Silver Partners:
C.H.A.R.T Consulting
Elizabeth Pineault CPC
George Washington Toma
Professional Bookkeping Services
Watch All Pest Management
As the
SSWBN Compass Newsletter
ushers in some great opportunities
for members to showcase their businesses
to our more than 2,000-name mailing list,
we recognize that we need to better define
the process to do so. After all,
member
submissions make the newsletter much
more interesting!
In the next month, the Editorial Board,
Marketing Team, and other parties who
play a role in the newsletter will issue a
joint set of guidelines for member publication.
Thank you for your patience!
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May
Events &
Registration Links
Lunch & Learn Brown
Bag
“Low Cost (Even No Cost) Internet Marketing Solutions” presented
by
Janet McGlynn of Superlative Multimedia
Location:
RBC Wealth Management Office
80 Washington St. (Rt. 53) - Bldg J –
2nd floor
Norwell, MA 02061 (grey office complex behind Eastern Bank)
Date & Time:
Thursday, May 8th
12 noon – 1:30
Bring your lunch and the Network will provide drinks and desserts, as Janet
continues the Marketing Matters segment of our Lunch and
Learn series. Janet will provide participants with new ways to market their
businesses using the resources of the internet. Solutions and strategies
include do-it-yourself web video techniques, blogging, podcasting with RSS
feeds, direct email marketing and ways to improve websites. All participants
will be given a free marketing assessment.
REGISTER NOW
Networking Lunches
Our regionally located luncheon events are developed to give you lots of
opportunity to get connected on the South Shore. Enjoy great food, introductions
from everyone attending and facilitated networking. Take the opportunity
to increase your visibility to prospective clients and referral sources!
Hingham Lunch,
Rustic Kitchen at Derby Street Shoppes
Tuesday, May 6th (NOTE: THIS MONTH’S HINGHAM LUNCH IS THE 1ST
TUESDAY)
11:45 – 1:30
Sponsored by: Dave Vermeulen of Van Dyk Mortgage - Specialists in helping seniors determine if a reverse mortgage is the right service and product for them. dvermeulen@umgllc.com
Plymouth Lunch
East Bay Grille, Plymouth Center
Wednesday, May 14th (NOTE: THIS MONTH’S PLYMOUTH LUNCH IS THE 2ND
WEDNESDAY)
11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
REGISTER NOW
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About the Law
By Barry Gordon, Attorney at Law
To Incorporate, or Not to Incorporate
For the entrepreneurs among us, two questions often come up: Do I incorporate? And why?
If these questions don’t come up, then they must be asked! In almost every instance, existing and new businesses should incorporate! Each business is a risk, and disasters happen despite all the help and planning. Illness, death, failure and natural disasters are extremes but must be considered.
When you invest a lot of money in a business care should be taken to secure other assets. You will now have a business life and a personal life.
A corporate entity is the perfect way of
creating the separation. Contracts signed by the corporate entity makes the
corporate entity responsible for the obligations undertaken. You, the individual,
are not responsible for the obligation. So whenever possible, don’t
sign personally, and don’t mix corporate
assets and corporate money with personal assets and personal money.
Popular choices for corporate entities are S-Corps, C-Corps and LLCs (Limited Liability Companies). The choice is made by balancing tax treatments, benefits that can be utilized, and control issues that might need to be built in to the corporate documents.
An attorney and an accountant are the professionals who will assist you, the business owner, in making the choice of entity. Plan for the costs and fees associated with incorporation before you get started. The attorney and the accountant should have knowledge of this area of the law and make you understand what they are saying. For good measure, you should like them.
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Barry
Gordon is an attorney in Quincy, MA who is President of Gordon, Mond & Ott, P.C.
A graduate of Northeastern University and Boston University School of Law,
he represents families, businesses and financial institutions. His concentrations
include real estate and business. Barry is a member of the Massachusetts
Bar, the Florida Bar, SSWBN,
the South Shore Chamber of Commerce and the Art and Business
Council of Boston.This column constitutes legal advertising, and as such provides information about the law designed to help users safely cope with their own legal needs. But legal information is not the same as legal advice -- the application of law to an individual's specific circumstances. Although we go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful, we recommend you consult a lawyer if you want professional assurance that our information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation. |
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From the Director of Member Services
Be a Part of the Team
One of the best ways to maximize your membership in the Network is to join
a
SSWBN Team. The list of our teams includes the Membership, the Marketing
and Communications, the Finance, the Program Development, the Expo and the
Golf Teams. For more information on
the teams go to http://www.sswbn.org/teamstaff.htm.
Team chairs are happy to answer any of
your questions.
New Member Reception
A huge thank you goes out to Susan Peters of Mt. Vernon Mortgage
for hosting our second New Member coffee reception. Susan graciously
provided the venue and all the refreshments on April 9th as 30 plus new and
existing members enjoyed a lively morning of coffee and conversation. Welcome
new members,
we are so glad you are part of the Network.
After Hours Success
On April 1st many members and guests gathered for a relaxed evening of networking
at the Allerton House in Hingham. Thank you to Carol Taylor, Marketing Director
for Allerton House, who supplied us with wonderful hospitality and delicious
complimentary appetizers and beverages. This was our 2nd Free Business-After-Hours
of the year.
Save the Date
Calling all golfers and others!! Mark your calendar for the SSWBN Annual
Golf Outing
on Friday, September 26. This is an afternoon of golfing followed by dinner and cocktails at the Squirrel Run Golf Course in Plymouth. NOT A GOLFER? No worries – the Network has put together a special pre-golf outing event on Wednesday, May 28th, called “Golfing for Business.” Learn about golf etiquette, how to make business connections on the golf course, and pick up some golf tips. The event takes place at Squirrel Run and concludes with a Business-After-Hours. Watch for details.
Voting for Board of Directors
SSWBN is overseen by a 12-member Board of Directors. The directors
are elected by the membership and serve a three-year term.
Each year at this time the membership has the opportunity and responsibility
to elect members to fill any open seats on the Board. Please watch
your emails as ballots will be out soon. And please take the time to make
your voice heard by voting in this election.
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Moving on up
Network member, Beth Sobiloff of
Birchwood
Enterprises at recently
presented a SSWBN Brown Bag seminar on Optimizing Your Website. A
participant at the workshop had this to say: “The workshop was
fantastic!! I learned more in 90 minutes than I ever hoped I would!! A
great deal – 90 minutes and $25!!”
Kathleen Burns Kingsbury, LMHC, CPCC, President of KBK Connections, Inc. has been busy presenting this past month. She had the pleasure to conduct a workshop for the Downtown Women’s Club of Boston on Why Setting Fees is Emotional Business, the honor to speak at Bryant University to the Student Group, SIFE, on How to Be a Powerful Business Woman and to present at the Multi-service Eating Disorders Association (medainc.org) National Conference on March 29 on the topic of Money, Empowerment and Recovery. Her talk was well received and she plans to do more speaking around the role of money and food in women’s lives. To check out her latest presentation schedule, visit her website at www.kbkconnections.com.
The South Shore Chamber of Commerce has elected Paula Harris of WH Cornerstone Investments to the Board of Directors for a three-year term.
Jayne Pelosi of Renaissance Interior Design was a Guest Speaker at two Snow and Jones Kitchen and Bath Showroom Open House Events. They held this event in South Yarmouth on April 26th and in Norwell on April 30th.
Patty Funder, Owner and Operator of LaserLight Skin Clinic in Norwell, accepted an invitation last month to present an adjunct class on Lasers and Intense Pulsed Light in Aesthetic Applications to the graduating class at the Spa Tech Institute in Plymouth.
Send me your good news by the 18th of each month and share your success with the Network. Spring is in the air; it’s the perfect time of year for renewal on all fronts! Remember, if you do what you love, you will never work another day in your life!
Jayne M. Pelosi
Renaissance Interior Design
From one time consultations to large project oversight, your space will reflect your personality,
not mine!
Www.RenaissanceInteriorDesign.com
jayne@renaissanceinteriordesign.com
781-588-5259
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Connections
Hello members!
I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather and making great connections along the way! This month, there are a few thank-yous to share. (Please remember to have all submissions emailed by the 18th of every month to Kristen@premierepros.com.) I am sure I’ll be receiving a lot of emails after our exciting Expo on May 1st!! So on with this month’s connections….
Kathleen Burns Kingsbury, Founder and President of KBK Connections, Inc., would like to thank all the SSWBN members who showed their support of her and colleague Stacey Shipman of Let It Flow by attending their cosponsored event in February: Building Business Confidence. A retreat on this topic is scheduled for June 20 – 22 in beautiful Waitsfield, VT and already some SSWBN members will be making the trip. A special thanks to Gwen Morgan of What If Workbook for her excitement and support of this collaboration.
Eileen McAvoy Boylen www.eileenboylen.com sincerely thanks Bob Kustka with The Fusion Factor, Lois Woods of Lois Wood Graphic Design and Pat Mullaly of Circle Graphics for sending along some excellent referrals.
Jim Della Volpe, Business Advisor/ Executive Coach of Growing Tree Partner, thanks Laurel Bennett of Lia Sophia Jewelry for inviting him to speak (“… and to plug my book,” he quipped) at their Regional meeting in Bourne. “I was impressed by the size of the group – more than 65 women and me!” he said. “Their sincerity and enthusiasm is contagious: The Network WORKS!”
Chris Jones of Premier Profit Recovery earns a quiet thank you for helping Patty Funder of LaserLight Skin Clinic to track down a holistic practitioner for a Dad desperate to find help for his baby’s skin condition. Patty also recognizes ActionCoach Jennifer Kauffman, Small Biz CFO Priscilla Chura, and Sales expert Kristen Ford-Hernandez of Premiere Pros for being open to collaborate in a new way to rocket Patty’s business to the next level in a few short months. What a team!
Marea Santos from Santos Organizational Strategies sends a HUGE thank you to Elizabeth A. Pineault, CPA PC for helping the Women’s Center in Cambridge with their tax filings for 2006 and 2007.
So there you have it…… more great connections made! Please remember to send me any thank yous that you might have. And for all the mothers out there….. May you have a wonderful Mother’s Day!
Kristen Ford-Hernandez
Premiere Pros
www.premierepros.com
TABLE OF CONTENTSEvent Calendar |
Networking Breakfast
Networking Speaker Breakfast,
Radisson Hotel, Rockland
Thursday, May 22nd
7:30– 9:30 a.m.
“Online Networking: How to Add Clicks into Your Mix” presented by Diane Danielson, CEO and founder of the Downtown Women’s Club, a professional network and career website for businesswomen. Diane is co-author of the new book, The Savvy Gal’s Guide to Online Networking (or What Would Jane Austen Do?) (2007)
Diane will share with us the savvy secrets that businesswomen need in order
to use technology to build and maintain professional relationships. In
this presentation, she will touch on email etiquette, ideas for improving
your online presence, and reasons why you need to pay attention to blogs
and social networking sites.
REGISTER NOW
Other Events
Golfing for Business Workshop
and After Hours
Squirrel Run Golf Course, Plymouth
Wednesday, May 28th
Workshop 4 – 6 p.m. followed by
After-Hours at 6 p.m.
This informative fun afternoon is designed for all: non-golfer to golfing pros!!! Come
hear Mary Porter of Tee Time Magazine speak on golf basics including: etiquette,
rules, and proper dress. Learn tips from golf pro Dave Moore and finish off the
evening with a lively Business-After-Hours.
Cost:
For workshop and After-Hours: $30
(must register in advance, on line)
For After-Hours only: $5
(check or cash at the door)
REGISTER NOW
SAVE THE DATE
Friday, September 26th, 2008
SSWBN Annual Best Ball Golf Outing
Shotgun start at 1 p.m.
Followed by Dinner
Squirrel Run Golf Course, Plymouth
SEE YOU AT THE MAY 1ST “REAL
BUSINESS HAPPENS HERE” EXPO!!!!!
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Featured Business Q & A
To Switzerland and Back,
Financial Advisor Tom Burke Finds Daily Motivation through Trust and Respect
- What are your name/position/title, and the name and location of your
business?
Tom Burke, Financial Advisor at Smith Barney in Hingham.
- How did you come to be in this
line of work?
I like to describe it as natural evolution. After many years in marketing, I made the move to financial services, moving to Switzerland to work for a large global firm. The basic principles of both marketing and financial advising are the same – knowing the customer and developing a plan to help achieve a set of goals.
- What are the top three things that separate you from your
competition?The Smith Barney brand certainly helps. As an advisor, I rely heavily on
being a good listener and creative problem solver. Life experience and some
gray hair are a big help as well.
- Describe your dream/perfect/best customer.
I’m not sure a perfect customer truly exists; there are too many variables when people are involved in a relationship. For me, my best customers are completely honest with themselves and me when it comes to their financial lives. We may not always agree on recommendations, but we operate from a position of mutual respect.
- What changes are happening, or can you predict happening
soon, within your industry?
We have a tremendous amount of oversight and regulation at present in the industry. With current events in the mortgage industry and debt markets, I expect some increased accountability focused in those areas. I think we’re only scratching the surface of the impact that baby boomers will have on the financial services business.
- What do you regard as your greatest achievement in business
to date?
I’ve always felt that achievement was a cumulative thing. Hard work, and support from my family, colleagues and clients all contribute to a series of daily, weekly and lifetime accomplishments. Maybe a more specific answer will come on the day I retire.
- Where do you want you and your business to be in five
years?
I’d like to be doing what I’m doing today and have a business that is filled with the “best” customers as described previously.
- What benefit(s) have you received through your networking
efforts?
I’m an absolute believer in the old adage that you have to play in traffic to be successful. Though I believe in a strategic mix of marketing tools, networking is where I spent most of my time and where I found the most success.
- What is/are your one or two toughest challenges?
Investing and financial planning is predominantly an emotional business. Managing the sometimes irrational behavior of my clients truly presents the most daunting challenge.
- What motivates you on a
day-to-day basis?
That’s an easy one: trust and respect. My wife asked once how I sleep at night knowing I’m responsible for other people’s money. I take my clients’ trust very seriously and I respect that, whether I believe a recommendation is the best course of action, it’s their money. Teaching these basic values to my kids is by far my biggest motivation.
- What is something that members may be surprised to
learn about you?
I am a rabid music fan …jazz, country, hip-hop, classic rock, hardcore … you can check out my iPod if you need proof.
- What do you do in your spare
time for fun?
I love to cook – I spend as much time watching the Food Network as I do watching ESPN.
If you wish to see your business as the Featured Business of
the month, please contact Katie Howard, Director of Sales,
at 781-749-8883, or Email Katie at sales@sswbn.org.
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From the Director of Business Development
Working with member businesses providing Sponsorship and Partnership opportunities to increase the visibility, credibility, and the public image of your business, while contributing to the impact SSWBN has in the area business community.
Greetings!
Each month we feature a Partner Piece. This is an informational segment provided by one of our partners that we can all learn from. This Month’s Partner Piece comes from Carol Taylor, Marketing Director for the Allerton House at Harbor Park in Hingham.
Do you know anyone in their 70s, 80s or 90s? If so you should know Allerton House Assisted Living Communities. Our lives are so busy, filled with work and family obligations, that many people don’t consider planning ahead for their loved one’s future until there is a crisis. Allerton House provides beautiful and safe communities for seniors. Whether someone is looking for a short stay or a permanent stay, each of the four Allerton Houses are happy to help by providing three delicious restaurant style meals per day, personal care, fun social activities and weekly housekeeping services.
Carol would be happy to discuss additional information about the Allerton
House Assisted Living Communities. The four communities are located
in Quincy, Weymouth, Hingham and Duxbury and are part of Welch Healthcare
and Retirement Group, Inc. Welch Healthcare has been in business for
over 55 years and is a family run organization.
For more information about the Allerton House at Harbor Park, please contact
Carol Taylor at 781-749-3322 or ctaylor@welchhrg.com
The Network thanks all of its partners!
Platinum partner:
Eastern Bank– Providing investment, lending and other
financial products to small businesses and individuals.
Silver partners:
Watch All Pest Management - Integrated Pest Management
limiting the use of pesticides to effectively control pests.
Elizabeth Pineault CPA – A full service CPA firm offering tax and compliance services to individuals and corporations.
George Washington Toma - 100% customer satisfaction on appliances – locally!
Professional Bookkeeping Services – Offering Bookkeeping services.
C.H.A.R.T. Consulting - Conducting Human resource Assessments and Recommending & Taking appropriate action.
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Thank you also to our April event sponsors: Mary Noone of Shutter by the Sea & Yvonne Bridges of Mary Kay, and Kristen Ford-Hernandez of Premiere Pros.
For more information on Network opportunities to expose your business, contact Katie Howard at sales@sswbn.org or at the Network Office by calling 781-749-8883.
Katie Howard
Director of Business Development
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