The Luncheon - Delicious!

Introducing our “The Ladies, The Lunch and The Wardrobe” event series!  In the spirit of multi-tasking, we’ve combined three essentials for women business owners into one event:

- eating

- networking

- and clothes shopping!

Spend your lunch break meeting other women entrepreneurs, eating delicious, healthy food, and learning about the latest spring styles from Carol Anderson by invitation (CAbi).  Afterwards, feel free to try on your favorite outfits, and we’ve even arranged for you to get a $40 credit towards the purchase of any item or outfit.  So get out of the office, and get ready for some fun.

The best part is that we’re showcasing the businesses of the women in our Sassy Ladies’ community in Southern New England.  The next two events are in Rhode Island, and one is being planned in Massachusetts (stay tuned):

Wednesday, April 27th, Voila Art Gallery, Wickford, RI
31 W Main St,  North Kingstown, RI 02852 (Directions)
Hostess Natalie Thompson, noon to 2:00 p.m. (Register)
Natalie opened her beautiful gallery in Wickford, RI two years ago, and has hosted dozens of artists receptions and countless art workshops and birthday parties for children and adults.  She has an art supply store, jewelry displays and even hosts Friday night events where you can come in and “UnWINEd” with girlfriends.

Thursday, May 5th, New Commons/Soul at Work , Pawtucket, RI
545 Pawtucket, Ste. 106A, Pawtucket, RI 02860 (Directions)
Hostess Michelle Gonzalez, noon to 2:00 p.m. (Register)
Michelle started the  Soul at Work series in 2006 to showcase how women are leading in their own terms through an interactive format called the “Café”.  This was about hearing real stories and real practices in how strong women were making change in themselves, their networks, organizations and society. The Soul at Work events create a place  where women can come together to learn from each other, grow their leadership practice, pursue what matters, and support each other in their quest to make change.

Spring Fashion from CAbi at our kickoff event

And, a word about CAbi – Carol Anderson designed clothes for Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus for years before her husband and business partner suggested they take part in a growing trend of direct sales.  (I came across the line last year, and with one glance at the catalog, wanted everything in it!) The CAbi parties are a great way to find out what’s in style this season, and actually try on the clothes!  We’ll have two racks of clothes from their Spring line to try on at our events. (View online catalog.)

We hope you will join us!  And, let us know if you want to host an event, to showcase your business!

Register now:

April 27th event, Wickford, RI: Voila, noon-2pm

May 5th event, Pawtucket, RI: Soul at Work, noon-2pm

Michelle's daughter and friends get all glammed up for "The Ball"!

Multi-media – for your listening and viewing pleasure:

• Podcast – Wendy interviews Cozy about her startup story
• Video – Experience the kids salon

(Cozy was recently on the Today Show with Hoda and Kathie Lee!  We’ll post a link as soon as it gets published.)

Editor’s Note: Last month, I wrote an account of what I felt was a poor customer service experience.  My intention was to highlight an opportunity to create a new revenue stream for this business (and others) by providing a premium level of service.  The business owner’s emotionally driven response  taught ME a lesson in perspective.

My post was upsetting to her and her response was upsetting to me.  In the spirit of good business practice, I chose not to publish her responses, or engage in a debate, but to simply remove what was upsetting to her (my story), and get right to the best practices.  Yes, I am entitled to my opinion, but I do not mean any harm, by any means!

I had originally suggested offering a basic level of service for “entry level customers”, and a VIP level service (charging a higher price = new revenue) for the customer who buy from you most often, (or who expect some “hand-holding”).

…

Here are two examples of innovative companies who go the extra mile for their customers, literally:

Greenway Cleaners

This company is 25 minutes from my house, but they pick up and deliver my dry cleaning to my front door.  Every Tuesday is pickup, and I just call ahead when I have something to leave for them.  Sometimes they even call on Mondays to check in.  I don’t even care if I’m paying $1-2 more per item. It saves me time and money. They even waive the delivery fee, because I would not be a customer of their retail location anyway. (http://www.greenwaycleaners.com)

Munroe Dairy

When I saw a Munroe Dairy cooler on Wendy’s porch one day, I said, “How much milk do you and Will drink?!”  This was no little metal box – it was a full cooler, and those two could not possibly drink a cooler full of milk every week.  She laughed and gave me their order menu. I could not believe it! Ice cream, sour cream, butter, cheese, and flavored milk.  Plus, much more than just dairy foods – meats, local fresh produce, bagels, bakery goods.  Even Gregg’s blondie and brownie desserts. I see their “cow trucks” all over town, and I had no idea they had all kinds of food in there. I was hooked.

• Also, I can order and pay online.
• And, they send me an email reminder the day before the order is due.
• And, if I forget, (which I a prone to do) I can just put the order out that morning, and Paul, our “milkman”, will have most of it on the truck already.
• And, Paul brings the groceries right into my kitchen, and gives me some cooking ideas, usually prefaced by, “My wife likes to cook this with…”

All this makes me a very happy customer, mainly because I never have to drag my kids to the grocery store. I may pay a little more per product on some items (plus a $1.50 delivery fee), but it is worth every penny, and I save money by sticking to my list, and not buying all the “extras” the kids ask for. As you can tell, I’m a big fan of Munroe. (http://www.CowTruck.com)

So, what’s the lesson for you? Think about how you can charge a premium for an option which provides phenomenal VIP customer service and and infuses your business with new revenue:

• Often, local massage therapists or hair stylists offer VIP clients extra services that aren’t available to anyone else. They’ll pay more to be entitled to things that everyone else can’t get, like aromatherapy add-ons or in-between appointment touch-ups. What extra products or services can you offer to your VIP clients?
• My neighbors employ a mobile pet grooming business, which drops in every so often to make their Schnauzer look spiffy. That truck is there for quite a while, and I’m sure it costs a lot, but since both my neighbors work full time, it’s worth it so they don’t have to spend time on their evenings or weekends taking Holly to the groomer. How can you add convenience products and services or home delivery?
• At a Sonoma Valley vineyard, I recently joined a Wine Club membership, paying a quarterly fee for their latest releases to be sent to my East Coast home automatically.  As a special bonus for joining the club, my girlfriends got to enjoy a 20% discount on anything they purchased, and we all got to sample an extra bottle of a honey-flavored dessert Riesling, that was tucked away and not offered to non-Club members.  As they say, membership has its privileges!  How can you package your products or services into a membership or club that packs extra value at a premium?

It is the EXCUSES I hear from business owners that burn me up.  Don’t get me started!  I won’t go into painful detail, but I will ask you to read this list, and see if any sound familiar:

• “I can’t (insert action here), because I just don’t have the time.”
• “I wish I could (insert anything here), but I don’t have any money.”
• “I would love to, but not until (XYZ) happens down the road.”

Be honest. Have you said it?  I get it. Most of us rarely have enough time or money to do all the stuff we WANT to do.  But, what if? Ask yourself:

What if you had all the time and the money you could ever want, what would you DO? Personally and/or in your business? What is important to you?  Take a minute and think about and/or write down 2 or 3 things that would really make a positive difference in your life.

Good start.  Now, resolve to get it done.  On New Year’s Day, I posted a few resolutions to my Facebook page.  Numero Uno on my list was:

No more “no time/money” excuses – if something is important to you make the time and find the money.

Two weeks into this resolution, after listening to people’s excuses for two weeks, here I am on a perfectly good Friday night (when my husband is at home with the kids and I could be doing ANYTHING else) at Panera Bread writing a blog article about excuses.

Seriously.  Enough.  Take ownership of your dreams. Look back at those 3 things you determined would make your life better.  Were they big or small?  Were they pie-in-the-sky stuff or were they doable?  Was it “bucket list”, life goals stuff or was it something that you could do tonight, but you’ve just been too busy.

Do it.  JUST DO IT!

Pick one. Too busy to do it? Find a way.  Stop watching television. Delegate household tasks, so you have more time in your day to accomplish this. Get up an hour earlier.  Negotiate a compacted work schedule so you are freed up to do what you said was important to you.  You said yourself it would make your life would be better, right?  No one else is going to do it for you.

No money, huh? Apply for a loan, take on an extra job, open a savings account.  Find out how much it would actually cost and make a plan to get there.  Don’t give me an excuse.  We have to stop with the excuses.  The economy, the bills, the kids, the house, the whatever (insert excuse here).  They are not getting in your way.  YOU are getting in your way.

On Monday morning, Wendy led the students who signed up for our business planning class through a guided visualization, to help them figure out what their top business goals were for 2011. Those who shared their dreams were thinking BIG!   In talking to people since, it was a really powerful exercise. And I’ve seen big smiles on faces as they talk about their business dreams.  My question to you is.. now that you know what you want, WHY NOT do it?

Why not pursue that dream with every fiber of your being? Is your “excuse” that compelling that you can’t even start to take small baby steps towards this goal?  Heck, even creating a vision board to better define “someday” is a good start.  Just don’t let it get dusty.  It will do you no good in the basement, you know?

Stop with the excuses, and join me in getting on with our “best life”.  After nine years of building my businesses part-time from home while my kids were young, I am embracing the opportunity to work full-time again. (They are both in school full days, do you hear the angel choir?)  I’m ready.  I have a business coach for a business partner, so I have gotten pretty good at fine-tuning my next action steps towards my goals, and I’m jumping in with both feet.

2011 is going to be my best year yet. I am celebrating my 2nd annual 39th birthday.  I am working with clients I love. I am traveling more. I can’t wait for tomorrow, so I’m starting today. And I’m not taking no for an answer, (even from myself!)

I started with something simple.  I’ve been wanting to get my nails done, but who has the time or money?  Instead of a traditional networking meeting, I asked my colleague if she wanted to have our meeting in the nail salon.  We sat and had the mani/pedi treatment and the BEST conversation. We are going to have “happy hours” every Friday afternoon at the same salon, and invite other business women to join us.

I am even expensing it.  If guys can expense a trip to the Super Bowl, I can expense a pedicure.  Why not? Let the IRS challenge me on that one. It’s a business meeting, after all!

I challenge you now.  Make 2011 YOUR BEST YEAR YET!

Michelle

As predicted, 2010 WAS a great year for TSL.  In addition to nurturing our four (!) other businesses, we accomplished some behind the scenes work for The Sassy Ladies, too, including:

• moving our website to this new WordPress-based platform,
• expanding our BlogTalk Radio show to include twice monthly podcasts,
• and creating a new 8-week business planning book club, which will launch this January.

Miriam took the reins on two marketing campaigns to the Women’s Business Centers and home-party companies, in pursuit of case sales of our books.  The checks still arrive monthly from our publisher, which we are so thankful for.  We also introduced a new sponsorship program, to bring quality, trusted brands to our growing community of women entrepreneurs.

And, we suspect the best is yet to come.  You see, we are chronic dreamers here at The Sassy Ladies, and we enjoy working together to bring you quality content and partners that help to support YOUR dreams – in business and in life.  We hope you join us in our January class (learn more / register), or add a comment below to officially state your dreams for 2011!

Let’s make 2011 the best, most sassy year yet…

Miriam, Michelle & Wendy

Rich Streitfeld, CPA, CFE

The Sassy Ladies recently spoke with Rich Streitfeld, an accountant with a twist. In our lively interview, Rich shares his creative approach to building relationships with clients with ideas that are both meaningful and good business practice.

TSL: Please describe your business.

Rich: I help people who want a solid financial/tax professional who can also put them at ease. My walls are colorful and I even have a working massage chair. My clients run the gamut from real estate juggernauts to start-up specialty stores. My tagline is “Taxes a b_tch? Call Rich.”  No one enjoys paying taxes. This summer I created a blog that is both educational and entertaining; it’s www.peaceloveandbusinessplanning.com , a/k/a  “Prosperity for the rest of us.”  I am having a blast with it – it’s my creative outlet.

TSL: What inspired you to start your business?

Rich: I am a late bloomer. I was a tenant activist and Buddhist director. I tired of that (too much nirvana, you know) and decided to go “mainstream” and become a CPA. Mike Aaronson asked me to work for him in 1994, and I became a partner in 1998. I am a partner of Aaronson Lavoie Streitfeld Diaz & Co. – but the clients are not only clients of the company, they are my personal clients. I am committed to them and will stay connected with them to help them with their finances and their goals.

TSL: What has been your biggest business challenge?

Rich: Providing sufficient services to have a year-round clientele, not just one stacked around tax time. I love doing taxes, but I have to work the rest of the year as well.

TSL: What is your strategy for overcoming that challenge?

Rich: I’ve learned some different things. I initiated the first same-sex financial seminars in Rhode Island. I am a Certified Fraud Examiner (don’t be scared) and I do special analytical projects for Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) – I love it. I do business planning, incorporations, non-profit applications. I submitted expert witness testimony in a landmark civil liberties suit several years ago.

When I run out of stuff I go network or work on my blog. I love blogging!

TSL: What advice do you wish someone had given you when you first started your business?

Rich: I was 40, without a career and starting a family. This is what I needed to do and I have no regrets.

TSL: How does having your own business shape your life?

Rich: Being even a part owner has enhanced my professionalism. I’ve invented a personality I didn’t know I had – gregarious, funny, and I schmooze my butt off. That has had a spillover effect on the rest of my life. I like people more and I like myself more – hell, I even have three different versions of business magnets with three different self-images.

TSL: What has surprised you about having your own business?

Rich: It has come pretty naturally. When you are happy with your capabilities, your colleagues, and your clients, then anything is possible. I guess one thing that’s surprised me is that even in an established field like accounting there is always a new twist or niche that you can make yours. Our firm has a reputation for serving artists and I’ve built on that. And then there’s Rebel Headquarters, the famous bi-monthly art party at my family’s house…but that’s another story!

TSL: What is the biggest key to your success?

Rich: I am very creative in my outreach and services. If someone has a question, I throw it out to my network on LinkedIn. If someone needs a job or an employee, I put it on Facebook. I call it “networking for others.” I don’t just do this for clients, but for friends and therapists, too. Also, I excel at pestering my clients to be sure they’re not missing tax filing deadlines that they could incur fines for. Finally, I love to partner with excellent and accessible professionals; for instance, I consider myself an honorary Sassy Lady.

TSL: How do you stay ahead of your competition?

Rich: I don’t have any competition. Do you know any other Buddhist mensch accountants? If yes, do they have a magnet with that tagline?  Show me…

TSL: What is your most effective marketing strategy?

Rich: My creative little extras to clients that add a personal touch. I’ll send articles from The Onion in their tax packets. I might send a bouncing dashboard Buddha when someone is sick. I’ll send links to networking groups they may find useful. This is all stuff I like to do anyway, and has its own intrinsic rewards. I hate hard-core selling. I just try to be myself, help people, and see what comes.

TSL: What is your favorite quote or philosophy?

Rich: “The exact contrary of what is generally believed is often the truth.” – Jean de la Bruyere, 17th century French essayist and moralist

Learn more about Rich’s accounting and financial services at www.peaceloveandbusinessplanning.com or e-mail him at rich@alscpa.com. Reach him by phone at (401) 223-0205, ext. 118.

Stephanie Osborn, TechSmartFriend.com

Sassy Customer Spotlight: Stephanie Osborn, Tech Smart Friend

If you participate in our online communities on Facebook and LinkedIn, you may recognize Stephanie for her tech advice and positive comments. But, not so long ago, she was just starting her new business and turned to The Sassy Ladies’ Toolkit.  Today, we celebrate Stephanie’s start-up success in our Spotlight Feature.

TSL: Stephanie, describe your business and the services you provide your clients.

Stephanie: Tech Smart Friend provides Social Media strategy, set up and training to small businesses.  We build customized strategies for your business that maximize visibility and exposure.

For solopreneurs, we offer the “Nourish to Flourish” program, which is customized to your business and will teach you how to create the compelling content that is necessary to expand your business communications across social media markets.   Tech Smart Friend also offers webinars on different social media topics.

TSL: That is so helpful to solopreneurs, who must wear many hats in their business. How can our readers find more about the types of webinars you have coming up?

Stephanie: They can visit http://techsmartfriend.com/classes/ for a list of upcoming webinars, such as the fall series, on “Facebook FanbPage Basics”, and “Twitter Boot Camp”.

TSL: It’s great to see your business flourishing!  Now, you bought our book when you were just getting started.  Tell us what appealed to you about it.

Stephanie: I loved the Sassy Ladies Toolkit for several reasons.  It simplifies the process of starting a business, while still giving you all the info that you need.   It really is a toolkit, providing the reader with many different tools, such as recommending websites and books that will further assist you.  However, what I loved the most were the exercises at the end of each chapter.  Many business books go on and on telling you what you should do, but not how to do it.  The exercises in this book teach you the ‘how’ of building your business.  I can’t recommend this book highly enough!

TSL:  Well, thanks, Stephanie, we appreciate that, and are so glad to have helped you build your business.. We love you brand – doesn’t everyone need a “tech smart friend”?  It sounds so much better than a “geek squad” or “my-nephew-the-techie”!  Your blog is so informative – it’s a great example of how you can share your expertise and promote your services at the same time.  You truly practice what you preach!

Stephanie: Thank you.

TSL: Well, we are looking forward to your upcoming radio show with Wendy.  Give us some idea of what you will cover in this session.

Stephanie: Wendy and I are going to talk about how important it is to utilize the resources that are out there for women starting a business. These resources helped me launch my business and have the made the process so much easier than trying to do it all myself.  I’ll share some of the resources that I really found useful when I was just getting started.

TSL: That sounds great!  You can hear the show live on Friday, October 29th at 12:00 pm ET, or listen to the archive afterwards.

Click here to listen in.

Stephanie, thank you so  much for being this month’s Sassy Customer Spotlight!  You can learn more about Stephanie and Tech Smart Friend on her website, www.TechSmartFriend.com.

The Sassy Ladies are pleased to offer a new course that helps new business owners develop a strong framework for a business plan. The course, taught by the three authors of The Sassy Ladies’ Toolkit for Start-up Businesses, provides the instruction, support and resources you’ll need to launch your new business idea. Like a book club, or a mini-board of advisors!

To help you fit this important class into your busy schedule, participants of this eight-week course meet weekly, by phone. You’ll focus on one area of new business development each week so it’s not overwhelming. Topics include feasibility, pricing, marketing, selling, and networking. Each week, you’ll receive guided instruction through each topic and plenty of examples. Weekly assignments and Q&A sessions keep the material fresh and relevant to the class participants while moving you forward to making your business dream a reality in the new year.
What is included:
- The award-winning book, The Sassy Ladies Toolkit for Start-up Businesses
- An eBook version so you can print out worksheets and follow along online
- Live lessons and discussion with the three authors/business owners – Michelle Girasole, Wendy Hanson, and Miriam Perry
- Recordings of all calls, so you can listen if you missed one, or listen again whenever you need to
- E-mail support through homework feedback and Q&A sessions on the weekly calls
- Online community on private Facebook group

When: Monday mornings, from 9:30am to 10:15 am, by phone, Jan. 10 through Feb. 28
Cost: $125, (both live and recorded calls). Registration closes tonight

on the internet radio show “Dream Job Radio” with host Daniel

Lakstins on Friday, October 15, 2010, at 11 A.M. Central/12 P.M. Eastern

Noted online marketing and business startup expert Michelle Girasole

will discuss the theme “Entrepreneurial Chicken or Egg?  Should You

Start A Business To Get Experience or Get Experience Before You

Start Your Business?”

San Antonio, Texas — October 5, 2010 — Entrepreneurial expert

Michelle Girasole will appear on BlogTalkRadio’s show “Dream Job

Radio (http://blogtalkradio.com/dreamjobradio) with host Daniel

Lakstins on Friday, October 15, 2010, at 11 a.m Central/12 p.m

Eastern. The exclusive interview will highlight Girasole’s career advice/

expertise and present solutions to those desiring to start their own

business.  Girasole will also discuss her book “The Sassy Ladies’

Toolkit For Start-Up Businesses” available now on Two Harbor’s Press.

Callers are welcome to join the conversation during the show by calling

(760) 888-5718. The live, Internet talk-radio show will stream from the

host page at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dreamjobradio

“For any aspiring entrepreneur this interview with Michelle Girasole is a

must listen event,” said Daniel Lakstins, host of the program. “Her

marketing skills and startup knowledge are sure to help future and

current business owners find the path to success.”

Well, imagine my surprise when I listened to the interview with Jessica Granatiero who owns The Savory Grape wine shop in East Greenwich, R.I. Her wine shop really is different. Most wine stores are arranged by region, e.g., France, Italy, California. I’ve always found this to interfere with my wine-buying experience. For one thing, I don’t know why I should choose California over New Zealand. And if I do know of a particular wine from Italy that I like, I might reach over and try another new Italian wine, but I’m not likely to venture into the German section.

But at The Savory Grape, wine is arranged by body style. Looking for something light? Fruity? Rich? That’s how you’ll find it. And you’re more likely to try new wines from different regions and wineries when they’re in the category you like. Think about this: when you order wine, you don’t think to yourself, “Hmmm, I feel like something from Australia.” You think, “I want something not too sweet and on the light side.” So that’s how Jessica’s store presents the wine.

It’s brilliant and here’s why: It looks at the product and the product-buying experience from the customer’s point of view. How do you present your product or service? Is it all about how you see your business or can you honestly say it’s from your customer’s perspective?

Hear the entire conversation with this savvy business owner on our Blog Talk Radio Show.

Get more good tips on how to build a strong business from our book, The Sassy Ladies’ Toolkit for Start-Up Businesses.”

Cheers!

Miriam