Letter from Nita

Dear friends,

It’s not often we find our dream job, leave it and then get to come back.  However, that’s exactly what happened to me.  I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with the many clients of the Washington Women’s Business Center over the past 5+ years.  I have had fun teaching many Launch and Grow classes, QuickBooks and other classes and it has been exciting to see so many of you launch your very own businesses.  

To those of you still working towards that direction – keep going! 

I feel confident that the Washington Women’s Business Center will go to new heights under the new leadership of Jennifer Teehan along with staff, Michael Coffey and Justine May.

As Henry David Thoreau said,  “I learned this, at least, by my experience:  that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

I wish you all continued success in your entrepreneurial endeavors and look forward to our paths crossing again.

Best regards,

Nita Conlan

Class Summary: Growing Your Business with Email Marketing

Two weeks ago, Dana Pethia of Constant Contact presented a workshop about the use of email as a marketing tool for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Attendees commented that the information she presented was "very informative," "a great resource," and "practical, up to date marketing." 

The course presented information comparing what Dana referred to as "ISP email" such as Outlook, Gmail, and so forth, with email delivery services such as Constant Contact (and there are others) that do more than just send and receive email, but also include tracking of how many messages are opened, archiving past email newsletters on the web so they can be linked to later, and other statistics that help you to understand how your subscribers are interacting with your communication.

One of the big things that she stressed throughout the workshop was the idea of permission. It's important to be sure you have permission to send your messages to the people on your list.  Not doing so is spam. Not having that permission (and not reminding people that they gave you permission) can get you reported, leading to a dramatic increase in the number of your emails that go strait into the junk mail folder.

The other general topics covered included tips for increasing responses, statistics about what is common or average (including the most common times and days of the week that email newsletters get opened), best practices, good and ethical ways of building your list of subscribers, content that can be used for your messages, designing both the look and the delivery information of your emails, and additional resources for things like finding good colors and writing subject lines.

Full Disclosure:  Constant Contact allows Community Capital Development and the Washington Women's Business Center to use their services at below the regular rate as an in-kind contribution.

Seattle University is beginning it's 8th year of the Community Development Entrepreneurship Clinic and we are excited about the prospects for the upcoming year!

 Goals: 

The goals of the CDEC are for business students and law students to work together to develop the practical, interdisciplinary skills required to identify clients’ needs accurately, and to work effectively with clients to provide them with meaningful, practical business and legal advice that will empower these entrepreneurs to succeed in their business ventures long after the clinic has ended.

Description:

 Business students and law students are teamed together as business consultants and legal advisers to local small business people. Teams will consist of two to four business and law students. Teams will be supervised by one of the two clinic faculty members (lead faculty); the second faculty member will provide supplemental assistance in the particular specialty (business or law). In addition, each team will be assigned two mentors – one law mentor, and one business mentor.

Mentors volunteer to meet regularly with the student-led teams to provide additional guidance, coaching, issue-spotting, and trouble-shooting. There are a variety businesses advised by the clinic. Some clients are current clients who come from one of three local micro-enterprise counseling organizations: Community Capital Development, StartZone, and Washington Community Alliance for Self Help (CASH). We recently expanded clinic services to more established firms that seek assistance in growing their markets or addressing some particular business challenge.

This course also seeks to contextualize the work of the clinic and that of the entrepreneur in a broader societal framework—how can (and do) business ventures aid in the development of communities? What should customers expect from small business owners? Do entrepreneurs have broader community responsibilities beyond the provision of the business goods or services at a profit? What does the concept of sustainable business development and growth involve?

 

 The application deadline is Friday, August 24. Please call (206) 325-4330 x100 for more info or for an application, or email ashleym@seattleccd.com

Please find a copy of our client application attached.

Newest Graduating Entrepreneurs

Congratulations to the newest group of entrepreneurs to graduate from our "Launch & Grow Your Business" series! Good luck in your businesses.

 

If you would like more information on this series, please visit our webpage at wbc.seattleccd.com, where you can view our monthly calendar for all upcoming events here at the Washington Women's Business Center. 

Small Business Institute Program

Professor Harriet Stephenson has one summer quarter undergraduate class providing overall analysis to small businesses. Classes begin June 18, and client selection is Wednesday, June 20.

Potential clients will be invited to give an informal pitch on that day. Coming to class is not required, but it increases the probability of being selected.

Would like potential clients to be available for presentation from 2-3:35 PM. Aim for 3-4 minute maximum:

• information about themselves and company,
• why they need or want the student consultants, and
• why they think the students might find this interesting or worthwhile to work on

Be sure client has read requirements of program to know that focus on just one aspect such as marketing or use of social media would not be an appropriately placed project for this class.

If you know of any businesses that would benefit from the students' analysis, please let the business owners know about the consulting services offered by Seattle University. Information about the SBI program and how to apply are provided below.

Small Business Institute Program at Seattle University
http://www.seattleu.edu/asbe/ec/sbi 

Application:
http://www.seattleu.edu/asbe/ec/sbi/#Applications  

Place:
Seattle University
901 12th Ave.
Seattle, WA 98122

Date:
Wed., June 20, 2012

Time: 2 PM

Cost: FREE

Please call Professor Stephenson at 206-819-3113 if you have any questions.

WIPP Action Alert: Support Bill to Boost Women Contracting

Help get larger contracts in the hands of woman business owners. If you have not done so already, please urge your Senators to support S. 2172, the Fairness in Women-Owned Small Business Contracting Act. Click here to take action! And if you have contacted your Senate offices, we thank you for your continued support in this effort to see this important bill become law.

This legislation removes existing barriers to federal contracting officers who award contracts to women owned businesses. Boosting the size and number of federal contracts will help spur economic growth by allowing successful women-owned small businesses to compete for and win larger contracts; enabling them to hire additional employees and grow their businesses.

Write your Senators and tell them that you support the Fairness in Women-Owned Small Business Contracting Act and that they should too. Urge them to sign-on as co-sponsors of this legislation. To make your voice heard to your Senators, please click here and follow the instructions.

WIPP is a national nonpartisan public policy organization, advocating on behalf of nearly 1 million women-owned businesses representing 61 business organization. WIPP provides timely economic policy information and identifies important trends and opportunities to its membership. Click here to read WIPP's Nonpartisan Policy Statement.

 

888.488.WIPP ~ www.WIPP.org

SBA Hosts 14-City Matchmaker Conference to Connect Small Businesses with Teaming and Federal Contract Opportunities

SBA News Release Date: March 20, 2012

 

WASHINGTON--The U.S. Small Business Administration will host the fourth of its free Mentor-Protégé Matchmaking Conference series in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 21.  The program gives small disadvantaged businesses access to guidance on federal contracting, face-to-face meetings and opportunities to team with larger businesses and graduates of the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development program. 

 

During the forums, small businesses will learn how to market themselves to the federal government and go after government contracting opportunities.  They will also get an overview of the SBA’s Mentor-Protégé program – a tool of the SBA’s 8(a) program that encourages mentors to team with a protégé or smaller firm to help them with management and technical assistance, financial assistance and access to joint ventures and federal contracting opportunities.

 

“Although we are encouraged by the economic indicators trending upward, we are still facing challenging economic times,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills.  “That’s why it’s important that we make sure that more federal contracts get into the hands of small businesses that drive the nation’s economy and create jobs.  These forums will go a long way in making sure that small businesses know how to leverage their companies and team with viable partners to take their businesses to the next level.”

 

The forums will also feature a discussion of strategic alliance and joint venture opportunities, a Q&A session and face-to-face and virtual business matchmaking sessions with larger businesses and companies that have graduated from the 8(a) program. 

 

Small disadvantaged businesses and 8(a) firms interested in attending must register at:

 http://sba.mybusinessmatches.com/buyers/generalinfo. Approximately 300 small businesses will be matched prior to their meetings based on their compatibility.

 

The first three matchmaking conferences took place in Washington, D.C., in January and Atlanta, Ga., and Orlando, Fla., in February.  The list of the remaining cities scheduled is as follows:

 Los Angeles, Calif. (March 21)

• Houston, Texas (March 27)
• San Antonio, Texas (March 29)
• Chicago, Ill. (April 5)
• Denver, Colo. (April 11)
• Boston, Mass. (May 10)
• Newark, N.J. (May 23)
• Seattle, Wash. (June 7)
• Kansas City, Mo. (June 21)
• Sacramento, Calif. (July 24)
• Cleveland, Ohio (August 7) 

For more information about the SBA’s Mentor-Protégé program, visit: www.sba.gov/content/mentor-protégé-program and to learn more about the Mentor-Protégé Matchmaking Conference, visit: http://sba.mybusinessmatches.com/buyers/generalinfo.