Join us for our monthly Business Wisdom Circle!

The theme for May is “Spark a Connection: Or How to Communicate When the Cat has your Tongue.”

In real estate the slogan is “location, location, location;” in business its “connection, connection, connection.”

Getting comfortable with communication – connecting – with your customers, clients, vendors, and peers is essential for your business.  

But how do you spark the connection – strike up the conversation – that becomes a steady glow and gets your business fires burning?

This month’s gathering will tackle difficult topics, like how to talk about pricing, and promoting yourself. Test the waters as a room full of savvy sister entrepreneurs get all fired up!

WHEN: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm

WHERE: The Quarry Grill and Tavern, 210 North Main Street, Barre, VT (click here for directions).

COST: Just $10.00.  Light refreshments provided.

And if this is one of “those months” where a f*r*e*e* or reduced coupon will make all the difference, email us at info@vwbc.org, and we’ll hook you up. Please join us, it just won’t be the same without you!

What is the Business Wisdom Circle?

It’s is a monthly* women business owners peer-to-peer mentoring & networking event where women at any stage of business — just exploring, starting-up, on your way, or well-established — come together, in the tradition of women’s circles everywhere,  to share challenges, strategies, feedback, resources, support, and inspiration. This is a distinctly feminine way of doing business: collaborative, heart-centered, practical, and fun.

Why do it? Creating and running a business is a wild, exciting, growth inducing adventure, that is also sometimes isolating, and honestly, kind of hard. The Business Wisdom Circle is somewhere to turn when having your own business weighs heavily on your shoulders; it is the place to go when you’d like some sort of a motivational pick-me-up; it is a place to share what you are learning, knowing that your experience will help someone else, just as someone else’s experience gives you exactly what you need. It will warm your heart, tickle your funny bone, expand your toolbox, and fuel your success.

How does it work? The Business Wisdom Circle is a lightly structured, facilitated, interactive discussion on business related topics that are of immediate interest to YOU — the woman creating or running a business in the middle of her busy life.  We begin with introductions, explore a juicy theme (could be anything from “staying in action” to “creative marketing strategies” to “finding balance” to “finding customers” to …..), go wherever that takes us, and end by sharing any specific actions you feel inspired to take, based on your Circle experience.

(*on the last Tuesday of every month, except for December and July)

Do you feel a little queasy when you look at your shoebox full of receipts? We can help! If you have ever said, “I just don’t get the numbers” or “numbers are like a foreign language to me,” this series is for you. We want you to gracefully and easily move from “overwhelmed” to “growing confidence” on the path from “struggling start up” to “vibrant and successful business.” And we’ll take it in easy little steps:

• First, we’ll take a playful look at the numbers in your business, what they are, where they hide, how to find them, and how they can help you.
• Then, we’ll help you to make sense of “money in” and “money out” in your business, and use this understanding to help you make good decisions.
• Next, we’ll pull it all together into simple habits, practices, rituals, and tools to keep you and your numbers happily working together.
• And finally, we’ll pull it all together in a working session using your actual “shoebox” of receipts and your personal recordkeeping tools.

Real practice + support = growing confidence in your number-painting know how. 

Before you know it, you’ll have clear steps for managing your record keeping, keeping track of those pesky receipts, and using your “money in” and “money out” numbers to see how healthy your business is. And you will have the information to guide you to the steps that can make your business even better. You may even be able to say things like “cash flow” and “bookkeeping” and “financial planning” with a smile!

 When: Tuesdays, May 7, 14, 21 and June 4 from 4-6:60 PM

Where: Community National Bank, 316 North Main Street, Barre

Fee: Early bird special – only $60!! Register by April 15 to take advantage of this special offer. (Regular price $75)

Instruction provided by Mary Johnson, VWBC Business Counselor. For more information or to register, please email info@vwbc.org

First: Will it flow or flop?

• Explore the fun of the business idea that you have had for a hundred years – ok 5 years!
• play pretend and learn if you can create real money from your passion
• imagine the steps you will need to elrn to dance the business tango well

Then: Who will be moved to buy?

• Postion yourself with information about people who want your product or service
• Discover who else is or is not doing what you sense will work
• Creatively mvoe into place with powerful strategies

And finally: Why will the customer/client “dance” with me?

• Making your product/service different from others
• Match yourself to the correct partners (customers) on the dance floor
• Energetically and successfully woo your partner out onto the floor to dance with you

Tuesdays, September 11, 18 and 25 from 4-6:30 PM

Location: Vermont Works for Women, 107 North Main St., Barre

Workshop fee: $75 (or ask about our “pay what you can” option)

Email info@vwbc.org for more information or to register.

Date and Time: Tuesday, July 10, 2012 from 5-7:30 PM

Location: SEVCA, 91 Buck Dr., Westminster

Learn the basic vocabulary of accounting – the language of business. Find out how financial statements are put together from accounting records and what financial statements can tell you about how your business is doing. What kind of accounting system will work best for your business?

To register please contact Susan Brace at 722-4575 ext. 199 or sbrace@sevca.org

This workshop generously sponsored by Citizens Bank.

Date & Time:  Tuesday, JULY 17, 2012 from 5-7:30 PM

Location:  SEVCA, 91 Buck Dr. Westminster

Realistic projections of income, expenses, and cash flow budgeting, are critical to a successful business plan. Learn what is included in a set of projected financials and how to go about putting your best estimates together.

To register, please contact Susan Brace at 722-4575 ext. 199 or sbrace@sevca.org

This workshop generously sponsored by Citizens Bank.

Date and Time: Tuesday, JULY 24, 2012 from 5-7:30 PM

Location: SEVCA Office, 91 Buck Drive, Westminster

Learn how to get and stay in compliance with federal and state tax regugulations and deadlines. Tax planning is a year round activity for small business owners, so get a jump on what you need to do to make this important part of your business run more smoothly. Tax accountant Annette Spaulding of Spaulding and Madden Tax Services is the presenter for this workshop.

Please contact Susan Brace to register at 802-722-4575 ext. 199 or sbrac@sevca.org

Generously sponsored by Citizen’s Bank

Join VWBC and Paul Haigh of Edwards Jones for an informative presentation on women’s financial needs. This event is FREE and open to the public. Learn:

• Five Steps to taking control of your financial life
• Preparing for retirement
• Living in retirement
• Paying for education

DATE: Monday, June 4, 2012

TIME: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; bring a bag lunch if you choose

LOCATION: New VWBC Office at 327 Barre-Montpelier Rd. (Route 302) in Berlin. See home page for complete directions.

Paul has been a Finacial Advisor in Central Vermont for the last twelve years. He is a fully licensed broker dealer and fully licesned to sell insurance. He has worked with both the private and public secotrs.

Registration is not required -just show up! For more information, please contact VWBC at 479-9813 or vwbc@cvcac.org.

Bennington Library – May 16, 2012 from 1-3 PM

Rutland – May 30, 2012 from 1-3 PM. The workshop will take place at BROC, 60 Center St.

Please register in advance by contacting Annette Hoyle at 665-1744 or 800-717-2762 or ahoyle@broc.org.

What: VWBC Networking Luncheon – Creating a Strategic Success Plan for your Business with guest speaker Raquel Ferns Lefebvre

When: Monday, May 7, 2012 from 11:30 am-1:30 pm

Where: At our new VWBC home office; 327 Barre-Montpelier Rd. in Berlin (see directions on home page)

FREE EVENT – Bring your own lunch  

Join VWBC and Raquel Ferns Lefebvre for this interactive workshop and learn to:

• Identify your strengths and use them to your advantage
• Use visual tools to clarify business goals and maintain focus on your business plan
• Improve assertive communication to increase business and social network effectiveness

Raquel is a licensed psychologist who runs her own successful private practice. She enjoys helping others develop skills to build their own successful businesses.

Open to all aspiring and current women and men business owners

Registration not required – just show up!

Bring your business marketing materials to share!

For more information please contact facilitator and VWBC Business Counselor Mary Johnson at 479-7439 or mjohnson@cvcac.org.

 This event generously sponsored by KEYBANK.

Madeleine Kunin is the Keynote Speaker on “Why Women Start Their Own Business: A Look at the New Feminist Agenda”

Conference Agenda:

8:00 Registration Opens

8:45 Welcome

9:15 Madeleine Kunin

10:30 Break

10:40 Member Announcement

11:15 Breakout Session 1

12:00 Lunch

1:30 Breakout Session 2

2:45 Break

3:00 Jen Mayer

4:15 Closing Remarks

4:30 Social Hour Begins

For more information, visit www.wbon.org or email director@wbon.org.