AWEsome Hour-This Monday!
Monday, September 15, 2008, 5:00–7:30 pm
Thousand Oaks Golf Club, 4100 Thousand Oaks Drive, directions...
Directions: From East Beltline (M-44), head east on 5 Mile Road for one mile, then turn right on Thousand Oaks Drive.
Hold off on that rain dance! August was a little dry, the grass is a little brown, but we want a warm, dry evening for our next AWEsome hour at the Acorn Grille on the beautiful Thousand Oaks Golf Course.
“Dry” applies only to the weather, of course! Weather permitting, we’ll meet outside on the deck for casual networking with new acquaintances and old friends. Be sure to follow up on last month’s successful AWEsome hour at Naya’s by introducing yourself to at least one AWE member whom you haven’t met before.
Becoming Irresistible-Beating the
Odds and Winning in Business
Presentation by Renwick Brutus. Article by Elaine Eldridge
Anyone who knows AWE entrepreneurs knows we are already irresistible, but it never hurts to learn from a pro. Join us to hear motivational speaker Renwick Brutus describe how he overcame an impoverished background to enjoy business success and how you can use the same techniques to improve not only your business, but your life.
Although he grew up poor in one of the poorest countries in the world, Renwick nevertheless was able to graduate from the University of Guyana. As a young man he left his family and immigrated to the United States, where he continued his efforts to win over adversity and setbacks. He achieved a successful career on Wall Street, earned his MBA from Fordham University, and later started his own company, Achievement Resources.
Renwick’s path hasn’t been one success after another. He’s battled poverty, severe illness, prejudice, business failure, and the loss of his native country. Today he combines the insights he’s gained from his varied experiences to teach others how to identify their talents and maximize their performance.
Achievement Resources, a performance-enhancement company, is built on the premise that “organizations don’t get results—people do.” Renwick’s clients include the City of Grand Rapids, AAA of Michigan, Fifth Third Bank, and Edward Jones.
FLASH—We get to start the week five times in September! That’s great news for entrepreneurs like us who love what they do (not so good for people stuck in jobs they can’t stand), and it also means our regular fourth Monday WIN lunch will be a little earlier this month–September 22–than it usually is. See you there!
WIN Lunch-This Monday!
Monday, September 22, 2008, 11:30–1:30 pm
Fair Housing Center of West Michigan—20 Hall St. SE, directions...
U.S. Women in Business Statistics
Thanks to Floriza Genautis of Management Business Solutions for passing these stats along to us..
*Women make up more than 51 percent of the American population and nearly 47
percent of the labor force in 2004.
*In 2002, women owned 6.5 million or 28.2 percent of nonfarm U.S. firms.
More than 14 percent of these women-owned firsts were employers, with 7.1
million workers and $173.7 billion in annual payroll.
* Women-owned firms accounted for 6.5 percent of total employment in U.S.
firms in 2002 and 4.2 percent of total receipts.
* Almost 80 percent of women-owned firms had receipts totaling less than
$50,000 in both 1997 and 2002. Total receipts for firms in this
under-$50,000 group constituted about 6 percent of total women-owned
business receipts in both years.
* The 7,240 women-owned first with 100 employees or more accounted for $275
billion in gross receipts or 34.2 percent of total receipts of women-owned
employer firms in 2002.
* The largest shares of women-owned business receipts were in wholesale and
retail trade and manufacturing in both 1997 and 2002.
* According to 2002 data, significant proportions of women-owned businesses
were in professional, scientific and technical services, and in health care
and social assistance, but the share of receipts in these businesses was
smaller than in the trades and manufacturing.
* Between 1997 and 2002, the numbers of women-owned firms overall increased
by 19.8 percent of women-owned employer firms by 8.3 percent.
*Firms owned by women increased employment by 70,000; those owned by men
lost 1 million employees; those owned jointly by men and women lost 2.6
million; and publicly held and other firms not identified by gender of
ownership increased employment by 10.9 million between 1997 and 2002.
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration
Statistical Excerpts from:
Women in Business, 2006 A Demographic Review of Women's Business Ownership
Ying Lowrey, Office of Economic Research, Office of Advocacy, U.S. Small
Business Administration 2006
AWE Save the Dates...
October 20 - AWEsome Hour - JWMarriott
October 27 WIN Lunch - Fair Housing Center of W. MI
November 17 - Membership Drive - Dinner
November 24 - AWEsome Hour Networking
Area Business Events...
Thanks again to Floriza Genautis of Management Business Solutions for passing these opportunities along to members.
Evening With the Experts - SBTDC
6th Annual Minority & Women Owned Business Expo
President's Corner
At what stage is your business? Are you just starting to get your feet wet or are you growing faster than you can keep up? Either way challenges face you every day. Startup companies and large corporations often garner attention for their achievements, but growing second-stage enterprises sometimes get stuck in the middle. They are not at the need for “hand holding”, but still need help achieving their goals. The resources to get there are sometimes not easily found. AWE offers the opportunity to learn from each other. We continue to build alliances with many local organizations to further serve our members.
In August, we introduced AWEsome hour. This is a fun twist to a networking event and received rave reviews from the attendees. If you were unable to attend be sure to come and find out what the fun is all about in September.
Chris Willis with Media 1 educated us at the lunch meeting. She shared some creative ways to enhance business practices that she has learned along her 15 year journey to becoming a global presence. She says, “we are all creative…. and set the rules and then break them”.
Where do you see you and your business six months to one year from now? Have you set a goal(s)? This month, I challenge you to write down your goals and place them were you see them everyday. AWE is here to support you and help you reach them.
I look forward to seeing you at the next meeting.
Sincerely,
Kim Schwamberger
Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs, President
Membership News
AWE will be having a membership drive this fall culminating in a Membership Dinner on November 17, 2008. Please watch your email and Oct newsletter for more details. We would like to encourage you to share AWE with colleagues and bring a potential member to the dinner with you. If anyone would like to help with the planning of the membership drive and dinner let me know.
One of the great benefits of AWE includes our Member-to-Member discount. We are in the process of putting together the information, so that MEMBERS ONLY will be able to receive substantial discounts from each other. Sue Rios, from the membership committee team is in charge of the discounts. Please contact her if you would like to be included in this wonderful opportunity to network and get your company name out there.
The Membership Committee includes:
Suzanne Knight, chairperson, Hanni Epp, Lynette Dykhouse, Sue Rios, Pava Leyrer, Kim Neveau, Tari Kruzel
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President's Corner
Kim SchwambergerMembership NewsSuzanne KnightWelcome New MembersTari Kruzel
Precision Wire EDM Service Caroline Mues
Write Brain Thinking Jeanne Ferro
Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center (MI-SBTDC) Joanne M. Fowler
MI-SBTDC
2008-09 Board MembersKim Schwamberger President Beverly Mapes Vice President Deanna Fridley Secretary Kathy Heintzelman Treasurer Floriza Genautis Programs Coordinator Connie Sweet Marketing Coordinator Suzanne Knight Membership Coordinator 2008 Aligned for Success Submission Deadlines
October- by September 15
November - by October 21
December - by November 18
January - by December 16Advertisers, sponsors, member news announcements, and article submissions please email marketing coordinator, Connie Sweet of Connection Graphics. AWE West Michigan
Mission statementTo be the premier organization promoting the success of women entrepreneurs through educational resources, leadership development, and networking connections.
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