Posts Tagged ‘Women in Business’
A few weeks ago I attended a networking event at the Blue Ball Barn in Wilmington which was sponsored by the Women’s Business Center. If you follow me on Instagram you would have seen several pics and a Flipgram of the highlights.
To my amazement I was chosen the winner of the Best Dressed Outfit and for that received a $25 Gift Certificate to Primo Hoagies. If you’ve ever had a Primo Hoagie then you know that they are delicious! My outfit was put together with new and old pieces which included an upcycled maxi skirt and it was ironic that the DeDivah – Fashion and Fun After Fifty won the award!
The skirt was actually a maxi dress that I cut the bodice off to refashion into a skirt which you can read about in this post. The necklace was thrifted a few years ago from Goodwill and I probably picked up the bracelet at Ross or Marshalls. The purse is a closet staple and I love it because it’s large enough to carry everything I need for networking events including my camera and selfie stick.
The cute booties and hat were purchased from TJ Maxx and I was lucky to find the hat on clearance for only ten bucks. I immediately feel in love with the fringed booties and for only $29.99, you know I had to snatch them up for the Fall.
The Peasant Blouse and Crochet Vest were both purchased from Walmart and since they are new arrivals there were several colors of each available. If you check your local Walmart store I am sure that you will probably find a nice selection of each.
I had a great time at the Saddle Up for Business Event and I want to congratulate all the women and men who have worked hard on achieving their goals of starting a small business in Delaware. These events are always morale boosters for me as I get ABlake Enterprises off the ground and where it should be in accordance to my goals and plans.
So what do you think, was this an award winning outfit?
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Last Wednesday, I along with several other women traveled to Lewes Beach to attend a SWOT Analysis Workshop presented by the Women’s Business Center of Wilmington.
Yes, you read that correctly, the SWOT Workshop was held on the beach, in the sand and by the water – it was WONDERFUL!!!
Women in Business presented SWOT Analysis on the Beach
Fortunately, the excessive heat wave had broken and we were treated to nice breezes with temps hovering around 91 but the sand was HOT.
Having lived in Delaware more than half my life, this was actually the first time that I had ever gone to Lewes Beach and it was a nice spot, especially for this type of meeting.
Jessica Gibson, Program Director of the Women’s Business Center has such a fun and engaging personality that it was easy for all of us to quickly connect even though there were some vastly different business niches.
Our businesses ranged from Archaeology to Zumba Instruction, from Social Media to Vegan Smoothies, yet, we all found commonalities within the SWOT analysis.
Ivan Thomas, owner and operator of DeTV was on hand to photograph and video some of the session which also included aerial Drone photography.
Jessica created her first Facebook Livestream video as we took a break to cool off in the water, which wasn’t “Caribbean Blue” but it was refreshing never-the-less.
If you are a small business owner then you should have a Business Plan but a SWOT Analysis is much different. SWOT is the acronym for identifying and assessing your STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS.
Not only were the businesses varied, but the locations from which some of the ladies traveled was just as diverse. I believe the longest distance which was driven was from the DC area. Actually, she was from Bowie, Maryland, which of course is where our son Malik will be returning to college next week.
This was the first WBC networking event held on the beach, but I doubt it will be the last. Just like Jessica we all loved being by the sea and under the sun for a perfect day out of the office but still getting work done!
The next big WBC event will be held on September 29th in Wilmington, and although it won’t be on the beach, it is definitely going to be filled with smiling faces and lots of fun.
Head over to their website and sign up for “Saddle Up for Business and Connect with Cocktails” , get your cowboy gear and we’ll see you there!
DISCLOSURE: This post contains affiliate links of which if you click and take action, I will get a percentage of the sale – or at least enough for a cup of coffee!
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Good Day Philadelphia Drives to Wilmington
Last Friday, the morning crew of Good Day Philadelphia were in Wilmington as part of the Good Day Drives You Mazda Campaign. The event was held at the H.B. Dupont Plaza on 11th and Delaware Avenues and it was a steamy 81 degrees by 8:00 a.m.
Before heading out I turned to Fox29 Philadelphia to watch a few of the early morning interviews including one with Mayor Dennis Williams and his reaction to the Dallas shootings at the #BlackLivesMatter peaceful protest.
Although it was a hot and humid morning, the smiles and positive vibes kept us all cool, at least until noon at which time I had to head out for work. I was there in support of The Women’s Business Center which was just one of the local businesses being featured on live TV.
Jessica Gibson, Program Director of The Women’s Business Center at First State Community Loan Fund was interviewed along with two of their small business success stories, Lolah Soul Jewelry and Evangelina’s Vegan Desserts.
I’ve been working with The Women’s Business Center for several months now and have received wonderful assistance, guidance and excellent business counseling as ABlake Enterprises has gotten off the ground.
I along with several other women business owners have forged a bond of strong support and sisterhood so it was only natural for us to come together in support of Jessica and have a few minutes of fame on live TV.
There were several other businesses along the perimeter of the park and a few of those who were also being featured included The Brunch Box and Kapow Food Trucks, The Delaware 87ers, Drop Squad Kitchen, Bright Spot Urban Garden and most appropriately My Cooling Store.com.
Please click on the following link to see each of the individual videos then check my Instagram page for more pics and a Flipgram video.
It was definitely a fun filled day of camaraderie and happiness if only for a few hours on what could have been a dismal start to a depressing weekend given the recent violence around the world.
Stay safe and stay blessed my friends.
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Last Friday, I along with a few other women business owners attended a Fundamentals of Word 2016 workshop. We each had signed up to learn more about the key features and functions of Microsoft Word 2016 as well as network with one another.
This 60 minute workshop was held inside the Microsoft Store at the Christiana Mall. We were seated in an area of the store where we were also able to snack on an array of sandwiches, salads, and giant cookies from Panera Bread.
The Fundamentals of Word 2016 workshop was conducted by Microsoft employees, Eric and Errol both of which were very knowledgeable. With each of us seated at a table using a loaner Microsoft Surface Pro we were able to follow along as they provided information and instruction geared towards all levels.
Whether you were a novice or an advanced user of Microsoft Office software, there was new and exciting productivity tools that could be incorporated into each of our individual businesses.
The Workshop was a Women’s Network Mixer sponsored by the Middletown Area Chamber of Commerce in celebration of National Women’s History Month.
Not only did we walk away with valuable information to be more collaborative and productive but, we also had a chance to mix in a little laughter and levity as well.
I definitely learned a lot about the key features of Word 2016, and some of the newest features on how to create, format and personalize a document which will be very useful when it comes to creating new posts for my blog.
Thank you Microsoft and Middletown Area Chamber of Commerce, it was a very productive and informative workshop and it was also a great way to end the work week.
Are you using Microsoft Word 2016?
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