Corporate Partner Corner
Special benefits and offers from our corporate partners for NAWBO members.
Good Health is Profitable
By Robin Nielsen, NC BCHN®
http://www.togrowyoung.com
“There is nothing touchy-feely about increased profits.” Arianna Huffington
It’s dollars and cents vs. health and happiness. They both go together because having healthier happier employees = increased profits. The statistics are overwhelming.
Reducing stress is key to productivity and retention. Happy people generate positive energy. And healthier employees, and those who feel their company is investing in their health, are likely to be happier.
That’s why there is a lot of data that supports the profitability of health and wellness programs in the workplace. In fact, most industry studies have shown that the ROI on a well-run employee wellness program can be as much as $3-$6 for every $1 invested, with savings realized 2-3 years after implementation.
The cost not to focus on employee wellness are big numbers as well. The average health care cost per employee was about $10,000 in 2013. And when you add in the average cost for absenteeism and inefficiency that is estimated to be another $14,000 per employee. That’s on average $24,000 per employee.
Over 70% of health care spending is caused by modifiable health risks such as lack of exercise, high blood pressure, being overweight, high cholesterol, etc. These are all preventative; but unhealthy lifestyle choices can lead to chronic diseases, costing businesses even more.
The “cubicle” mentality has created lots of sedentary employees causing many health issues.
So how do business owners keep their employees motivated and engaged, healthy and happy? Employers need to make a commitment to an ongoing mindset of employee wellness.
The foundation for this mindset needs to include:
- Providing access to nutritious food and drinks
- Encourage stress reduction (yoga, meditation programs, coaching)
- Improve social connections
- Integrate exercise and movement
- Create healthier live-work balance
- Ensure employees have opportunities to learn about making healthier lifestyle decisions.
President’s Message – March 2015
Dear Members and Friends of NAWBO-SV,
February is over and we are into the second week of March – I am amazed at how time flies – in business and personal arenas. It reminds me to live in the moment and not stress out with things like “what ifs”, “I need to get this one thing done before I call it a day”, or saying to yourself “did I forget anything”. These and other similar words do cause us stress, whether we like to believe it or not. A very dear friend of mine told me “What’s the worst that can happen?” When I ponder this question I can relax. Try it.
We had a great presentation at our meeting last month “Health, Wealth and Well-Being for Women”. Our dynamic duo; Deira Gerritsen, co-founder and Executive Director of Lucina Maternity Foundation and Dr. Jennifer Rozenhart a highly sought-after Silicon Valley wellness educator, were wonderful. They educated us on:
- How businesses benefit from instituting wellness programs
- Why, as women business owners, we need to take care of ourselves first
- Strategies to implement small changes that will have a huge impact for the health and wellness of the people in your ecosystem
I don’t have employees, but I related the last bullet item to my family. It fit.
I would like to invite you to attend the last of our three-part business series this March 10th: “The Leader’s Brain: What Neuroscience Tells Us About Leading Effectively” with Silvia Damiano. Silvia is the founder and CEO of the About My Brain Institute and the author of the book Leadership is Upside Down. See more details at Programs/Events tab on our website.
I wish you all success in all that you do and keep it healthy for wealth and happiness.
Maxine Goulding
NAWBO-SV President
Technology Trends in the News
Adrienne Wong, TeamLogic IT of Mountain View
In 2015, it’s all about keeping your technology close and your business operations closer. Take-with-you software, security and gadgets that help you efficiently and effectively grow your business from anywhere – while protecting what you already have -are the name of the game this year. If you are looking to take the next big step with your small business, consider the following hot technologies:
Cloud Computing
If you aren’t taking advantage of cloud technology, you could be missing out on the most secure method of file storage available and the convenience of being able to access and share your files from nearly anywhere. Consider the small business-friendly, Hybrid Cloud, which offers affordable and fast disaster recovery that combines the convenience of local backup with the strength of the cloud.
Cyber-Security Protection
Stories of security breaches at major corporations dominate headlines but, according to the National Cyber Security Alliance, small businesses are far more susceptible to cyber attacks than their larger counterparts. Make it a priority in 2015 to put a plan in place to protect your business from cyber threats.
Unified Communications
With businesses depending more and more on mobile technology for working on the go, unified communications will become increasingly important in 2015 and beyond. UC integrates voicemail, email, SMS, web, desktop sharing, and video conferencing, etc. UC encompasses all forms of communications that are exchanged via a network.
President’s Message – August 2014
Dear NAWBO-SV Community,
I hope everyone’s summer is off to a fabulous start. We at NAWBO-SV are taking a meeting hiatus in the month of July, but are working behind the scenes to return with continued excellent programming in August. Please see our website www.nawbo-sv.org for upcoming program details.
July marks the beginning of NAWBO-SV’s fiscal year, and I am pleased to announce our new Board of Directors.
- President – Maxine Goulding, California Special Occasions
- President Elect – Monika Miles, Miles Consulting Group, Inc.
- Immediate Past President – Jennifer Dizon, Hood & Strong LLP
- Secretary – Adrienne Wong, TeamLogic IT of Mountain View
- Treasurer – Beatrice Schultz, Westface Financial
- Programs Director – Hilary Hendershott, Family Wealth Consulting Group
- International Affairs Director – Griselda Quezada-Chavez, Q&C Exim
Please join me in congratulating this wonderful group of women, and the energy they will bring to our chapter in the coming year. The Board is busy planning its annual retreat, and will brainstorm about new and different ideas to provide enhanced benefits to our members and corporate partners. Stay tuned.
We look forward to seeing you again in August. As always, we welcome your feedback on how to make this a better chapter.
Very truly yours,
Jennifer Dizon
NAWBO-SV President
2013/2014
SUCCESS and [A Word to Get Rid of Forever]
Submitted by: Hilary Hendershott, Family Wealth Consulting Group
I’ve been thinking about NAWBO and what it is to be a business owner.
I’ve been thinking about the big concepts like success and then, because my brain works the way it does, I think about its opposite.
There’s a word called failure. I think about this word as I watch my cat in the backyard. He is a hunter. He eyes his prey—a bird? A mouse? He watches carefully. He notices movement. He anticipates where the bird will go when he pounces.
Cats never take to the couch and bemoan their failures. Failure doesn’t exist in the cat world, and, I surmise, it doesn’t really exist in the human world either. It’s a thing that we think. (Thank you, Dr. Seuss).
Failure is conceptual. It is a made up human condition that exists in language that seems to start the emotional rollercoaster rolling. It lives, if it lives anywhere, as a word or thought. Independent of a human being trapped in culture and conditioning, it does not have anywhere to take up residence.
It certainly doesn’t belong in any NAWBO member’s vocabulary. Simply put, we made failure up—and, to make matters worse, we forgot that we made it up. We use failure as if the concept were real to bully ourselves and others. The truth is this: You’ve set out to do something. You’ve either done it or not done it. If you did it, and didn’t achieve the desired results, you simply keep calibrating to achieve your desired results or lose interest.
You don’t fail. You can’t. Failure doesn’t exist. It’s important to ponder—as failure, or the fear of it seems to keep people out of claiming the life that is available to them—the life they want. If you’ve tried saving, tried investing, tried earning what you feel you’re worth, tried being “good” at anything—well, keep trying. Or stop. Yoda says: “Do or do not do. There is no try.”
As it turns out, there is no failure either. Human beings created failure in language, and if it doesn’t serve you, you can create something else. What else would you create? What stories would you rewrite?
Secure Your Financial Information While You Vacation
Submitted by: Rashida Lilani, CFP®, CMFC®, Lilani Wealth Management
Planning a getaway for some rest and relaxation? Before you can embark, one of the “to do” items on your list should be ensuring that your financial information is safeguarded during your travels. Taking precautions and preparing for the unforeseeable may not seem as important as packing sun block or that bathing suit, but will seem like a brilliant idea in the event something does go awry.
The following is a good basic list of things to do:
- Copies, copies, copies: Make copies of your driver’s license, passport, credit cards and carry all relevant contact numbers in the event your wallet is stolen or lost. Leave a set of copies at home with a friend.
- Travel light, wallet included: I personally have trouble traveling light; especially when it comes to shoes. How can one not pack enough shoes, right? However, one thing I always make sure to do before I leave on a trip is to empty out everything from my wallet except for my driver’s license, ATM card and a couple of major credit cards.
- Use plastic: The zero-liability policy offered by most major credit cards makes it the obvious choice for payments, providing recourse in the event there is fraud or your card is stolen.
- Carry cash: As convenient as it is to use plastic, cash is still king. Not all places take credit cards and it’s a good idea to have some cash on you.
- Stay alert: Pickpockets love tourist destinations. Remember, they can tell the tourist from the regular folk; your tan and your flip flops will give you away for sure. Clean out your rental car before you return it, making sure no personal information is left behind.
There’s rarely a thing called the “perfect vacation” but you can certainly prepare. So do the best you can and have a wonderful time!
President’s Message – April 2014
Dear NAWBO-SV Community,
Spring has arrived! What does that mean for your business? Spring indicates the end of the first quarter of the year. Have you met your goals? If not, there is still time, and you may need to modify your efforts or revisit those goals for the rest of the year. It also is tax time and time to get your records in order.
Speaking of records, spring also brings spring cleaning. Visit your records retention policy and take the opportunity to purge those business and personal records you no longer need.
Lastly, spring is a time of renewal and fresh starts. Take the opportunity to renew relationships or forge new connections. As mentioned elsewhere in this newsletter, NAWBO SV is having a membership drive. Invite your friends and colleagues to join NAWBO and create new relationship opportunities for them, while strengthening or renewing your existing relationships.
We look forward to renewing your relationship with us at future meetings. We welcome your feedback on how to make this a better chapter.
Very truly yours,
Jennifer Dizon
NAWBO-SV President
2013/2014
How Serving on a Non-Profit Board Enhances Your Business
Submitted by Mary Hiland, Ph.D., Hiland & Associates, www.hiland-assoc.com
You are a leader. As a leader, you want to make a difference doing something meaningful to you. I’ll bet that’s why you built your business! In addition to being successful women business owners, many of us want to give back to our communities. One of the best ways to do that is to serve on a nonprofit board. Why is that?
Research tells us:
- Nonprofit board directors significantly influence organizational performance.
- Board service builds and strengthens leadership competencies.
- Being on a nonprofit board expands your social capital.
- Nonprofit board service is a spring board to a seat in the corporate board room (The Board Game),
- And, perhaps most importantly, nonprofit board services gives you a chance to make a difference in your community!
My business provides consulting, mentoring, and training for nonprofit executive and board leaders. I am a trusted advisor and leadership and governance authority with 40 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. My research indicates that very few people serving on nonprofit boards are oriented to their governance responsibilities. NAWBO-CA has recognized this gap and done something about it!
I am honored to have partnered with NAWBO-CA and the NAWBO-CA Education Fund Boards to develop the recently-launched Board Governance Training program. This series of five online videos:
- cultivates an understanding of the fundamentals of board service,
- builds effective governance and leadership skills across NAWBO-CA chapters,
- gives tools to NAWBO boards for building the board and effective board leaders and,
- will propel and inspire NAWBO members across California to serve on NAWBO and other boards.
Whether you serve, or aspire to serve, on the board of your NAWBO chapter or another nonprofit board, you can benefit from this free resource. Contact your Chapter President for more information!
Incentive Stock Option Horror Story
Submitted by Theresa Oatman, Stock Connections Inc.
For the last year I’ve been giving seminars for Financial Planners and Tax Accountants on the tax reporting and withholding from various types of equity granted to employees. Silicon Valley prides itself on rewarding their employees with stock options and other means for employees to acquire company stock. But not everyone understands the tax implications. This is NOT a do-it-yourself project! Let me tell you why.
Recently I heard the story of an employee whose financial planner misunderstood the beginning of the holding period for long-term capital gains for Incentive Stock Options (ISO). He thought the holding period began when the option vests and advised his client to sell all the options that were vested for a year or more. Unfortunately, the holding period begins on the day the options are exercised and must be held for more than a year plus one day after that time.
This misinformation resulted in ordinary income of more than $300,000, and no taxes are withheld on ISO exercises or sales. Imagine having to write a diplomatic email to the employee explaining that the W-2 and broker’s 1099 were indeed correct and their financial planner was mistaken. I didn’t mention the financial planner, simply gave the employee a copy of the definition of ISOs from the company’s FAQs on the intranet.
Financial planners and tax accountants don’t need to be experts in this area, but they do need to know who to call on for expert advice.
President’s Message – March 2014
As I write this message, it is International Women’s Day. I hope we all step back, take a moment to reflect on how far women have come, especially as business owners, and how much more there is to achieve. Also, we are preparing for NAWBO California’s Propel Your Business Conference on March 10-11, 2014 at our State’s Capital in Sacramento. The agenda is filled with women (and men) accomplished in their field, and ready to lead us to the next level. I hope to see many of your there.
Here in Silicon Valley, NAWBO-SV sponsored the return of our brown bag lunch series at Bridge Bank, and heard from Betty Jo Waxman “Does Your Thinking Limit Your Success”. Upcoming events include Tracy Repchuk speaking on “Shine Online – How to Attract More Leads, Get More Clients and Make More Sales”. Who doesn’t want that for your business? Please visit our website for more information.
The NAWBO-SV Board of Directors held a strategic session focusing on membership. We looked at best practices from across our NAWBO sister chapters in California and nationally, as well as brainstormed a few of our own ideas. Be on the lookout for announcements from Monika Miles, Membership Director and other Board and Committee members.
Also, if you haven’t heard them yet, be on the listen for NAWBO-SV on KDOW 1220 AM on the radio. KDOW is one of NAWBO-SV’s newest corporate partners.
As always, we welcome your feedback on how to make this a better chapter, encourage you to invite your friends and colleagues to future meetings, and become a member.
Very truly yours,
Jennifer Dizon
NAWBO-SV President
2013/2014
Does Your Website Need Spring Cleaning?
Written by Roberta Kiphuth, Detati Digital Marketing
Spring is right around the corner and that means Spring Cleaning! It’s that time of year when you get rid of the old, unused things that are cluttering your world. Well, sometimes our businesses or part of our businesses need spring cleaning too. Many of us spent time and money to get our websites launched, but then leave them to collect dust. So, now is time to clean them out.
Here are five things that can help clean up and improve your website:
1. Review and refresh your content.
- Make sure that the messaging is current, clear and fits your target audience.
- Add some new content or update what is there to keep the site fresh and searchable.
- Start a blog (but, you have to commit to regular posting).
- If you have a call to action, make sure it is clear and something of value to your client or potential clients
2. Make sure that your site has “Curb Appeal.”
Your site is often the first, and some times the only impression you make.
- The trend is modern and user-friendly.
- Check out competitor site or other site and incorporate things you like for their sites
- Ask some of your friends or other who may not have ever seen your site to sit down and tell you their impression of what they see.
3. Get rid of Flash animations or other things that are slowing down your site.
Today people won’t wait for content to load, so you need to keep your site lean and clean.
- If you have documents that are available, keep the files sizes as small as possible for quick download.
- If you have images and photos, make sure they have been optimized for web use.
- Flash animations or entire sites built in Flash are problematic. Not only can they be slow to load, but they do not function on mobile devices, and content can not be indexed by search engines.
- If you have video on your site or server, consider using a video service (such as Vimeo or YouTube) to host them.
4. Install Google Analytics or metrics to measure what is being viewed on your site.
- Google Analytics is free and a good way to get some basic metrics on your site. Those pages that are not being viewed may be things that can be removed from your site or maybe they need some attention.
- Set up a regular monthly schedule to review your metrics so that you can continue to optimize your pages and content for searches.
5. Update your site for better search optimization
Keywords are no longer helpful in increasing your search results, you need to create key phrases.
- Have meaningful, informative titles on each page
- Write the content for your audience, and not just to stuff in keywords
- Have a clear and concise meta description in the header of the your home page
- Add an html site map
- Work on building inbound links from other trusted site (but not buying links)
Once you get your site cleaned up, make a regular schedule to go through the process again and again, so that your site stays refreshed and relevant.
President’s Message – February 2014
Dear NAWBO-SV Community,
They’re back! The brown bag lunches are back! NAWBO-SV is joining with Bridge Bank to bring back our brown bag lunch series. The first one is scheduled for Thursday, March 6 featuring experts from Bozzuto Insurance Company discussing the health care changes. Watch our website for updates and further announcements.
The NAWBO-SV Board of Directors will be having a mid-year strategic session later this month focusing on membership. Topics will include continued value for your membership and new membership drive. Stay tuned.
Along the topic of membership, many have asked – what is the value we receive from being a member of the national NAWBO organization? We are excited to share below a communication from National on this very topic.
In March, several NAWBO-SV members will be attending NAWBO California’s Propel Your Business Conference in Sacramento. This conference is two days packed with panelists and keynote speakers on issues impacting small to medium sized businesses doing business in California, and the legislators that influence our business environment. Not to mention the high energy networking among women business leaders across the State! We hope to see you there.
We trust 2014 has started out well for your business. Even if you have broken your New Year’s resolutions, it is not too late to set goals for 2014. As always, we welcome your feedback on how to make this a better chapter, encourage you to invite your friends and colleagues to future meetings, and become a member.
Very truly yours,
Jennifer Dizon
NAWBO-SV President
2013/2014
Keep Your Resolutions ~ Healthy Winter Breakfast You’ll Love
Submitted by Tamara Archer, Moms Health Zone
Health and fitness are a big concern as we face our New Year’s resolutions or commitments. By whatever name you use, let’s face it, continuing past the first week or month can be a challenge. Having go-to solutions that work and are delicious is a huge help in being successful when we’re adding/changing habits. In support of your health, here’s a delicious, hearty, healthy breakfast. It’s one of my favorite wintertime recipes ~ no instant mush here; only go for the real thing! If you’re like me and not a fan of raisins, you’re in for a treat with the tart cranberries.
Amazing Oatmeal -1 serving
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup Old Fashioned Whole Oats
- dash salt
- 2-3 tsp finely ground flax seed
- 4-6 walnuts halves, chopped or broken
- 1 tbls dried cranberries (orange flavored add a delicious pop and variety)*
- Maple syrup or raw Blue Agave (at Trader Joe’s)
- warmed almond milk (or other milk of choice) – ditch the microwave/ and use stove top pan
- warmed bowl – turn upside down on lid while oatmeal is cooking or warm on low in toaster oven
* try any other fruit of choice; small apple or pear chunks, bananas, blueberries etc.
Bring salted water to a boil; add oats and simmer till thickened, approximately 4-5 minutes. Stir in flax seed. Transfer to warmed cereal bowl, top with nuts, cranberriesand drizzle with syrup. Add warmed milk (stay away from the microwave/ and use your stove top) and enjoy!
You can’t go wrong with whole grains and blood sugar-steadying fiber so this makes oatmeal an easy and ideal breakfast. Additional benefits: it’s whole grain, gluten free, walnuts are brain food and much more, flax seed provides omega 3 oils and more, and cranberry provides antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer benefits. It’s wholesome, beneficial, and nutritious so get ready for a deeply gratifying delicious meal and welcome to the New Year!
For more tips, solutions, and strategies for healthy eating, see our other blogs www.MomsHealthZone.com/blog, join our community, and share your wisdom.
Is Your Company Saleable?
Written by Jan Robertson, SiVal Advisors, LLC
From time to time I am asked to speak on the topic of ‘Exit Planning’ – how to prepare to sell one’s company. One of the critical areas I address in my talks is: ‘What makes a company Saleable’? Sadly, not every company is saleable. However, if you know what the key elements of ‘saleability’ are, there are steps you can take to make your company a viable sale candidate!
Here are, in my experience, some of the key saleability factors:
What Makes A Company Saleable?
- Programmable / teachable products or services – that you can impart to others who will buy and run your company post-sale. A reasonable transition period is usually required to transfer this knowledge, but it must be transferrable.
- Valuable IP or brands – desirable in the marketplace. Well-established brands and / or patented IP can significantly boost valuation, sometimes beyond what normal ‘market multiples’ of revenues and profits might indicate.
- Specialty / uniqueness – in a sought-after area. This is a more subjective version of IP or brands, described above, but nonetheless important. We are seeing this especially in ‘hot’ sectors in the current market.
- Recurring, diversified revenue stream – if your business is highly dependent on one or two key customers now is the time to diversify to make it more attractive to buyers!
- Founder / owner should be ‘dispensable’ – in other words the company cannot be wholly dependent on you. Otherwise you will end up negotiating a long ‘earn-out’ (topic for another article).
- Accretive – especially for public buyers. Positive earnings and cash flow will help attract public company buyers, which will typically not pay a higher price-earnings multiple than their company is afforded by the stock market.
- Team – the importance of having assembled a highly-capable team cannot be underemphasized. Many of Yahoo’s acquisitions these days are ‘acqui-hires’, the primary purpose of which is to acquire talent!
- ‘Mini-conglomerate’ – logical fit critical. If you have assembled a company with different business units, you need to be able to make a compelling case as to why they belong together. Otherwise, you make attain higher overall value by selling them off separately to different buyers.
A final note about the current market for selling companies… I have been practicing M&A for 30 years and have rarely seen a market that is a favorable as the one we saw in 2013 and hopefully will continue to enjoy well into 2014. Why is this? In a nutshell: Robust stock market; Low interest rates; Cash on corporate balance sheets (U.S. $3T, Global $8T); Pent-up demand from ‘strategic’ buyers; Private Equity aggressively competing for deals (U.S PE funds $2T to invest).
President’s Message – January 2014
Happy New Year! I hope each and every one of you was able to refresh and recharge over the holiday break. We at NAWBO SV had a lovely December luncheon featuring the string quartet from the Peninsula Symphony, then the Board took the month off from meeting. We are ready to hit the ground running with quality programs and new in-kind partners. Look for announcements in these monthly newsletters and on our website www.nawbo-sv.org.
January is typically the month for making New Year’s resolutions, which are broken shortly thereafter. If you haven’t already, I suggest making a resolution you can stick to – something small, but sustainable. For example, consider changing one behavior for your business and personally, such as contacting one additional client or referral source per day or parking further from your destination to walk extra steps. These small changes can make a big difference in your business, and personally.
We wish you a prosperous 2014. As always, we welcome your input on how to make this a better chapter and would enjoy hearing from you. Thank you for being part of our readership community.
Very truly yours,
Jennifer Dizon
NAWBO–SV President
2013/2014
Small Business Saturday 2013
On November 19, 2013 Jennifer Dizon, representing NAWBO Silicon Valley, and their affiliates, Small Business Saturday Coalition 2013 and Women Impacting Public Policy accepted a proclamation from the City of San Jose for Small Business Saturday, November 30, 2013. President Elect Theresa Oatman and Corporate Partner Director Maxine Goulding were also in attendance along with several local City of San Jose small business leaders and representatives.
Click here to see a video cast of the City Council Meeting.