IGC member, Joan Reilly of Life of Reilly Organizers recently sent me this article from Crain’s NY about Betty Zimmer of Bath Junkie. The article was awesome. Admittedly, I had not heard of Bath Junkie before but reading the article left me itching to visit the new store in New York and anxious to meet the entrepreneurs behind the curtain. Bath Junkie concept is simple and compelling – safe (for you and the environment) bath products designed by you (add scent and color). The concept is also proven – there are already 70 Bath Junkie retail outlets around the country. However, the article focuses on octogenarian Betty and sister-in-law Judy’s (also the franchisor) courageous decision READ MORE »
In Good Company Blog
Traditionally, we think of mentors to be those that are older, wiser, and have gone before us. However, now, many companies, including Walt Disney, are looking to partner more “seasoned” workers with younger workers who offer a different set of desired skills and expertise, for example technical knowledge. You might say these older workers are thereby receiving a little seasoning of their own. This got us thinking about how it might be helpful to reframe mentorship…Perhaps it would be better to segment our “development needs” and find mentors who are accordingly suitable rather than look for “the whole package” or a carbon copy of your desired future self. Instead of trying to identify where you want to be a few… READ MORE »
Admittedly, Mark Ecko is a cultural icon that I admire and find intriguing. A white Jewish guy who has cemented himself as a central hip-hop/pop culture figure with a competitive business empire. He got his start as a graffiti artist (in 8th grade) and has spent the time since then growing his brand and market presence. What started as t-shirt art has now become a veritable lifestyle company rivaling the likes of Polo and Sean John (both companies that Ecko admires and learns from). Ecko’s story is found in an interview in the March issue of Inc. Magazine. What I love about this interview is that you can clearly see some of the thought processes behind key decisions… READ MORE »
I was thrilled to get this email from DailyCandy this morning (the Philadelphia edition – for those that don’t know, that is where I live). It seems that a new initiative is allowing artists to use abandoned retail space on popular South Street (only a few blocks from me) instead of letting the space go empty. The artists don’t need to pay rent, just cover utilities, and make the space their own.
* Stressed by all those business books you feel like you “should” read? * Curious about what books are really worth your time? * Want to discuss what you are reading with other smart women? * Eager to apply new learning to strengthen your business? …….Join the IGC Book Club!As always, we started our book club due to member suggestion. Our reading will focus on interesting and informative books about business, leadership, and entrepreneurship. Our first book? A Sense of Urgency by John Kotter
A couple weeks ago, IGC hosted participants of The Step Up Women’s Network’s Pathways to Professions programs at IGC. The program allows college-bound girls to visit and learn about various business settings and careers. We had a blast talking about entrepreneurship! Several IGC members took part in this initiative, including Eden Abrahams of Clear Path Executive Coaching, Karla Lightfoot of Ladies Who Launch, Anne Kilcullen of Blade, Annie Lansing of Ann Lansing READ MORE »
While the economic uncertainties of the fall seemed to deliver an air of pause, caution, and consideration, the new year – and the resounding revelation that the soured economic climate is here to stay – seems to have helped usher in a call for action.The last few months have encouraged many of us entrepreneurs to recalculate and recalibrate. And now it is time to move. Ah, adaptation – the plan previously unforeseen, the unplanned path taken. We have talked and worked with many who are in the process of adapting their company, product, service, offering – in other words creating the 2.0 version of their own company. Maybe, for your company, it previously made sense to do one thing, READ MORE »
If there is any advice to be given for 2009 it is to BE VISIBLE. It is so imperative in this uncertain economy to remain on the on the radar of your existing clients and potential clients. As people are taking a “trimming the fat” approach to business expenses and are being much more cautious about business investments, you want to make sure that you are not one of the casualties. How do you do that? Make sure that customer service is a major priority. Make sure that you are doing all that you can for your clients. Check in with them and see if there is any way that you can be of more help. In lieu READ MORE »
We were thrilled to have a full house for our first “real deal” event – The PR Lowdown - on Wednesday…we took over the back work lounge in order to accommodate almost 40 attendees. We developed the Real Deal series as a way to demystify and explore business topics that are challenging for small business owners to get REAL information about…things like PR, and web presence (March 4), and SEO (April 1). Our fabulous and generous panel members included Marci Alboher, Lisa Roth, Lori Dolnick, and Joanne Cole, all of whom have experience in READ MORE »
There was a really interesting article in the NY Times a few weeks ago by Peggy Klaus (workplace communication and leadership expert) entitled, “A Sisterhood of Workplace Infighting”. (The article was brought to our attention by IGC member, Rossanna Figuera.Among other things, Peggy discusses the all too common bullying behavior that goes on between women in the workplace. I think many of us have experienced this in some form or another. So, while the phenomenon may seem a counter-intuitive trend in the face of the women’s movement, present day equality and representation-oriented workplace initiatives, and some of the more positive female stereotypes of nurturing and READ MORE »
Archived versions of our monthly member digest are now available!! For those who haven’t read them before, the digest is our way of sharing with you (women business owners, entrepreneurs – aspiring or otherwise) some of the best news on small business ideas, models, and innovation that we discover. The content has been filtered because it makes us think differently and critically about entrepreneurship and our business. We hope it will challenge and enhance your thinking too! In each Digest you will find at least 4 sections: Mindset: Topic-based thoughts from Adelaide Fives & Amy AbramsBusiness LookBook: An interesting, innovative, and thought-generating business or business concept.Clippings: Relevant and thought-provoking articles and newsMusings: A recap of READ MORE »
This week we had a great Consultants Connection Meeting, where we discussed “Cleaning Out Our Clients”. Participants had an opportunity to categorize their current client list consider both profitability and value (other rewards besides money that you may get from working with certain clients, such as contacts, challenge, diversification into a new field or industry, fodder for a book or article, that feel good feeling). Once we identified the types of clients that we had, we then had the chance to think about those relationships as part of our larger business strategy. * What makes a client both high value and high profit? How do you get more of them? * What can you do to increase the profitability of… READ MORE »
Wow. What fun we had at our holiday party on Wednesday night! How exciting to kick back and have fun with so many in good company members. It was such a rewarding experience to see so see our amazing and strong community and to have the chance to celebrate in good company. We are very clear that we owe everything to our members and we are so thankful for all of your enthusiasm and graciousness. It is such a gift to witness how many of you have strong independent relationships with each other and how… READ MORE »
I was recently looking at the corporate underwriting (advertising) opportunities on my local NPR station – WHYY in Philadelphia and was struck by their submission guidelines.They permit your “spot” to include the following:• Names of products or services• Non-promotional, value-neutral description of products or services• Company location and number of years in business• Telephone number, e-mail address or Web site addressThey DO NOT permit:• Comparative or qualitative descriptions of products or services• Superlatives (e.g. “best” or “biggest”)• Price references, even if the product or service is free• Calls to action or inducements to buy• Third party endorsements from READ MORE »
The SBA Office of Advocacy published an interesting report by economist Dr. Chad Moutray called: Baccalaureate Education and the Employment Decision: Self-Employment and the Class of 1993.The study found that “College graduates who specialize in social science tend toward self-employment as compared to those with bachelor’s degrees in other subjects”.Interesting, no? Any other social science majors out there? As for me, I double majored in Sociology/Anthropology and Educational Studies…so this finding can certainly be generalized to me!The study doesn’t posit any theories on the correlation, but instead leaves us to our own musings…* Perhaps it is because we social science majors are READ MORE » |
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