Apply for your MWBE Certification

If you a owner of a minority or woman business, you may qualify to earn a certificate as a MWBE ( Minority- Women Business Enterprise). There is certain qualifications to be certified as a Woman Business Enterprise. Some of these include:

1. Fifty-one percent ( 51%) of the ownership is by a woman or a group of women.
2. Evidence of proof of 51% majority control of the business, i.e. by-laws, hire-fire authority and other decision-making roles.
3. Must seek certification in expertise area.

Obtaining a MBE is a little different due to the fact that the certificate is processed at the local level or regional level. Some offices require the company to have at least a 75% ethnic heritage ownership. The best way to find specific information would be to contact your city or municipal offices. You can also log onto www.mwbe-enterprises.com to get general information.

Apply for Woman Entrepreneur of the Year

Ladies get ready! Entrepreneur.com is hosting their fourth annual " Woman of the Year" contest. The qualifications are:

• Be a woman business owner
• Be a founder of the business
• Own at least 51% of the business
• Be actively involved in day-to-day operations
• Have been in business for at least one full year
• Have 2006 sales of at least $1 million, and
• Have less than 100 employees

To apply you must go to www.entrepreneur.com/womanoftheyear, visit the site to review contest rules and apply before the September 15 deadline.

New Fashion Website

Yes, yes I know this is supposed to be a " small business" blog but hey a woman needs to know where she can shop and buy clothes that fit! There is no point in trying to snag a new business loan at your local bank if you have shabby clothing. At myShape.com they help you find clothes that fit and flatter your body shape. Customers can register and create a myShop that allows you to enter your body measurements and your style preferences and they will find clothes for you. When you register ( which literally only takes 2 minutes) you can even request a free tape measure to be sent to you!

If that sounds too tedious for you, you can always select one of seven body types they have listed online for similar results. My favorite part is that you can even match up your color palette to suit your preferences It is like your own personal tailor online! Very nice. Anyone who creates their personal shop will also receive $25 off their first purchase. Check them out at www.myShape.com .

Power of Networking

Recently, I attended a networking event and I have to say that I very much enjoyed myself. I've only attended a couple of these networking events in the past few months and just now realized how important they are. Being somewhat of an introvert, I find myself much more comfortable at home or meeting people one-on-one. Hob-nobbing with the locals has not been my strongest skill. But why should extroverts have all the fun?

Small business owners need to understand and harness the power of networking. Actually, I like to think of it as more netweaving. Yes, you are trying to increase your sales. But, it is important to build a relationship first. Your clients need to know that you can be trusted. I'd suggest going around to a few different types of organizations in your area to see what best fits you. Instead of the usual chamber of commerce, how about small & home business networks, neighborhood clubs, women or minority focused networks, and trade specific networks. If you live in a mid-sized to large city there may be more than one of these in your city.

For networking tips check out this book: Why Should Extroverts Make All The Money?: Networking Made Easy for the Introvert, by Frederica Balzano.

Create a Marketing Plan For Success

We all know that a business plan is necessary to receive a small business loan. But did you know that it is also advantageous to create a marketing plan as well? Marketing plans specify key marketing objectives that you will use to market your product, service, and/or brand. Typically marketing plans are used for one year. However, you can create a five-year marketing plan for long-term goals. Marketing plans can stand alone or included in your business plan. As a small business owner some key statistics will be needed in order for your marketing campaign to succeed. Some ideas to think about are: Demographics, Pricing Strategy, Competition, Marketing Budget, Description of your product or service, and Market Segmentation.

For assistance in creating a marketing plan, check out the SBA.gov website for more information.