..Feature Articles

NEW! Financial finesse series

In the coming issues of our eNews, Women's Enterprise Centre will be exploring key financial topics which are important to your business.  We’ll start by discussing some of the common dilemmas women face in ensuring that their business has enough resources to succeed, that profitability is optimized, and that you and your business can achieve your full potential.

Part 1: Valuing yourself and your business

The start of each New Year finds many of us enthusiastically leaping into some sort of resolution process. We vow to shed 20 pounds, exercise more, eat less and get more sleep. Almost without exception, our resolutions are a reflection of how we view ourselves.

For women business owners, these same self-worth themes have a habit of winding their way into many areas of our lives – even into our business, affecting pricing, profitability and sometimes even growth decisions. In addition, women often tend to be intimidated by numbers and money and are put off by having to negotiate and put a value on their services.

Success tips for women entrepreneurs

Success Tip #8:
Managing the money is as important as earning it

If you have a business, you already know that without cash flow you can’t grow.  And the faster you grow the higher is the demand for cash needed to pay for additional staffing, support, inventory and warehousing.

Your growing business can turn into a “cash sponge”...

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See previous tips :

• November 2007

January business tip

Non-negotiables: You gotta have 'em

We all have areas in our life that we will not compromise and areas where we will be a little more flexible. Knowing what we will or will not negotiate sets a boundary that can guide us professionally and personally. Without knowing this about ourselves, we can loose sight of goals or find ourselves losing track of our core reason for being in the business that we're in.

Non-negotiables can be vastly different for each of us, as you can see from the following examples:

• Ella wants to be known as a mover-and-shaker within her business community.
• Eunice wants to be able to set her own hours.
• Teresa wants to earn a six-figure income.
• Jess wants Fridays off to volunteer in her child’s classroom.
• Kim wants to work with businesses that are environmentally conscious.

Defining your negotiables can give you a basic framework for keeping your business moving forward as planned.

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..In The News

Mentor Advisory Forums starting now!

Women’s Enterprise Centre is proud to announce the launch of their third mentoring program for women entrepreneurs in the first two years of business. Mentor Advisory Forums provide opportunities for women all over BC to discuss common issues they face in their businesses with a panel of experienced mentors via teleconference.  

Each forum will have a pre-selected business topic on which the panel of mentors will share their experiences and answer pre-submitted questions from forum attendees. For more information and to apply click here.

Upcoming Mentor Advisory Forums
February 12th – 9:00am to 10:15am – Work/Life Balance
Mentor Panelists: Cassandra Tompkins, The Woman’s Place Fitness Group, Kelowna, BC, Sarah Juliusson, Mama Renew

March 4th – 9:00am to 10:15am – Marketing Your Business

March 25th - 9:00am to 10:15am – Building a Vision

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New Peer Mentoring Groups

It's not too late to apply for a Peer Mentoring Group in Golden, Trail or Port Hardy!

If you are a woman in the first two years of business who resides in, or near, Port Hardy, Golden or Trail, apply now to take part in Women's Enterprise Centre Peer Mentoring program. For more information and to apply, click here.

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Presenting our new Skills Development Officer, Heather Martin

Heather comes with diverse experiences in education, agriculture, financial services, and small business. She has degrees in both business and development economics.

Most recently, Heather was a Development Officer with Blue Water Business Development Corporation in Nova Scotia.  She assisted business owners through business counselling, loans, and training workshops.

If you’d like to speak to Heather to arrange a training workshop for your group, she can be reached by email heather@womensenterprise.ca or by calling 1-800-643-7014, ext. 111.

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Feature entrepreneur of the month

Janet Pearson, A&A Burger Barn

Taking over a 28-year-old landmark burger joint in Prince George might seem a huge undertaking to some, but for Janet Pearson it was an exciting opportunity to prove her determination and drive.

Where others may have seen an exhausted restaurant, Janet saw great potential...

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CBC's Dianne Buckner hosts new show

Are you ready to quit your job and start your own busines?

This new program will showcase today’s top business trends and how those trends fit into the global economy, as well as how Canadians could cash in on potential business opportunities right here at home.

Dianne Buckner hosts Fortune Hunters, which started Saturday January 12th and runs every Saturday at 3:30pm (pt) on CBC Newsworld.

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UCLA study on friendship among women

By Gale Berkowitz

Women's Enterprise Centre is pleased to provide an interesting article about women's health in relation to friendship. Researchers have found that women tend to live longer and deal with stress better because they like to "hang out with the girls".

A landmark UCLA study suggests that women respond to stress with a cascade of brain chemicals that cause us to make and maintain friendships with other women...

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.Events and Happenings

From Women's Enterprise Centre

Starting/Growing a Business Information Session
January 16th
Phone in Toll Free from anywhere in BC, click here

Business Loans Info Session: Learn About Your Financing Options
January 17th
Phone in Toll Free from anywhere in BC, click here

Financial Management workshop in Port Alberni, BC
Thursday, January 24th, 5:00-9:00pm at the Best Western Barclay Hotel, 4277 Stamp Avenue, Port Alberni, BC. Click here for more information and details on how to register.

Six-week Focused Marketing course in Victoria!
Starts Tuesday, January 29th, from 11:30-1:00
Fee: $149, which includes the Focused Marketing learning guide
For more information on this course, click here.

Ready, Set, Grow workshop in Port Alberni, BC
Thursday, January 31st, 5:00-9:00pm at the Best Western Barclay Hotel, 4277 Stamp Avenue, Port Alberni, BC. Click here for more information and details on how to register.

MOVING UP! Growing your business in Fernie, BC
Strategies for building business success
Tuesday, February 5th, 7:15-10:30am at Park Place Lodge, Fireside Room, 742 Hwy 3, Fernie, BC. $20 for Chamber members; $25 non members includes breakfast. For more information or to register, contact: Lynn Flokstra, Manager, Fernie Chamber of Commerce 250 423-6868

One-day Focused Marketing workshop in Port Alberni, BC
Friday, February 15th from 8:30-5:00 at the Best Western Barclay Hotel. Click here for more information and to register before February 10th, 2008.

Mark your calendars for a One-day Focused Marketing workshop coming to Castlegar, March 13th! Keep checking our Events Calendar for more information on these, and other, upcoming workshops.

Small Business BC and eBC Seminars

Small Business BC Seminars - Vancouver
All Year - at Waterfront Station, 82-601 West Cordova, click here

eBusiness BC Lunchbox Seminars - Vancouver
All Year - Tuesdays at Waterfront Station, 82-601 West Cordova, click here

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Around the Province

Empowering Women Speaker Series & Trade Show
January 16, 2008 in Vancouver at the Roadhouse Arts & Community Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews (Davie & Pacific) from 6:30pm - 9:30pm. Click here for more information.

Food & Beverage Trade Show
January 16, 2008 in Vancouver.   Supplier diversity directors of a number of US supermarket chains will be in attendance to sample your products. Click here for more information.

Wired Woman After Christmas Party
January 17th starting at 6:00pm at Subeez Cafe, 891 Homer Street, Vancouver, BC. Click here for more details.

Leadership in the 21st Century
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at the Coast Capri Hotel, Kelowna, BC from 11:00am-4:00pm. Lunch included. Click here for more details.

Worklife BC 2008 forum
February 1st, 2008, 8:30-4:30 at the Morris J Wosk, Centre for Dialogue, Asia Pacific Hall, 580 West Hastings, Vancouver, BC. Tickets $150.00
For more information and to register before January 21st visit http://www.sfu.ca/dialogue/

Enterprize 2008
February 1st - 3rd, at the Sheraton Wall Centre, Vancouver, BC
For more information visit http://www.enterprize2008.com/

FWE Gala on February 19, 2008
At the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel, Vancouver
Featuring speaker Julie Aigner-Clark, Founder of The Baby Einstein Company
Tickets are $150.00
For more information email kim@fwe.ca or visit fwe.ca

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Around Canada

Food & Beverage Trade Show
January 17, 2008 in Edmonton, Alberta.   Supplier diversity directors of a number of US supermarket chains will be in attendance to sample your products. Click here for more information.

2008 Diversity Procurement Fair
PARTNERING for PROFIT, April 2nd & 3rd, 2008. Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario. Click here for more details

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