Holiday Shopping Event - RSVP Now!

Come join us and bring a friend or two for a

Holiday Shopping & Customer Appreciation Event

Any time from 4 pm to 6 pm on Sat. Dec. 13th
Dream Dinners, 720 Cloverly Street, Silver Spring, Md.
(Cloverly Shopping Center at the intersection of Briggs Chaney Rd and New Hampshire Ave.)


Participating business moms include:
BeautiControl – Ann Golden, Chris Tucker

Cookie Jewelry – Beth Lane
Country Gourmet Home – Cheryl Mathews- White
Creative Memories – Diana Caisse

Tupperware - Christine Felder
Mary Kay – Catherine Jeffries
Mel’s Computer Help - Melany Smith
Passion Parties – Kim Lam
Usborne Books, Flowers From the Heart – Nancy Daniels
Starpower Fitness – Laura Levengard
TCS Telecom, Tee’s Poles Fun – T’Ping Simms
Dream Dinners – Yihung Mohs

And MORE!

Fun. Friendship. Music. Raffle Prizes. Appetizers.
BIG SAVINGS on Gift Items & Dinners

RSVP: 240.515.8983 or CloverlyStreetMD@dreamdinners.com

Holiday Vendor Fair - Get a Table!

Hi, business ladies:

If you or your friends are looking for opportunities to sell this holiday season, and are available between 4 pm to 6 pm on 12/13, Saturday, afternoon, we have 8 - 10 spaces to fill. This event will be held at Dream Dinner Cloverly Street. The table fee is $35 per business. We will serve Sesame Teriyaki Meatballs as appetizer and some good holiday music with a Christmas tree :> We are expecting a good turnout as we will be raffling off a chest freezer!

Currently we have the following businesses registered. Please contact Kim Lam to sign up as soon as possible: 301.680.0908.

1. Creative Memories
2. Country Gourmet Home
3. Computer Services
4. Mary Kay
5. Usborne Books
6. Pesonal Fitness Training
7. Passion Party
8. Dream Dinners
9. Beauti Control

Correction: 11/19 Meeting Annoucement

Hello, everyone:

We have an update on the speakers for our November meeting:

During the 11/19 meeting, Laura Levengard will be the featured member and will talk about Fitness on the Fly. If you are eating too much Halloween candy or pot luck desserts, you don't want to miss this one!

Chris unfortunately cannot join us. However, I am interested in moving forward with a Moms Inc Holiday Sales event in conjunction with my customer appreciation event on 12/13, Saturday, from 4 to 6 pm. (Dream Dinners will be raffling off a chest freezer to a loyal customer!) Please put your thinking cap on and see how you may want to use this opportunity to thank your loyal customers as we cross promote.

If you want to be part of the Holiday Sales event, please sign up by 11/21 (first come, first serve. Moms Inc SS members have the priority. The cost is $20 per vendor.)

Here is the Moms Inc Silver Spring blog for you to see who is in the group and what we do:
http://www.momsincss.blogspot.com/

As you know, I am always open to host a networking lunch and a meal assembly session right after our meeting. I have attached this month’s menu for your consideration. Please respond to me directly if you are interested. If we have more than 3 people sign up, then it is a go.

Looking forward to catch up with everyone!

Oct 15 Meeting Agenda

Our next chapter meeting is on Wednesday, 10/15, at 10 am. The meeting usually ends at around noon, leading into networking lunch, and a meal assemly session. Feel feel to participate in all or any part of the gathering. (*RSVP required for networking lunch and meal assembly. Would need to cancel if less than 3 RSVP is received by 10/14.)

Kids are welcome to come - we have a toy bin and a play rug. Feel free to bring favorites to keep the kids happy:> We appreciate everyone's understanding of the pleasant noise.

Please try to be on time - we have limited seating. If you have a folding chair, please bring one. We will re-configure the space to allow more sitting space. If you can help with the set-up, please come early at 9:30am.

Here is the agenda:

9:30 – 10 am
Set up - sign-in, display your literature/material and showcase your raffle item if you have one. Reserve your Grab&Go dinners if you'd like.

10 – 10:15 am
Meet & Greet – try learn at least one NEW thing about someone. Enjoy Dream Dinners' famous breakfast scones and cookies (available to take home:>)

10:15 - 10:45 am
One minute self intro - feel free to pass around cards and mention your raffle item at this time. Idea: To practice active listening, we can jot down a lead or two for the speaker and pass the note to her during breaks.

10:45 – 11:10 am
Featured Speaker: Anne Busse - All in Order
See next story for what Anne has for you.

11:10 – 11:35 am
Featured Member: Angela Scollar - Decorating Den
Ideas to pretty up your home for the holidays?

11:35 – 12:00 noon
Raffle: $1 per ticket. The money goes to refreshment reimbursement.

12:00 - 12:30 pm
Meeting adjourn. Transition to Networking Lunch.
Serving: Soup & Bread. $5 pp. RSVP required by 10/14 with Yihung Mohs

12:30 - 2 pm
Networking Meal Prep Session. No minimum and Moms Inc members receive 5% off.

Click on the link below for menu options. Choose 10/15, 12:00 pm session. Hover mouse above notepad icon next to the time slot for password reminder. Questions? call Yihung at 240.515.8983.
www.dreamdinners.com/cloverlystreetmd

Presenter - Anne Busse - October 15

Who needs more hours in the day to accomplish everything done? I can’t add hours to the day (except to remind you to turn back you clock for daylight savings), but I can help you become more productive through organizing your space and managing your time in your home or office (or home office).

Being disorganized causes a decrease in productivity, loss of free time, spending more time working or looking for things than necessary and can even lead to the loss of clients or your business’s reputation due to missed deadlines.

We all wish there were more hours in a day, which I can’t fix, but with better time management and physical organization, you can accomplish more in less time and begin taking your business to the next level or spend more time on your life outside of work. My goal is to help clients achieve a “life in balance”.

Anne Busse - All in Order

Questions? Submit it here so Anne can be prepared to answer them!

Interview with Maureen Cogan of MoCo Photo

This week's Mom's Inc. Silver Spring member interview features Maureen Cogan, Professional Photographer and owner of MoCo Photo. Read on and learn about how she started her business and learn from her success.



















What is the nature of your business?
Professional Portrait Photography

How long have you been in business?
6 Years

What inspired you to go into your particular field?
Photography had been a hobby for a few years. When I had my first child, I felt isolated and restless because my husband travelled for his job Monday through Friday and was only home on weekends. My husband surprised me with a gift of a photography class from the New York Institute of Photography. It's a correspondence course where the school sends books, tapes (probably CD's now), and some equipment and gives tests and assignments. The teacher then sends critiques of your work and grades your tests. The course covered all types of photography and required that I photograph and send in samples of fashion, portrait, photojournalism, commercial, landscape, and wedding photography. It took two years to earn the diploma and in that time I discovered I like portrait photography best.

How do you/did you finance your business?
This is an excellent question because I encountered some aggression among some male photographers when I joined my first professional association. They were under the impression that my husband financed my business. He did provide the $50 I used to open the checking account for the business, but beyond that, everything I purchased for the business I purchased with money I earned. As a result, in the beginning years I made alot of my own backgrounds, purchased used cameras (in fact, I just bought my very first new camera in January), and had to save up for any piece of new equipment I needed (and just did without until I had the funds). So my husband did start me out, but it was financed with funds earned by the business. Luckily, I didn't need anything large like a vehicle or a building.

What has been your greatest busines challenge?
Just getting started! When I planned my first holiday session, I chose a place to host it, chose a date for it, wrote an e-mail to announce it, and sent the e-mail out on, of all days, September 10, 2001. We all know what happened the next morning, and suddenly the business didn't seem important anymore. Needless to say, it took a while before I went back to work and got things rolling.

What has been your greatest business success?
Earning my certification was huge. To get the Certified Professional Photographer credential, which was my goal when I first started the business, I took a 100-question test on technical knowledge and submited 20 images of 20 different subjects to a panel of well-known professional photographers for review. The CPP credential says that professionals in the field have viewed my work and regard it to be of superior quality, which is great news for my clients. I was told by the proctor who administered the exam that half the people who take the test fail it, and there are currently only 34 CPP's in Maryland. Another success came the day I realized I am the boss of my business. When I began, I was still in the mindset of an employee and I tended to let my clients at the time dictate what I did and didn't do. One day I realized that I'm the person in charge and I know best how I should run my business. If we take ourselves seriously, our clients will too.

How do you balance work/family/ personal time?
This is a constant struggle. I try very hard to work only when the kids are in school. To accomplish this, I don't begin work (look at e-mail, make calls, anything like that) until they leave for school. Then when they get home, I try not to work, but sometimes do because the kids are doing homework anyway. The computer and phone go off at 5:00 each day. I also try not to schedule weekend appointments, but in my profession that's difficult. So when I do have to work on a Saturday I make the appointment for early morning so I'll still have the rest of the day with my family. Sundays are off limits for photography appointments.

Where do you see yourself and your business in the next 5 years?
I hope to have a studio space and someone working with me to do administrative tasks like invoicing, balancing the accounts, ordering supplies, and other things that take me away from photographing.

Thank you, Maureen.

For more information about MoCo Photo please contact Maureen at:
mcogan@verizon.net
or at 410-599-5024 and visit her website http://www.mocophoto.com/

Interview with Yvonne Coviello -- Real Estate Agent

This week's Mom's Inc. Silver Spring featured member is Real Estate Agent Yvonne Coviello. Below, Yvonne shares what inspires her to succeed in her business.

What is the nature of your business?

I am a Real Estate Agent. I help buyers and sellers with their real estate needs in the state of Maryland. As a Real Estate Agent, I commit to do a superb job for each of my clients and to stay ahead in a very competitive market. Being a Real Estate Agent means more than just selling homes. It is about building lasting relationships based on trust, knowledge and expertise. I strive to help my clients achieve their goals while exceeding their expectations.

How long have you been in business?

I have been in business for over 4 years. Prior to selling real estate, I practiced law in a large New York law firm for 6 years.

What inspired you to go into your particular field/service/product offering?

I practiced law for 6 years and wanted a career that I could spend more time with my family and still contribute to the household. I find this job so much more rewarding than I ever did when I practiced law.

What has been your greatest business challenge?
My biggest challenge right now is keeping my business growing as the market continues to change.

What has been your greatest business success?

Every transaction I have with a buyer or seller is a success to me. The best part of my job is hearing how happy a client is in their new home – for me that is the greatest success!

How do you balance work/family/personal time?

I balance work and family life by keeping to a strict daily planner. I try to time block each week and do my best to stick to it, always putting personal/family commitments into my calendar first.

Where do you see yourself and your business in the next 5 years?

I see myself in 5 years doing the same thing – helping buyers and sellers in the real estate market. My goal is to have my business grow every year so that in 5 years my profitability will be at least 5 times what it is now.

Thank you, Yvonne Coviello.

For more information please contact Yvonne at: Yvonne.Coviello@comcast.net or visit her online at www.YvonneSellsMDHomes.com.

Business Card Tips

As you've seen in my last post, I network rather frequently and as a result collect lots of business cards. So many business cards in fact that I've actually developed a few business card design pet-peeves. And yes, I'm going to share those pet-peeves with the world!
1. Laminated/Plastic Business Cards. First of all, what's the point? Water-proofing? Tear proofing? Why do I hate them you ask? Well, it's simple: I can't write on them! I am a note taker by nature and I like to write notes on your business card. Notes like where we met, when we met, what we discussed and how I can help you. This also goes for cards that are glossy on both sides.
2. Dark Colored Business Cards. Yes, cards done in lively colors and prints do stand out from the crowd, however keep it on one side of the card. Why? Because I don't carry pens that write in white!
3. Oddly Sized Cards. They don't fit into business card holders or Rolodex's. They're inconvenient to the person your giving it to. They don't stack nicely with the other cards that I collected that day. Leave that level of creativity to your website or perhaps make a refrigerator magnet.
4. Cards that don't say what you offer. Ok so you're a Realtor. But what makes you different from every other Realtor that I meet or sends recipe cards to my house? Tell me on your card! I recommend 3 bullet points of what you do right there on your card. That's what will make your card memorable and worth keeping!

Ok so 4 is an odd place to stop but that's all I have for now. Until the next networking event.

Networking Tips

Good afternoon Mom's Inc. Silver Spring Members and Friends,
I thought that it would be important to share tips and insights regarding the entrepeneurs greatest marketing tool -- Networking.
I know that there are days when we feel that we're too busy, too tired or just plain feeling unfriendly and networking is the last thing on our minds or at least the last thing that we want to do. But it is essential to the success of our businesses. Here are a few tips that I would like to share to make your networking more successful.
1. SHOW UP. I know that seems obvious, but how many of us have members in our various groups that we've never laid our eyes on? If you can't show up to meet me and my girls then quite frankly, I don't think you deserve my business or my referrals.
2. BE PUNCTUAL. Now, I know that I'm guilty of tardiness, but it is rude. Not only that, but you can begin some meaningful conversations before the meeting is officially called to order. Remember, we're here to connect with one another not just hand out business cards.
3. BRING BUSINESS CARDS. I know again you're thinking, "well duh!" But I have met countless engaging, interesting folks that I've had a lead for or wanted to work with but they didn't have any contact information with them. If you don't have cards or some other means of contact info to distribute, it shows a lack of preparation and can look negative to the other business people that you're there to impress.
4. BE FRIENDLY. Smiles are free and memorable. 'Nuff said.
5. LEARN NAMES. Again, this is a weak area for me but is something that I'm working on. It is frustrating to see someone month after month and each time they see you they have to re-introduce themselves! At least if you don't know their name try to know what they do. If you can't remember "Emily" then call her "Truffle Lady." At least it shows that you were paying attention.
6. FOLLOW-UP. This is all meaningless unless you follow-up and develop relationships with those in your group. Otherwise you're just another business card in the pile.

For more information regarding Marketing Help and Insight please contact me at JulieSHolly@ExecExtend.com. Happy Networking!