NAWBO® Central Illinois - The PULSE

"Good Neighbor" Business of the Month Award

Receive a little recognition for your good deeds!

State Representative Jehan Gordan is honoring businesses that show a dedication to improving their communities. Nominees for the award must show that they care about their communities and are committed to helping their neighbors.

Nominations will be received on an ongoing basis. Winners will be recognized with a visit from Representative Gordan and honored at a recognition dinner.

For more information, click here.

NAWBO Sister Doris Symonds to Receive Business Champion of the Year Award

Illinois Small Business Leaders to Receive SBA Regional Honors
Regional Administrator Marianne Markowitz to recognize Elaine Krieger of Krieger Kiddie Corporation, Hedy Ratner and Carol Dougal of Women’s Business Development Center, Doris Symonds of T.A.L.K. and Jacob Elster and Taylor Monk of Crop to Cup.

Women’s Business Champion of the Year—Doris Symonds, T.A.L.K— Teaching and Learning for Knowledge—Doris is a tireless advocate and mentor for women entrepreneurs in the Greater Peoria, Illinois area.  Doris has dedicated her life to improving the chances of business success for women business owners. Doris’ boundless energy and devotion to women makes her a household name in the area of business mentorship.

AWARD PRESENTED BY:  SBA Regional Administrator, Marianne Markowitz
                  
WHEN: Thursday, May 12, 12:30 PM—Award Presentation                
WHERE: Commerce Bank, 7400 North Orange Prairie Road, Peoria, IL 61615

Congratulations Doris!!

Read this PDF for full details. If your schedule permits, attend the award presentation.

11TH ANNUAL 25 WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP AWARD

The Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce, the Marketeer magazine and WEEK 25 are proud to bring you the 11th annual 25 Women in Leadership Award.

What is it about a woman that makes her a special leader? Her spirit, kindness, determination, energy and love for life? You tell us.

The prestigious 25 WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP AWARD is designed to recognize women of all ages from the young to the mature, all races and religions who have demonstrated unswerving dedication to the betterment of their family, their company, and their community at large.

A nominee could be a high school student who has organized an anti-drug campaign to a health-care provider who has excelled within her field. The real test of a nominee’s eligibility can be measured by the care she gives to her work, her mission, or to others even when a myriad of demands and commitments are swirling around her. These are 25 women who go beyond the norm to excel and provide leadership and example for all who know them.

A special appointed committee of community and business leaders will judge all nominees. Judging will be based upon the ability of the nominator to articulate, with specific examples and information, the reasons why the nominee should be considered based upon the above criteria. Click here for a nomination form.

The 25 WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP AWARD will be presented in a special awards presentation luncheon to be held on Thursday, September 8, 2011 at the Hotel Pere Marquette.

Return completed nomination form by June 3, 2011 to:

WEEK
2907 Springfield Road
East Peoria, Illinois 61611
Attention: Christy Howell

Fax it to: (309) 698-9663

Congratulations to Doris Symonds - 2011 NAWBO Champion of the Year!!

NAWBO-CIL Member Doris Symonds of “Talk to Doris Now” will receive the 2011 Women in Business Champion of the Year Award. She will be honored along with other NAWBO award winners at the 2011 Small Business Week Awards Reception to be held on June 22nd of this year. This event will be sponsored by the SBA in partnership with SCORE: Counselors to America’s Small Business, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Small Business Development Center network.

Congratulations Doris! What an awesome accomplishment!!

Read the letter here.

Enterprising Women of the Year Award

Dear Friends:

Please mark your calendars for March 10-11, 2011 for the 9th Annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards at the Boca Raton Resort in Boca Raton, Florida!

Nominations for the Enterprising Women of the Year Award are now officially open on the magazine's Web site at www.enterprisingwomen.com. Entries must be submitted by midnight on November 15, 2010.

You may apply for the award if you have been in business at least three years and you meet any of the following criteria:

• your company is at least 51 percent owned and managed by a woman;
• you are a woman who owns, manages and controls the business with a partner, and you own at least 33 percent of the business; or
• you are a woman entrepreneur who leads a company that has obtained venture capital and, as a result, you now hold an equity position of less than 51 percent in your company.

Winners will be recognized in the following categories:

* woman-owned enterprise with up to $1 million in annual revenues;
* woman-owned enterprise with more than $1 million and up to $5 million in annual revenues;
* woman-owned enterprise with more than $5 million and up to $10 million in annual revenues;
* woman-owned enterprise with more than $10 million and up to $25 million in annual revenues; and
* woman-owned enterprise with more than $25 million in annual revenues.

Award winners will be recognized at a gala awards dinner in Boca Raton on March 11. Winners also receive national recognition for themselves and their businesses through local, regional and national publicity. Every winner will be profiled in Enterprising Women magazine, and the top winners will appear on the magazine's front cover in the spring of 2011.

"The Enterprising Women of the Year Award is one of the world's most prestigious honors for a woman entrepreneur. We are looking for dynamic nominees who have built strong businesses, shown leadership in their communities, and understand the importance of giving back to mentor and support other women in business. This event is all about shining the spotlight on the top women entrepreneurs in the world," Monica Smiley, Publisher/CEO of Enterprising Women, said.

For more information, call 919-674-6640 or visit www.enterprisingwomen.com.

Make Mine a Million $ Business Competition

Think you have what it takes: Apply now to the Make Mine a Million $ Business Competition. If you have already WON, invite and encourage friends and women in your local community to apply:

Find the link below for your reference:

http://www.makemineamillion.org/grow/content/type/tools/article/930

Stories Needed for American Heart on ABC's "World News with Diane Sawyer"

We recently received a request for inspirational "tug-at-your-heartstrings" stories to possibly feature on an ABC "World News With Diane Sawyer" segment. Here's a description of the segment from the ABC News Correspondent who contacted NAWBO Media Relations. If you feel you or one of your NAWBO Chapter members have a story that would be appropriate for consideration, please sent it to media@nawbo.org. We will pass it along for consideration.

Thanks so much,
The NAWBO Media Relations Team

Query:
For those of you who often wish the media would tell more “good” stories, we’d like to alert you to a new opportunity.  ABC “World News with Diane Sawyer” has a new segment called “American Heart,” in which the broadcast features stories of individuals, companies, communities… committing acts of generosity that change lives for the better. For example, the broadcast did a recent segment about the father of a special needs child who couldn’t find an amusement park that would accommodate disabled kids so he rallied the resources to build one himself. If you have a story of great “American Heart,”  please let us know.

Ron’s Carpets Named to Illinois Top Business List for 2010

In recognition of the economic power of privately held businesses, DiversityBusiness.com, the nations’ leading business-to-business Internet site, recently named Ron’s Carpets of Peoria as one of the top 100 businesses in Illinois. 
This is the 10th annual listing of the Illinois top businesses by DiversityBusiness.com.

Ranging in revenue size from $1 million to over $202 million, the companies listed on the Top Business Lists represent the Nation’s top multicultural earners and challenge the long-held notion that a privately held business is small or insignificant. Winners are sought after by major corporations wishing to increase spending with small businesses.

“Entrepreneurs are a growing force in the U.S. economy, and a force to be reckoned with,” said Kenton Clarke, CEO of Computer Consulting Associates International, the company that built DiversityBusiness.com. This is a whole business segment that can carry its own, that provides jobs, products and services, and generates wealth for their communities.  These are the new leaders in American business.”

This is the 2nd consecutive year that Ron’s Carpets has been named to list of top 100 businesses in Illinois.

“We are honored to be included in this list of successful businesses,” said Carol Hayse, president of Ron’s Carpets.” We attribute our success to our commitment to meeting our customer’s needs and expectations.”

“As the demand for custom rugs, hardwood floors, and tile flooring has increased for new homes, we have increased our custom rug abilities to provide innovative & flexible rug solutions at economic prices.”

In addition, Ron’s Carpets has a number of carpets made from renewable sources, which appeals to the more environmentally conscious customers.


The List

This List is a classification that represents the top small businesses in the U.S., in sectors such as technology, manufacturing, food service and professional services. Large organizational buyers throughout the country that do business with multicultural, small and women-owned businesses use the list. The List is produced annually by DiversityBusiness.com, the nation's leading multicultural B2B Internet portal that links large organizational buyers to multicultural product and service suppliers.

The winning companies will be honored at a special awards ceremony at DiversityBusiness.com’s “10th Annual Multicultural Business Conference”, taking place April 27 -29 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center on the Potomac in National Harbor, Washington, D.C.

For the complete list of winning companies, please visit: www.diversitybusiness.com

About Ron’s Carpets

Ron’s Carpets, Inc., is a retail floor covering store providing quality products and service to the area for 17 years. The company has been certified with WBENC since September of 2007, and in 2008, led the volunteer floor covering team in the Extreme Makeover Home Edition project in Pekin, Illinois. Ron’s Carpets carries a complete line of products from the world’s leading manufacturers, featuring area rugs, carpeting, ceramic and porcelain, laminate flooring, vinyl and resilient flooring, and wood floors. Carol and her team offer design ideas, tips, and helpful resources while providing excellent customer service to ensure total satisfaction with their flooring projects. In 2009, Carol was named Member of the Year by the Central Illinois chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).


About DiversityBusiness.com

Launched in 1999, DiversityBusiness, with over 46,000 members, is the largest organization of diversity owned businesses throughout the United States that provide goods and services to Fortune 1000 companies, government agencies, and colleges and universities. DiversityBusiness provides research and data collection services for diversity including the "Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities", "Top 500 Diversity Owned Companies in America", and others. Its research has been recognized and published by Forbes Magazine, Business Week and thousands of other print and internet publications. The site has gained national recognition and has won numerous awards for its content and design. It is a leading provider of Supplier Diversity management tools and has the most widely distributed Diversity magazine in the United States. DiversityBusiness.com is produced by Computer Consulting Associates International Inc. (CCAii.com) of Southport, CT. Founded in 1980.

Congratulations to Our NAWBO BBB Torch Award Finalists!

The Better Business Bureau recently announced their finalists for the BBB Torch Award for business ethics. http://heartofillinois.bbb.org/article/bbb-congratulates-2010-nominees-18166

Congratulations to our NAWBO sisters!
Alpha & Omega Couriers, Springfield (Springfield chapter)
Calahan Solutions, Bloomington
Philippi-Hagenbuch, Peoria
Ron's Carpets, Peoria

BBB 2010 Torch Awards

The Better Business Bureau of Central Illinois, Inc. (BBB) which serves 36 counties in Central Illinois has opened the call for nominations for the 2010 BBB Torch Award for Business Integrity. Anyone may enter their choice of a company that they feel qualifies for displaying ethics and reliability in the marketplace. A distinguished panel of judges from business and academia will review and decide this year's recipient of the awards. The awards will be presented at The Annual BBB Torch Award Dinner held May 6 2010 at the Hotel Pere Marquette. Nominations will be accepted until February 22 2010. To nominate a company, visit
http://heartofillinois.bbb.org/ and click on the Torch Award logo.

Apply to be a NAWBO/Wells Fargo Trailblazer

Wells Fargo and NAWBO want to recognize the extraordinary talent, drive and innovation of women business owners across the country. In 2002 we launched the NAWBO/Wells Fargo Trailblazer Award to celebrate the enormous role women entrepreneurs play in driving the American economy.
 
We are looking for women business owners who have built successful businesses with unique products, services or delivery channels and are serving as role models for others to follow. Tell us how your business reflects your vision and commitment to building an organization that makes a difference in your community.
 
Three outstanding women-owned businesses will be recognized for their trailblazing spirit as demonstrated by their companies' business performance, innovation, growth and contribution to the community. Each winning business will receive a cash grant of $5,000, gain nationwide recognition, and be honored at the NAWBO Women's Business Conference 2010 in Washington, D.C.

Apply or nominate a woman trailblazer today!

You may submit your nominations ONLINE or by mail using the attached Application Form. All applications must be submitted by February 19, 2010 to qualify.

CLICK HERE for award qualifications, evaluation criteria and nominations process.
 
CLICK HERE to apply online. 
 
CLICK HERE to apply by mail. 
 
For questions or additional information, please contact Wells Fargo Women's Business Services at wbs@wellsfargo.com.

Outstanding Small Business Awards

The Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce is currently accepting nominations for the Outstanding Small Business Awards.  We know your business is outstanding, but what is it that sets you apart from the other small businesses?  Tell us your story.

The Outstanding Small Business Awards, sponsored by Busey Bank and Heartland Bank and Trust Company, will be presented at the Power Breakfast, Wednesday, March 24th, 7:30 AM, at the Peoria Civic Center.

Two Outstanding Small Business awards will be presented at the Power Breakfast.  One award will be given to a company with 1-25 employees and one will be given to a company with 26-150 employees.

Self nominations are welcomed and encouraged.  Feel free to nominate a company that you feel is deserving of this award.  Nominations should not be a division, subsidiary, or franchise of a company, and should have been in operation in the tri-county area for at least five years.  

To nominate a company or the Outstanding Small Business Award visit: http://www.peoriachamber.org/goto/AwardNom

Nominations should be completed and returned to the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce no later than March 1st by 4:30 PM.

Please encourage your employees to attend the Power Breakfast.  Individual tickets for the event are $30.00 and a table of eight is $240.00. 

If you have any questions about the Outstanding Small Business Awards or the Power Breakfast, please feel free to Sarah Stabler - 309.495.5915 or sstabler@chamber.h-p.org.

Make Mine A Million

The Make Mine a Million $ Business Competition is back!

 

This Competition is designed to help women entrepreneurs strengthen their vision, build growth strategies, and take businesses to a million dollars in revenue in the next 12-18 months.  To be eligible, your business must generate at least $200,000 in annual revenues and be at least 50% woman owned.  If your revenues are greater than $200,000 or just under, you should strongly consider applying.

 

The competition will be culminating at the American Express OPEN Women’s Business Summit on February 17 & 18 in Houston, Texas. Be sure to SAVE THE DATE! For more information, please follow this link: http://www.makemineamillion.org/grow/content/type/tools/article/930.

 

Also find the attached PDF flyer for your reference - Calling All Women Entrepreneurs

Participate in the AWESOME 40 Under 40 Awards!

The 40 Under 40 Awards Night is always a night of great networking and celebration.  It has been a part of the NABO history since its beginnings.  Our NAWBO sister Jan Wright was one of the originators of the award.  Many of our NAWBO sisters have received the award.  Will you be there tomorrow?

Women in Leadership has purchased a table at the Forty Leaders Under Forty dinner on Wednesday, November 4, 2009.  You may or may not know that Shawna Knapp has been nominated for this award. Since Shawna has worked with many NAWBO members through Pathways and other projects, WIL would like to extend an invitation to the members of NAWBO to sit at their table.  Tickets are discounted at $25 (regular $50).  They currently have approximately 5 seats available.

If you are interested, please contact Valerie Sinks right away at (309) 694-4251 or Email:  vsinks@hbcpas.com.

Nominate yourself or a peer for the 2009 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards

Nominations have opened for the 2009 Enterprising Women of the Year Awards sponsored by Enterprising Women Magazine. This is the seventh year the magazine has hosted an event designed to shine the spotlight on outstanding women entrepreneurs.

The judges are seeking women with growing businesses who support other women and are leaders in their communities. Nominees are judged in five revenue categories: up to $1 million in annual revenues, $1-$5 million, $5-$10 million, $10-25 million, and over $25 million in annual revenues.

All winners and finalists will be honored at the Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Celebration, March 11-13, 2009 at Disney's Yacht Club, Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Winners and finalists receive national publicity and recognition for their businesses, and are profiled in Enterprising Women.

To learn more, visit www.enterprisingwomen.com. The deadline for nominations is midnight on Dec. 1, 2008.

Share Your Story of Excellence!

Each week, NAWBO shares members' stories of excellence through its Member Spotlight.  The Member Spotlight section of www.nawbo.org features one NAWBO member each week, highlighting her business success and community involvement.

YOU SHOULD BE SPOTLIGHTED!!  We'd love to have Central Illinois represented on the National Site not to mention great PR for your business!!  Submit Your Information TODAY! It is just an Email Away.

To be selected for the spotlight, candidates must meet the following guidelines:

• Be a NAWBO member in good standing
• Demonstrate your business success and involvement in the community 
• Include a timely achievement your business has recently attained 
• Submission text may include a bio and/or personal statement, but must be between 100-200 words 
• Submission must include a jpg headshot or photo of the member at work
• Other people may “nominate” another member for the spotlight, but they must provide complete submission materials

All materials should be sent to Cheryl Behrens at cbehrens@nawbo.org. NAWBO reserves the right to edit biographical information. Members will be notified of their placement in the spotlight on the Monday their bio is posted.

Are You a Great Mom? Tell America! Or Nominate Someone for a NAWBO Award!

Are You a Great Mom?  Tell America!
Here is a fun one! If you have an incredible mom in your family, or as a client, or you - enter her in the search for "America's Favorite Mom." The top 25 moms will be featured on NBC's "Today" show the week leading up to Mother's Day. The audiences will vote, and the top five winners will be the focus of a prime time special airing the evening of Mother's Day, May 11. To enter, turn down your speakers if you're at work and go to http://americasfavoritemom.com/ 

Honor a Peer or Partner with a NAWBO Award
Do you know a NAWBO member with a unique story of excellence? Does your chapter have a relationship with an exceptional corporate partner? Help honor them by nominating them for one of NAWBO's annual awards. From Woman Business Owner of the Year to Chapter Corporate Partner of the Year, these awards honor the hard work and remarkable success of a diverse range of NAWBO members and partners. Fill out an online nomination form by Feb. 25.

Award Opportunity! Are you a Femtor?

eWomenNetwork, Inc. is now taking nominations for their Femtor awards!  Do you qualify?  Keep reading to find out.

Get Nominated & Recognized for You/Your Business!

Stephanie Calahan shares news on upcoming nomination opportunities.

Hello Ladies!  There are a number of opportunities for awards and recognition.  One of the benefits of membership is that we will help to nominate you for awards that you qualify.  If you have an award that you know about, let us know!  It can be related to your industry, former university, community, you name it!  I will try to identify opportunities as they become available.  Please help me help you! 

Here are the opportunities that we know of: