Corporate Partner Corner
Special benefits and offers from our corporate partners for NAWBO members.
President’s Message | April 2021
Dear NAWBO Silicon Valley Members & Friends,
We remain committed to our values by embracing diversity and inclusivity. We are in support of the AAPI community. For more information; https://stopaapihate.org/
In partnership with NAWBO National, the Gusto study surveyed 1,199 members of NAWBO about their businesses and their experiences over the past year. A
snapshot of the new face of female entrepreneurship:
- (66%) started their businesses as sole proprietors
- (47%) of minority women started a business and many did so out of need
- Minority women were more than twice as likely (35% vs. 17% for others) to start a new business because of financial imperative.
Find the stats here: Understand Women Business Owners Who Launched During the PandemicBe in the Know…
Our Public Policy team is working hard by keeping an eye on key legislation and is continuously updating the information here.
Don’t forget
Save the Date for the virtual NAWBO Silicon Valley – Crystal Chair Awards Gala on July 20th. Nominations for the Women Business Advocate of the Year and the Business Woman of Distinction award campaign will start by mid April.
In honor of Susan Hager, our founder, we created this gala based upon her belief that women should bring their chair to the table, if you don’t have one build it and bring other women with you. This very special event is designed to honor extraordinary women in our community who have made a commitment to dedicate themselves not only to their businesses, but to the success of other women business owners.
You want to be a better business leader? Get involved and join our leadership team as a board member or committee member.
Your opinion matters! We want to hear from you on the different topics that are of interest to you as we continue to build our calendar of events for 2021.
Contact us: info@nawbo-sv.org.
“Easter is the only time of year when it is safe to put all your eggs in one basket.”- Unknown.
From your team Griselda, Maxine, Flor, Megan, Randi, Marina and Robin.
#NAWBOSV #NAWBO #NAWBONation
President’s Message | March 2021
Dear NAWBO Silicon Valley Members & Friends,
Observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history. Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to history,
culture, and society and has been observed annually in the month of March in the United States since 1987.
Women’s History Month 2021 will take place from Monday, March 1-Wednesday, March 31, 2021. International Women’s Day, a global celebration of the economic, political, and social achievements of women took place for the first time on March 8, 1911. The United Nations have sponsored International Women’s Day since 1975. When adopting its resolution on the observance of International Women’s Day, the United Nations General Assembly cited the following reasons:
“To recognize the fact that securing peace and social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms require active participation, equality and development of women; and to acknowledge the contribution of women to the strengthening of international peace and security.”
NAWBO Silicon Valley continues to spearhead as the only chapter nationwide with an international department and in celebration of a landmark month, join us and our international sisters on March 25, 2021 for “HERstory in the Making” see more details and how to register below.
Want to make a difference? Get involved!
- Become a NAWBO member
- Join our leadership team as a board member or committee member email membership@nawbo-sv.org for more information.
Your opinion matters! We want to hear from you on the different topics that are of interest to you as we continue to build our calendar of events for 2021.
Contact us – info@nawbo-sv.org
“Some days, she has no idea how she’ll do it. But every single day, it still gets done.” – Unknown.
From your team Griselda, Maxine, Flor, Megan, Randi, Marina and Robin.
#NAWBOSV #NAWBO #NAWBONation
Let Go So Your Company Can Grow
Submitted by Anne Marie McGraw
https://insigniaenvironmental.com/
An excerpt from Women in Business: Breaking Through
Anne Marie McGraw, President of Insignia Environmental, was recently published in Women in Business: Breaking Through, a collection from 13 women leaders who share their professional insights on overcoming challenges in various business industries. An excerpt from her contribution, “Let Go So Your Company Can Grow,” can be found below.
Please visit Insignia’s website for more information.
Why Is It Important to Let Go?
In the early days, or even now, you and your small team may have handled every aspect of the business: making sales calls, preparing proposals and cost estimates, attending industry events, running payroll, addressing IT support, providing technical advice and deliverables to your clients, addressing HR issues, attending to office administration, and the like. Over time, you may have been able to outsource some of these functions or hire staff to take on those roles. With your careful oversight and coordination, you made sure they understood exactly how you wanted it done, and you spent (and maybe continue to spend) a significant portion of your time reviewing what they were doing and how they were doing it.
Every business owner must go through a painful but crucial evolution to meet larger targets. You must change your mindset from “I need to be involved in everything” to “I have to let go so my company can grow.”
Having a white-knuckled grip on each decision, all sales arenas, and every memo may be the very thing that got you to the position where you are now. But it also might be the very thing that keeps you stuck there. As the CEO of a growing company, the demands on your time will continue to grow as the company grows. Thus, you should prepare yourself to let your previous proficiency or preferences go and focus on CEO-only tasks
Management Tips & Tricks: Client Expectations
Submitted by Kathryn Fortin, MCCT
President & Founder, Lead Solutions Architect, www.fortech.net
EdTech and technology project management are similar. Sometimes the biggest issues are reigning in the client and keeping them educated about the process. It’s easier to do so up front to avoid this situation of having to get them back on track if you have set their expectations early. What I mean with expectation setting is:
1. Don’t over promise
- If you think you will have it done by Friday, tell them next Tuesday.
2. Use the “you only get two” rule
- I explain to my clients that, you only get two of the three options below.
Which two are most important to them?
Fast + Cheap = Not the best quality, could result in an inferior outcome, but it will be on time.
Good + Cheap = It’s going to be slow. However, we will do a great job at a great price! You will need to be patient.
Good + Fast = It will cost more, but you will get great results, quickly. We will put other jobs on pause and work overtime to get your project done.
3. Keep them in the loop
- Make them accountable for what you need to get their project done. All of our projects are a group effort that include the client’s knowledge and expertise about their business and/or their industry.
- This means that if we don’t get the info we need from them, we can’t get our work done.
We use the SAAS Teamwork as our client and project management system. What I like about it is that:
- You can add clients as collaborators, and it won’t cost you another license. They can read and respond to notes and be assigned tasks.
- Assigned tasks can be sync’d directly onto your digital calendar (Google, Outlook, Apple, etc.), along with reminders and deadlines.
- You can set up automated messages such as “The project is on hold because we have not received the information needed to proceed on your project.”
- You can automate the completed date to push if you don’t receive the needed information.
- You can copy EVERY email into the project, with a project email address; then all communication is centralized for everyone on the project to see depending on access rights (sensitive information can be set for only certain people to see).
When we onboard a new client, we review how the project can be delayed if they do not get their pieces to us on time. We explain that it is a partnership and accountability goes both ways.
Download our EdTech Project Management Infographic here
If you need help with project process improvement or making effective online training, contact us for a free consultation.
President’s Message | February 2021
Dear NAWBO Silicon Valley Members & Friends,
Black History Month is a time we pay tribute to the heroes and heroines of U.S. history and recognize the vast contributions they have made to American culture. On Inauguration Day we heard from poet Amanda Gorman, her powerful words continue to resonate deeply with me.
“So, while once we asked,
how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?
Now we assert
How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?
We will not march back to what was but move to what shall be”“For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it”
I am happy to announce the 2nd round of the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program is NOW OPEN. The deadline is February 8th, 2021. The amount of grant funding ranges from $5,000 to $25,000. Click here to apply.
We are skipping our monthly Thirsty Thursday event, but invite you to join us with our esteemed presenter, Anna Choi, on February 16th, 2021 for “5 Keys to Reclaim Your Energy to Transcend Beyond Limits”.
Your opinion matters! We want to hear from you on the different topics that are of interest to you as we continue to build our calendar of events for 2021. Contact us; info@nawbo-sv.org
Wishing you everything that makes you happiest today and always. Happy Valentine’s from Griselda, Flor, Randi, Megan, Marina, Robin, and Maxine
#NAWBOSV #NAWBO #NAWBONation
Once You Retire, Will You No Longer Be a “Professional Woman?”
The moment when you are no longer considered a “professional woman” can be a troubling change in your life. What does this even mean? It is a designation by our society for the day after we stop working outside the home. Does that happen to a man? I don’t think in the same way. I don’t think we ever refer to a man who has stopped working as no longer a professional man. But for a woman, to stop working is a major change of identify as seen by our culture, and, therefore, often, by us.
For those of you who have been a “professional woman” for most or all your adult life, how does it feel to stop being one of those? For some I think “terrifying” is not too strong a word. If you’re not a professional woman, what are you? You may be a mother or a wife or a sister. But that’s never been all you are. A large part of who and what you have been a professional woman. And now you are not, or perhaps soon you won’t be.
What’s Next?
For all of you professional women who are facing this dilemma, what can you do If I knew the answer to that, I’d be a very rich woman, but here are two suggestions for now:
If you don’t currently have a meditation practice, get one. There are many places you can go to learn a meditation technique of your choice. Just Google “meditation.”
Why do I think this is so important? The best information available to you about “what’s next?” isn’t outside of you waiting to get in. It’s inside you waiting to be listened to.
Sit down with a pencil and paper (don’t do this on your laptop) and write down all the things you’ve done well over the years starting with when you were a little girl. Don’t leave anything out no matter how insignificant it seems to you at this point in time.
Hopefully, this list will help you see that you’re not just a great marketing executive or sales representative or teacher or assistant or doctor or whatever. You’re a multifaceted, amazing woman with an incredible collection of skills and experiences!
And here is the really important thing right now. . . you’re at a point in your life when YOU can decide which of all those gifts you WANT to hone and take into the world in whatever way would be meaningful to you at this point in your life. At 55 (or beyond) you very possibly have a good 30 years to do what will give you a deep sense of satisfaction and be immeasurably important to others.
President’s Message | January 2021
Dear NAWBO Silicon Valley Members & Friends,
WELCOME 2021! A new beginning to create an abundance of opportunities for our businesses and make new friends while doing so.
Don’t miss the deadline to apply for the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program due January 8th, 2021 at 11:59 PM PST. Apply Here.
To kick off the new year, join us later today for our first Thirsty Thursday of the year (register below) as well as on January 26th for our special event “Meet our Corporate Partners and Affiliates”. You’ll get to know more about their companies, the services they offer, and the importance of why our partnership helps our members and the community at large.
We are updating our events calendar. Let us know what topics interest you or provide recommendations on speakers. Contact us at info@nawbo-sv.org
Look at this month’s NAWBO National virtual Lunch & Learn programing and Community Connects where members across the nation can share best practices and support one another.
Wishing you a safe and healthy year with wonderful experiences to be had and a prosperous economy for all.
From your TEAM… Griselda, Maxine, Flor, Marina, Robin, Megan, and Randi.
#NAWBOSV #NAWBO #NAWBONation
Google’s Mobile-First Indexing – Coming March 2021
Google announced in 2016 that they were changing the index algorithm to be more focused on mobile users. Well, the shift is officially happening in March 2021. If your site is not mobile-first ready, it runs the risk of not being indexed or blocked.
What does being mobile-first really mean?
The mobile version of your site needs to be as content rich and complete as the desktop version.
Do you need to be worried about my site?
If your site was designed or redeveloped within the last few years, you probably already have a “responsive” site. This means that it was built to accommodate desktop, tablet and mobile devices by wrapping and reformatting the content to those device sizes. If, however, your responsive site displays less information in the mobile version than in the desktop version, you may see a drop in indexing.
If you created a separate mobile site specifically for mobile devices (m. site) that is completely separate from the regular www. websites, indexing and subsequently traffic could drop significantly.
To read how to prepare your site, see FULL BLOG POST
3 Ways Professional Women Undermine Themselves on LinkedIn
- Your headline is your job title and company name at most
- The “About” section is missing entirely or is the same as the top of your resume
- Nothing added anything to the new “Featured” section on LinkedIn
- Few recommendations
- You check out what other professionals are posting on LinkedIn
- You may “like” a post occasionally
- You rarely go beyond a comment such as “congratulations”
- You worry about what it will look like if you say the wrong thing
- No insightful comments
- No original posts, videos, or articles
- No reaching out to proactively connect with other leaders
Did You Pivot Your Business?
Use Content To Build Trust in 2021
- Use social platforms to build community. Your social presence can make or break or break perceptions about your brand — 74% of peoplefollow brands on social media, and 96% of brand followers also interact with them there. Instead of using social channels for shameless self-promotion, build trust by providing relevant content that enriches your audience’s understanding about topics related to your business, and inspires trust in your expertise.
- Communicate about the things that matter. Consumers are looking for brands that align with their beliefs and the causes they support. And, 92% of Millennials are more likely to buy products or services from a business they consider to be ethical. Instead of burying your head in the sand, don’t be afraid to take a stand. You might lose a few customers but being true to your beliefs will help build and maintain a loyal audience.
- Remember: Less is usually more. In the past, more content meant better SEO. That is no longer the case: People are bombarded with information, and Google and other search engines have become savvy to these tactics. Rather than posting a flurry of short articles that touch lightly on a topic, think about developing fewer but meatier pieces that help establish thought leadership and authority on topics that matter to your audience.
President’s Message | December 2020
Dear NAWBO Silicon Valley Members & Friends,
2020 has been a tumultuous year and we have been by your side.
Early into shelter-in-place we reinvented our way of communicating and staying connected with you by creating a virtual meeting platform. Our Educational and Networking Meetings continue every 3rd Tuesday of the month, and on the 1st Thursday of the month, respectively. We developed Thirsty Thursday to encompass a casual atmosphere for our members to network and get to know each other’s business and their needs & wants.
Last month we announced the launch of our new Member’s Only Newsletter to share valuable information just for our members, in conjunction with our CONNECTIONS Newsletter, which gives our corporate partners and affiliates the opportunity to share pertinent information with our subscribers.
We also reengaged with our alliances and created new partnerships. Join us on January 19th and meet our Corporate Partners and Affiliates to explore business opportunities, to get to know them, and the importance of why the partnerships were developed.
NAWBO National has also been busy with their weekly virtual Lunch & Learn programing and Community Connects where members across the nation can share best practices and support one another.
The Institute for Entrepreneurial Development remains open to all women business owners. The platform facilitates communication, virtual networking, best practice sharing, and education for Women Business owners, partners and supporters with measurable and significant impact.
Don’t miss the latest opportunity to qualify for the NAWBO Accelerated Growth Program sponsored by Wells Fargo, a premier suite of learning modules designed to help women business owners scale through high-level education and mentorship. This program for just 25 participants will increase their market competitiveness and position them to achieve the next stage of growth and expansion. Deadline to apply is Monday, December 14th.
As we approach years end, we are hopeful for a safe and robust 2021.
Happy Holidays from the team Griselda, Maxine, Flor, Marina, Robin, Megan and Randi.
#NAWBOSV #NAWBO #NAWBONation
