Wobwire.com

Businessweek columnist Karen Klein looks at business plan contests; Wobwire.com quoted in Klein's column

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:13:00 +0000

Businessweek columnist
Karen Klein

When the names "Wobwire.com" and "Businessweek" appear on the same page, I get pretty excited. Well, that happened again this week.

Here's a link to small business columnist Karen Klein's excellent column on business plan competitions. It includes what to consider before jumping in, where to find competitions and what the benefits of entering include. AND... there's a quote from me. Nice.

I'm at BlogWorld 2011 L.A.!

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:47:00 +0000

Liz Strauss (www.lizstrauss.com)

I'm doing what I feel I should be doing right now, blogging at the BlogWorld 2011 L.A. Convention. Waiting for the morning keynote, Liz Strauss, to share her tips for successful blogging. Hope to be a better blogger by the end of the week!

Liz says we need to OWN OUR VALUE. Don't say, "I'm starting this little website that I hope will turn into something." She says, "... Say, I'm the CEO of the website xxxx." ACT like a CEO!

Wobwire.com talks with Mona Lisa Faris, founder/president of Diversity Communications Group in Irvine, CA

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:34:00 +0000

Recently, at the Yardhouse restaurant in Irvine, CA, Wobwire.com caught up with Mona Lisa Faris. Faris is founder and president of Diversity Communications Group in Irvine where she publishes 4 magazines centered on diversity issues.

She offers her top 3 tips for women business owners.

Meg Whitman talks to Wobwire.com

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 23:24:00 +0000

I had the chance to meet Meg Whitman today at a gathering of Orange County, CA business execs. Here's what she had to say to women business owners.

Looking for $10,000 in capital? Pitch your business at the Irvine Entrepreneur Forum 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 22:38:00 +0000

One of the best experiences I've had as a small business owner was being a finalist in the Irvine Entrepreneur Forum earlier this year. The organization is now accepting entries for this year's competition.

Here is a video that explains how the program works. If you look closely, you'll see me talking at the mic. The video uses a quote from this blog, too!

Long Beach Press Telegram's Amazing Women 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 05:35:00 +0000

I attended the Amazing Women event, hosted by the Long Beach Press Telegram and held at the Hilton Long Beach. I spoke briefly with Sue Schmitt, the editor and general manager of the newspaper and then to one of the honorees, Denise Porrazzo. Take a look.

Thanks, NAWBO national, for featuring Wobwire.com

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:28:00 +0000

NAWBO national linked to the Wobwire.com coverage of their convention in their national newsletter.

We appreciate the nod!

CLICK HERE TO LINK TO THE VIDEO

Who went to NAWBO's annual conference? Meet these amazing women business owners

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:17:00 +0000

Take a video tour of NAWBO's annual conference in San Diego, meet its president and hear from the women who attended...

I met Michele Chang, senior advisor to the U.S. Small Business Administration

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 21:34:00 +0000

Michele Chang, senior advisor to the SBA, and me!

Just listened to Michele Chang of the SBA encourage the woman at the SBA seminar to self certify as women owned businesses in order to claim some of the billions of dollars that are allocated each year for women-owned businesses.

Last year, Chang said, only 4% of the required 5% of funds were dispursed. That, she says, amounted to $4 BILLION that was unclaimed by women business owners.

Chang added that when you do go through the woman-owned certification, try to claim economically disadvantaged status. She noted that the threshhold is having a net worth of less than $750K and you don't count your home or 401k in your total net worth. If you are classified as disadvantaged your chances of winning a contract are greater.

More great women business owners

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:58:00 +0000

Susan Shieldkret owns The Passionate Collector. She sells jewelry online and in two retail stores in Laguna and on Balboa Island. She's got a booth here and is selling some lovely items. Www.thepassionatecollector.com

Cathy Daugherty of Trademark Insurance Www.trademarkinsurance.com. She's a HUGE NAWBO supporter locally and nationally.

Interactive sessions about to start! Stay tuned.

Who is here at NAWBO's national convention?

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:58:00 +0000

Just met a group of women from the Las Vegas NAWBO chapter. A real spirited group! Most women here today say that they came to connect with other like-minded women. They will certainly find them here.

Among those women I just met:

Suzanne Pease, former president of NAWBO national. She has TWO businesses! Www. Suzanne ease.com. She makes some lovely jewelry AND she has a graphic design company.

Linda Winters of Appiah. She's an international purchasing director. Lindawinters001@yahoo.com

Effortless HR was founded by Lola Kakes and it's an online HR system for small businesses. Www.effortlesshr.com

Joan Black runs The Creative Octopus and she does all sorts of writing - even ghost blogging.
Joan.black5@gmail.com

And Lanie's Hope... Bea Goodwin Aikens started a company to assist those addicted to gambling!
Www.lanieshope.org

The welcome address is about to take place. Hope to interview NAWBO'S current president, Helen Han, next.

Who is supporting women business owners?

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:01:00 +0000

A nod to the sponsors of the NAWBO's annual convention. Thanks for supporting women business owners:

Ameriprise Financial

Wells Fargo

spSprint

OPEN by American Express

Guardian

Union Bank

I'm at NAWBO's national convention in San Diego

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:18:00 +0000

I just arrived at the national convention for the National Association of Women Business Owners at the Hyatt Grand Champion Hotel in San Diego. Stay tuned for posts from me throughout the day as I talk to experts about all sorts of subjects including access to capital, SBA programs, going global and more. There are lots of booths, here offering services to women business owners. I'll take a spin through and share what I find with you.

Kiva says Mongolian businesswoman has now paid back 50% of loan from Wobwire.com

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 20:14:00 +0000

I'm so pleased that Wobwire.com contributed the final amount that fully funded the KIVA loan request of

Battumur Ayurzana, the Mongolian businesswoman that makes traditional boots for her countrymen and sells them. Every month, she has repaid roughly $2 toward the $25 loan from our team. And as of today, she has paid back 50% of the loan.

If you haven't checked out KIVA, it's a great organization that offers micro-loans to economically challenged entrepreneurs. I plan to become more involved.

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 01:49:00 +0000

I'm judging at the Pitch That App competition at Dave & Busters in Irvine. Only 5 women here out of about 70! Just met Sandy Abrams who wrote "your idea, inc."

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:47:00 +0000

Test post

Michele Ruiz says you MUST schedule 'thinking time'

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:16:00 +0000

Michele Ruiz, former NBC news anchor-turned entrepreneur

Former NBC News Anchor Michele Ruiz stopped by my office last week to connect. I'm so glad she did. Not only did I learn more about her recent business ventures, but I was inspired to reflect more on my own.

Ruiz's time in front of the camera goes back some eight years (she won five Emmy awards as a broadcast journalist). Since then, she's launched two companies and is about to announce the launch of a third. The Orange County, CA-grown entrepreneur has roots in Stanton and at Cal State Fullerton. She also attended Cornelia Connelly High School in Anaheim. The mother of two is as impressive in person as she was on the air at NBC. To her credit, she has repackaged herself, building on her own personal brand, and is now a "brand ambassador" for companies like IBM and Sprint.

"My Life as a Latina Entrepreneur" is the name of her blog where you can follow her each day. She shares her experiences as she builds her own business. Stay tuned for her debut of a new company that is designed to help all entrepreneurs package THEMSELVES for financing. Ruiz will be providing education and certification so that business owners seeking financing are prepared for the process and can increase their chances for funding. Much like pre-qualifying for an auto or home loan, the idea is that entrepreneurs will be well-prepared for the process.

As we chatted about entrepreneurship she stressed the importance of scheduling "thinking time." Not just hoping to think something through when time allows, but actually booking time for the process of dwelling on goals and strategies. I'm an action-oriented type person, always wanting to do something that produces results. I realized after talking with Michele that thinking time is not wasted time. It's an investment in clear-headed leadership and strategic planning.

Do you book meeting times with yourself? If so, how often and where do you "meet?"

Lauren Conrad, entrepreneur

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 17:27:00 +0000

Lauren Conrad, star of "The Hills," has designs on creating a fashion empire. The twentysomething former reality TV star debuted her line a few years ago at Irvine Spectrum Center in Irvine, CA as part of Style Week OC. We covered the launch in OC METRO magazine.

More recently Conrad was profiled on Forbes.com by Jane Lee. I found her blog post, presumably written by Conrad, to be an interesting read with some helpful tips that apply to all entrepreneurs. Biggest takeaway for me: she did her research before diving in.

Here's a link to her post: http://blogs.forbes.com/laurenconrad/2011/07/29/building-a-clothing-line-on-my-own-terms/

NAWBO NATIONAL CONVENTION COMING SOON

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:27:00 +0000

I'm excited about the national NAWBO convention coming to San Diego next month.

If you're planning to go, post a comment to let me know and tell me what you're most looking forward to.

NAWBO picks San Diego for national conference

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:03:00 +0000

If you've ever been to a local NAWBO meeting, you know first-hand that the room is always filled with lots of energy and inspiration. I've yet to leave a meeting without my head spinning with new ideas. Now, imagine a national convention of women business owners! It's about to happen.

The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) has selected San Diego as the location for its annual conference that brings together women business owners (from startups to multi-million dollar enterprises). The conference, themed ACCESS, INFLUENCE and GROW will be held from August 31 through September 1 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt near the water in San Diego. (I've been to the hotel and I can tell you that you should book a spa treatment there. Divine!)

There'll be keynote speakers, breakout sessions, awards and honors bestowed and lots of time for networking and connecting. It should be both an enjoyable and productive event. If you're a SoCal WOB you should definitely make time to go.

Zuckerberg should have sold Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:51:00 +0000

Dear Mark,

Loved the movie "The Social Network" and I have tremendous respect for anyone that can create and grow a company as you have. But I think you missed your chance to sell Facebook at its high point and for the most money you could have gotten for it. Google is nipping at your heels with its soon-to-be-launched Google+ Project. I just checked out the pre-launch page and from what I see, Skype and Facebook may soon follow MySpace in a downward spiral of value. And tapping Justin Timberlake as a spokesperson to keep Facebook "cool" is out -- he just acquired, along with Irvine, CA-based Specific Media, MySpace. It was a good buy, having dropped in value from more than $500 million (that's what Rupert Murdock spent when he bought it) to a steal at $35 million. An interesting spin, too, as Timberlake was in "The Social Network" as a key player in the development of Facebook.

Not only does Google+ offer some innovative tools (I can't wait to try Hangout), but it's fresh. The colors are new. The icons are new. The landing page that promotes the project has a free-form feel to it with randomly placed links. It makes me feel creative just to look at it.

Bottom line is that it's fresh. All businesses need to remember that "fresh and new" is what keeps customers interested and coming back. My first "real" boss and role model as a woman in business was Nordstrom's first female VP, Betsy Sanders. I remember listening to her during a meeting with her department managers. She mandated that they rotate their store merchandise as often as possible so that it looked fresh and new. Shoppers, she said, don't want to see the same old thing. So show them something new, even if it's the rounder with all the blouses that was in the back of the store, now moved to the front. It's a lesson I'll always remember.

Maybe it's time for a Facebook makeover?

Get noticed. It can lead to great things.

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:31:00 +0000

In addition to blogging here at wobwire.com, I'm the editorial director for a portfolio of media brands published by Newport Beach-based Churm Media. Our flagship brand is OC METRO magazine, a business/lifestyle magazine that covers Orange County, CA. One of the things we're known for is our "list issues" that highlight groups of business people in specific categories. We've branded "The Hottest 25 People in Orange County," "20 Women to Watch," "40 Under 40," etc. I have to tell you that when people submit nominations, the ones that stand out are those that have already been endorsed by a third party. For example, if a woman is being submitted for consideration for our "20 Women to Watch" list and her accomplishments have already been noticed by other entities, we weigh that in our decision to include her. It validates her worth.

The problem is that you have to start somewhere and that first "hit" is often hard to come by. It's like getting your first job. You likely need to have experience before you can be hired, but you can't get that experience until someone hires you.

So my suggestion is to just get started. Start submitting your information to media outlets and associations that recognize the accomplishments of women business owners. You'll be amazed at how one award, honor or editorial feature can lead to other things.

In a previous venture of mine, I had my product featured in Working Mother magazine. Shortly after that, I got a call from a writer at Business Week who wrote about me. That eventually led to a feature segment on NBC's "Today Show" where I was interviewed by Katie Couric.

So get started. If you're a woman who owns a business with at least $1 million dollars for the last two years, Ernst & Young wants to know about you. Their program for high-potential women entrepreneurs could lead to great things. Thanks to Rachel Bondi, founder of Men Matter and an author and speaker, for sharing the information.

'Survey SAYS!'

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Fri, 13 May 2011 23:59:00 +0000

Our 5-month long "Share Your Woman-owned Business Story" survey of more than 150 women business owners was published and released to the press today. Thanks to all of you who participated!

Here are the final results, tallied and posted.

In short, most women business owners run service-oriented businesses. Most work alone. And most consider their business to be a success.

More findings will be released in the next month.

What happens when you land on the front page of the New York Times?

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 22:09:00 +0000

I got an email this morning from Claudia Schou, owner of Long Beach, CA-based Media Boutique, a PR agency with a range of clients. Claudia was excited to share that one of her clients was featured on the front page of yesterday's New York Times! Kudos, Claudia! And to her client, Tanya Shaw, founder and president of Unique Solutions Design Ltd. The company makes a unique kiosk called MyBestFit, a full-body scanner that calculates the correct size a woman should wear.

Click here to see how MyBestFit works

I'm curious what happens when you get this kind of coverage and a future post will answer that question (after I chat with Tanya).

In the meantime, check out the invention Shaw is marketing.

6 ways to grow your business

noreply@blogger.com (Kimberly A. Porrazzo) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:51:00 +0000

Andrea Memenas

Just had to post a link to a great blog post by Andrea Memenas, a blogger at ocmetro.com and a small business owner herself. She runs a "customer experience" agency and blogs about running a small business.

If you want to know 6 essentials for growing your business, she's succinctly listed them here. Worth the read.