Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Care About Your Business....

Someone recently asked me if I had a valuable life lesson that translated to business growth. I do! I wanted to share it on the blog today to help many people understand why I brand my company, IME, as "the company that cares."

My mantra and life lesson is to take everything personally. I hate when people say, "it's not personal, it's business." You are your business as an entrepreneur, therefore everything is personal. If you don't treat everything you do in life and business with a personal investment, what good is it? It you are personally invested in something, you tend to take it more serious. Business means money. Business means your reputation. So, why wouldn't you take it serious?

The most valuable life lesson I have that can translate to business is not taking one specific business deal personally. I had viewed a deal as not "good enough" for my standards. It was just business, not an opportunity. So, I didn't take it personally. I missed out on a great opportunity because I treated the pitch as business. Had I treated it like a personal investment, I probably would have gave it more consideration and would be reaping those rewards today.

My point here is to take everything personally and act from the heart- even in business!

Until next time,

Twyla N. Garrett

Friday, March 27, 2015

What type of business leader are you?

There are four main types of leaders. I compiled a lot of information on each type. See if you identify with any of the personality types below to discover what type of leader you are.
1. Do you love to help employees develop their long-term goals and also have them coincide with company growth? Do you love to mentor employees but find you spend to much time on people who don't want to be coached? If so, you're a coach leader. The key is to surround yourself with other people who love to motivate and be motivated.

2. Do you give your employees a lot of freedom? Are your employees very loyal to you as a result of this freedom? Do you sometimes find yourself dishing out praise even when it really isn't deserved? If so, you're a team builder! Surround yourself with people who are tougher than you have no problem dishing out the truth when needed.

3. Does everything and everyone have to be perfect? Do your employees really meet your high-standards? Do you love to micro-manage? If so, you're a general! It might be hard, but try to listen to the ideas more. You might hear a great one!

4. Do you focus on the big picture? Are you results driven? Do you love to show others how smart you are? If so, you're a visionary. Try not to explain to people what your vision is. Instead, have them help you get to your vision!

Have a great weekend! I'll blog more on Monday.

Twyla N. Garrett

Thursday, March 26, 2015

IME's Photos

Today we launched the photo album portion of IME's website, http://www.hireime.com/ I will updated it often with photos of our team at events and my speaking appearances. I've teased some photos below, but click the link above to view all the photos so far.

Twyla

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Testing Business Ideas

I recently received a request to write about testing business ideas. While we can prepare for and plan our businesses around concepts and data, there is no real way to test if we're going to be successful or not.
There are some ways to double check if you are or are not on the right path when it comes to business. Here are my top three tips to see if you are on the right path to projected success;

#1. Focus on goals, don't just have them.

I know many people who write goals down. They have a goal for every part of their life. What they're missing is a plan. You need to have a goal followed by a plan and work at it daily.

#2. Be reasonable with your time frames. Don't plan to be a millionaire at the end of two years. If only life were this easy. Make sure you have a realistic timeline to compliment your goals and your plans.

#3. Make profit your number one goal. Don't think about expansion, second offices, etc. until you actually have a solid profit coming in. You can't just think big, you have to grow a profit to get big.

I hope this week's tips and topics have helped you developed your business plans. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Until Tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

I'm speaking at The United Nations on 03/25/15

Yes, I'm back and speaking at The United Nations tomorrow! I'm on Panel Two at 11:40 am - 12:30 pm.

“Women and Social Innovation: Disrupting Global Entrepreneurship”
Lead Disruptor
Julie Anixter, Chief Learning Officer, Relevents, Innovation Excellence
Craig Hatkoff, Co-Founder, Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards (TDIA) & Tribeca Film Festival
Disruptors
Denise Evans, VP Market Development, IBM
Jeanne Sullivan, StarVest Partners, ASTIA, Harvard Kennedy School, ePROVSTUDIO
Jeff Hoffman, Global Entrepreneur & Speaker, GEW, GIST, ColorJar, Priceline
Brandon Frank, Intellectual Property and International Trade Counsel
Craig Hatkoff, Co-Founder, Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards (TDIA) & Tribeca Film Festival
Dr. Twyla Garrett, CEO and Founder, Investment Management Enterprise
Rabbi Irwin Kula, President, CLAL, The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership

More here: http://www.impactleadership21.com/agenda.html


MEDIA CONTACT:
Helene Vece for Twyla Garrett of IME.
Office@HeleneVece.com

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Out Think Your Competition

People always want to know what the secret to success is. I often get asked how to beat one's competition. It is simple. Have a great product. Products and services that are loved by consumers will sell themselves. That is why you always hear of these bootstrap businesses that started with nothing and made it to multi-million dollar sales status.
Here are my top steps to beat your competition.

First, don't buy into a competitor who is stealing your thunder. Maybe you did have the first idea on a specific service. Months after launching you then notice a new company pops up and is copying your idea. Don't freak out. In fact, don't even worry about your competition. Getting caught up in what the other company is doing, even with your idea, will distract you from moving forward.

Next, stand besides your product or services. Don't discount to meet a competitor's pricing. If you stand by the quality of your products or services, customers will remain or still buy. Why? People prefer quality over a discounted price. Even in this economy women are still buying $20 lipsticks from Macy's. Quality and reputation do mean something to consumers.

Last, love what you do. Some people start businesses to make money, not create a lifestyle or career. Your competition probably is in it for the money. You stay in it because you love what you offer. If you remain passionate, people will pick-up on your enthusiasm. This passion will drive sales, increase customers and allow you to be admired as a leader in the business community!

Have you ever had a business idea stolen by a competitor? Let's talk.

Twyla N. Garrett

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Three Ways to Save Money Your First Year In BUSINESS!

People ask me all the time what the secret to success is or how to start a business. What they fail to ask me is how to save money the first year of business, which is very important. So, this said, below are three ways to save money your first year in business.

1. Don't have offices if at all possible. I mean cubical farms or inner-offices where people can close doors on one another. You should promote and open work space where everyone can look at, talk to and see what others are doing. This promotes less slacking off for your employees and also generates better communication skills and sales results.

2. Don't buy t-shirts and other branded items for customers or employees to wear or use outside the office. This is a huge waste of money. Make sure you are spending as little money as needed on things that are not actually needed. In other words, don't buy into the hype of owning a business. Know what you can and can't spend.

3. Don't listen to your customers. If you know what you have will sell, and it isn't selling, change your marketing strategy- not the product / services based on the opinions of those who aren't buying. Change your marketing, change your market, but don't change your entire product or services. You will find your customers, you just have to stay consistent with your branding.

Running a business is going to be one of the hardest, yet most rewarding, things you can do. Make sure you stay focused, on budget and strong.

Until tomorrow,

Twyla Garrett

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Marketing for March

Are you in the middle of a marketing slump? Summer tends to be a slow time for marketing and public relations efforts. This is why I tell all my business owner friends to re-evaluate marketing strategies during the summer. It is a slow time and there is plenty of space to review, plan and strategize.
Facebook and social media marketing efforts during this time are easy to A/B split test. You can review what times of day and what types of posts actually work and don’t work. You can also see what posts work on certain social media mediums vs. what doesn’t work.

Reviewing customer research is important during this time, too. When you launch your company, reviewing and studying your customers seems to be pretty important. Once customers start to roll in, revisiting your customer demographic, their buying trends, etc. seems to fall by the wayside. Don’t let this happen!

If there are two things to take away this weekend, understanding your social media efforts and who your customers are is essential and should be the main thing to revisit when it comes to marketing.

Until tomorrow,

Twyla Garrett

Monday, March 16, 2015

Disaster Planning, A Refresher Course

Many businesses don't have a viable Emergency Plan. But why not? People who were prepared are doing a lot better than those who ignored warnings and didn't plan. But, have you thought about your business? Below are my top three tips for business preparedness during a natural disaster.


# 1 - Make copies of your important records and store them in a secure place far enough away in case a widespread disaster hits, yet close enough to have quick access to those documents when needed. Don't rely on computer back-ups like cloud files or jump drives. Chances are if a natural disaster hits- there is no electricity!

#2 - Keep an up-to-date list of e-mail addresses, financial account numbers, and phone numbers for family members, employees, co-workers, and insurance company contacts. This list should be kept with the copies of important records (noted above) as well as within your wallet at all times.

#3 Put together an emergency kit that includes one gallon of water per person per day, a three-day supply of non-perishable food, a battery-powered radio, solar-powered phone chargers, a flashlight with extra batteries, a first aid kit and a cooler to keep refrigerated food cold in case of a power outage.

Want to learn more? Subscribe to my blog! I will be discussing this issue, and more, in the coming days.

Twyla N. Garrett

Friday, March 13, 2015

Gate Crashers... PR & The Homeland Security

This past October Joseph Clancy took charge of the U.S. Secret Service on an interim basis following a series of security lapses that led to the resignation of Julia Pierson as director of the government agency. Clancy's efforts will try to right the wrongs while a search for a permanent successor is conducted, but are the breaches in security already impacting the Secret Services and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a negative manner when it comes to publicity and public image?
Oh, let us not even speak about the recent retirement party and the gate crashed by Secret Service officials!

One article on PR Newser states, "The agency has been hammered by the media since 2009 because of the string of embarrassing security breaches that have put the agency’s credibility in jeopardy. The latest episode happened September 19, when an armed intruder jumped over the White House fence and ran into the residence. That was preceded by the service allowing an armed felon to ride on an elevator with President Obama. The most notorious incident was in 2012, when several Secret Service agents conducting advance work in Columbia for a summit meeting there were recalled after being accused of hiring prostitutes and bringing them back to their hotel."

The list of blunders, unfortunately, can go on and on.... So, yes- the DHS and the Secret Service have lost respect in both the eyes of the media and public. A loss of respect in this specific example equates directly to the loss of feeling secure among the American people. We can plead with people to "see something, say something" all we want, but if the government isn't leading by example- why should the public take anything its says seriously?

Rebuilding trust isn't as easy as fixing communication errors or weak spots in security plans and procedures. It is a long-term fix that has to built up over time. There is no quick fix to the damage done, which is unfortunate in a time where feeling secure is all that matters right now within this country and its road back to economic greatness.

Until Monday,

Twyla Garrett

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Stop Being Positive. Start Working!

People ask my all the time about business. After all, it is what I do best. I've been invited to The White House to talk about it. I've self-funded a million dollar project. I've failed and succeeded many times over. So what is the key?

DON'T BE POSITIVE!

Did I not sugar coat the truth just then? Well, i'm not sorry. People in business tend to see failure and make excuses for it. Don't. Accept the failure and either make improvements or make an exit strategy. Don't be blind and go down with the ship. There is no honor in it. There is honor in moving on or moving up- well, they really can be the same thing.

Have a sales person who isn't pulling his/her weight? Don't feel bad, feel lucky. Catch the problem and find a better sales person. Don't make excuses and try to remain positive. If sales have been lagging then the sales person isn't the right person for that job. Being too positive can hurt you in business. Be a realist. Be productive. Be honest with yourself and your employees!

Now, go be successful!

Twyla Garrett

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Working with Clients 101

I overheard two businesses owners complaining about their clientele the other day. It can be frustrating, just like you- clients aren't alike. You will have clients who require extra hand holding and you will have clients who you never hear from, refuse to give you direction and then expect the world from you. Regardless, your clients pay your bills and you have to honor their work style just as you want them to honor yours.

To get a sense of the type of client you will soon be working for, and how to approach him or her, ask these questions:

1. What are your priorities and goals and what are your timelines.

Asking this question will help you understand what is important to your client and how fast the client expects you to work. This question series eliminates a lot of guess work.

2. What is your preferred form of contact.

I knew a lady who hated phone calls. Every week, on Friday, her servicing contractor would call her. He told me she always seemed annoyed but would insist on finishing the call. Finally, after this went on for months, the client asked him why he always found time to call her in the middle of her pedicure. The contractor assumed the client wanted phone calls and he assumed the date and time of the phone calls. Don't assume anything with clients. If you don't know, ask.

If you implement these two questions when starting to work with a new client, you will have a more positive working relationship.

Twyla Garrett

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Get Your Day Together

Yes, I am bold enough to say it. I have the best time management tip ever. Keep reading because this tip will solve all of your time management problems and you will never, ever have to study up on the topic again. What is it?

Alright, here it is- the big, big- big secret to managing your time effectively. Say goodbye to your ‘to do’ list. No, I am not crazy. I swear this works. You see, the lists we create for ourselves put pressure on ourselves and we fill them up with tasks that aren’t immediate. We have items on these lists that read like a shopping list. You need to create your own schedule and block of times for certain areas of business, but not for specific items.

Example, if you book your own meetings- and you should- only schedule two hours a day to fit in all your meetings. Call this block “meetings” but don’t write anything further down. Only schedule meetings during this block of time. If it doesn’t work for someone else, let them move their day around. So, every day you walk into your office- let’s say from 11 to 1 – you know you have meetings. You may have one meeting, you may have four meetings. However, the meetings don’t start any sooner than 11 and go no later than 1pm. This gets the meeting elements into a concise block of time and you can move on to the next block of action items right away without worrying about a long list of tasks.

Try removing yourself from a ‘to do’ list business formula. Try my formula for a week and I swear you will be hooked because it simply is effective!

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

Monday, March 9, 2015

Enterprising Women Magazine Announces - 2015 Enterprising Women of The Year Award Winners



Enterprising Women Magazine Announces
2015 Enterprising Women of The Year Award Winners
Prestigious Awards Program Recognizes World’s Top Women Entrepreneurs

RALEIGH, N.C. Feb. 9, 2015 – Monica Smiley, publisher and CEO of Enterprising Women magazine, has announced the winners of the 2015 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards, an annual tribute to the world’s top women entrepreneurs. Honorees will be recognized at the 13th Annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards & Conference, Sunday, March 29 to Tuesday, March 31 at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

The annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards is widely considered one of the most prestigious recognition programs for women business owners. To win, nominees must demonstrate that they have fast-growth businesses, mentor or actively support other women and girls involved in entrepreneurship, and stand out as leaders in their communities. Many of the honorees also serve as leaders of the key organizations that support the growth of women’s entrepreneurship.

Award winners were recognized in seven categories this year: annual sales revenues of more than $100 million; annual sales revenues of more than $25 million and up to $100 million; annual sales revenues of more than $10 million and up to $25 million; annual sales revenues of more than $5 million and up to $10 million; annual sales revenues of more than $2 million and up to $5 million; annual sales revenues of more than $1 million and up to $2 million; and annual sales revenues of up to $1 million.

Winners in the “over $100 million in annual revenues” category:
Kay Ivie, Ivie & Associates, Inc., Flower Mound, TX
Beatriz Manetta, Argent Associates, Inc., Plano, TX
Jennifer Maier, WDS, Inc., Lake Wylie, S.C.
Julia Fournier, HCMWorks, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Veronica Muzquiz Edwards, InGenesis, Inc., San Antonio, TX
Camille Thomas, JMC Retail Group, Minneapolis, Minn.

Winners in the “over $25 million and up to $100 Million in annual revenues” category:
Raegan Moya-Jones, Aden & Anais, Inc, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Traci Lounsbury, ELEMENTS, Denver, Colo.
Lisa Sackuvich, ARJ Infusion Services, Lenexa, Kan.
Diane Medley, MCM LLP, Louisville, Ky.
Noreen King, Evolve Manufacturing Technologies, Inc., Mountain View, Calif.
Carol Hackbarth, Hackbarth Delivery Service, Mobile, Ala.
Mary K. Davenport, TransTech IT Staffing, Itasca, Ill.
Marygrace Sexton, Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company, Fort Pierce, Fla.
Jennifer Jeansonne, Eagle Consulting, LLC, Belle Chasse, La.

Winners in the “over $10 million and up to $25 Million in annual revenues” category:
Britnie Turner, Aerial Development Group, Nashville, Tenn.
Tammy Cohen, InfoMart, Inc., Marietta, Ga.
Marie Seipenko, Preferred Solutions, Northville, Mich.
Patty Comer, AccruePartners, Charlotte, N.C.
Sylvana Coche, Gravity Pro Consulting, LLC, San Clemente, Calif.
Fiona Gathright, Wellness Corporate Solutions, LLC, Bethesda, Md.
Paula Lombard, WEXCO Industries, Pine Brook, N.J.
Hetal Parikh, Rangam Consultants Inc., Somerset, N.J.
Olga Smirnova, Global Language Solutions, Irvine, Calif.
Barbara Issett, IQ Business Events, Inc., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Sheila Benson, Employment Screening Services, Birmingham, Ala.
Lauren Herring, IMPACT Group, St. Louis, Mo.
Joy E. Taylor, TayganPoint Consulting Group, LLC, Lambertville, N.J.
Deborah C. Weaver, Midwest Litigation Services, St. Louis, Mo.
Claudia Mirza, Elahi Enterprises, Inc., dba, Akorbi, Plano, TX
Marilyn Grabowski, AtlanticInfra, Wall, N.J.
Mary Miller, JANCOA Janitorial Services, Inc., Cincinnati, OH
Angela Lee, The Happy Point Resto Group, Chicago, Ill.
Diana Harbour, The Red Dress Boutique, Athens, Ga.
Natalie McDonald, Create NYC, New York, N.Y.

Winners in the “over $5 million and up to $10 Million in annual revenues” category:
Jean Thompson, Seattle Chocolate Company, Seattle, Wash.
Carol Fitzgerald, Buzzback LLC, New York, N.Y.
Mandy Gilbert, Creative Niche Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Tabatha Turman, Integrated Finance & Accounting Solutions, LLC, Woodbridge, Va.
Billie Bryant Schultz, CESCO, Inc., Dallas, TX
Carolyn Williams Francis, Williams Interior Designs, Inc., Columbus, OH
Victoria L. Vasques, Tribal Tech, LLC, Alexandria, Va.
Brooke Partridge, Vital Wave, Palo Alto, Calif.
Lisa Rosenthal, The Mayvin Consulting Group, Inc., Alexandria, Va.
Carla Percy, The Mayvin Consulting Group, Inc., Alexandria, Va.
Teresa Sherald, Diversity Search Group, Columbus, OH
Stacy D. Phillips, Phillips Lerner, A Law Coroporation, Los Angeles, Calif.
Susan Gilbert, APOGEE Interactive, Inc., Tucker, Ga.
Ellen Dickson, Bailey Edward Design, Inc., Chicago, Ill.
Sue Bennett, Bennett Design Associates, Inc., Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada
Mashell Carissimi, JMC Electrical Contractor, LLC, Saint Clair Shores, Mich.

Winners in the “over $2 million and up to $5 million in annual revenues” category:
CJ Stafford, Stafford Communications Group, Inc., New Providence, N.J.
Jennah Purk, CPA, MST, Purk & Associates, P.C., St. Louis, Mo.
Eugenia Rangel Vera, Tabiques y Acabados de Ceramica SA de C.V., Juarez, Mexico
Crystal Arlington, Affiliated Grounds Maintenance Group, Inc., Erie, Pa.
Melissa Lackey, Standing Partnership, St. Louis, Mo.
Heidi Krupp, Krupp Communications, New York, N.Y.
Melanie Querry, Beyond Spots & Dots, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Ania Rodriguez, Key Lime Interactive, Doral, Fla.
Emily Merson, Global Experiences, Annapolis, Md.
Kathy Palokoff, Firestarter, Baltimore, Md.
Dorothy Botsi-Tulare, Botho Ubuntu Cleaning, Johannesburg, South Africa
Delois Babiker, Intellectual Concepts, LLC, Atlanta, Ga.
Reginalea Sturns-Kemp, Kemp & Sons General Services, Fort Worth, TX
Gabriela Leon Gutierrez, Gresmex, Naucalpan City, Mexico
Tanya Little, Hart Advisors Group, LLC, Dallas, TX
Jane Sydlowski, AMI Strategies, Livonia, Mich.
Ann K. Luciani, First Capital Engineering, York, Pa.

Winners in the “over $1 million and up to $2 million in annual revenues” category:
Linda A. Fanaras, Millennium Integrated Marketing, Manchester, N.H.
Adie Horowitz, Licenders, New York, N.Y.
Debbie Oberbillig, Allen Partners, Inc., Seattle, Wash.
Melinda Maine Garvey, AW Media, Austin, TX
Susan L. Dawson, Waltz, Palmer & Dawson, LLC, Rolling Meadows, Ill.
Charmane H. Sellers, ALEON Properties, Inc., Austin, TX
Diana Peters, Symbol Training Institute, Skokie, Ill.
Francine Friedman Griesing, Griesing Law, LLC, Philadelphia, Pa.
Dr. Angela Marshall, Comprehensive Women’s Health, Inc., Silver Spring, Md.
Moira Vetter, Modo Modo Agency, Atlanta, Ga.

Winners in the “up to $1 million in annual revenues” category:
Rashi Bajaj, Carpet Couture by Rashi, New Delhi, India
Marla Rausch, Animation Vertigo, Irvine, Calif.
Latoya Bullard-Franklin, The Bulsard Group, LLC, Houston, TX
Deborah K. Delaney, Touching Lives Adult Day Services, Savage, Minn.
Kathy Kamei, Kathy Kamei Designs, Kentfield, Calif.
Tena Z. Payne, Earthborn Studios, Inc., Leeds, Ala.
Maria Teresa Cepeda Casasus, Imaging Supplies de Mexico SA, Mexico City, Mexico
Jeri J. Brooks, One World Strategy Group, LLC, Houston, TX
Dr. Marlene N. Mahipat, Mediquest, LLC, Randallstown, Md.
Kelly Ehlers, Evoke Brands, Inc., Madison, Wis.
Dana Marlowe, Accessibility Partners, Silver Spring, Md.
Elaine Gordon, Gordon ADR, LLC, Westbrook, Conn.
Chandra Moore, coG-studio, Detroit, Mich.
Sheila Stenhouse Lee, Sheila Lee & Associates, LLC, Baltimore, Md.
Sandra Sassow, SEaB Energy Limited, Southhampton, United Kingdom
Yaneek Page, Future Services International, Kingston, Jamaica
Sandy Riser, SwanRise Productions and The Next Level Business Solutions, Tucson, Ariz.

Women receiving honorable mention:
Hima Kolanagireddy, ASCII Group, LLC, Farmington, Mic.
Catherine M. Tojaga, CT Mechanical, Lombard, Ill.
Simona Faroni, G.S. Gelato and Desserts, Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
Juliet Shrader, iVantage Group, Brighton, Mic.
Loni Mouton, Access Land & Title Services, Inc., Metairie, La.
Christine Lotze, Philosophy IB, LLP, Florham Park, N.J.
Deborah Wooldridge, DW Training and Development, Inc., Carlsbad, Calif.
Debbie Drury, Market Doctors, Dickinson, TX
Rashi A. Khosla, MARS IT Corp., Wauwatosa, WI
Danielle Hughes, Divine Capital Markets LLC, New York, N.Y.
Megan Buzzetta, Global Planners, Inc., Hamilton, N.J.
Joaneane A. Smith, Global Commerce and Services, LLC, Harvey, La.
Barbara Wichmann, ARTEMIA Communications, Inc., San Francisco, Calif.
Christy Lamagna, Strategic Meetings & Events, Bernardsville, N.J.
Robin Franks, TGE Resources, Inc., Houston, TX
Cindi Shelby, R Meyers, Nichols Hills, Okla.
Shari Yocum, Tasman Consulting, LLC, San Francisco, Calif.
Connie Golleher, The Golleher Group, LLC, McLean, Va.
Twyla N. Garrett, IME, Washington, DC
Vandana Mehrotra, Meteonic Innovation Pvt Ltd., Bangalore, India
Susan Munro, Hybrid Edit, Marina del Rey, Calif.
Stacy Francis, Francis Financial, New York, N.Y.
Patricia Vice, CRM, FAI, CRM & Associates, Inc., Houston, TX
Sassa Akervall, Akervall Technologies Inc., Saline, Mich.
Julianne Erhart-Graves, Worley Erhart-Graves Financial Advisors, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind.
Sandy Wyman, Tidestone Solutions, Portland, ME
Shelly Aberson, Aberson Narotzky & White, Inc., Kenilworth, N.J.
Joyce Brocaglia, Alta Associates and the Executive Women’s Forum, Flemington, N.J.
Hilary Kaye, HKA, Inc. Marketing Communications, Tustin, Calif.
Lisa Fairclough, Fairclough Realtors and Property Managers (Lisa Fairclough Enterprises), Sparta, N.J.
Johnette Van Eeden, Star Wellness, Euless, TX
Andrea Mason, barre3, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Carrie Brewer Martinez, CM Productions, Inc., Dallas, TX
Karin Caro, BluChip Marketing, Smithtown, N.Y.
Carrie Rich, The Global Good Fund, Arlington, Va.
Heather Howell, Rooibee Red Tea, Louisville, Ky.
Madeline Ann Lewis, PhD, Executive Women’s Success Institute, Upper Marlboro, Md.
Heather Anne Sams, HAS Art Solutions, Jacksonville, Fla.
Natasha Pongonis, Nativa, a Multicultural Communications Agency, Columbus, OH
Sharon W. Reynolds, DevMar Products, LLC, Nashville, Tenn.
Kristin Carrington, Carrington Risk Consulting, LLC, Ft. Myers Beach, Fla.
Susan McCormick, M.S., The Wellness Connection, LLC, Stone Ridge, Va.
Della Simpson, Relan, Mendota Heights, Minn.
Memuna Williams, Avantgarde Translations, Charlotte, N.C.
Jacqueline E. Muller, 3DOM (Asia Pacific) Ltd., Hong Kong
Moni Singh, STEM For Kids, Raleigh, N.C.

The 2015 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Celebration and Conference will bring together dynamic women business owners from North America and around the world for two full days of top-notch workshops, networking opportunities, corporate sponsor exhibits, and awards presentations. The celebration will shine the spotlight on award winners and finalists, with award presentations at the Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Gala Dinner. During the annual “Hall of Fame Luncheon,” one woman entrepreneur will be inducted into the Enterprising Women Hall of Fame, an outstanding nonprofit will receive the 2015 Advocacy Award, and two women will be recognized with the 2015 Legacy Award.

The event is open to winners and finalists of the Enterprising Women of the Year Award, corporate supporters, members of the Enterprising Women Advisory Board, VIPs in the women’s business community, readers of Enterprising Women magazine, and members of the many partner organizations affiliated with Enterprising Women.

Partner organizations represented on the Enterprising Women Advisory Board and supporting the 2015 event include:
The Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO)
Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP)
Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)
National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)
National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC)
Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW)
The Global Initiative for Women’s Entrepreneurship Research
Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC)
Quantum Leaps
Springboard Enterprise
UnitedSucces
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBEC)/Women Entrepreneurs Inc. (WE)
Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence
Women’s Leadership Exchange
The International Alliance for Women (TIAW)
Asian Women in Business (AWIB)
eWomenNetwork (EWN)
Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC)
National Association of Women REO Brokerages (NAWRB)

QUOTES:
“When this awards program began 13 years ago, there were only a handful of nominees in what was then the highest revenue category – over $10 million in annual revenues. This growth reflects the fact that more women are scaling their businesses to the $100 million plus level. The Enterprising Women of the Year Award has grown each year in prestige and stature so women entrepreneurs at all levels want to be recognized with this award for the great work they are doing. We could not be more proud of the outstanding women who make up the Enterprising Women Class of 2015,” Smiley said.

DETAILS:
- For more information or to register to attend the 2015 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Celebration and Conference, visit http://enterprisingwomen.com.

NEW MEDIA CONTENT:
Enterprising Women Facebook Page:
https://facebook.com/EnterprisingWomen

Enterprising Women Twitter Page:
https://twitter.com/EWMagazine

Enterprising Women LinkedIn Page:
http://linkedin.com/groups/Enterprising-Women-Magazine-4470189

ABOUT ENTERPRISING WOMEN MAGAZINE:
Enterprising Women, with headquarters in Cary, North Carolina, is the nation’s only women-owned magazine published exclusively for women business owners that chronicles the growing political, economic and social influence and power of entrepreneurial women. The magazine provides a friendly meeting place, a public forum and a national stage for the critical issues confronting women’s businesses and daily lives from the unique perspectives and experiences of entrepreneurial women. Published in both print and digital editions, the online edition of the magazine reaches nearly one million readers in 185 countries. For more information, please visit http://enterprisingwomen.com or call (919) 362-1551.

Friday, March 6, 2015

3 Habits of Great Leaders

Are you a great leader? Are you aspiring to be an amazing leader? If so, check out my three tips below. These "tips" are different traits I noticed all the great leaders in business share. If you're seeking to up your game as a leader, start here:

1. They refuse to please others. Mentally strong people have a job to do. Worrying about pleasing others or how others will react is a distraction that will cut off money and success. Don't worry about people, worry about the task at hand.

2. Don't give up after a venture fails. Most of the known CEOs have had failures. But they're out there, spinning a new business and looking at other opportunities. If you let failure stop you, then you really do fail!

3. Don't rely on the world for anything, including breaks. The world owes you nothing, regardless of how tough you had it as a kid or so on. If you know the world isn't going to give you a break, then you realize you have to try harder than everyone else to be successful.

Until Monday,

Twyla N. Garrett

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Can You Sell Yourself / Your Business?

Business owners need to know how to sell their products / services. If they can't sell a product / service then how can they convince others to buy or invest?

The ability to sell is directly related to how successful an entrepreneur really is. In business you need to know how to negotiate (from buying paper in bulk to obtaining clients), to deal with "no," to build industry confidence, and to communicate effectively with a wide range of people. Relying on sales people may be needed to streamline business but YOU also need to know how to sell!

Sell and work! Selling is what makes you successful but you also have to put the time in. An eight hour sales day isn't going to cut it. True entrepreneurs work long hours and don't mind doing so.

Want to know more about selling and putting in the time to make that dime? Contact me! I am available for speaking engagements.

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

Monday, March 2, 2015

Testing Your Business Ideas

I recently received a request to write about testing business ideas. While we can prepare for and plan our businesses around concepts and data, there is no real way to test if we're going to be successful or not.
There are some ways to double check if you are or are not on the right path when it comes to business. Here are my top three tips to see if you are on the right path to projected success;

#1. Focus on goals, don't just have them.

I know many people who write goals down. They have a goal for every part of their life. What they're missing is a plan. You need to have a goal followed by a plan and work at it daily.

#2. Be reasonable with your time frames. Don't plan to be a millionaire at the end of two years. If only life were this easy. Make sure you have a realistic timeline to compliment your goals and your plans.

#3. Make profit your number one goal. Don't think about expansion, second offices, etc. until you actually have a solid profit coming in. You can't just think big, you have to grow a profit to get big.

I hope this week's tips and topics have helped you developed your business plans. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Until tomorrow,
Twyla N. Garrett