Corporate Partner Corner2024-04-23T15:16:12-07:00

Corporate Partner Corner

Special benefits and offers from our corporate partners for NAWBO members.

President’s Message | November 2020

Dear NAWBO Silicon Valley Members & Friends,

Fall is here and our beautiful California weather continues. November is a special month for us as we focus on what we are thankful for. This week we launched our “Giving Campaign” for our Corporate Partners.

We are thankful to the affiliations we have made throughout the years with other wonderful organizations and local offices.

Most recent is the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), a special district office who will share advanced notice of procurement opportunities and also assist our membership with securing DBE/SBE certification.

Also with The Startup Squad, a Macmillan-published book series and mission-driven entity dedicated to inspiring and empowering girls through entrepreneurship – https://www.nawbo-sv.org/affiliates/.

We are especially thankful for our members who believe in our Mission and Vision and the sisterhood of NAWBO.

And also dear to my heart, I’m thankful for my fellow board members; Flor, Robin, Megan, Vandana, Marina, Jennifer, and Maxine who stand next to me and volunteer their time and energy to this organization.

Best wishes to you and yours this Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,
Griselda Quezada-Chavez

#NAWBOSV #NAWBO #NAWBONation

Sales Tax and Online Sales During The Pandemic

Submitted by Monika Miles of Miles Consulting Group

In the last 10 months, daily life has been turned upside down because of the pandemic. One of the many consequences of COVID-19 is less in-person shopping, so many consumers have turned to online shopping as their default. This has offered many retailers the lifeline they needed to stay afloat, but it has also creating problems for those who were unprepared for the complex sales tax burdens associated with online retail.

President’s Message | October 2020

Dear NAWBO Silicon Valley Members & Friends,

On Sept. 21 – 23 NAWBO National had their first Women’s Business Conference virtually. Due to COVID they went from an in-person event to totally online. The challenges of turning this event around were huge, but the determination and perseverance of NAWBO really came through. This feat was a perfect example of strong, determined, smart and organized women that can make things happen. This describes the caliber of women we have in this organization.

It was a fabulous event based on the theme Brave is… We celebrated NAWBO’s 45th Birthday, the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage, and paid tribute to some of our outstanding women of 2020-2021. There were wonderful speakers on topics from creating leaders for world change, leveraging technology for your business, to strategic planning.

One of the highlights was a Fireside Chat with Glennon Doyle, award-winning author and activist. If you did not get a chance to see her, you’ll want to read one or all of her books: #1 New York Times bestsellers Untamed and Love Warrior and bestseller Carry On, Warrior.

NAWBO awarded the “Woman Business Owner of the Year Award” to Rebecca Fyffe, CEO, Landmark Pest Management, presented by Bank of America.

NAWBO National also, wait for it, announced the 2020 Accomplishments and Initiatives Chapter Awards. We are proud to let you know NAWBO Silicon Valley was 3rd place among 50 chapters for Best Chapter 2020 and the 5-star Chapter Award.

Congratulations to the NAWBO Silicon Valley Chapter!

Stay safe and healthy. We are here for you!

Sincerely,
Griselda Quezada-Chavez

#NAWBOSV #NAWBO #NAWBONation

President’s Message | September 2020

Dear NAWBO Silicon Valley Members & Friends,

During these unprecedented times, our community continues to demonstrate its resilience amidst the multiple fires in the Bay Area and beyond. We have members directly affected and therefore, we will be postponing our meeting events for the month of September.

But wait… there is a ray of sunshine and it is packed with an abundance of opportunities.

NAWBO members, you heard it here first! The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) has upcoming projects and they want YOU to apply for:

  • Financial audit services
  • On-call facility repair, painting & remodeling
  • Temporary staffing services

What else does VTA Buy?

  • Highway, bikeway, pedestrian LR and facility construction
  • Professional services
  • Legal, audit, temp labor
  • Hand sanitizer, masks and other PPE
  • Custodial services & products
  • Office & promotional supplies
  • Uniforms & accessories
  • Consulting services
  • Public relations
  • Real estate services
  • Technology & equipment
  • Safety/security services
  • Telecommunications
  • Automotive, bus & light rail parts and related services

VTA’s Business Diversity Programs include the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program for federally funded projects, the Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program for state funded projects and the Minority, Women, Disabled Veterans and LGBT Business Enterprise Programs for locally funded projects.

Through these diversity programs VTA assists certified businesses seeking construction, purchasing and professional services contracts and create a level of playing field on which minority, women, disabled veteran, and LGBT-owned businesses can fairly compete for contracting opportunities in Santa Clara County region.

Visit the business center, view solicitations, get registered and get certified. Contact John Wesley White, Deputy Director & Chief Procurement Officer for specific details.

We have a fun filled month coming in October. Make sure to check out our events page.

Stay safe and healthy. We are here for you!Sincerely,
Griselda Quezada-Chavez

#NAWBOSV #NAWBO #NAWBONation

Employee Appreciation Gift Idea

Submitted by Tracy Gordon Proforma Concepts Unlimited

Every year, my client and I come up with ideas for a branded Employee Appreciation gift to distribute throughout their offices. We’ve done numerous items over the years including logoed blender bottles for shakes, lunch box containers, t-shirts, tumblers, etc.

I was wondering what we could do this year, during Covid-19, while so many employees are working remotely. My client and her committee developed a wonderful idea, a booklet called, Together Appreciation Book | Messages of Gratitude from our Community.

They received an outpouring of messages from their communities to thank them for the care they provided. They compiled a collection of messages, pictures, and quotes from the client’s employees and their children to thank the Doctors, Nurses, and first responders.

Instead of giving another logoed gift item, they provided a booklet filled with inspiration to help lift one’s spirits as their health care community works together through these challenging times.

What a unique and wonderful gift!

Download Sample Booklet

Focus on the User Experience, Rather than the Content When Designing Online Courses

Submitted by Kathryn L Fortin
Many schools, universities, companies, and organizations are attempting to quickly shift from classroom training to online. They’re trying to adapt their classroom education materials for online learning. But not all of these organizations employ or rely on instructional designers.
It’s natural for instructional designers to think about how students process information during online training programs. But not all trainers or instructors consider this important factor. Many times their focus is on delivering a course that covers the “necessary information”. Maybe they use activities and quizzes to assess students’ knowledge and understanding.
But many instructors use their online courses as PDF repositories. That model was barely acceptable before the pandemic – But it’s not sufficient anymore.

How is your online course UX?  Is your organization scrambling to move classroom programs to online?  Are you taking time during that process to think about the learner UX? This can be REALLY overwhelming, especially now. But we have tips to help you.

First of all, let’s slow down and think about the content from the user’s perspective. If we’re teaching in-person with our students then we can read the room, engage our learners, and elaborate on topics. But for online courses we have to focus on user engagement through polls, group activities, games, and knowledge-checks. It’s challenging, but if you set it up thoughtfully, and take the time to plot out each step, you’ll save tons of time and $$$ going forward. Plus, your students will love you for it.

Online courses are typically delivered through an LMS (Learning Management System). Your LMS definitely plays into the user experience. Planning is critical to delivering content that is tailored to your audience. Set up your virtual classroom in the same mindset as if you are walking into your physical classroom. Is our online classroom welcoming to your learners? Does it guide them through what they need to do. Can they work through the content without your personal guidance?

eLearning Stress designing online courses

What if you have no control or influence over your organization’s LMS. What can you do? Turns out, You can actually do a lot!

But, let’s start from the beginning.

If you don’t have an LMS and/or a system to deliver virtual live training, talk to us before investing in one. And, don’t let this stressful decision stop your progress getting your training/instruction online. We have systems like LMSs, virtual classrooms, a webinar platform and 3D virtual training worlds, that you can use without committing to your own. Plus, it’s always good to test drive before you buy! Picking the right LMS to fit your organization’s needs is an entirely different discussion, so maybe table that for another time.

Think of how an automobile 🚘 is designed. Engineers perfect the engine, drivetrain, aerodynamics, etc. But the same engineers do not design the interior of the car; aka the user experience. Similar to designing the car, when it comes to online learning you don’t have the database engineers or the IT department design the user experience for an online course. That’s the job for the instructor designer. 🚧 But not everyone has the budget or bandwidth to hire instructional designers. So what are your options? You have several.

  • Self-paced online courses
  • Self-paced online courses taken in cohorts/groups (you can add group activities and spark some fun competition for motivation)
  • Virtual live online classrooms
  • 3D virtual world live training – VR without the headset, kind’ a like playing SIMS. (you can bring the job site to the school)
  • VR/AR (though you would have to buy and maintain the headsets, which could be a computer support issue), there are many programs already available, that you could integrate into your courses
  • Virtual live group breakout sessions
  • Online group projects (applying what they have learned)
  • Question forums, maybe a question of the week to inspire and engage the learners
  • Online libraries, resources, and glossaries

🎯 Remember: The more engagement = more retainment  

Keeping with the automobile analogy, think of these online training options as a car’s features. You don’t NEED them all, but boy wouldn’t they be nice and make your life easier?  We recommend using many of them together, or maybe all of them. Yes, all!

Let’s go back to the virtual classroom setup.  What are some of the most important things to consider for the Learner UX?

  • Make everyone feel welcome.
  • Make it entertaining. Keep things interesting.
  • Make it relevant. Bring real world artifacts into your course design.
  • Make it accessible – make sure “readability” is set up correctly. Many people think about blind or visually impaired accommodations, but many people forget about color blindness when designing.
  • Make it engaging – Don’t create an online course that only spits out information to read or watch.  Include questions, social events, workshops, and other participant-centered activities that will pull your learners into the content.
  • Avoid overload – It can be difficult to stay focused in an online course.  Break your content into 5-8 minute chunks.

Need Help, or a little direction?  Schedule a free consultation with us.

President’s Message | August 2020

Dear NAWBO Silicon Valley Members,
Let me first begin by saying I LOVE NAWBO! I am thrilled to be your next President for 2020-2021.

Being a part of an organization that represents a unified voice of over 10 million women-owned businesses is an immense support to our community of women business owners, which includes my business and your business as well.

I share the same values with NAWBO and I’m very proud to be a part of an organization that recently launched a Diversity and Inclusion Initiative to bolster empowerment and inclusion of women business owners across all backgrounds and industries.

This month our meeting event is just that. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority will present a new certification program for women business owners in order to empower and include all with contract opportunities with VTA in a variety of industries. Don’t forget to register!

Stay tuned for additional fun and interactive meetings and casual discussions. Join us and be a part of the unified voice NAWBO offers.

Sincerely,
Griselda Quezada-Chavez

Preserving The Arts For Future Generations

Submitted by Katherine Winkelman

Italian ceramic pottery is referred to as Maiolica because painted pottery to arrive in Italy during Roman times came from Spain through the island of Mallorca before the 15th century. Down the road from Rome boasting the finest terracotta in the land was a small village, Deruta, in the province of Umbria not far from Perugia a bustling Roman city. Since the mid 1400’s pottery has been made in Deruta and throughout Italy. Since the Renaissance, the art has flourished using a special tin glaze to bring out the finest colors. The only closure was during the two World Wars. and now due to Covid. In our small personal Italian import business Gioia Company Italian Art Products we wanted to help to preserve this art through a program called Gioia Luce, Shine the Light on Italian Artists.

In every part of Italy where Italian Artist friends live and work, they share the same sentiment: It is very dark in Italy for arts. “Joy for Those Who Give and Those Who Receive” is the founding motto for our small personal business. Can you imagine four generations of Lace Makers and Fabrics business in Burano Island of Venice having to close for half a year? The history of the linens and laces can be traced back some 30,000 years in the world. The legend in Venice from ancient times is that lace evolved from a beautiful seaweed that a sailor gave to his love and she used thread to preserve its beautiful pattern. Visit Burano and the museum of the laces. It is these arts and others that I wanted to personally help sustain for future generations. We help to keep the lights on in Italian Art studios. Learn more >

408-640-6628

Beyond California: Notice at Collection Requirements for Businesses Across the United States

Submitted by Sari Ratican, Marina Gatto & Saroop Sandhu

In response to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), many businesses have recently had to implement additional consumer-facing disclosures to meet the requirement that covered businesses provide notice to consumers “at or before the point of collection” of personal information, as to the categories of information to be collected and the purposes for which it will be used. Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.100(b). While much of the focus has been on the recent developments to the law in California, there is often less consideration as to whether there are laws with similar requirements in other states.

In an effort to determine whether any states outside of California require businesses to provide some notice at collection of consumers’ personal information, we conducted a 50-state survey. The chart here highlights the results which show that currently, only eight states (including California) require businesses to provide some notice to consumers before or at the point of collecting their personal information. It will be interesting to see whether this list will grow in the near future, and if more states propose consumer-privacy legislation with notice at collection components. See full article here.

President’s Message | July 2020

We started our fiscal year with a vision to renew, refresh and reinvigorate our chapter. Due to our hard work and efforts, we did it! We put forth some fantastic events such as the “Fashion Disruptors” and “Women in Sports: Changing the Game”, collaborating with inspiring entrepreneurs such as Taylor Jay, Dr. Joan Oloff and Toni Julian, along with U.S. Olympic celebrities, Kristi Yamaguchi and Brandi Chastain.

Because of COVID-19, we reimagined a new way of delivering our events by pivoting to Zoom meetings. On the first Thursday of the month we successfully transitioned to Thirsty Thursdays, so we could hang out to connect, engage and refer business, of course! We touched on topics like “What is leadership during a crisis?”

On the third Tuesday of the month we have a virtual webinar platform; educating and providing resources. We have learned from the best in their industry: Roberta Kiphuth of Detati Digital Marketing. Jill Wesley of Science + Soul of Speaking, Angelo Cabral of John Hancock Retirement Services and Tina White of Franklin Templeton.

  1. As 2019 – 2020 fiscal year comes to a close, we’re proud of our chapter’s accomplishments:
  2. NAWBO National 5 Star Advocacy Award
  3. NAWBO National Leadership Development Workshops at Albuquerque, New Mexico
  4. NAWBO National Women’s Business Conference at Jacksonville, Florida
  5. FCEM 67th Women World Congress in Lima, Peru
  6. Member & Corporate Sponsored Workshops & Presentations Onsite & Virtual
  7. Empowered & Educational Topics, Speakers & Panelists Onsite & Virtual
  8. Special Events:
    Cinnabar Hills Golf Club, Perkins Coie, LLP,  San Jose Sharks, University Club of Palo Alto with Peninsula Symphony
  9. NAWBO Honorees for Women of Influence: Kimberly Tucker of All Reasons Moving
    Flordelisa Harris of Benefits Simplified Insurance Solutions
  10. NAWBO CA Support of ACA 5: Economic & Fair Opportunity

We could not advance our mission and goals without the support of our corporate partners: Bank of America, Detati Digital Marketing, Heritage Bank, Hood & Strong, Farmers Insurance, and Silicon Valley Business Journal. We are deeply appreciative of their belief in NAWBO-SV!

It is with mixed emotions that this is my final president’s message, as I end my two-term as president for our chapter. With this opportunity to become a servant leader, I’ve become a better person and I sincerely want to thank you for taking this journey with me.

Griselda Quezada-Chavez will assume the presidency role, and we could not be luckier! Griselda is a longtime NAWBO member and earned the prestigious NAWBO National Susan Hager Legacy Award (https://www.nawbo-sv.org/congratulations-griselda-quezada-chavez/ ).

Please welcome Griselda and the in-coming Board of Directors (2020-2021) at our NAWBO Silicon Valley Special event on Tuesday, July 21st-
In principle and in practice, NAWBO values and seeks a diverse and inclusive membership as stated in our Diversity clause .

Please stay healthy, safe, and hopeful, as we navigate the ongoing pandemic and current cultural tensions!

Warmest regards,
Flordelisa Harris

President’s Message | June 2020

Summer is almost here! At this time, we would normally be excited about vacationing in Hawaii or taking a trip to explore an exotic destination. Now, with over 60 days of Shelter in Place, all we can hope for is some normalcy in our daily lives and the reopening of our businesses.

At NAWBO Silicon Valley, we hear your concerns and are here to help. Since March 17th, we have pivoted to virtual connections and learning. We are pleased to see many of you take advantage of these free events, and we just want to remind you of these monthly offerings through the end of June:

Thirsty Thursday – 1st Thursday of each month; an opportunity to connect, engage and network

Interactive Webinars – 3rd Tuesday of each month; presentation by experts relevant to your business

Having two events per month – one to engage and connect and the other to extract and learn from are important for all of us currently. Our May 19th event with Jill Wesley was well-received with over 50 RSVPs! She taught us about having SPARK in our presentations.

S = Situation
P = Problem
A = Audience
R = Resolution
K = Knowledge

This will help you drive people to action or tell a powerful story.

Please check out our website at www.nawbo-sv.org for event updates and look out for the email blasts. You and your guests are welcome to join us!

Our new board installation will take place on Tuesday, July 21st. We planned on combining this with painting and wine tasting at Detati Digital Marketing in Sunnyvale. However, at this time, we are unsure if it will be an onsite event or if we will maintain a virtual platform. As soon as we get further CDC guidance and new order from Governor Newsom, we will decide and keep you informed.

July 1st marks our new fiscal year. Griselda Quezada-Chavez will become our new chapter President, and she and her new board members will plan and create the programs for the rest of the year. Most likely, we will continue to offer these virtual events through Zoom sprinkled with a couple of onsite events (keeping in mind the guidelines we receive from our governor and CDC).

We are together apart, and we so appreciate every one of you. Thank you for being part of our virtual camaraderie of support, resources, and knowledge!

Just remember, “Happy Girls are the Prettiest” per Audrey Hepburn, so stay true to yourself and be that shining beacon in our community!

Warmest regards,
Flordelisa Harris

President’s Message | May 2020

Dear Members:

As we enter May, we look forward to the slow recovery and reopening of our businesses!

During this COVID-19 pandemic, we learned how to cope with a new normal – 6’ social distancing, constant washing of our hands, self-care, and wearing face masks. Eventually, we will all be ready to open our businesses, based on the CDC guidelines, to help open our economy.

Our NAWBO National Institute has done a tremendous job in providing virtual learning and connections every week, and it is open to members and non-members at no cost. Please check out www.national@nawbo.org so you don’t miss out!

Locally, our NAWBO SV chapter started virtual hangouts called Thirsty Thursdays and webinars through Zoom, and these are provided for free as well through the end of June 2020. We had a great turnout for our April virtual events. We want to especially thank Roberta Kiphuth of Detati Digital Marketing for her professionalism and expertise on “Marketing in a New Age Using Video to Stay Relevant and Thrive” webinar. Having two events per month – one to engage and connect and the other to extract and learn from are important for us currently.

On May 7th, we will host Thirsty Thursday and have a featured guest, Kathy Winkelman of Gioia Company. She will share her love of Italy, whether it is the beautifully handcrafted wares or the exquisite regional wines, and how the Coronavirus impacted her friends and family. This is also your chance to network and share how your business will reset for your company’s reopening.

For our webinar on May 19th, we are excited to have Jill Wesley of Science + Soul of Speaking present “The Secrets of Being Clear, Memorable and Influential”. She’s been the “secret weapon” for leaders who present virtually and give keynotes at major industry conferences, so you’re sure to have some great takeaways like how to drive people to action or tell a powerful story.

We look forward to the continued virtual camaraderie of support, resources and knowledge throughout May and beyond. As this crisis evolves, we will plan accordingly for our future events and would love your input too.

Most importantly, we would like to become an empowered board or committee member for the new fiscal year starting July 1st. If interested, please send a message to info@nawbo-sv.org and we’d be happy to discuss this great opportunity. As we touch the lives of others, we enhance our own life.

As always, stay true to yourself and be the light that brings hope to your community and the world!

Warmest regards,
Flordelisa Harris

President’s Message | April 2020

Dear Members:

We hope you and your family are staying healthy and safe! Our current situation with COVID-19 has presented us with many new challenges and concerns. As long as we can remain united in our efforts to do our part in social distancing, washing our hands, and self-care, we will eventually be able to go back to business as usual to help build a stronger and better economy together.

Although you might feel isolated in complying with Shelter in Place, please know that NAWBO Silicon Valley is here for you. NAWBO National is providing virtual learning and connections every week, and it is open to members and non-members at no cost. Please check out www.national@nawbo.org so you don’t miss out!

Locally, our chapter will have virtual hangouts called Thirsty Thursdays through Zoom starting April 9th.

On April 21st, we will host a webinar with one of our Corporate Partners, Roberta Kiphuth, President of Detati Digital Marketing, who will talk about  Marketing In A New Age: Using Video to Stay Relevant and Thrive. These virtual events will be provided for members and non-members for free through the end of May 2020. For events in June and beyond, we will keep you posted.

As we look forward to our new fiscal year, I’m happy to announce that Griselda Quezada-Chavez will assume the presidency role starting July 1st. Griselda has been a NAWBO Silicon Valley member since 2009 and is our International Affairs Director.  She is also the International Ambassador for NAWBO National, and the recipient of the coveted Susan Hagar Legacy Award presented by NAWBO National. Griselda pioneered the International Affairs department, only chapter nationwide with an international dept. Please take a moment to welcome Griselda as our incoming President.

Sadly, Donna Sooter has relinquished her president-elect role but will continue to be our Treasurer through the end of this fiscal year. Donna has been a solid supporter and member of NAWBO Silicon Valley. Her company, Sooter Consulting, has provided bookkeeping services to the Chapter for over 10 years. We will miss Donna’s smarts, tenacity, and dedication! Let us thank Donna for her years of service and corporate sponsorship.

Kimberly Tucker, of All Reasons Moving, a NAWBO Silicon Valley member for several years and a past Board Member, has been selected as one of the Top 100 Women of Influence in Silicon Valley by the Silicon Valley Business Journal! Kimberly founded her company over 28 years ago because she saw a need for a reliable and honest moving company. In addition, yours truly, will share the stage with Kimberly on October 15th. Kimberly and I hope you can join us in celebrating with us and the other 98 women who will be recognized that evening!

Most importantly, we need YOU! We continue to seek Board and Committee Members for the new fiscal year starting July 1st  – NAWBO Silicon Valley is rich with opportunities to get involved with the chapter. If interested, please send a message to info@nawbo-sv.org and we’d be happy to discuss this great opportunity.

​As always, stay true to yourself and be the light that brings hope to your community and the world!

Warmest regards,
Flordelisa Harris

President’s Message – UPDATE

We are saddened with the current state of our local community and our country regarding the race against the COVID-19 spread. Our hearts go out to those who have been affected by the virus, whether it’s personally or professionally, and for those who have passed away and for the families that mourn their loss.

In order to do our part and be socially responsible, NAWBO Silicon Valley is postponing its events scheduled for March 17th and March 31st.
We are also postponing our signature event, Crystal Chair Awards (CCA) gala for a future date in August (most likely the 18th). We will keep you informed of any rescheduled events as they develop.

For now, the health and safety of our members and guests are of utmost importance and we must remain vigilant. We encourage you to follow the CDC, local, state and national guidelines to reduce the spread of Coronavirus and to remain healthy and safe. If we can all do our part, we can look forward to our NAWBO events soon and get back to business as usual.

As women business owners, we must also remember to support each other during this challenging time. Small local businesses are usually heavily hit with less sales, yet they must still meet payroll and pay rent. Let’s band together and show them some love by thinking of them, even if it’s just buying a gift card, picking up some flowers or grabbing a bottle of wine.

We’re in this together and we will be stronger and braver together if we can all do our part!

Thank you for your continued support of NAWBO, and we look forward to our future gatherings soon! Please stay tuned…

Warmest regards,
Flordelisa Harris

President’s Message | March 2020

Dear Members:

Spring is in the air! March brings a sense of renewal and rejuvenation, allowing our chapter to grow and branch out in many new directions while staying rooted in our mission to propel women entrepreneurs.

Last month we had one of our most successful events in collaboration with the San Jose Sharks. We had a turnout of about 140 people and a powerful panel of experts: Olympic gold medalists, Kristi Yamaguchi and Brandi Chastain, Dr. Joan Oloff, podiatrist and fashion shoe designer, and Toni Julian, sports nutritionist and author. Jill Wesley, NFL speech coach and strategist, complemented the evening as our moderator.
Sadly, the Sharks event was Melissa Grimshaw-Vargas’ last hoorah with us. She has stepped down as our two-term Program Director due to personal reasons. Melissa made a tremendous impact on the quality of our programs and a sensitivity to our members’ business needs and priorities. We will truly miss her creativity, energy, boldness and smarts!

We have several exciting events coming up this Spring in March and April (see the remainder of this newsletter for details)

On April 21st, we will host our 4th annual Crystal Chair Awards gala at the Silicon Valley Capital Club. We will honor and celebrate women business owners for Lifetime Achievement, Woman of Distinction and Woman of Advocacy. Please reach out to Maxine Goulding, our event planner extraordinaire, to volunteer for this event. Maxine can be reached at events@caspecialoccasions.com.

We are seeking board and committee members for the new fiscal year starting July 1st. If interested, please send a message to info@nawbo-sv.org and we’d be happy to discuss this great opportunity!

May you enjoy this spring season with an abundance of growth and gratitude!

Warmest regards,
Flordelisa Harris

Facts and Tips to Prepare for Coronavirus Spread as WBOs

As women business owners, we prepare for everything—sales, capital, competition, hiring, retiring and more. Still, unexpected things come up, and that’s why NAWBO is here to best support you.
With Coronavirus, or COVID-19, top of mind for all Americans with it officially detected in the U.S. in a few imported cases, we wanted to help you prepare both personally and professionally in case we face wider spread in the days ahead.
First, let’s consider the facts:
While imported cases of COVID-19 have been detected in the U.S., according to the CDC, there is no evidence of sustained person-to-person transmissions of the virus.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency in the U.S. to aid the nation’s healthcare community in responding to the virus.
While the CDC maintains the potential public health threat posed by COVID-19 is high, the immediate health risk for the general public in the U.S. is considered low at this time.
Now, let’s look at how we can protect ourselves:
  • Understand your risk: People with an increased risk of infection include those with underlying health issues, older adults and healthcare workers caring for patients with COVID-19.
  • Know the symptoms: Symptoms include cough, sore throat, high temperature and feeling tired and achy—symptoms similar to the flu.
  • Protect yourself: Take extra precautions like you would during a heavy flu season:
  • Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are ill.
  • Clean and disinfect common areas and frequently touched surfaces.
  • Stay home if you are sick, except to get medical care.
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sleeve, not your hand.
  • Avoid traveling to areas affected by a viral outbreak.
  • Be aware of your surroundings and keep your distance from people who are sick.
  • Protect your employees: Consider increasing your frequency of wiping down and sanitizing your business’ high-traffic areas. Also, make hand-sanitizer and even masks and gloves available in common areas, like break and bathrooms.
  • Prepare your business: If Coronavirus spreads in the U.S., your business might experience absenteeism and see impacts to local transportation, healthcare and emergency systems.
Here are some strategies to consider now:
  • Allow flexible work schedules or telecommuting instead of large in-person gatherings.
  • Actively encourage sick employees to stay home and practice respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene.
  • Request that anyone with a fever stay home for at least 24 hours after their temperature returns to normal.
  • Consider adjusting business etiquette; it’s okay to not shake hands with others during this time.
  • Limit international travel but when necessary, advise those traveling to take certain steps before and during travel to stay healthy. The CDC provides recommendations for each country.
  • Preserve important records off-site for easy, remote access.
  • Monitor news coverage and public health information ongoing.
Remember that your NAWBO community is here to support you! We will continue to offer valuable information, resources and tips if we face wider spread that impacts our community of women business owners.
Also, please note that at this time, we are continuing with our events as scheduled. Should anything change, we will let you know.

Are you a NAWBO-SV Corporate Partner with a special offer?