Blog Post of Interest: 101 Blogs To Inspire

Let's face it. We are all searching for solutions to challenges we face each and every day while growing a business. And with this awful economy, its hard to stay focused, remain enthusiastic and lead in a way that people respect and admire. So where do you turn to get inspiration when the going gets tough?

Not sure? We can help. If you are a woman and run a million-dollar plus business, see us! You definitely need to consider WPO membership. But in between now and that point of contact (ldelaneyatglobetrade.com or call 773-381-1700), take a look at the following list of resources (primarily blogs and in line with our upcoming Summit on communications strategies for a connected world) to help you cut costs and get inspired.

Top 100 Blogs For Small-Business Cost-Cutting Inspiration

#101: The Women Presidents' Organization

Have a few of your own? Please share.

Article of Interest: Twitter Intelligence

Since the focus of our 6th Annual WPO Chicago Summit August 13th is on communication strategies for a connected world (e.g., social media), we will continue to blog about a variety of social media and networking platforms that enable you to connect, collaborate and engage with other human beings worldwide through your business.

The first big question is this: Are you connected? As a founder, President or CEO of an organization, are you using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Wikipedia, and blog sites as a business tool?

Here's what a CEO says:

"Customers crave engagement and dialogue with the brands they love, and Twitter is one of the ways you can help establish that," Marr said. "The key is remembering that you're walking into one big dinner party - if you start shilling products instead of engaging with people you might not find any seats at the table."

About how 31 percent of business owners through the 2008 Inc. 500 maintained a blog or presence on a social network.

What about you? What are you doing right now? How will we know?

Read more here.

Other related resources:

CEO's Who Twitter
Tweets From the Chiefs
C Level Tweeters
No surprises in CEOs using Twitter

Article of Interest: Social Media by Design

Sustainable solutions only happen through smart choices and the art of execution. But have you thought about how design factors into it? This commentary, "Yes, Your Social Media Strategy Needs Design" will compel you to take a new approach to how you communicate with the world whether with words or images (hence, the Moscow Bridge image) or both.

Wikipedia "design" definition:

"Design is the planning that lays the basis for the making of every object or system. It can be used both as a noun and as a verb and, in a broader way, it means applied arts and engineering. As a verb, "to design" refers to the process of originating and developing a plan for a product, structure, system, or component with intention."

Go here for the voice of David Armano who blogs for Harvardbusiness.org.

Event of Interest: 6th Annual WPO Chicago Summit 8/13/09

6th Annual WPO Chicago Summit

"The Engagement Imperative:
Communications Strategies for a Connected World"

Thursday, August 13, 2009
10:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

IBM Innovation Center
71 South Wacker Drive, 6th Floor
Chicago, IL 60606

Sponsored By:








We are in the final stages of planning our Summit -- sponsored by Harris N.A. and IBM -- and our program is as follows:

AGENDA

10:30 a.m. - noon

Supplier Diversity Professionals (SDPs) and WPO Chicago members discuss how to work more efficiently together during tough economic times.

Noon - 1:00 p.m.

Light buffet lunch (includes special tribute to Patti Ross, retired IBM executive)

1:15 - 2:00 p.m.

Emilia DiMenco, Executive V.P., Harris, will present, “Retrench, Renew, and Reset: Navigating the current environment and positioning your business for success," which will help WPO Chicago members re-evaluate their business objectives and financial well-being in light of the current economy and economic forecast.

2:15 - 4:15 p.m.

Rick Murray, President, Edelman Worldwide Digital, will present, “The Engagement Imperative: Communications Strategies for a Connected World,” that paints the big picture on social media and word-of-mouth marketing. Opening remarks by Janet Cabot, President, Central Region, Edelman

4:15 - 5:00 p.m.

Networking (bring plenty of cards)

5:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Dinner (offsite -- private)

This is a members-only event but it is not too late to join WPO Chicago provided you pre-qualify and we have space left in a chapter. Contact Laurel Delaney at the email address shown on our blog (right sidebar) or call 773-381-1700 for further information.

Special thanks to Harris N.A. and IBM for helping us make this year's event more relevant than ever.

We look forward to seeing or hearing from you soon!

P.S. WPO Chicago private wiki members register here.

Article of Interest: How To Avoid Business Entrapments

Whether you run a million dollar or a half billion dollar business, don't get snared by these three traps:

No. 1: You jump at every “opportunity”

No. 2: You develop “bright shiny object” syndrome

No. 3: Your target market is “everyone who…”

Find out how to beat the odds of entrapment and still stay focused running a successful business here.

Article of Interest: Social Media Toolkit

Here's a look at numerous online tools on how to develop social media strategies for personal branding, new business revenue streams, search engine optimization, new content initiatives and more for business owners or anyone else who is extensively involved in producing online content and publishing.

The Basics

• LinkedIn - Start the practice of connecting with every business card you receive from contacts.
• Facebook - Consider a "Facebook Movement" - creating a topic or trend in Facebook outside of your personal or brand fan pages.
• Twitter - A staple for all of us. Here's a must read basics of Twitter article.
  
• Google Profile - This is a Gold rush here. Secure and verify your personal name before someone else gets it.
• Plaxo - organizes business contacts via the web.

Learn more here.

Article of Interest: 9 Tips to Help You Sleep Through the Night During Tough Times

I recently interviewed 20 presidents of small businesses to find out what allows them to sleep through the night. The following are some tips that they shared:

1. Put in a good day’s work. Get to work early and stay an extra hour or two at the end of a normal day if needed.

2. Connect with upbeat, enthusiastic, high-energy people who share similar business concerns and who offer up a whole host of action-oriented solutions to extraordinary day-to-day problems.

3. Communicate with employees as often as possible to convey the steps being taken to keep the company strong.

4. Obsess over listening to customers, employees, vendors, colleagues, and friends and take action on what is said.

5. Emphasize a back-to-basics approach on everything, from how to buy office products to choosing cleaning services (do-it-yourself mentality) to who gets wooed over lunch or dinner for new business initiatives.

Read more of the other tips here at OPEN Forum by American Express OPEN.

Site of Interest: fear.less

Let's face it. It takes guts to run a company and a certain degree of fearlessness (better known as taking calculated risks) to make grand, sweeping leaps of faith (decisions) that may or may not lead to victory for your business.

But if you are sure about who you are and what you are doing, fear should not have any part of your life.

Here's a site that brings out the fearless factor in an exhilarating manner. It features stories about courageous people and how they conquered fear. These experiences might help YOU get your business blazing. Give it a try:

From entrepreneurs, business leaders, artists, scientists, and survivors of extreme experiences, these stories demonstrate the hidden potential we have to confront our fears and come out victorious.

fear.less

Bracelet available here (no affiliation).

Article of Interest: Which Social Network Do You Use to Grow Your Business?

There are a zillion social networks to choose from. Well, not that many, but enough. Which one do you use? Has it helped you grow your business? Just who is your demographic? What's in your strategic social media plan?

Fast Company offers up some good advice (answers to the above questions) in, "Social Networks Are More Than Networking."

After you read it, let us know how you are effectively leveraging the use of social networking platforms to increase your bottom line.

Click here for your complimentary Fast Company The Social Media Bible Ten Commandment ball (pictured above). Just print, cut, glue, and be inspired! Warning ... set aside plenty of time.

Interview of Interest: Alice Krause Chats With Dr. Marsha Firestone

Friend and colleague Alice Krause, author of the News on Women blog, interviews our founder Dr. Marsha Firestone, Women Presidents' Organization, about entrepreneurship and women business ownership. Here are the four questions addressed:

1. What inspired you to start your organization?

2. What steps do you think are necessary for an entrepreneur who wants to move her business to the next level?

3. What can entrepreneurs do in the current economic climate?

4. What advice do you have for women who are just starting out?

Go here for the interview and to learn what Dr. Firestone has to say.

Event of Interest: LATINA Style Business Series Thursday, June 18

We are a proud partner to the LATINA Style Business Series -- the most successful ongoing business development for LATINA entrepreneurs in the nation since 1998.

Join us Thursday, June 18th from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM.

To learn more and to register, visit here.

Event of Interest: Sixth Annual ATHENA PowerLink "S.H.E." Reception 6/4

As a proud partner, join us Thursday, June 4 from 6:00-8:00 p.m., at the Chicago Cultural Center, Preston Bradley Hall, as we celebrate the value that business advisors provide to entrepreneurs. The S.H.E. Reception connects successful women business owners with seasoned entrepreneurs and professionals. Both men and women are encouraged to attend.

This year, three companies are candidates for the award:

· LawyerLink (www.lawyerlinksolutions.com); Owner: Jennifer Bertoglio
· Patient Impact (www.patientimpact.com); Owner: Patty Riskind
· Noggin Labs (www.nogginlabs.com); Owners: Traci & Brian Knudson

Register today to find out who the 2009 Business of the Year and Advisory Panel of the Year awards go to.

Learn more about ATHENA Power Link, here.

See you there!

Added 6/8/09: Patient Impact takes home the ATHENA Power Link award. Congratulations to WPO Chicago member Patty Riskind! And we also extend our heartfelt congratulations to both Jennifer Bertoglio and Traci Knudson for their amazing work too! Much success to all in the future.

Event of Interest: WIPP Regional Conference in Chicago 5/21

Join WIPP and small business river guides to navigate the federal contracting rapids.

Thursday, May 21, 2009
9:00 - 5:00 p.m.

University Center
525 S. State Street
Chicago, IL 60605

Event Chairs

• Barbara Kasoff, WIPP President
• Terri McNally-Beals, President, Global Capital, Ltd.
• Francine Manilow, CEO and Founder, Manilow Suites
• Hedy Ratner, Co-President and Founder, Women's Business Development Center

Register here.

Article of Interest: 15 Tips To Keep Your Company Growing

Run out of ideas on how to keep your company growing? This article will help you chart a fresh course.

Read it here.

Event of Interest: Women's Leadership Breakfast 5/29/09

The Executives' Club of Chicago Women's Leadership Breakfast, "I Wish I Would Have Known That: Lessons for New Leaders," will be held Friday, May 29, 2009 at the The Fairmont Chicago (Imperial Ballroom, B2 Level, 200 N Columbus Drive) from 7:00-9:00 a.m.

WPO Chicago is a proud partner of this empowering high-level women's program (look for our tabletop with brochures).

Registration is 7:00 a.m. Seated Breakfast, 7:30 a.m. Panel Discussion, 8:00 a.m.

Moderator:

Judy Hsu
Morning Anchor
ABC 7 Chicago

Panelists:

Dolores Kunda
President & CEO
Lápiz and Leo Burnett Puerto Rico

Marilyn Carlson Nelson
Chairman
Carlson

Kara Walsh
CEO
Metromix LLC

Registration Deadline:

5/15/2009

For more information and to register, visit here.

I hope to see you there! Feel free to contact me to pre-arrange a meeting (ldelaney(at)globetrade.com)

News of Interest: Jane Morgan Awarded NAWBO Chicago "Woman Business Owner of the Year"

Please join me in congratulating WPO Chicago member, Jane Morgan, CEO, 411 Solutions International, for receiving the esteem award of "Woman Business Owner of the Year" through NAWBO Chicago.

We are very proud of her and wish her continued success in business.

Event: Women Presidents' Organization (WPO) Annual Conference in San Diego a Huge Hit

I just returned from our 12th Annual Conference in San Diego recharged and refreshed after listening in on a series of inspiring keynote speakers and workshop presenters. I will report out on all the "aha moments" later this week.

In the meantime, enjoy the photo taken at the back of the Loews Coronado Bay Resort.

Sound Advice: How To Make Hassle Free Conference Calls

We are excited about our upcoming conference in San Diego, as reported here (seventeen WPO Chicago members are attending). In between now and then, we are fearlessly putting to bed lots of client projects to ensure our time is well spent and totally focused at the conference. Sound like you too?

In getting things done, we discovered there are a couple of online tools we can't live without. Here are two where you can make hassle free online conference calls:

FreeConference.com
Calliflower

Scope them out and let us know what you think (we have no affiliation whatsoever).

See you soon in sunny San Diego!

Blog Post of Interest: Small Business Marketing Guide

If you are looking for solutions on how to get your direct marketing right, pay a visit to the Small Business Marketing Guide -- brought to you by HP -- where DIY (do-it-yourself) brand marketing strategies will help you grow your business.

Learn more here.

Blog Post of Interest: How To Adapt To Our New Economy

Change doesn't mean an about face for no good reason or doing more of the same: calling on more clients, joining more social networking platforms or working longer hours. That won't help.

Conditions have changed dramatically so that means you have to adapt and adapt fast and furiously.

How do you decide what to do or say in a constantly changing business terrain? According to Peter Bregman at HarvardBusiness.org, you must first ask yourself three questions:

1. What's the situation? The outcome you want to achieve? The risks? The time pressures? The needs?
   
   
2. Who else is involved? What are their strengths? Weaknesses? Values? Vulnerabilities? Needs?
   
   
3. How can I help? What are your strengths? Weaknesses? Values? Vulnerabilities?

Now you are ready to decide what you will do or say.

Choose the response that leverages your strengths, meets people where they are, and is appropriate to the situation you're in.

Read the entire blog entry here.

News of Interest: Measures To Unlock Credit For Small Businesses

Are you feeling the credit crunch? Most certainly you are yet it's the small business owners, like us, who are the real drivers of economic recovery and job creation. The latest evidence announced by the White House indicates that there will be a series of measures to help address the credit crunch facing many small firms.

The White House and Small Business Administration (SBA) hope to address these problems with three new policy directions.

Learn about them here.

We plan to discuss these measures at an upcoming WPO Chicago chapter meeting April 21 with the help of two experts: a bank and tax executive. Our goal is to learn everything we can about how to access funds for our businesses when they become available and at the same time, minimize taxes.

Event: Women Presidents' Organization (WPO) Annual Conference in San Diego April 23-25, 2009

The Women Presidents' Organization (WPO) will hold its 12th annual 2009 International Conference, entitled Sustainability: Securing the Future, in San Diego on April 23-25 at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort, hosting more than 500 successful women entrepreneurs for keynote speakers, workshops and discussions.

The conference encourages WPO members to share business strategies and experience with other successful women from all over North America, as well as learn from interactive seminars and speakers. Further, it will provide potential members who qualify a unique opportunity to experience the impact the WPO has on women business owners professionally, and personally.

Keynote speakers will include:

1. Meg Whitman, Former President and CEO of eBay
2. T. Boone Pickens, Founder and CEO, BP Capital
3. Janice Bryant Howroyd, CEO, Act-1 Personnel Services and WPO Board Member
4. Adam Werbach- Global CEO, Saatchi and Saatchi S

Additionally, the conference will feature a program led by Judi Sheppard Missett, CEO and founder of Jazzercise Inc. According to entrepreneur Judi Sheppard Missett, there are three elements in music that compare to building a business — the bass beat, the cadence and the melody. Missett will demonstrate how her trilogy is the key to any thriving business and will lead you in an interactive journey to explore a proven formula for success.

Catherine Corley, Vice President of Business Marketing for Sam’s Club will moderate a panel of four successful WPO CEOs who have outstanding sustainable initiatives, including Laura J. Allen from Vision Education & Media, Hallie Satz from HighRoad Press, Katherine Putnam from Package Machinery Company, Inc., and Susan Daywitt from SLM- Facility Solutions Nationwide.

ACT NOW: Click here to go to the WPO's official conference site.

Note: If you pre-qualify for WPO but are not a member yet, you are still able to attend our conference. Please contact us (if you are located in Chicago) at 773-381-1700 or email ldelaney(at)globetrade.com to learn more. Elsewhere, call 212-688-4114. Hope to see you there!

Event: The Executives' Club of Chicago Women's Leadership Breakfast (3/20)

The Executives' Club of Chicago Women's Leadership Breakfast, "Positioning Yourself For Board Success" will be held Friday, March 20, 2009 at the The Hilton Chicago (720 S. Michigan). WPO Chicago is a proud partner of this empowering high-level women's program.

Registration is 7:00 a.m. Seated Breakfast, 7:30 a.m. Panel Discussion, 8:00 a.m. For more information and to register, visit here.

Click on logo below for immediate PDF download of program:



See you there!

Article of Interest: Walls of Separation

Are you inadvertently building a wall between your company and your clients? I am sure by now you caught Tropicana's recent rejected package design. If you haven't, watch Peter Arnell explaining why it failed. It will fill you in. Then you'll know what I am talking about.

But back to you and your business. Are you keeping in good touch with your customers? Do you think you have a better relationship with them than they do to each other?

Not all brands seem to be increasingly "out of touch" with their own customers (for example, the Women Presidents Organization). Yet here's what David Armano thinks over at his Logic+ Emotion blog that might be some of the walls that are separating customers from a business.

One is particular is:

Tone Deafness
If you've lost the ability to connect and empathize with your customers, then you've become tone deaf. This means you can look at the data, the demographics and the numbers but never really understand, relate or "get" them in any meaningful way. So it's natural that your preference of communication will be one way vs. a dialogue. It's easier to maintain. Tone deafness becomes a barrier when you can see your customers, but can't figure out how to touch them anymore.

Read more here.

Now it's your turn. Care to share on what you are doing to see and touch your customers -- to relate to them on every level? We are all ears.

Article of Interest: Six Ways To Make Web 2.0 Work

As the popularity of Web 2.0 has grown, so has anxiety over how to use the range of technologies to our advantage. Many companies are experimenting with the tools or deploying them on a trial basis.

To help companies navigate the Web 2.0 landscape, the authors identified six critical factors that determine the outcome of efforts to implement the technologies. They are as follows:

1. The transformation to a bottom-up culture needs help from the top.

2. The best uses come from users—but they require help to scale.

3. What’s in the workflow is what gets used.

4. Appeal to the participants’ egos and needs—not just their wallets.

5. The right solution comes from the right participants.

6. Balance the top-down and self-management of risk.

You won't want to miss this article published at The McKinsey Quarterly on "Six ways to make Web 2.0 work" which presents a vast array of opportunities -- for companies that know how to use Web 2.0 (including blogs, podcasts, wikis and social networks).

Web 2.0 promises further gains, although the capabilities differ from those of the past technologies (Exhibit 3 above).

Go here to learn more.

Article of Interest: 7 Reasons To Be Grateful You're An Entrepreneur Right Now

A WPO Chicago member sent me the article, "7 Reasons To Be Grateful You're An Entrepreneur Right Now," and I think it is spot on, especially this part:

In a crisis, entrepreneurs have no choice but to keep moving, even if it’s tough going. But heavy lifting builds big muscles. The only real choice now is to go forward, and you will grow your capabilities and learn a lot by doing so.

Sound like a plan? We think so. And naturally, the Women Presidents' Organization is here to help you every step of the way.

Let us know what we can do to assist and tell us how you plan to grow your business even during turbulent times.

Sound Advice: Consumer Leaders Report

"9 on 9" -- Edelman's Consumer Leaders Report is a fascinating look at how the year behind will shape the year ahead. Nine of Edelman's consumer experts weigh in across the globe.

The following topics are covered:

1. Time for some action
2. Without content there is no conversation
3. How Obama's campaign broke through
4. Mexican consumers gear into crisis mode
5. The merging of the ox and the consumer in 2009
6. 9 digital truths for 2009
7. It's about the daily moments of living, working and playing
8. Chinese consumers in 2009
9. An intimate globe, what will this mean in 2009?

Find out if your business is prepared for what's ahead.

Download the 20-page report immediately by clicking here.

Sound Advice: TED2009

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. What started out in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds has since grown beyond comprehension.

TED2009 corrals doers and thinkers who are challenged to give the talk of their lives in less than twenty minutes.

It's similar to what we do everyday as presidents of companies to engage our employees, suppliers, colleagues and constituents -- but without the fanfare.

Worth a look.

News of Interest: Talia Mashiach Inducted Into Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame

We are thrilled to learn that WPO Chicago downtown I member Talia Mashiach (pictured), President of Eved Services, has been selected for induction into the prestigious Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame (through the Coleman Foundation Entrepreneurship, Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago).

The Judges (including Chancellor Allen-Meares) and their world-class sponsors, American Chartered Bank, Grant Thornton, and Crain's Chicago Business will welcome Talia as a member on March 19th at the Chicago Hilton and Towers.

Of the many thousands of entrepreneurs in the Chicago area, the students, faculty, sponsors, and Judges select very few winners each year so this is quite an accomplishment for Talia.

We are very proud of her; congratulate her on this great honor and wish her continued success. And, of course, we plan to be there when she accepts her award.

Article of Interest: Believe It: Complaints Are Gifts

During these tough economic times, you should not look a gift horse in the mouth, especially when it comes to receiving customer complaints. If you get some this year, consider yourself lucky. It means a client, employee or vendor cares enough to talk straight with you.

Learn more here about how you can reveal problems by listening and bond better with those who matter as you grow your business.

Blog Post of Interest: Going Green 101

We talk about going green all the time but do we really know what it's all about or how to apply the concept to our business and the work we do for our clients?

To learn everything there is to know about going squeaky green, start here.

Photo credit: Nicest Alan

Blog Post of Interest: Online Marketing 2009 Predictions

What should we be learning in 2009 to drive results for our businesses? Yes, tightening our belts during tough times is common sense but where do you cut and where do you spend when so many aspects to running a lean business need attention?

Over the course of WPO Chicago chapter sessions, a consensus was reached by members that it is never a good idea to cut sales and marketing (but maybe think about combining them) and considering the importance of online marketing (we like to refer to what's ahead as Web 3.0), you need to learn everything there is to know about it -- now.

Tip: Business blogging has NOT arrived yet so you still have a chance to get in front of this tremendous growth opportunity for your business.

Read more about what's in store for business blogging, SEO, social media advertising and more here.

And if you doubt our marketing claim above, read "How Marketing Drives Top-Line Growth in a Recession."

Event of Interest: Women's Leadership Breakfast 1/28/09

Happy New Year! Be the change you want to see in 2009.

The Executives' Club of Chicago's "Women Setting the Leadership Paradigm" breakfast will be held Wednesday, January 28, 2009 at the The Fairmont Chicago, Imperial Ballroom, Level B2 (200 North Columbus Drive, Chicago, Illinois). WPO Chicago is a proud partner of this empowering high-level women's program.

Registration is 7:00 a.m. Seated Breakfast, 7:30 a.m. Panel Discussion, 8:00 a.m. For more information and to register, visit here.

See you there!

Joy to the World

May the joys of the season
shed light, hope and fill our hearts with peace.

Happy Holidays to you and yours.

Enjoy, be safe and back with you in the new year!

Sound Advice: Best Business Books in 2008

It's not too late to finish off the list of the best business books in 2008. Strategy & Business does this feature every year around this time.

Find it here and best wishes for a very Happy Holiday season.

Article of Interest: Savor the Success

Just as we revealed a long time ago through the Women Presidents' Organization (WPO), other female entrepreneurs are also discovering that there are strength in the numbers when it comes to building online relationships.

Thanks to social networking, they are sharing ideas and contacts, collaborating on projects and opening business doors for each other. More and more female business owners are recognizing the benefits of working together, and social networking makes it more convenient.

Now, Angela Jia Kim, a New York businesswoman, hopes to bring like-minded female entrepreneurs together through her new boutique social networking site, SavortheSuccess.com.

We, at WPO, have always believed in the power of social networking. Find us (request an invitation) at LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Read more of our posts on social networking here, here, here and here.

Happy Social Networking!

Event Update: 1st WPO Chicago Town Resource Meeting

With the generous assistance of WPO Chicago member Mary Bahr, we hosted our first ever WPO Chicago Town Resource Meeting December 2nd from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at the offices of MAB Advertising.

We invited more than 50 Supplier Diversity Professionals from government/corporations and WPO Chicago members spanning across all three chapters. The program was a HUGE success -- to the point that we have agreed to host one every year from hereon in.

The purpose of our meeting:

To meet and explore ways in which to do business together.

Agenda:

1. Warm Welcomes and Introductions.

a. Each WPO Chicago member gives a one-minute elevator pitch on their business and emphasizes what sets it apart from others.

b. Each Supplier Diversity Professional (SDP) gives a 3-5 minute overview of their role within organization.

2. Q&A (with two specific questions addressed first).

a. How can WPO Chicago members take advantage of diversity programs in corporate/governmental sectors?

b. What is the best way (is there a secret or tip) to "break in" to an organization through diversity/compliance programs?

c. Q&A (general).

3. Networking (exchange of business cards/brochures).

Here's what a WPO Chicago member said about our meeting:

It was a great meeting and I also felt that the women that represented CDW, RR Donnelley, Chicago Park District and the University of Chicago, to name just a few, provided very honest answers and comments regarding their diversity programs and how to "get in" to these organizations.

They provided insight as to how the purchasing departments are structured and what their processes are. They also took the time to network with us and take our information.

I personally feel that when I contact these women for an appointment (if I do it the proper way) they will take the time to meet with me.

It was also great to meet women from the other WPO chapters in Chicago and hear about their businesses.

Mission accomplished!

Sound Advice: Books Worth a Read

If you are contemplating what book to read next to help build your business, you might try one of these on for size over at Tom Peter's (a keynote speaker at our 2009 conference in San Diego) blog entry, "Books, Books, Books ..."

I read "The Knack" and am getting ready to buy Seth Godin's "Tribes: We Need You To Lead Us" -- both on the list.

Have you read any of the books mentioned or others that have provided new insights? Let us know! We welcome your contributions.

Article of Interest: Innovate or Evaporate

In global marketing and branding, sticking out like a giraffe is not necessarily a bad thing.

Differentiation matters. Find out why here.

Event of Interest: Global Entrepreneurship Week

Marsha Firestone, President & Founder, Women Presidents' Organization, will join IBM and more than 75 countries around the world in launching the first ever Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), November 17-23, 2008.

Marsha will be on IBM's WomenSpeak Webcast November 19th at 10:15 am EST sharing what you should know about starting, managing, and growing a business.

The brainchild of the Kauffman Foundation, Global Entrepreneurship Week is an international initiative designed to inspire, inform, mentor, connect and engage entrepreneurs and to encourage them to "unleash" their ideas and solutions on a global, connected marketplace.

Find out more here, join in on the discussions, especially the Women's Entrepreneurship Day and spread the good global word.

Note: WPO members and partners -- contact headquarter office for log-in information.

Sound Advice: Are You Being Used?

What a curious way to approach this. Still wondering how social media works? So are we. But expert Peter Kim has it figured out in a very thought-provoking and comprehensive manner at his blog Being Peter Kim.

In a recent blog entry he provides a list of social media marketing examples of companies using and being used by social media marketing -- from OPEN Forum by American Express to Coca Cola's Sprite Sips (must be a Facebook user for full access) to Dunkin Donuts's microblogging Twitter (must be Twitter user for full access).

Is your company featured? We hope so. Check it out at A List of Social Media Marketing Examples. Don't be left behind.

Full disclosure: I blog about global small business for the OPEN Forum by American Express.

Sound Advice: The Knack

I breeze through a business book a week and this week I finished the latest creation from authors Norm Brodsky and Bo Burlingham called The Knack: How Street-Smart Entrepreneurs Learn to Handle Whatever Comes Up. Messrs. Brodsky and Birlingham are two of my favorite columnists at our media partner Inc. magazine. Full disclosure: I did not buy the book. Their publicist sent me a complimentary copy.

The Knack is a great book for anyone who yearns for brilliant common sense advice from Norm Brodsky that grew out of years of experience as a serial entrepreneur. He's seen and done it all -- made mistakes, fell down, picked himself up, and figured out how not to do it again -- and it shows throughout this book. One of my favorite quotes is, "You can't succeed without trying." Simple but so true and oftentimes we need to hear that message over and over again to get us going. And Brodsky will get you going.

In the October 2008 issue of Inc. magazine, Brodsky writes "Street Smarts: Secrets of a $110 Million Man." In it, he talks about ten lessons he learned over the past 29-plus years of running businesses, the lessons that he still relies on today and that I think are absolutely spot-on. Here's a glimpse at Important Lesson No. 1:

1. Numbers run a business. If you don't know how to read them, you are flying blind.

When I started out, I thought that CEOs ran businesses with the help of their top executives. What I didn't realize is that a business is a living entity with needs of its own, and unless the leaders pay attention to those needs, the business will fail. So how do you know what those needs are? There's only one way: by looking at the numbers and understanding the relationships between them. They will tell you how good your sales are, whether you can afford to hire a new salesperson or office manager, how much cash you will need to deal with new business coming in, how your market is changing, and on and on. You can't afford to wait until your accountant tells you these things. Nor do you have to become an accountant. You do have to know enough accounting, however, to figure out which numbers are most important in your particular business, and then you should develop the habit of watching them like a hawk.

To find out about the other nine lessons, visit "Street Smarts: Secrets of a $110 Million Man," and if you like what you see, buy The Knack. Small price to pay for a zoom lens into Brodsky's mind.

Sound Advice: 50 Steps to Establishing a Consistent Social Media Practice

One of the topics that continues to come up during our WPO Chicago chapter sessions is social media. Some of the questions are: What is it? Why do I need it? Who uses it? How do I develop a strategy around it?

All great questions and oftentimes unanswerable because the platform is still so very new.

One individual I have been following for a long time is Chris Brogan. He writes an amazing blog that extensively covers how to use social media and social networks to build relationships and deliver value. You don't want to miss it.

And this post, 50 Steps to Establishing a Consistent Social Media Practice, is one of my all-time favorites. It serves as a primer to getting your arms around social media.

Sound Advice: How To Minimize Risks of Hiring Outside Stars

How many times have you heard people say, "I only want star players on my team!" Well that's called talent and whether in good times or bad, companies compete for the best, the brightest and the hardest-working stars who outshine the merely competent.

But hiring top talent is not without risk.

Read more here at MIT Sloan Management Review about how to minimize the risks of hiring outside stars. You'll also learn that there are some positions for which talent can be imported and others that are better filled from within.

Need more? Access these accompanying articles online:

Rethinking the "War for Talent"

Making People Decisions in the New Global Environment

Getting the Right People at the Top

And let us know what you are doing at your company to nurture and keep people at the top.

Sound Advice: A Time To Lead

Great quote from Seth Godin:

Everyone isn’t going to be a leader. But everyone isn’t going to be successful, either.

Success is now the domain of people who lead. That doesn’t mean they’re in charge, it doesn’t mean they are the CEO, it merely means that for a group, even a small group, they show the way, they spread ideas, they make change. Those people are the only successful people we’ve got.

More here on where the quote came from.

Are you a leader? Let us know why. We want to share the good news with others who can benefit.

Sound Advice: 1,000 Tips To A Brighter Future

Chad Moutray, Chief Economist & Director of Economic Research at the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy poses the following question through Linked In:

What measures should small businesses take to weather this economic downturn?

The responses -- more than 1,000! -- are worth reading here.

News of Interest: To Blog, Or Not to Blog?

According to Technorati's amazing report, State of the Blogosphere 2008, you better blog! It's a global phenomenon.

If you have a blog, tell us about it. If you don't, let us know when you plan to launch!