11 Friends You Haven’t Met; but Need to Know
Today we have a guest post by A. Michelle Buckley, a fellow member of Black Business Women Online. You can find more information about here at the end of the article. Enjoy!
- Barbara Lopez with Brightfarm Introductions – Barbara masterfully helps you create an introduction to your business that reflects your specialty and your personality. Her capacity to ensure that your introductions are fresh and memorable is exceptional.
- Deena Pierott with Mosaic Blueprint – Deena has a connection for whatever ails your business. Although she is a cultural diversity expert, her vast and dynamic social network of women, urban entrepreneurs and corporations is built on collaboration.
- Ayesha Mathews-Wadhwa with PixInk – You are your brand and Ayesha’s brand development ensures that your brand identity and personal values are not only in sync but clear and well defined. Her brand cultivation genius helps discover what makes you unique.
- Natalie MacNeil with She Takes On the World – Home of all things “women entrepreneur.” Natalie features successful women entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship articles, valuable resources, and a free directory for women-owned businesses. She has received numerous awards and mentions for her work and blog content and is a constant source of fresh ideas and encouragement.
- Sylvia Browder with Browder Consulting – Sylvia empowers women to achieve success through entrepreneurship. In addition to running her own consulting practice, she volunteers as a SCORE counselor and provides women entrepreneurs with the resources and tools they need for continued success. Her support for women entrepreneurs is personal and heartfelt.
- Adrienne Graham with Empower Me! and Fearless Networking. This power broker provides a variety of platforms that enable women to maximize the value in their networks and connections. Adrienne is all about the power and empowerment of women entrepreneurs and the author of “Go Ahead Talk to Strangers: A Modern Day Guide to Fearless Networking.”
- Yolanda Webb with E’Lon Beauty – Yolanda publishes an amazing and unique online beauty magazine. Her magazine not only presents all that is beautiful on the outside, but her publication also nurtures the inside beauty of all women.
- Patricia Weber with Professional Strategies – Pat is the consummate sales coach for introverts. She understands the anxiety and apprehension introverts have in operating their business and skillfully coaches them through practical communication, sales and networking techniques.
- Jacintha Perrera with Island Getaways – This is not a “fly by night” travel service. Jacintha is a travel expert specializing in South Pacific getaways and special interest retreats. Her customized travel expeditions are once in a lifetime experiences. Be sure to check out her travel blog and virtual tours. When you need to getaway, you need to contact Jacintha.
- Crystal Martin with Crystalwashington.com – Crystal is a social media and social networking guru. Her simple tips and tools will get you up to speed with effective and efficient marketing strategies that will enhance your capacity to meet and acquire appropriate clients.
A.Michelle Blakeley is the Founder and CEO of Simplicity, Inc.; a progressive small business development firm. She manages her clients’ business expectations and prevents information overload via Micro Business Therapy™ and Micro Business Action Plans. She is featured in Forbes.com and the Financial Post as one of 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter and the host of Simple Truths for Women Entrepreneurs on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Women Entrepreneurs
I have met some great woman business owners over the last couple of years in a vast variety of industries. From demolition and electrical contracting to child hair care and day care, women are doing great things and uniquely contributing their skills in interesting ways. One of my colleagues was actually contacted by an Asian economic development agency to be visited and interviewed by one of their employees – to get her perspective as a woman business owner. That was so cool!
Finding a product or service to be passionate about and sell on her behalf could take a woman to another level financially and help her write her ticket. There are great resources for women who own businesses to have support and move to a greater path of success:
North Carolina Resources
Women’s Business Center for North Carolina
Also, contact your local MWBE coordinator for additional guidance.
National Resources
National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)
Women President’s Organization
Womenbiz.gov
Make Mine a Million
Media
Pink Magazine
Working Mother Magazine
If you are interested in becoming certified as a women owned firm (that’s when a firm that is 51% or more owned by a woman or women is reviewed by a third party to prove it), you should look into your state agency for underutilized or minority/women owned business enterprises (MWBE). When you are considering private, large contracts, you should consider the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).There is a fee for this service but if you market yourself well within the network, it should be worth it to you. Just ensure your target customers would appreciate this certification.
More resources can be found at this SCORE site: http://www.score.org/women_resources.html
Cardinal Business: M Portrait Photography
This area will highlight businesses owned by people from across the country and in various sectors. Please read a little about these driven entrepreneurs and check out their company websites by clicking the company name.
Our goal is to allow you to be comfortable, beautiful, and to create memorable portraits.
M Portrait Photography is owned by Monique Harris and based in Raleigh, NC. It was created in response to her love of photography and providing people with beautiful images that enables your personality to shine. She specializes in non-studio portraits that are captured in the comfort of your home or location that holds special meaning to you.
In her words:
I’ve always held a life-long love with all aspects of photography. Whether it is attending a new museum exhibit, reading yet another photography book or magazine, practicing new techniques, immersing myself in classes, or simply engaging in conversation with other photographers. Photography has constantly been front and foremost in my life.
With M Portrait Photography you will not worry about waiting in line or feeling the pressure of a rushed photo shoot. Our goal is to allow you to be comfortable, beautiful, and to create memorable portraits.
It is my wish that affordable, professional portraits be assessable to everyone. Why not hire a professional photographer to capture your newborn’s precious first moments, family reunion, business portrait, club members, or to simply create an amazing online profile picture. Whatever your photo needs, M Portrait Photography will capture the essence of you, your family, or event.
Cardinal Business: XTreme Designz Web Solutions
This area will highlight businesses owned by people from across the country and in various sectors. Please read a little about these driven entrepreneurs and check out their company websites.
XTreme Designz Web Solutions
Creative web design and internet marketing solutions for business
XTreme Designz (XD) Web Solutions is owned by Lakesha “Kesha” Brown who has been developing websites since 1996 which started as a hobby creating websites for friends and her local church. Throughout the years, she kept abreast of web design techniques and took several design courses, along with her college courses, to better understand the web and the trends in site development. In 2004, Kesha decided to launch Xtreme Designz and do what she enjoys most!
Kesha graduated from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Engineering. She then earned a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix – St. Louis in 2002. She continuously takes courses and engage in joint ventures to expand her skillset.
Kesha has been awarded one of 19 2005 International Femtor Awards in the Emergine Leaders Division granted by the eWomen Network Foundation!!!
A native of East St. Louis, IL, Kesha enjoys reading, writing short stories, traveling, scrapbooking, and passionately supporting minority and women business organizations.
