Women's Initiative e-Newsletter

February 3, 2006

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HOT TOPICS
Find out what Darlene Roberts (A Darlin' Dzign) has to say about pursuing her dreams and how her life has changed after graduating from Women's Initiative
CLICK HERE or on the bold text above

A Note from Darlene:
Women’s Initiative is pleased to announce the creation of a Graduate Leadership Council (GLC). The purpose of the GLC is to advocate on your behalf for the training and other services that will benefit you in your effort to start up your businesses. Come to network in a small group of your peers and provide input to the direction of the organization. The Leadership Council is also a good way to market your business.

The GLC is run by graduates who volunteer their time and talents to Women’s Initiative. Since the GLC is designed to benefit you and your business, I’d like to encourage you to submit suggestions, donations, and more. Please get in touch with the GLC by calling (510) 287-3113. This GLC is the sisterhood, the network and the circuit – these sisters know how to work it!

In addition, I welcome you to post announcements about events you are hosting, things you need help with, or your recent successes to the online graduate community on Yahoo Groups. Sign up at http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/WIGraduates/. You’ll never know who might be able to use your service or to connect you to your next client until you make your request known!

- Darlene Roberts, owner of A Darlin’ Dzign and pioneering member of the GLC

Get Noticed: Your Listing in the Client Business Directory 2006
If you would like your business to be considered for inclusion in the Women’s Initiative client business directory, please go to our web site and visit the Your Business Listing link and fill out the form. We need your updated information by February 17, 2006. If you have questions about the directory or other promotional opportunities open exclusively to Women’s Initiative graduates, please contact Justina at 510.287.3109.


Private Collection….your gift search ends here
Looking for the perfect gift? You can give a gift you can feel good about and give to yourself or give to that special person in your life. At the same time you are supporting the many talented and creative women who are making strides as Women’s Initiative graduates.

Truly Unique Gift Ideas:
Do you have a love note gracefully writing itself in your head that needs a more permanent home? Try writing your love notes or poems of affection on notecards and stationary by Ishama Designs. Your hubby will go ga-ga.

What is more romantic than a luxurious bath for two? You and your sweetheart can get squeaky clean with the 5-pack soap sampler from the Rubber Ducky Soap Co. Or if you are craving more variety wrap up the best to-go box ever full of lavender scented handmade body products for dual relaxation.

When you aren’t around to cuddle up, keep your beloved stylish and warm this winter with a hand-loomed lariat scarf from JAK Designs. This versatile token of your affection can be worn as a scarf, headband or a belt! Or if you loved one has a more traditional idea of what a Valentine’s Day present should look like, Treasures by Tara has jewels that will bedazzle and adorn someone who appreciates one-of-a-kind treasures and needs a good dose of bling-bling.

Your valentine can keep take their treasures on the road with distinctive, high-quality bags and backpacks from Beatnik Bags. The Beatnik Backpack is made from upholstery fabrics, fully lined with a decidedly different interior and inside zippered pocket. Trust us, you’ll get noticed when you are wearing this bag as an accessory!

Visit Private Collection on the web and Happy Valentine’s Day!
  BIZ TIP OF THE MONTH

Building Your Web Site
Now that you have planned your web site, you can start building it. If you don’t feel totally confident in your tech skills you can work with someone else to build your site. If you plan to work with someone it can cost anywhere between $1,000 - $20,000 depending on your requirements. Before you sign a contact with any web designer find out if they can fulfill your requirements, make sure they have time for you, they fit your style and check out their portfolio of previous work. A good starting point is looking at the help offers on Craigslist.org. On Craigslist you find web designers to send a brief sketch of your plan and they can give you quotes. Make sure to get quotes from 3-5 different designers or companies before making your decision.

Free web sites: the easiest way to build a simple web site is to get one free. It will be a good practice too. Free web sites are available at many places; here is a couple of popular hosts http://geocities.yahoo.com or www.blogger.com. Keep in mind that the URL for your web site will have the provider’s name, i.e. http://geocities.yahoo.com/yourbusiness.

Designing a custom layout: You can design the web site of your dreams from scratch using Photoshop, Fireworks or similar image editing software to create the layout. You’ll have to learn about technical specifications for websites; visit www.thecounter.com/stats for a complete report of what web visitors are using. You can also purchase a pre-designed layout ready to customize from www.baeb.us/templates/ - in order offer full disclosure I must let you know that this is my own company. There are many other companies out there that offer template tuning for an hourly fee.

Do It Yourself Tools: many web hosting have tools to build your site that are included with your hosting plan. Make sure you investigate what your company has to offer -- you might be surprised by the range of services they offer. Here is an example of what this hosting company offers with one plan: http://apollohosting.com/sitetools/appVault/index.php. Content management tools help to create very complex sites and often require setting aside some learning time. However, these tools can be very powerful and extremely useful especially if your site has a lot of dynamic content.

E-commerce: If your site requires e-commerce, I highly recommend hiring an expert to develop at least the e-commerce portion of the site. You will need a shopping cart to build the virtual store front such as www.oscommerce.com, a merchant account or Paypal to take credit card orders, a gateway (which usually comes with your merchant account) and also a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) that enables you to accept orders securely online. All these components require a technically skilled person to properly integrate these elements into your web site.

Good luck on your web site building. I hope this series has been helpful to you to plan, design, build and execute a web site that will completely reflect all that your business has to offer.

  - Melina Markarian, Bay Area eBusiness and 2005 graduate
  DID YOU KNOW?
A new report estimates that women-owned firms without employees are increasing in number and revenues faster than all U.S. firms without employees. According to the Center for Women’s Business Research between 1997 and 2004, the revenues for women-owned firms without employees grew 66% compared to 42% for all firms without employees.
EVENTS

2002 graduate DeeDee Hunt, owner of Art deezine, presents a music, art, food and wine tasting party on Saturday, February 4, 2006, 8pm – 12am. The event will take place at Warehouse 1310 at 1310 Potrero Ave (San Francisco). Enjoy DJ Hunger & his “Starvin’ for Beats” Crew and feature performances by Masala Music and Jessica Eschman. For more information call 415.828.1618 or email artdeezine@gmail.com.

Sign up for Upcoming Tax Seminars
As an entrepreneur just starting your business or as one with years of experience, this workshop will give you important information about current and new legislation, free resources, tips, and much more. Get answers to your questions, learn what you can do, can’t do and what you must do! Xavier Guerrero - Patrick Brown IRS Representatives
RSVP for one of the dates below. Please sign up with Izayda (415) 641-3460 or imolina@womensinitiative.org. These seminars are FREE for SuccessLink/Avance members or $30 cost for non-members.

Oakland: Monday, February 8, 6-8pm (English) or Monday, February 20, 6-8pm (Spanish)

San Francisco: Monday, February 13, 6-8pm (English) or Wednesday March 1, 2006 6-8pm (Spanish)

The Small Business Administration offers a variety of classes for business owners in the Entrepreneur Center llocated at 455 Market St., 6th Floor in downtown San Francisco.
To register for classes, go to www.acteva.com/go/sba.
 
PROTECT YOUR BIZ

Workers' Compensation Protects the You and Your Employees
If you have employees, you need Worker’s Compensation insurance. Workers' Compensation insurance is business insurance that provides medical and disability coverage for employees who sustain job-related injuries. At the very minimum, these Workers' Compensation insurance policies will cover an employee's medical expenses and reimburse him or her for some percentage of lost wages. All companies are required by State of California law to carry Workers' Compensation insurance. Some states have developed state funds, or pools, for Workers' Compensation insurance, but in most states, businesses must find a private carrier for this type of business insurance policy.

Because it is mandatory for all companies, some small business owners think of Workers' Compensation insurance as a burden and an expense, and provide only the basic level of benefits to employees. However, if you get a good quote on a Workers' Compensation policy, this burden will be significantly lessened. There are differences in policies, and some of the most significant differences show up in the Employers' Liability coverage, or "Part Two" coverage.

Employers' Liability insurance protects business against the costs of defending claims brought by employees for work-related injuries or illness. While standard Workers' Compensation benefits are fixed by each state, a business owner can usually select the amount of Employers' Liability coverage for her company while shopping around for a workers' compensation insurance quote.

Other options in Worker’s Compensation insurance include provisions that cover employees injured in states other than those where the business normally operates, coverage of different types of illnesses and injuries (often dependent on the state where your business is located), coverage of funeral expenses and financial support to dependents, and the percentage of lost wages reimbursed. Today, modern workers' compensation laws provide fairly comprehensive and specific benefits to workers who suffer workplace injury or illness. Benefits include medical expenses, death benefits, lost wages, and vocational rehabilitation. Failure to carry workers' compensation insurance or otherwise meet a state's regulations in this regard can leave an employer exposed not only to paying these benefits out of pocket, but also to paying penalties levied by the states. If you want more information about all this information you can check Compensation Insurance Fund at www.scif.com (State Fund) which is the office relating with cases for Workers’ Compensation.

  -- Sandra Murillo-Brucker, Small Business Consultant for ALAS, a program of Women’s Initiative

 
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Singer/Songwriter Anafaith Lubliner puts out a new CD called ANATOMY OF A RELATIONSHIP. Anafaith’s poetic sounds burst forth in the richness of her songs on her new CD. Congratulations on your new artistic work!

Graduates In the News: Rene Brice, owner of Jewels of the Nile by Rene, was featured in the “Faces Around the Bay” section of the San Francisco Post. She specializes in handbags and unique jewelry. See her collection online at www.classiccollectionltd.com.

Have you recently been featured in the media? Let us know about it by emailing Justina at jcross@womensinitiative.org.

 
RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES

Take Your Money, You Earned It
Did you earn less than $35,263 (or $37,263 if you are married) in 2005? If so, you may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) when you file your tax return. The credit could give you up to $4,400. Free help is available at community tax preparation sites for anyone with an income of $38,000 or less. And also don’t forget about the Working Families Tax Credit! Call for FREE tax help locations in your neighborhood 1-800-358-8832 or visit www.earnitkeepitsaveit.org.

Join the Women in Business Roundtable on March 7 at the Alameda Conference Center 8am-5pm when Alice Heiman leads a one-day workshop to help you set 2006 sales goals and plan for sustaining and growing your business. In this women-only atmosphere, Ms. Heiman will show you how to increase sales from your current customers as well as help you explore the easiest way to get new customers, and how to identify your ideal customer. It costs $100 for Oakland Chamber members or $125 for non-members. For registration and information, contact Layidua Salazar 510-874-4800, ext 300 or lsalazar@oaklandchamber.com

Free computer literacy classes offered to immigrants, refugees and asylees at the International Institute of the East Bay (449 15th Street, Suite 201, Oakland) starting February 21, 2006. Instruction is in English with sensitivity to English learners. Call Leul Afework for more information at (510) 451-2846 x337.

Join the Spare the Air Employer Network to Help Keep Bay Area Air Healthy
Your company can help keep Bay Area air healthy, especially for children and the elderly, without investing a single dollar! All it takes is joining the Spare the Air Employer Network to receive air-quality alerts via email or fax and informing your workforce of Spare the Air days, which are called when air quality is reaching harmful levels. The purpose of the program is to encourage individuals to reduce air-polluting behaviors like driving and using gas-powered lawn equipment so the Bay Area can maintain federal standards for healthy air. Please visit www.sparetheair.org/employers to sign up.