Illawarra Women in Business (IWIB) a local networking group, is proud of the achievements of women in the local business community, and wants to recognise successful women in business through their IWIB award for the IWIB Illawarra Business Woman of the Year and the IWIB Illawarra Young Business Woman of the Year.
The IWIB Illawarra Business Woman of the Year for 2009 (proudly sponsored by the Illawarra Business chamber) and The IWIB Illawarra Young Business Woman of the Year for 2009 (proudly sponsored by the Illawarra ITeC) will be held on Friday, 27 March 2009 at the Lagoon Seafood Restaurant North Wollongong.
The awards are open to ALL business women who are operating or work as an employee in a business located in the Illawarra who best demonstrates ambition, energy, skill and vision, as well as tangible business success.
The awards are open to women who are enjoying success in building their own business and to those employees who have had an outstanding impact in contributing to the successes of a larger organisation.
The APPLICATION FORM (available at www.iwib.com.au) needs to be completed as per the instructions and returned to IWIB before close of business on Monday 2 March 2009.
Now is the time to reflect on your business achievements and to seriously think about entering the IWIB Awards.
Three events not to be missed:
Wollongong Small Business Club
The cheque is Not in the mail
It is widely accepted that extending credit can lead to an increase in sales and that customers will choose to do business with a credit provider, spending more with them over other businesses that do not offer comparable terms.
Today, more than ever, it pays to be careful when extending credit terms to customers. It is most important that you protect your business by making informed decisions.
Managing accounts receivable is very much about leveraging information to avoid risk and in the process growing revenues and keeping your business healthy.
Dick Bradley, Small Business Advisor with Regional Development Australia – Illawarra will outline ways of developing a systematic approach to credit policy including methods of assessing creditworthiness, the collection process and debt recovery measures available through the Small Claims Division of the Local Court.
Shoalhaven Small Business Club Meeting
Weathering the financial storm: A Business Survival Guide
The sub prime crisis, a possible recession, rate rises, declining profits and a slowing economy – it’s enough to make a small business operator turn up their toes in despair! But Perrie Croshaw has some essential survival advice to help small business adapt and not perish during these stressful times.
Perrie Croshaw, business and finance journalist, is editor of Monash University’s Graduate Business School journal, Monash Business Review and Westpac’s Private Banks client magazine, Insight. She worked for many years as a senior editor at the Financial Times in London and has written for the Investors Chronicle, BRW, news.com and The Australian.
Not content with just one job at a time, Perrie was Money Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald while running an award-winning Bed & Breakfast in Berry. More recently, she juggled publishing Australian Women’s Money Magazine (now www.womenandwealth.com.au) while establishing one of the largest accommodation booking services in NSW, www.southcoastholidays.com.au
Time: 5.15 for 5.30pm to 7.30pm
Date: Thursday 5 February 2009
Cost: FREE – catering provided
RSVP: Contact Bonnie at Illawarra ITeC Shoalhaven.
email: bonnie@illawarraitec.com.au or
phone Bonnie on 4423 3417 by 2 February 2009
Registration is essential.
Southern Highlands Business Club
Get consistency in Your business: Get Better Results!
Are you frustrated by inconsistent results?
Then take action and get the results you want.
2009 is your year to shine and there are four activities you can do to make 2009 easier for you, get the results you want and transform your business. The true value of being able to transform your business for consistent results lies in the marketing, sales, networking and operational activities of your business.
Sue Henry is a networking expert, co-author and professional sticky beak who has worked in sales, marketing, events and training for the past 20 years. During this interactive, fun and practical talk, Sue will unlock the four key aspects of being consistent in 2009 while demonstrating how to:
• Master your own goals and motivation strategies
• Understand your networking personality
• Master and maintain relationships
• Develop habits to support growth and consistency in your business
Time: 5.15 for 5.30pm to 7.30pm
Date: Wednesday 11 February 2009
Cost: FREE – catering provided
RSVP: Contact Sarah at Illawarra IteC. email sarahcarter@illawarraitec.com.au or phone Sarah on 1300 650 058 by 9 February 2009. Registration is essential.
Protect your brand. Help with an invention!
Intellectual property (IP) is a broad term that is used to describe various exclusive legal rights around names, inventions and the output of other creative efforts. Main Types IP Include:
| Patents | Protect inventions, eg the Hills Hoist | | Trade Marks | Protect words, phrases, logos and a range of other branding elements that distinguish the goods and services of one trader from those of another, eg Vegemite | | Designs | Protect the shape or appearance of manufactured goods, eg Speedos swimwear | | Copyright | Protects original material in literary, artistic, dramatic or musical works, films, broadcasts, multimedia and computer programs, eg Tim Flannery’s book ‘The Weather Makers’ | | Plant Breeder’s Rights | For new plant varieties, eg new varieties of Kangaroo Paw |
ITeC’s Innovation Advisory Service provides FREE advice in all the above areas.
Ring 1300 650 058 for an appointment and a referral to an IP Attorney (free / no obligation).
The IP Attorney will be visiting Illawarra ITeC on Friday 6 February - ring today to secure your booking.
We will be running a ‘Protecting Your Brand’ seminar soon which will provide information on various forms of Intellectual Property (IP) protection available (including trade marks), how they can protect you and improve the value of your business. For further information please call Virginia on the above number.
Free Business Advisory Services
The Illawarra ITeC has five Small Business Programs to help you get started and further develop your established business. All programs provide free and confidential business advice and are available free of charge in the Illawarra, Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven areas:
• Illawarra Business Advisory Service (IBAS)
• Business Enterprise Centre (BEC)
• New Enterprise Development Scheme (NEIS)
• Illawarra Innovation Advisory Service (IIAS)
• Aboriginal Enterprise Development Officer (ADEO) Program
Do you receive our weekly Illawarra ITeC Small Business News Newsletter? If not, email Virginia today on ibec@illawarraitec.com.au and we will automatically send you a copy.
This is only a brief outline of the types of small business advice and assistance that we can offer. Want to know more? Remember I am a FREE service and can assist you in developing your business in many ways.
Call me today on 4223 3100 or check out our website at www.illawarraitec.com.au
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