Monthly Archives: January 2010

There are many tools and techniques available for organization during a move, but none are as simple and effective as the list.  All you need is a piece of paper and a writing implement and you can dump all of the information swimming around in your brain in an organized and efficient manner.  Lists can be made over a period of time or can be jotted on the fly.  They can be as brief and simple or as long and detailed as you need them to be, but either way, the benefits to creating and using a list are many.

1. Creating a list can be a great brainstorming activity.  A person may go from not having any clear ideas on what needs to be done to a list full of possibilities.
2. Many people are visual and seeing the information presented in list form is a way of committing it to memory.  For example, when comparing a number of apartments or houses, laying the details out on paper helps one to make a more confident decision in what type of home will work best for that person.
3. Your information is centralized.  Keeping a list of your accounts that need closing and another list of accounts that need to be opened ensures that all pertinent information is readily available in one handy location.
4. A list makes a terrific record.  Not only can a list prepare you for what lies ahead, but remains long after an event as a kind of testament that can be used again or repeated as often as necessary.
5. Lists are extremely portable.  A piece of paper can be clipped to a clipboard and toted around the home or office.  It can be hung on the refrigerator or message board and displayed for others to view and use.  It even folds nicely and can fit into a back pocket or purse.

Moving is an exciting but overwhelming time.  There is so much to do and a limited amount of time to do it.  There are clear deadlines to meet and there are new neighbors to greet.  Take notes.  Jot it down.  Don’t rely on a memory that will be flooded with the details of both the old and the new.   Lists can help you cut down on the stress of remembering it all and then retrieving each piece of information as you need it.

Jennifer Tankersley is the founder of ListPlanIt.com, which has hundreds of lists and planning pages available for members to either print or download as often as they need for 1 year, including a variety of pages to help plan a move and organize and set up a home.  She has moved 9 times.

Visitors are welcome to view scratch board art created by local artist Lisa Wald Guarino during February and March 2010 at the BankRI exhibit located at 137 Pitman Street (near Eastside Market food store), Providence, RI.BankRI is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m.

A formal reception is planned for Thursday, March 18, 2010 to meet the artist and enjoy cheese and wine.  The reception will open at 5pm and close at 9pm.

Scratchboard is a unique art medium which produces pictures of amazing realism, incredible detail, or fascinating contrast. It is “The art of taking away” as you start with a black surface and scratch off to show the white underneath.

Local artist, Lisa Wald Guarino is a nationally known artist through the Women Business Owners organization and her website. http://www.lisasart.com/scratchboard.html

Now is the time for home owners contemplating a spring sale to spruce up their properties in anticipation of what Mike Larson of Weiss Research calls a potentially vibrant home-selling season. “If you have been beating your head against a wall, this is going to feel a lot better,” he jokes.

Here are 10 cheap ways to make a property more attractive to shoppers.

1. Improve first impressions. Touch up the paint on the front door and other areas that buyers see first.
2. Clean up the landscaping. Trim the hedges and trees and plant some annuals in the flowerbeds.
3. Paint the interior. A coat of light yellow or cream with contrasting white woodwork looks fresh and clean.
4. Refurbish the floors. Buff the hardwoods. Install new carpets – or at least get them professionally cleaned.
5. Take care of the big problems. If the house needs a roof or the front stoop is crumbling, get them fixed.
6. Buy warranties. Putting appliances under warranty gives homebuyers a secure feeling.
7. Improve energy efficiency. New windows or improved insulation tell a potential buyer the seller is on top of things plus they come with tax benefits.
8. Replace light fixtures. Updated fixtures, especially at the entrance way and in the foyer, create a good first impression.
9. Buy a stove. Home owners whose kitchen isn’t top of the line can jazz it up for a few hundred dollars by buying a new stove, which gives the room a fresh feel.
10. Tidy up the bathrooms. Get rid of mildew, replace caulking and replace stained sinks.

Source: U.S. News & World Report, Luke Mullins (01/21/2010)

Cindy Clark is an expert business coach who has been a successful business owner for over a decade. As a Virtual Assistant for nine years, Cindy found herself coaching clients in areas of business success, systems development, marketing strategies and communications so often that it felt only natural that she would move into the business coaching profession.

As a Virtual Assistant (VA), Cindy’s clients felt at ease talking to Cindy about their business concerns, feeling as though their concerns were really being heard and taken seriously. As a Systems and Strategies expert, Cindy would advise her VA clients in how to implement successful systems and strategies for maximum business success.

As time went on, Cindy began working more and more in collaboration with her VA clients on marketing and business plans, creating collaborating teams as well as assisting some clients in changing their business model. Cindy’s clients found growing success through Cindy’s strategies, systems and effective communication strategies.

Cindy is also an avid volunteer within her community and as the National President for Women Business Owners (WBO), a national 501c3 non-profit organization serving women business leaders through local business coffee clubs, a national conference, teleconferences and online connections.

Now YOU Too Can Benefit from Cindy’s Strategies and Systems Business Coaching!

Cindy Clark is available throug her website http://www.cindyclarkbizcoaching.com/ and phone (860) 967-4050.

Arment Dietrich is looking for a new tag line and your’s may win!

Arment Dietrich allows me to write (with the goal of being published in the next 12 months), but it also allows us to build a business around speaking and coaching. Our focus is a bit different than most – we understand how online communication affects growth to the bottom line and we’ve created a process around how to make that happen for our clients. We now work with executives to incorporate online communication (right now it’s social media, but that will evolve) into their companies in order to: Build their communities, generate leads, cultivate those leads, and then convert those leads into sales/customers/clients for business growth.

Will we do some traditional PR as part of a bigger, overall plan? Sure. But if the majority of your program isn’t focused on digital communication, we’re not the right company for you. In most cases, we won’t do your online communication for you; we’ll help you incorporate it into your business so you eventually fly on your own.

Courtney Lawrence and Molli Megasko are here to help build this new business model. And, of course, we couldn’t do any of it without Patti Knight. Everyone else, though, has moved on to PR positions where they don’t have to change careers.

We are communicators, innovators, and thought leaders. Now we can officially claim our expertise goes beyond PR. But how do we encompass that into one quick answer when someone asks “What do you do?”

How would you answer that question if you were us? Post your answers at our blog.

JA Worldwide is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs.

Junior Achievement programs help prepare young people for the real world by showing them how to generate wealth and effectively manage it, how to create jobs which make their communities more robust, and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace. Students put these lessons into action and learn the value of contributing to their communities.

JA’s unique approach allows volunteers from the community to deliver our curriculum while sharing their experiences with students. Embodying the heart of JA, our 384,925 classroom volunteers transform the key concepts of our lessons into a message that inspires and empowers students to believe in themselves, showing them they can make a difference in the world. http://www.ja.org

JA Titan is an online simulation that allows you to be the boss!

Set in the year 2035, JA Titan creates a world in which players are CEOs of their own companies. Originally conceived in the 1980s as the Management and Economic Simulation Exercise, or MESE, JA Titan is a widely recognized business simulation for high school students. During game play, students must run a manufacturing company and master six key business decisions: price of product, production levels, marketing expenses, research and development costs, capital investment level, and charitable giving. Various corporate assistants “help” the player through each phase, or “quarter,” of game play.

Manage Your Money and take the test to see if you have what it takes.

Pass this assessment to get financially certified by Junior Achievement. JA financial certification shows that you possess basic financial literacy, with real-world benefits that can help you every day.

The assessment consists of 30 multiple-choice questions that will test your financial literacy. If you’d like to prepare for the assessment, you can study at the Student Center.

Good luck, and congratulations on taking a smart step in securing future success!

Lori Radun is an  extraordinary Mom Coach! She brings compassion, experience and positive support to each client session.   After meeting Lori through facebook and learning about her business I just had to know how her business came to be.

Lori explains, “It all started with a deep desire to be making a difference in the lives of people. I worked in business for 20+ years but was not fulfilled in my career. I went on my own personal discovery journey to find my life purpose. That is how I connected with the field of coaching. I have had a passion for personal growth since I was about 21. Coupled with my desire to make a difference, coaching was a perfect fit!

As for why I chose to coach moms, it’s because I have a heart for moms and the struggles of motherhood. I love kids too and want to have an impact on the next generation. What better way to do that than by helping moms be positive leaders of their own lives. I don’t think motherhood needs to be filled with stress, nor do I believe moms need to abandon themselves to be a good mom. I want moms to experience the joys of motherhood while also having a fulfilling life of their own. I have used a lot of support throughout the years, and now I want to be the support moms need and want.”

I was able to find information about Lori through her website at http://www.momnificent.com. I encourage you to get to know Lori, add her as a friend on facebook and start receiving the support your deserve!

Join Lori for a free “Conquering the Procrastination Plague” teleconference on February, 3, 2010. To learn more and reserve your seat on this call visit http://www.momnificent.com/mmc-monthly-teleclass-schedule-2010-02.php.

National Women Business Owners organization organizes local Business Coffee Clubs for their members and the general public.  All women are encouraged to attend and participate in the monthly WBO Business Coffee Clubs.  These meetings are being created in cities all across America and are serving women that are looking for a supportive, informative, positive, and productive organization to belong to.

Women Business Owners (WBO) is an international 501c3 non profit organization, founded in February 2004. Our organization provides education and support for more than 3,000 women business owners throughout the world with online and offline resources.

February 19, 2010 from 10am -11am PST, Anna Campbell will be organizing the first WBO Business Coffee Club for the South San Francisco bay area women. Anna is excited to meet women at the conveniently located Coffee Society next to the Cupertino Library located at 10300 Torre Avenue, Cupertino, CA 95014.

All WBO Members in good standing are invited to attend local “WBO Business Coffee Clubs” in their area to connect with other WBO Members, learn from each other, share business referrals with each other, and build business relationships that will last a lifetime.  Join WBO and start receiving your personal invitations to our monthly WBO Business Coffee Club.

http://www.womenbizowners.org

Dames Bond at Clintonville Outfitters

Location: County-Wide
Address: 2869 North High Street, Columbus, OH 43202
Contact Name: Mary B. Relotto
Contact Phone: 614.209.3556

February 1, 2010 from 6pm-8pm. Cost is $5 for non-members and Free for Dames Bond members!

This is going to be an Event you don’t want to miss! Megan Cook at Clintonville Outfitters is working hard to make this a great kick-off for 2010! Lots of free give-a-ways! Complimentary beverages and noshing!  Vendors too!

Come and meet Reps from Big Agnes, Lowa, Cascade Designs, IO Bio just to name a few.  They  will be on hand to help with education and fittings of sleeping bags, sports bras and boots.   Also, the first 100 guests will receive a GO GIRL!!

When Dames Bond, Dames Thrive!

http://www.damesbond.com