IWJWOMEN’S JOURNAL idaho
Why the Flip Covers?
Come Play with the IWJ (SNAP EVENTS) April 17, 2013 M ay 1 5 , 2 0 1 3 J un e 1 9 , 2 0 1 3 J u ly 1 7 , 2 0 1 3 A ug 2 1 , 2 0 1 3 6 : 0 0 pm to 9 : 0 0 pm U niv e r s ity o f P ho e ni x 1 4 2 2 T e ch Lan e , M e r idian , I D
“As women in business, we still have a life. The IWJ wants women to know that all aspects of their life as vital, relevant, and worthy of equal space. We refuse to deny we have a life.”
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- I Will Journey
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Karleen Andresen, Publisher PAPER PLANE PRODUCTIONS, Design ROB AYERS, Cover Photographer, Boise Fashion Week Distribution Distributed through the U.S. Postal Service, and at many Treasure Valley locations. Emissionfree distribution in Boise city provided by North Star Cycle Couriers. See our Website, www. IdahoWomensJournal.com, for a list of locations. If you would like additional copies of this issue, please email karleenandresen@gmail.com. There may be a postage charge. The Idaho Women’s Journal is published bimonthly and is available free of charge. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the Publisher. The Idaho Women’s Journal is not responsible for any editorial comments (other than its own), typographical errors from advertisements submitted as camera ready or any reproduction of advertisements submitted as camera ready. If an advertisement does not meet our standards of acceptance, we may revise or cancel it at any time, whether or not is has been already acknowledged and or previously published. The advertiser assumes sole responsibility for all statements contained in submitted copy and will protect and indemnity the Idaho Women’s Journal, its owners, publishers, and employees against any and all liability, loss or expense arising out of claims for libel, unfair trade names, patents copyrights and proprietary rights and all violations of the right of privacy or other violations resulting from the publication by this journal of its advertising copy.
- Veterans in the U.S.
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Our working partners:
- Increasing Your Power Currency
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planning - A Content Life Preserver: Creativity profile - Amy Mencer www.WBCIdaho.org
Riveting Gifts Building American Dreams
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We had it, we did it! And we loved it! The IWJ presented the I WILL JOURNEY Women’s Show May 11, 2013. It was part of a fundraising program to benefit Boise Race for the Cure and other local organizations. The show offered 24-workshops and 100 booths for journey goers.
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What People are Saying: We’d like to thank the following Support Sponsors ($5,000) Wyn Mobile Marketing Axiom Fitness Rosie Made
The following Member Sponsors ($1,500) Lite 107.9 fm radio Idaho Business Review Pink by Mitchell Principal Financial Group Boise Race for the Cure
ty i s r e v i d e d th e v o l “I would I “ like to ha ” s h t ve o two boot of bo hs next year
”
“Idaho really needed a good quality women’s show. It’s nice this came to town.” ve teracti n i e h “T e es in th activiti were a booths ition” d nice ad
“I lov e all applic the uniqu e ation s”
“This is such a successful show, I would never know it was the first year” “The show exceeded what I thought”
For a list of amazing vendors, please visit www.IWillJourney.com www.idahowomensjournal.com
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D.L. Evans Bank supports Idaho women in business.
Let us help you with your next small business loan.
Experienced lenders. Local approvals. SBA Preferred Lender.
www.dlevans.com ALBION BOISE BURLEY HAILEY IDAHO FALLS JEROME KETCHUM MERIDIAN NAMPA POCATELLO RUPERT TWIN FALLS
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Calvin W. Goings, SBA Regional Administrator www.SBA.gov
. S . U e h t in
Veteran-owned small businesses account for a large percentage of small businesses in the United States. According to a May 2011 study from the SBA Office of Advocacy, veterans are 45 percent more likely to take the plunge into entrepreneurship than people with no active- “Veterans come back with strong duty military experience. In 2007 (the latest data available from the U.S. Census Bureau), veterans owned 2.4 million businesses, or 9 percent of all businesses leadership skills and a thorough nationwide, generating $1.2 trillion in receipts and employing nearly 5.8 million understanding of teamwork.” people. The facts show these heroes live all around us in communities across the state of Idaho. Veterans come back with strong leadership skills and a thorough understanding of teamwork. But often times, veterans face challenges in raising capital or have trouble receiving a conventional loan. SBA has recently announced the SBA Veteran Pledge Initiative, a commitment by its top national, regional and community lenders to collectively increase their lending activity to veterans by five percent per year for the next five years. With the support of SBA’s top 20 national lending partners, and approximately 100 additional regional and community lending partners across the United States, SBA expects to assist an additional 2,000 veterans obtain loans to start or expand small businesses by increasing lending by $475 million over the next five years. This equals a five percent increase above historic veteran lending activity by the SBA. SBA also has teamed up with the nation’s 250 Certified Development Companies (CDCs) to launch an initiative which provides financing discounts and training to veterans who own businesses or are interested in small business ownership. The National Association of Development Companies (NADCO) and its member CDCs publish their reduced fees, training and incentives on their websites and at www.nadco.org.
“SBA increasing lending by $475 million over the next five years.”
Veterans can save up to $20,000 on commercial real estate loans and reduced fees on Community Advantage working capital loans under $250,000. In 2013, 381 veterans have received loans totaling $2.6 million – or approximately 10 percent of all loans offered through NADCO members. The SBA’s Patriot Express loan program has supported nearly $580 million in lending to veterans over the past four years alone. Here in Idaho for the years 2008-2012, the Boise District Office has supported 55 Patriot Express Loans for $4,299,600. If you know a veteran, make sure to introduce them to the SBA because there are programs designed for Veterans, Service-Disabled Veterans, Reserve Members, and their spouses.
Boise District Office at 208-334-9004 Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) in Seattle at 206-324-4330 extension 139. The VBOC offers free counseling and technical assistance/ training to more than 150,000 Veteran and Service-Disabled Veteran Small Business Owners. Or visit: http://www.sba.gov/content/veterans-business-outreach-centers-0. SBA’s services and programs for veteran entrepreneurs, please visit: www.sba.gov/vets.
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INCREASING Your Power Currency:
Alicia Vanderschuere
Imagine that woman who shot up the proverbial corporate ladder in record time. Standing around the water cooler or in kitchens, the only explainable reason is that she slept her way to the top.
Before selling her short, let’s consider the other, although less comfortable answer. She used her feminine characteristics to create change, drive results, and lead her team. It was all hard work. For women in leadership, here are ways to leverage womanly characteristics to deliver results that will increase your power currency—and let’s not be shy about it!
“Women who embrace conflict have an edge”
Women are notorious team players, who create collaborative environments. Women tend to give credit to others abundantly, which can sometimes be misconstrued as a negative from a professional standpoint. The truth is, when women give credit and recognize strengths, accomplishments, or contributions, it creates loyalty and great working environments that lead to calculated risk-taking and the accomplishment of goals.
“Women are notorious team players” iwj
How women climb the ladder natu rally! Women are social by nature which creates excellent networking. These skills can create strategic alignments and build important support from key decision makers among various teams, divisions, or companies. These skills can also shorten the sales cycle.
“Women are social by nature”
Women are nurturing. When paired with accountability, these skills are untouchable. Everyone makes mistakes, but when critiqued in a nurturing way, these mistakes can create a great learning environment and further loyalty. By nurturing ideas, solutions, or the growth of team members, it also advances the organization.
“Women who leverage stand out”
can successfully lead to new products or new ideas for an organization, and also new assignments for the individual. Women can increase their ability to stand out from the crowd. This comes through leveraging their perseverance, ethics, multi-tasking skills, and holding a confidence to command leadership while guiding improvements for the companies.
“Women are nurturing”
So, the next time you hear about a woman achieving success, before climbing on the gossip chain, consider the hard work and womanly characteristics that got her to the top! iwj
Women who embrace conflict as a method to solutions will have an edge on their peers. When conflict is looked at positively, it
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A Content Life Preserver for the Web: Karleen Andresen, Marketing Renegade
O
nce upon a time, news and information came by way of one channel at a time. Pre-1990, people would read the newspaper during breakfast, listen to the radio while driving to work, listen to the traffic report on the drive home, and watch the news on television in the evening. Sure there were other sources out there, but getting
information was pretty simple. Then a virtual tidal wave hit.
First, the most common sources for information is through the Internet. This makes the information cat and mouse game all the more interesting. Business must have something special to be different. Something unique to be desired. From a marketing perspective, creativity is an essential for business brands and websites. Don’t disregard this seemingly ambiguous tip. What is creative today will not be original in six months. Creativity looks, acts, feels, and smells different. It doesn’t need to be a ocean liner to make an impact. Subtle changes can cause dramatic influence.
Today the public in saturated with print media, the millions of various online communities, videos, and audio files. All aimed at giving information. While not all avenues are fully engaged, the blessed Internet has unleashed an overload of stuff. Content seekers are quickly looking for a content life preserver of some sort.
Consider these tips as ways to see and hear how reinvention looks.
If business would like to be considered a users goto place, it must do something different.
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Creativity!
Put creativity on a reinvention cycle: Just a simple change creates an “I can’t wait to see what they do next” attitude. It’s simple, easy, subtle, and interesting. Brainstorm with a team of people to get new ideas: If not your own contractors or employees, consider a group from a university, some friends in your target group, or talking with a couple people over wine and appetizers. Join a quality mind master group to find out what others are doing: No stealing, but modifying a good idea that worked for someone else can be just the creative nudge needed.
Consider contracting a marketer for several hours per month: Local and innovative marketers are becoming increasingly worth their weight. Don’t be afraid to ask questions before signing on the dotted line. Many marketers don’t have degrees but have gotten there by way of working for a corporation and then launching their own business. This group lacks the hunger, but may have the resources if you’re willing to pay for it. Marketers with degrees who chose business ownership are eager to pave their way and earn their money, but it may require some willingness to allow them to use your project to open doors. This group usually costs less and will grow with the company. There are pluses and minuses on each side. Update the color scheme on your website annually: Not every website design needs a 5,000 dollar overhaul. Sometimes changing the colors is sufficient to appear fresh. Make sure to choose complimentary colors using Patone color charts accessible on the Internet. Create monthly or annual themes: Talking to the audience in a niche topic, like explaining the different ways to invest 50 dollars a month, would give readers and information seekers an opportunity to look forward to what a company has coming out. The largest information warriors like Wall Street Journal and Inc Magazine have niche focuses. There is something to learn there.
If business would like to be considered a users go-to place, it must do something different. Stop trying to fit inside the box: Wanting to be different
Read marketing or social media articles to pull ideas from: A simple Internet search using terms like: marketing blog leaders, social media blogs, creative marketing ideas, top marketing ideas for websites, email secrets for marketers etc. This is a good start, but be willing to explore. Some top sites are Inc.com, Entrepreneur.com, FastCompany.com, Wired.com, and AdAge.com
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by being the same is poison. Companies, one-woman shops, and similar types of products run scared to be and look different. Yet, there isn’t a popular information stream that didn’t take a risk and jump into unknown territory. Accept that seekers will choose and the rest is downhill. iwj
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Amy Mencer: Hometown Values Mag Chat Elle Uecker Amy Mencer, owner and publisher of Hometown Values Magazine Ada County, makes you believe in the power of hard work. A first generation American, she has single-handedly piloted two successful businesses. Her magazine is distributed to 50,000 homes across the Treasure Valley, making it one of the largest distributed magazines in the area.
“She believes that women need to know they can do it on their own.” Mencer grew up in Southern California and attended Arizona State University, earning a degree in journalism. The daughter of immigrant parents, she learned the value of hard work at a young age. “I was raised to believe anything was possible if you worked hard enough,” she says, recalling the work ethic of her parents. Her family made many sacrifices over time, and she cites her father as an outstanding example of hard work and dedication. Before running her own businesses, Mencer found herself among the male dominated workplace. It was here that she says she learned not to take no for an answer. Through these experiences, she developed the strength and sense to go into business for herself. Her first business was in the consumer electronics industry, where she traded internationally. When the economy began to decline, Mencer recognized the need to branch out. “It’s important to always have a Plan B,” she says of looking for new local business opportunities that would help her become recession-proof. This is when she found Hometown Values Magazine. Though she may make it look easy, taking over Hometown Values was no walk in the park. When Mencer initially joined the project, it was to help the previous owner prepare the bankrupt company for sale. But the more she got involved, the more she saw it as something she could turn around. Four years later, the magazine is one of her great successes. “I started by giving it a new reputation,” Mencer says, talking about the overwhelming challenges that faced her when taking over a bankrupt business. She had to turn around attitudes, confidence, and dependability in the magazine. She also credits a strong support system for helping her through tough times, including her mother who is her, “role model and the smartest person I know.” In addition to her infallible work ethic, a truly inspiring quality is Mencer’s ability to follow her heart and believe in her choices. That’s how she ended up in Boise. After
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coupons have changed over time. Prior to 2007, primary users of coupons were low-income single families. Now, it seems everyone tries to save where they can, reaching for coupons at every opportunity.
Her goal with Hometown Values Magazine was to run a business with integrity and deliver on promises. For Mencer, it isn’t all about sales, but about community. “Coupon’s bring people in,” she says of the reasons she believes so strongly in the magazine. The coupons she features help drum up business for other local business owners, and Mencer loves feeling a part of the community. Another key to Mencer’s success is balance. She works hard, but she also knows the importance of relaxation. “I don’t work on weekends,” she says, explaining how she balances the task of running a business on her own with having a personal life. She has many hobbies in which she actively participates, including off-road dirt biking, white water rafting, and walking her two Boston Terriers,
“The coupons she features help drum up business for other local business owners.” Rudy and Oliver, on the greenbelt. Through all her hard work and dedication to her work life, Mencer never fails to credit her support system for helping her along the way. She believes that strong support is a key for any individual to be successful. “Find a soft place to fall, someone who will take your call day or night.” In Mencer’s life, she has found that support in her family and her best friend Gina.
visiting Idaho for the first time on a road trip, she fell in love and began shopping for houses in the area just 48 hours later. Six weeks later, she made Boise her permanent home. “I was amazed at the generosity of local people, I never want to leave,” she says, describing the feel of Boise as opposed
“Hometown Values was no walk in the park. Four years later, the magazine is one of her great successes.” to her previous home in Southern California. Just like her belief in the decision that Boise was her home, her belief in her ability to turn around Hometown Values was dead on. Her magazine serves as advertising exclusively for local businesses, adding to the sense of community she feels in the Boise area. “I’m a coupon girl,” she says, describing her passion for the business and how www.idahowomensjournal.com
In and out of business, Mencer stresses the importance of following her heart, even when other people thought she couldn’t or shouldn’t. “They don’t know you, you know you,” she says of anyone who tries to restrain or hold people back from their goals. She believes that women need to know they can do it on their own; they just need to believe in their own success. That self-esteem is something that comes from within, “Having a career isn’t a trade-off for having a life. It isn’t one or the other.” Mencer believes a key to her continued success is never settling or getting so fixated on one thing that she misses out on the other opportunities life has to offer. “I’m learning about myself always,” she says about her belief in life as a continual progression. Being about Hometown Values flexible is what keeps her open to new Magazine and get local opportunities. She discount coupons by plans to continue to branch out in logging onto business with every opportunity that myhometownvalues.com presents itself.iwj
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