-stop conferences and highly connected social graphs, having a real gameplan and getting over fear of failure is necessary for success.

A Tribute to Women

While in Austin, a most inspiring friend and colleague invited me to a luncheon at a local office building. I didn’t know what to expect, but it ended up being a highlight of the entire week. There were probably 60+ women there to honor a few special women who have really done some amazing work.

It was a quiet, intimate environment with room to spread out, talk and get to know each other. Everyone there had someone who had personally invited them, so we knew we were all connected in some way.

The women we were honoring that day included creative raconteur of “Other Than That” Cathy Brooks, Altimeter Group’s Charlene Li, CNN’s Jennifer Martin, Read Write Web’s Jolie O’Dell, Facebook’s Randi Zuckerberg, Comcast’s Shauna Causey, Porter Novelli’s Stephanie Agresta and PGi’s Jackie Yeaney.

One particular moment that stood out was when Jennifer Martin was asked to say a few words about herself and instead, went on and on about all the other women who really deserve the credit.

Isn’t it so like so many women to divert attention away from themselves to honor someone else?

I learned a few things that day.

First, it felt amazing to be surrounded by so many accomplished women. With so many men in our industry, it was inspiring and liberating to spend time talking with other women about their challenges and successes.

Second, my ego and defenses took a rest. I often feel I’m fighting to prove myself. But in this environment, I felt comfortable letting down my guard and opening up to all of the knowledge that surrounded me.

Upon Return

Since I’ve been home, I’ve been keeping an eye out for more local women I should spend time with and learn from.

Serendipitously, I recently met a woman whom I would guess to be in her 60′s. We met in a completely social context and little did I realize this woman was a total pioneer, starting her own tech company in the early 90′s and exiting for a hefty sum just before the bubble burst.

When everyone in the world told her that a soccer mom couldn’t build a tech company, she said “just watch me.”

Sadly, I imagine a grey-haired woman wearing artsy earrings gets dismissed quite often by the tech or business world. But this is a woman I want to get to know better. This is a woman I can learn from.

These are my notes to myself since SxSWi:

• Remember to spend time with successful women whom I can learn from. Pick their brains – ask them how they do it.
• Remember to honor other women who are doing great work. Take time to celebrate together.
• Don’t pass up opportunities to get to know my female colleagues more personally and discuss my own goals and dreams.
• Look for mentors. I just saw that Kathy Korman Frey is starting a workshop on women and mentorship – what an opportunity.
• I never want to be dismissed, so don’t dismiss others. You never know what someone has to offer.

More from:

• Melanie Spring on creating a sisterhood of women business owners
• Top women’s networking groups in the DC area from Jill Foster
• The entrepreneurial mindset, from our sister blog, What’s Next, Gen Y?

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I’m a checklist person.

For some reason, the thought of a blank notebook page is like a fresh start on life – a new opportunity to get it all down, and get it all done. I get to my desk in the morning, create a list, feel organized and look forward to checking each item off.

Given the big, never-ending goals and tasks for my business, this small, compartmentalized action is just enough to remind me that things are happening and I am making progress, even if it sometimes feels like a tiny drop in a vast sea.

So, when my partner and I started our online business last year, we created a checklist: setting up our LLC, getting tax ID numbers, launching a website, etc.

However, in all of our excitement, there were things we did not do. Like find a comprehensive list of all county and state forms that had to be filed and fees to be paid.

I was so focused on the fact that we worked from anywhere, had no employees and our audience was global, that I never considered myself a local business directly accountable to a city, county or state. Unfortunately, the government did.

Around the end of January I began to focus on taxes because I had a nagging feeling there were business issues I wasn’t aware of. To ensure I got off on the right foot, I found an accountant who focuses on small businesses and sent him everything.

Soon enough, emails came pouring in. Did you submit your Schedule K-1? Did you send out your 1099-Misc forms? What is your state account number?

My façade of organization came crumbling down.

In short order I became familiar with the local IRS office and City Hall where I bounced back and forth between floors filling out forms, getting permits, paying fees. Despite being about a year late with some of these things, my taxes were done in time and I’m happy to report we’re in good standing.

However, never has it become more fully apparent to me the number of hoops one has to jump through to start a business that doesn’t even have real walls. And I know more hoops still loom out there somewhere. No matter how well prepared we try to be, there will be surprises. But my goal is to minimize them as much as possible.

My mantra must be, “I don’t know what I don’t know – but someone else does.”

For example, I know from other startups I’ve worked with that there are many other considerations once you take funding or sell your company. The structure of your company may make sense now, but it might need to change as your company evolves. This is an area where continual learning is critical.

The stakes are too high not to ask questions (of experienced people) at every stage.

If you are considering starting a business, save yourself a lot of stress down the road and ask a lot of questions up front.

Use resources like the Arlington Economic Development site – this is specific to my town, but you’ll find similar sites for your own area. And here’s a very quick checklist of the types of things you’ll need to look into – you may have more or fewer items based on your type of business and location:

• Zoning: even if you work from home, just you and a laptop, you may need a home occupancy permit. It’s easy, but you have to go apply in person. You need this in order to get your business license. There was no fee.
• File articles of incorporation with the state: this is where we set up our LLC and got an EIN. Annual fee.
• Register Your Trade Name: I did this at the city hall in Arlington. It was a small fee.
• Get your Business License: I also did this at the city hall. You’ll pay a tax based on the type of business it is and gross receipts (which you estimate as a new business – some types of businesses just pay a flat fee). Your tax will be adjusted the next year based on actual gross receipts. This must be renewed annually by March 1st.
• Review the list of state and local taxes that you may be required to pay. Some of them have to be paid monthly or quarterly.
• Talk to an accountant: if you think April 15 is the only tax date you need to be aware of, you’re probably wrong. There are various forms and taxes due at different times of the year once you have your own business. It’s worth learning about and getting organized in advance.

I have some close friends who had a business for several years. They were unbelievably talented at what they did, but never bothered to dig into these tasks.

When they finally visited an accountant who really understood their business, they learned they owed over $50K in back taxes.

That is a serious hole to dig your way out of as a small business – one that will keep you up at night. Today they are out of that debt, doing great and are religious about paying their quarterly taxes.

In the big picture of your business, this may seem like a small but sharp nail hiding in the corner that you try to ignore as long as possible. But the more you learn, understand and prepare, the less stress it will be, leaving you more time and energy to focus on your core business.

More from:

• 15 small business tax deductions from Grow Smart Business
• Regular contributor Lori Saitz reminisces on how building one business led to launching another

Image © Jen Consalvo, used with permission.

Guest contributor Jen Consalvo is co-founder of Shiny Heart Ventures, a new technology startup focused on building community driven products that remind people of the joys of life. For almost 14 years, Jen has led teams in a range of product areas such as digital imaging, social platforms and personalization. The majority of her career was at AOL, planning and building products used by millions of people globally. Also find Jen at jenconsalvo.com, bodysoulconnect.com and twitter.com/noreaster.

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You read their bios at the end of their posts, but we felt our regular contributors deserve a little more prominence. So here they are, in alphabetical order: the women who make Women Grow Business what it is. We couldn’t do it without them.

Tinu Abayomi-Paul rescues web sites from obscurity and shows business people how to generate leads and traffic from the web. Founder of Free Traffic Tips and Ask Tinu, she is widely published online as an ever effective, end-to-end website promotion specialist — on Web Pro News, Search Engine Guide, and more. Ready to engage on Twitter as @tinu, she’s known to say: “You can’t knock my hustle.”

Deborah Ager is principal at ClickWisdom, LLC, which helps organizations attract and keep their ideal customers using paid search, social media, search engine optimization, and email marketing. She’s a Google AdWords Certified Professional and has managed $1.5 million spends in paid search while achieving target opt-in rates. Read a Maryland search engine optimization success story and sign up for free internet marketing tips; you can also connect with her on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Ann Bevans is a writer, graphic designer and web developer.  As principal of Ann Bevans Collective, she helps clients articulate messages that matter and create print and online marketing programs that communicate those messages with impact. Ann asks tough questions and doesn’t accept flimsy answers. She makes music and writes fiction. She does all her own stunts.  Connect with Ann at www.annbevans.com, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook.

Thursday Bram offers content marketing through Hyper Modern Consulting, as well as more traditional writing services. She blogs about the shift between freelancing and business through her personal blog Thursday Bram and can be reached at www.twitter.com/thursdayb.

Shonali Burke is editor of Women Grow Business and one of the country’s leading business communicators, who was named to PRWeek’s inaugural top “40 Under 40″ list of US-based PR professionals. She specializes in creating and implementing integrated (online and off), results-based, measurable communication programs for clients both large and small at Shonali Burke Consulting. An accredited business communicator, she is also Adjunct Faculty at Johns Hopkins University’s M.A. in Communications program and active in the local communications community as President of IABC/DC Metro. Talk to her via her blog, Waxing UnLyrical or Twitter.

Jen Consalvo is co-founder of Shiny Heart Ventures, a new technology startup focused on building community driven products that remind people of the joys of life. For almost 14 years, Jen has led teams in a range of product areas such as digital imaging, social platforms and personalization. The majority of her career was at AOL, planning and building products used by millions of people globally. Also find Jen at jenconsalvo.com, bodysoulconnect.com and twitter.com/noreaster.

Kellye Crane is an accomplished, award-winning communicator with more than 20 years of experience in strategic public relations, social media, and marketing communications. An in-demand speaker, Kellye addresses the intersection of social media and PR on her Solo PR Pro blog, which serves as a resource for those working as independent consultants — and those who’d like to be. She’s frequently listed as one of the top 100 PR pros to follow on Twitter.

Francie Dalton, CMC, is founder and president of Dalton Alliances, Inc. and author of the recently published book Versatility. Her Washington, DC based consultancy helps the C-Suite solve business nightmares. Francie equips clients to deal with what they didn’t see coming (and shows them there’s always another way to win!). She welcomes a chance to meet you via Twitter or on LinkedIn.

Robin Ferrier is the editor of What’s Next, Gen Y? and Communications Manager for the Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus. She is also the President of the Capital Communicators Group and the co-chair of the Marketing Committee for the Tech Council of Maryland. She has inadvertently become a frequent career / professional / job hunt resource for friends and colleagues due to a career path that has included five jobs in 12 years.

Founding editor of Women Grow Business, Jill Foster was named by Forbes Magazine as one of 30 women entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She teaches communications through social media tools and community engagement in the Washington, DC area. Co-founder of DC Media Makers, she’s addicted to learning digital tech and helping professional women put their most authentic self forward both online and onstage. Her work has been in conversation at The Washington Post, Guardian UK, Huffington Post, and a range of online outlets. She looks forward to talking more on Twitter or at her brand new online home, Live Your Talk.

Patricia A. Frame is an experienced management consultant, speaker, and executive with expertise in human capital. Launching a new Women Grow Business series on human resources for small business, Patricia is founder of Strategies for Human Resources. She helps small to mid-size organizations achieve their goals through more effective human capital strategy and management. She can be reached through her website SHRinsight.com, where archives for her ongoing management series can be found.

Terri Holley is the owner of Creative Blog Solutions and a social media strategist, plus a certified life/business coach. A forward-thinker and relationship-centric gal, Terri supports small businesses who understand the value of using social technologies to build deeper relationships with prospects and customers.

Marissa Levin is Founder and CEO of Information Experts. Marissa was named a 2008 BRAVO Award winner, and a Smart100 CEO for both 2009 and 2010, by SmartCEO Magazine (which honors the region’s 25 most influential women CEOs); recently she was listed in Washington’s 100 Technology Titans by Washingtonian Magazine. She is also the DC Women’s Entrepreneurship Examiner. Describing her true passion as “helping other business owners be successful with their own business growth”, Marissa can be reached through her blog Marissa Levin.

Mayra Ruiz is founder of Ruiz McPherson Communications, a social media influence and digital marketing service based in historic Charles Town, West Virginia. With more than 15 years of hands-on marketing, communications and PR experience, Mayra leads her clients forward on all aspects of creative direction, online promotion and marketing communications with innovation, passion and gusto.  When offline, Mayra enjoys “old fashioned” non-techy stuff like cooking, sewing and collecting vintage treasures from area antiques stores. She can be reached at www.twitter.com/mayraruiz or www.twitter.com/ruizmcpherson (her marketing practice).

Shannon Mouton is the social media and mobile marketing manager for an online higher education institution. She is passionate about utilizing social media for the greater good, information sharing and networking. Shannon has nearly 20 years of community building, outreach and relationship marketing experience. She is the owner of The Mouton Group, a real estate investment firm, and a principal at Topaz Consulting, a public relations and marketing consulting enterprise. She serves on the board of directors for the In Series and a regular volunteer at Calvary Women’s Services. Her blog, Shannon Sez So, examines life, its joys, pains and idiosyncrasies. Shannon is also a contributor to Gridiron Gals, as a die-hard fan of the Washington Redskins. Contact her on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.

Founder/CEO and self-proclaimed Chief Troublemaker of Matrix Group International, Joanna Pineda is known for her visionary big-picture thinking and drive for excellence. Combining her broad liberal arts background and passion for technology, she started Matrix Group in 1999, today a leading interactive agency. As a trusted advisor, Joanna inspires and motivates her clients and employees alike to simply, “be better” with her mantra being: Do or Do Not. There is no try!

Lori Saitz is founder of Zen Rabbit Baking Company. She helps people show appreciation for and give recognition to others. The main (delicious!) tool her team uses to help accomplish this important feat is through The Gratitude Cookie™. A thin, crunchy cross between a butter and a sugar cookie, The Gratitude Cookie is so named because if you’re eating the cookies, you’re encouraged to think about something you are grateful for as you munch on each one. Connect with her on Twitter.

Liz Scherer is a digital writer and consultant specializing in health/medicine/wellness. She produces Flashfree which brings her closer to her goal to engage, entertain and provide women in midlife with the tools to make informed decisions about their health. In addition to her blog, you can find Liz on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Melanie Spring is the principal and project director at Sisarina Inc.. An expert networker, Melanie and Sisarina connect individuals and companies with the tools they need to market and promote their brand successfully and efficiently. Connect with her on Twitter where she’s @sisarina.

Amanda Steinberg is the founder of DailyWorth.com, a free daily email about personal finance for women. DailyWorth gives women key insights into building net worth. Sign up today!

Twenty-year PR Veteran and Chief Creative Officer of Wasabi Publicity, Michelle Tennant Nicholson has seen PR transition from typewriters to Twitter. Called a five-star publicist by Good Morning America’s Mable Chan, Michelle specializes in international PR working regularly with the likes of Oprah, Larry King, BBC, The Today Show and all major media. Recently she secured a Dr. Phil placement for a client within eight hours of signing the contract. Contact her at PR blog http://www.StorytellerToTheMedia.com where she teaches tips from the trade.

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Time is your most valuable and only non-renewable resource.

Today is fleeting with every tick of the clock (image: Chris Metcalf, Creative Commons) and, well, tomorrow may not get here.

Attending professional conferences, conventions and meetings are good ways to connect with clients, vendors and potential new clients among other things.

But conferences can be among your largest wasters of time and money if you don’t plan properly.

To make the most out of conference experiences, you need to be strategic, just as you are in every other aspect of your business.

Conferences are typically packed with sessions, workshops, receptions, panels, keynote speakers, banquets, happy hours and so on. Pre-planning is a necessity if you want to get the most out your time there.

1. Figure out your objectives for attending

Conferences are expensive. You have to pay registration, hotel, travel, food and other associated costs such as a dog walker or kennel, extra childcare and trip preparation. You can’t afford to go there and come back empty-handed.

Before you register, ask yourself: how does attending this conference help me to meet my objectives for this year? Are there other conferences that won’t cost as much and will give me the same benefit?

2. Make a plan

“Reading is fundamental” is as true today as it was when the famous literacy campaign began in 1966. Many conferences email materials to attendees ahead of time, so if you don’t have the option to pre-register for sessions, be sure to make a schedule for yourself.

You don’t want to waste time walking the halls, trying to figure out what is going on where and whether or not you should attend.

3. Take care of yourself

Be sure to schedule time for on-your-own-meals, work you need to do, rest and exercise. There are only so many hours in a day and you need to eat, sleep, work, attend sessions, network, check on things at home and so on, don’t overdo it.

Pace yourself.

4. Attend the social events

The parties, happy hours, receptions, dinners and brunches are as valuable as any session if not more so. Go to the events, armed with your elevator pitch, business cards and a smile. Be prepared to start conversations with strangers and politely jump into group discussions.

Good networkers are ready to offer advice, as well as ask for support.

5. Test ideas

Conferences are meccas for the pioneers, innovators and rock stars of your field. Take a few extra minutes at a book-signing or after the workshop to bounce an idea off of someone. Get different perspectives on a idea by holding an informal focus group with colleagues during breakfast or a coffee break.

6. Do CASE studies

If imitation is the greatest form of flattery then CASE studies are the best thing since sliced bread. Copy and steal everything is the premise of utilizing an organization’s or person’s best practices and infusing them into your enterprise.

Good ideas make the world go ’round; using them makes it go ’round easier.

7. Follow-up, follow-up and follow-up

Email, call, tweet or write a letter. Use all of the business cards you collected to remind people who you are, where you met and how you two can work together.

Most importantly, have fun at the conference. Relax, enjoy the change of pace and look forward to your future as the “rock star” at next year’s conference.

More from:

• Reem Abeidoh’s “5 Goals I Set Before Attending a Conference“
• Women Grow Business contributor Jen Consalvo’s 5 tips from the CES floor

Shannon Mouton is the social media and mobile marketing manager for an online higher education institution. She is passionate about utilizing social media for the greater good, information sharing and networking. Shannon has nearly 20 years of community building, outreach and relationship marketing experience. She is the owner of The Mouton Group, a real estate investment firm, and a principal at Topaz Consulting, a public relations and marketing consulting enterprise. She serves on the board of directors for the In Series and a regular volunteer at Calvary Women’s Services. Her blog, Shannon Sez So, examines life, its joys, pains and idiosyncrasies. Shannon is also a contributor to Gridiron Gals, as a die-hard fan of the Washington Redskins. Contact her on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.

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Remember the saying, “offense sells tickets and defense wins games championships?”

We yell, scream, hug strangers and plain go crazy for a touchdown, home run, slam dunk or goal. It’s what we come to see, what we pay money for and what gets our hearts pounding.

But lately I’ve been thinking, what about the defense? Aren’t these plays equally important? What would happen if the defense didn’t play?

Does anyone specifically come to see the sack, catch, block or save?

The offense of business

In the offense of business, we congratulate each other for getting a new client, landing the account or closing the deal. We networked, followed-up, went to lunch, had meetings, sent emails, made phone calls, did more follow-up and eventually got the brass ring.

We were playing offense, attacking, going for the score. Regretfully the defense is often underutilized, overlooked and ignored.

Let’s consider the defense of business.

Website and online profiles.

You and your business have to be searchable on the Internet. A website provides clients a sense of legitimacy about your business, and according to research from eMarketer (login required), 70% of consumers trust brand websites. Long gone are the days of “letting our fingers do the walking.”

Business cards.

A good business card has your name, your business’ name, with correct and complete (email, website, profile URLs, land line and mobile numbers) contact information.

Creativity is nice; however, this is not the time to use every color in the box of 64. And don’t forget to use the back of the card, its wasted space, therefore wasted money.

Say it loud and say it proud.

Can you convey your passion, products and services in the time it takes to cross the street? Can you tell me what your business does in 15 seconds or less? Can your family and friends tell others what you do in order to generate referral business?

Hardware and software.

Now is the time to upgrade from your 199X desktop to a laptop or notebook from this century. You want to get the latest operating system to offer more functionality and the new hard drive will provide more memory. Further, if you need some information from your computer, it will be with you.

If you do not have the resources at this time, do not make the investment… use what you have until you can get what you want.

Infrastructure.

These are the uninteresting, tedious things we must do to manage a successful enterprise: register with our city or county for a business license, keep track of every single solitary receipt. If you’re working from home, some local governments require a zoning permit, and protect yourself via an umbrella insurance or LLC.

Often entrepreneurs are so busy doing business, they forget to manage and maintain their businesses.

These few defensive steps go a long way to making your offensive work more productive and more fun.

More from:

• Small Biz Survival on managing your business “or it will manage you”
• Extremely useful information from Business.gov on business licenses and permits
• Jen Consalvo on 3 lessons from the unsigned contract

Image: Creative Commons, Bernie Zimmerman

Shannon Mouton is the social media and mobile marketing manager for an online higher education institution. She is passionate about utilizing social media for the greater good, information sharing and networking. Shannon has nearly 20 years of community building, outreach and relationship marketing experience. She is the owner of The Mouton Group, a real estate investment firm, and a principal at Topaz Consulting, a public relations and marketing consulting enterprise. She serves on the board of directors for the In Series and a regular volunteer at Calvary Women’s Services. Her blog, Shannon Sez So, examines life, its joys, pains and idiosyncrasies. Shannon is also a contributor to Gridiron Gals, as a die-hard fan of the Washington Redskins. Contact her on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.

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How do you affect – and effect – your success?

I’ve read a variety of articles and books lately and noticed some recurring themes that really struck a chord with me. They have to do with vision, intention and attention and how they affect our success.

As we’re still in the early part of 2010, it seems timely to spend a bit of energy on these three important concepts.

Vision

“Your vision of where or who you want to be is the greatest asset you have.” Paul Arden

Do you have a vision of yourself in your mind? How detailed is it?

There have been times in my life where I lost this vision or didn’t take the time to think about it. Those times stand out in my mind, because I swirled around like a leaf in the wind with no direction.

It may have been ok when I was younger and still figuring things out, but as a self-employed business owner, not having a vision can be downright detrimental. Even as I write this, I think about my own answer and start to refine it, again.

I do this often, so that my view is clear, my intentions unwavering and my focus is pointed at the right tasks each day.

I recently reworked my home-office and put a few books on a small shelf above my computer. One of the covers I see each day is a little white book with black and silver writing on it called “It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be: The world’s best-selling book by Paul Arden.”

I love this book because it’s a constant reminder that it all comes back to your vision. Arden reminds us to develop a “complete disregard for where your abilities end,” which helps to open up your realm of possibility as you create your personal vision.

Intention

More often referred to as goals in business books, an intention is a very clear statement or picture of what you want to achieve.

I have intentions around my businesses, hobbies and interests, relationships and even my health; because no matter what it is, I want to set the direction and plant the seed – not wait for things to randomly happen.

My intentions tend to be future-oriented. Entrepreneur Malika Chopra believes so much in intention that she founded Intent.com where people can share and support each other’s intentions.

Attention

If creating a personal vision is like designing a garden and making specific intentions like planting the seeds, then attention could be seen as the daily tending – the watering, weeding, etc.

In other words, it’s placing your attention on your intentions to help them come to fruition and be the best they can be.

Unlike my intentions which are more future-oriented, my attention must be in the present – right now.

Deepak Chopra once wrote, “One-pointed intention means holding your attention to the intended outcome with such unbending purpose that you absolutely refuse to allow obstacles to consume and dissipate the focused quality of your attention. There is a total and complete exclusion of all obstacles from your consciousness.”

I find that by holding my attention steady, and staying in alignment with my intentions and vision, the “flow” comes more naturally and obstacles are more easily transformed.

To illustrate my point, in addition to Thankfulfor, I also have a vision around some personal, creative pursuits. Here is one I’ll share about around my photography ventures.

• My vision is to always be growing and creating: publishing books, speaking, having shows etc around Photography & Creativity and having an audience of appreciators – people who enjoy what I create.
• One of my current intentions is to publish my first ebook on photography in February and sell thousands of copies (aim high!).
• My attention is on the details – the day to day tasks to help me get the book out there, connect with the right audience, build an email list, etc.

Where should my attention be today?

Each morning I look at my various intentions and then take some quiet time to ask myself, where should my attention be today? I then make a very detailed list which provides me guidance for the day. This practice has been vital in keeping me on track and avoiding distractions.

Have you set a clear vision for yourself? Do you have strong intentions that clarify where you focus your daily attention?

If not, there’s no time like the present.

Image © Jen Consalvo, used with permission

Guest contributor Jen Consalvo writes the Women Grow Business series on all things related to launching product (pre and post launch). She is co-founder of Shiny Heart Ventures, a new technology startup focused on building community driven products that remind people of the joys of life. For almost 14 years, Jen has led teams in a range of product areas such as digital imaging, social platforms and personalization. The majority of her career was at AOL, planning and building products used by millions of people globally. Also find Jen at jenconsalvo.com, bodysoulconnect.com and twitter.com/noreaster.

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