Convergence
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Saturday, July 11, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Felicia's Commentary - It's Not Easy Being Green
One of the many things I love about this network is knowing that I don't have to have all the answers. Collectively, we all have the answer. As I was talking with Felicia Middleton of Urban Aestethics, we chatted about the Sustainable Business Network (we are members) and being green. I was looking for a way to save energy by not utilizing gas. I have already switched the heat, dryer and oven to electric (getting ready for solar energy). Let's thank Felicia Middleton for giving me the answer for my hot water tank (tankless water heater!). This month we are sharing her knowledge....
It’s not easy being green but if you are advertising as a “Green” business, I hope that you, yourself are practicing a green lifestyle, no matter how difficult. Do you recycle? Do you reduce waste? Do you seek to reuse items as much as possible? Being green is not an easy task. However, as you start the change in your habits, it will begin to feel more normal. Old ways of living are difficult to change but with the right mindset and effort, being green is possible. I will admit, it is not easy being green. It is easier to through your water and / or soda bottle in the trash while you are out instead of taking it back home to your recycle bin. It is easier to have an item placed in a plastic bag in the store instead of refusing the bag and placing the item in your briefcase, pocket of purse. Now I will admit, all items cannot fit in your purse or briefcase or should be without a bag but if we start to think about it, many items that we purchase do not require a bag. It’s a challenge being green. Purchasing recycled paper and printing on recycled business card stock requires additional thought and money. You have to be committed to the cause in order to take on the responsibility. You have to want to be different than before; want to make a difference and want to help the cause. It’s really not that easy being green. Especially in my business. We have a bad habit of using a lot of paper. It’s the nature of the business. Normally, we make a practice out of printing drawings, checking the prints and reprinting. Over the years, the level of difficulty in cutting back on these practices has gone up and down. In the early years, I made a conscious effort to cut up unused drawings into scrap paper to make small tablets. Recycling the paper was always a general practice. In the present, I offer “Green Client Services”, where drawings are not printed, they are emailed. Although it’s not easy being green, here is:
It’s not easy being green but if you are advertising as a “Green” business, I hope that you, yourself are practicing a green lifestyle, no matter how difficult. Do you recycle? Do you reduce waste? Do you seek to reuse items as much as possible? Being green is not an easy task. However, as you start the change in your habits, it will begin to feel more normal. Old ways of living are difficult to change but with the right mindset and effort, being green is possible. I will admit, it is not easy being green. It is easier to through your water and / or soda bottle in the trash while you are out instead of taking it back home to your recycle bin. It is easier to have an item placed in a plastic bag in the store instead of refusing the bag and placing the item in your briefcase, pocket of purse. Now I will admit, all items cannot fit in your purse or briefcase or should be without a bag but if we start to think about it, many items that we purchase do not require a bag. It’s a challenge being green. Purchasing recycled paper and printing on recycled business card stock requires additional thought and money. You have to be committed to the cause in order to take on the responsibility. You have to want to be different than before; want to make a difference and want to help the cause. It’s really not that easy being green. Especially in my business. We have a bad habit of using a lot of paper. It’s the nature of the business. Normally, we make a practice out of printing drawings, checking the prints and reprinting. Over the years, the level of difficulty in cutting back on these practices has gone up and down. In the early years, I made a conscious effort to cut up unused drawings into scrap paper to make small tablets. Recycling the paper was always a general practice. In the present, I offer “Green Client Services”, where drawings are not printed, they are emailed. Although it’s not easy being green, here is:
This Week’s Green Tips for You and Your Business:
1) Carry a refillable mug with you to your favorite coffee house.
2) Read emails online as opposed to printing them. If printing is required, print on a sheet of paper that has been used on one side.
3) Recycle Batteries and then invest in rechargeable batteries and a battery charger.
4) Recycle printer cartridges. Staples offers a return on investment for all recycled printer cartridges.
5) Purchase recyclable paper.
It’s not easy being green. But I hope you will join in and make the color change. For real.
Click here to read the full article...
This Week's Green Tip: Install a tankless water heater.
Help save the environment by cutting back on energy usage. Conventional water heaters utilize energy (gas, electric, etc.) to consistently heat a tank full of water in order to keep steady temperature. In contrast, tankless water heaters have a heating element that heats water on contact. This cuts back on the continuous energy used to heat water in a tank. An added benefit is the constant flow of hot water as opposed to using all of the water heated within your hot water tank.
Thank Felicia Middleton of Urban Aestethics LLC, a full service MBE/WBE design and project management firm located in Philadelphia for this blogpost. Urban Aesthetics provides complete building planning, design, green design, construction and permit services.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Nicole's Commentary 11 May 2009
What DiversePhilly means to you? As we revealed i
What does all this mean? This means that we ca
Just this year, we added the following member benefits:
1) Partnership with the Philadelphia Business Journal to create a savings program for DiversePhilly members - http://www.bizjournals.com/circPro/promotion/jnsy28.
2) Partnership with the Urban League Entrepreneurship Center - $10 off Membership to ULEC for seminars and workshops o
3) Partnership with The Enterprise Center's Capital Corporation which provides a no fee applicatio
We leveraged the collective buying power of hundreds of business owners working together to create costs savings for DiversePhilly members. As we move into phase 2 of our growth strategy, we are looking to leverage thousands of business owners to create eve
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
April 2009 Wealth Building Series
Join DiversePhilly Business Owners Brian Williams , Tara Colquitt, and special guest Michael Bing from The Enterprise Center Capital Corporation as we share our collective knowledge to show you how to build wealth!
Register for the next event at http://wealthbuilding3.eventbrite.com
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Nicole's Commentary 16 April 2009
While I was waiting for the next newsletter topic to come my head, I did a quick search on the internet. In about 10 minutes , I found a great article on the right topic - Speed of Business. I had the pleasure of attending the Entrepreneurs Forum Group monthly meeting yesterday on Commercializing Intellectual Property (thanks Tim Bosworth for the gentle reminders). As we talked about the very expensive patent process and the very expensive litigation fees to protect the very expensive patent (do you see a pattern?), all the panelists agreed that for the small business it is to beat the competition in the market place than trying to obtain a patent and protect it. Understand that we live in the "Internet Time". When I was growing up, my mom had to thaw the food from the freezer, cook the food and then finally after 2 hours it was time to eat. Then when I was a teenager, microwaves came into existence but at first the food did not taste very good until the market changed to fit the new technology and now I will take a microwave dinner from Trader Joe's any day (my favorite are the fish tacos!).
When I started my IT career in 1995, the commercialized version of the internet was just getting started. In 2009, we are perfecting the technology platform to our lifestyles. My mom will call me on my cell phone and spend 3 minutes leaving me a message. When I call her back in 5 minutes, she will ask if I listened to the message and I, of course, say no. (Why would I spend 3 minutes when I would just call back anyway, let's save 3 minutes and just get to the end result..). My friends, on the other hand, rarely leave messages, they just call until I answer the phone or their number pops up 4 times as a missed call. We live in "Internet Time" which is even faster than the microwave.
The objective for our businesses is to go big and go fast! This is not just applied in growing your business but in any process. Though I only made 1 connection from that event, I am positive a VP from Open Source Business at a fortune 500 company who took the time to respond to my linkedin request (fortune is in the immediate follow-up!) will come in handy. As the article stated (even though the article was 9 years ago) take some time move fast and smart (this can be accomplished by surrounding yourself with people smarter than you). It will require some sacrifice in the beginning but envision the reward at the end. We added this guideline to the confirmed detail of "Smart Marketing always trumps a good product". This is just a a gentle reminder -- Premiere Brand Marketing is just getting started! Learn more on April 28th, 2009 at the DiversePhilly Membership meeting!
When I started my IT career in 1995, the commercialized version of the internet was just getting started. In 2009, we are perfecting the technology platform to our lifestyles. My mom will call me on my cell phone and spend 3 minutes leaving me a message. When I call her back in 5 minutes, she will ask if I listened to the message and I, of course, say no. (Why would I spend 3 minutes when I would just call back anyway, let's save 3 minutes and just get to the end result..). My friends, on the other hand, rarely leave messages, they just call until I answer the phone or their number pops up 4 times as a missed call. We live in "Internet Time" which is even faster than the microwave.
The objective for our businesses is to go big and go fast! This is not just applied in growing your business but in any process. Though I only made 1 connection from that event, I am positive a VP from Open Source Business at a fortune 500 company who took the time to respond to my linkedin request (fortune is in the immediate follow-up!) will come in handy. As the article stated (even though the article was 9 years ago) take some time move fast and smart (this can be accomplished by surrounding yourself with people smarter than you). It will require some sacrifice in the beginning but envision the reward at the end. We added this guideline to the confirmed detail of "Smart Marketing always trumps a good product". This is just a a gentle reminder -- Premiere Brand Marketing is just getting started! Learn more on April 28th, 2009 at the DiversePhilly Membership meeting!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Nicole's Commentary 3 April 2009
This is the beginning of our 3rd year in business and today, we have alot to celebrate! It is official, Nicole Newman has found a group of individuals who have put ego's aside to work as a TEAM - TEAM work makes the DREAM work! Network marketing taught me that it takes at least 5 individuals/businesses who were willing to lock arms to make the dream work. Dreamer #1 - Nicole Newman is a lady with a vision who was busy marketing (marketing comes before any product is sold) and found Dreamer #2 - JeterActive who could turn the vision into a concrete product (at the right price of course!). After almost a year searching on the internet building an e-mail distribution list, we found Dreamer #3 -Tara Colquitt, the Credit Woman by her response to a newsletter. She is my right hand woman, sometime editor-in-chief and founder of her own networking group, Motivating Monday along with fellow DiversePhilly business, Abundant Home Inspection! One of the businesses that signed up from an on-line conversation on the Urban Philly Professional Network was Dreamer #4 - Williams Accounting and Tax Service. After a few one-on-one appointments, Newman Networks became a client of Williams Accounting and Tax. I can't forget Universal Concept, they played an integral role with the logo design. See, I was using DiversePhilly to build my own company.
Facebook is becoming a new favorite website and alot of people tell me they don't like facebook because strangers can find them. That is the point! New clients are the lifeblood of your business. Facebook proves that we are all connected. Just going through the contacts shows the overlap in mutual acquintances. I was out and about on facebook looking at the profile of Sherman Toppin (we meet people through people - in this case through a profile) when I saw a group, Keep Arts in School on their profile and found Dreamer #5 - Malik Boyd. After corresponding for a while, we found out that we were both alumni of Masterman school. So now we had a common connection, just like each of you do by listing your business on DiversePhilly.. Based on this one little detail, we decided to turn on-line conversation into off-line business meeting.
Network marketing taught me that businesses only make money in 2 ways - selling products/services and recruiting talent. I was so busy recruiting him that before I could blink he had recruited me! Partnerships can be a little scary because you are no longer in control but the benefits far outweigh the risks. Not every business can partner with another business. What makes a partnership/relationship/marriage stong is having compatible value systems. If one partner does not value the work the other partner is doing then the relationship will not work. As we were looking at the possibility, we had to know that we valued each other's ideas and businesses. Our values translate into the mission statement of the company and now we can strategize to reach targeted goals. We have a goal to triple the membership base allowing more relationships to happen (common connector) by enhancing DiversePhilly and with working with and recruiting more people. Recruiting people is how you get exponential (not linear growth) to create leverage. Come meet your TEAM and learn Premiere Brand Marketing 's plan on making 2009 a great year for all the businesses who are apart of the DiversePhilly network on April 28th, 2009 from 7:30 am - 10 am!
Facebook is becoming a new favorite website and alot of people tell me they don't like facebook because strangers can find them. That is the point! New clients are the lifeblood of your business. Facebook proves that we are all connected. Just going through the contacts shows the overlap in mutual acquintances. I was out and about on facebook looking at the profile of Sherman Toppin (we meet people through people - in this case through a profile) when I saw a group, Keep Arts in School on their profile and found Dreamer #5 - Malik Boyd. After corresponding for a while, we found out that we were both alumni of Masterman school. So now we had a common connection, just like each of you do by listing your business on DiversePhilly.. Based on this one little detail, we decided to turn on-line conversation into off-line business meeting.
Network marketing taught me that businesses only make money in 2 ways - selling products/services and recruiting talent. I was so busy recruiting him that before I could blink he had recruited me! Partnerships can be a little scary because you are no longer in control but the benefits far outweigh the risks. Not every business can partner with another business. What makes a partnership/relationship/marriage stong is having compatible value systems. If one partner does not value the work the other partner is doing then the relationship will not work. As we were looking at the possibility, we had to know that we valued each other's ideas and businesses. Our values translate into the mission statement of the company and now we can strategize to reach targeted goals. We have a goal to triple the membership base allowing more relationships to happen (common connector) by enhancing DiversePhilly and with working with and recruiting more people. Recruiting people is how you get exponential (not linear growth) to create leverage. Come meet your TEAM and learn Premiere Brand Marketing 's plan on making 2009 a great year for all the businesses who are apart of the DiversePhilly network on April 28th, 2009 from 7:30 am - 10 am!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Nicole's Commentary 16 March 2009
If you have been keeping up on my book that is featured in the Notes section of my Facebook profile, you know two of my friends own small businesses (though neither of them advertise on DiversePhilly - friends are the hardest to work with). Just the other day, I ran into one of my friends, let's call her Sue, at her business and she said I should stop speaking to her. I asked her "What is the problem?" She said, I was disloyal to her by taking my daughter to her ex-employee's competing business. She also said, "If I am her friend and she does not like someone, then I should not like someone."
There are a few problems with this scenario. As we move the company to the business owner stage, these are the lessons I take with me:
1) Employees are not your friends. Sue thought her employee was her friend and that is why she was upset when she no longer chose to work for her. You can be friendly with your employees but they are not your friends. The employees can become resentful if you hold a paycheck over their head. Always treat your employees with respect (they generate your profit margin) and create an environment conducive to friendly relations.
2) Loyalty - As a customer I am known to be hard to satisfy. Treat your customers as you want to be treated. I stopped going to Sue's business because they have been known to smoke inside of the business and use foul language. Instead of asking why I did not use her services and use that as a learning experience, she used the guilt tactic of loyalty.
My loyalty exists in servicing my clients to bring them information, relationships and success stories they can use to be inspired and grow their business. Though we are friends, loyalty will not keep me as a customer. I left my children's day care center (which is owned by another close friend) on three separate occasions (and I still manage to come back) because my philosophy has been yes, we are friends, but when it comes to exchanging money for services, it is strictly business. My friend who owns the day care center was able to take me back (after some begging) because she shares the same philosophy. Creating a business relationship should not enhance or deter a friendship. I recently found a LinkedIn profile that had 58 recommendations. That is my new goal to reach this year. I only have 50% of that number and am looking to find ways to add more value to my clients and garner more recommendations of a job well done. I want to create an environment where the standard is excellence (see success stories above). Though excellence is not obtainable, it can still be a goal. I am already planning what it takes to win the Greater Philadelphia Chamber's Excellence Awards. Will you join me?
There are a few problems with this scenario. As we move the company to the business owner stage, these are the lessons I take with me:
1) Employees are not your friends. Sue thought her employee was her friend and that is why she was upset when she no longer chose to work for her. You can be friendly with your employees but they are not your friends. The employees can become resentful if you hold a paycheck over their head. Always treat your employees with respect (they generate your profit margin) and create an environment conducive to friendly relations.
2) Loyalty - As a customer I am known to be hard to satisfy. Treat your customers as you want to be treated. I stopped going to Sue's business because they have been known to smoke inside of the business and use foul language. Instead of asking why I did not use her services and use that as a learning experience, she used the guilt tactic of loyalty.
My loyalty exists in servicing my clients to bring them information, relationships and success stories they can use to be inspired and grow their business. Though we are friends, loyalty will not keep me as a customer. I left my children's day care center (which is owned by another close friend) on three separate occasions (and I still manage to come back) because my philosophy has been yes, we are friends, but when it comes to exchanging money for services, it is strictly business. My friend who owns the day care center was able to take me back (after some begging) because she shares the same philosophy. Creating a business relationship should not enhance or deter a friendship. I recently found a LinkedIn profile that had 58 recommendations. That is my new goal to reach this year. I only have 50% of that number and am looking to find ways to add more value to my clients and garner more recommendations of a job well done. I want to create an environment where the standard is excellence (see success stories above). Though excellence is not obtainable, it can still be a goal. I am already planning what it takes to win the Greater Philadelphia Chamber's Excellence Awards. Will you join me?
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