BREWING SUCCESS

Brenda Moore, owner of Perk & Brew, Inc., has truly experienced the full roller coaster ride of owning your own business. A former Detroit police officer, she started with a coffee shop in Kerrytown, and after numerous setbacks in both business and her personal life, she has emerged as a winner. Today Perk & Brew supplies coffee, consultations, and turn- key coffee stands to restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, office buildings, and many more across the country.

A new project for Brenda is JavaHope, an initiative focusing on local women who are over-educated and under-employed. The project will select women in need and provide them with business education and support services that will enable them to start their own coffee cart business. The goal of the project is to raise the participant's skill levels to manager level, so that they can either run a coffee cart or get a better job. Raising self-esteem is another important goal. JavaHope aims to help each woman rebuild her life so they can get back up on their feet and on the path to personal and financial success.

PRINCIPLES OF PROSPERITY

Purpose - You need to have a clear idea of why you are in business and why are you different from your competitors. Also planning is key. Be sure to develop a business plan, growth strategy and exit strategy. A good business plan can not only guide your actions but can also open the doors to money from lenders and investors.

Passion - Running a business is a life- consuming activity. You need to have real passion for what you are doing. Ask yourself the following questions:
Do you really love the business you're in?
Do you care about the product or service?
While we all wish to and deserve to be paid for our labors, do you love your business so much you could work for free?
Do you care about your customers?
Do your family & friends know you love the business and do you have their support?

Principle
What are your core values? Do you have character? Brenda stressed the importance of integrity. Your customer needs to be able to count on you. So deliver what you promise. If you can't deliver, say so.
Can you manage people? Can you work collaboratively with others? No one is good at everything. So staff your weaknesses. Understand your strengths and your leadership style.

Preparation
Know your Customer - Figure out your customer market niche. It's easier to sell, advertise and market when you know who to target.
Know your Industry - Keep up with what's going on in your industry.
Know your Competitors - We usually think of our competitors as opponents. But a good path to growth can be collaboration. If you have a unique idea for a product or service that is too big for you to deliver alone, try partnering with a larger competitor to get it done.

Performance
Under-Promise & Over-Perform
Keep your word ALWAYS
Deliver exactly what you promise
The customer is always right

Profit Brenda advice is: "Be a Servant Leader, and the money will follow you."

Monthly Meeting, Tuesday, April 8, 2008

"Marketing"
Speaker: Marla Booth, Oo La La Presidenté of Foursight Creative Group of Plymouth, MI
Time: 6:00-8:00

Sponsor, Peggy Bennett, Rubenfeld Synergy

MICROSOFT EXCEL CLASS
6:30-8:30pm, Apr 17 - Jun 5, Th (8 sessions)

Have you struggled to learn Excel on your own? Come see what a difference it makes to learn it from the ground up. This popular class is taught by WBO member, Patricia Na, and are offered through Ann Arbor Community Rec & Ed, along with Windows Basic, MS Word Beginning, Create a Photo Book and more. They are fun, relaxed classes with typically 6-8 people, which allows plenty of time for questions and one-on-one help. Sign up today before classes fill up!

For further details or to register, go to http://aareced.com or call (734) 994-2300.

The OPPORTUNITES section of this newsletter provides you, the membership, with the chance to announce opportunities that support you as a business or benefit our members. See the Newsletter page for more information and feel free to send Opportunity information to info@wbo-mich.org.

Hippocrates said: "Let Food Be Thy Medicine" and I don't think he was talking about Super-Sized Burgers and French Fries.

Did you know that the Government now recommends that we consume 7-13 servings of fresh and raw fruits and vegetables per day? Unless you are a stay-at- home vegetarian, this can be a very daunting task. Fruits and Vegetables are essential for a healthy diet because it is from them that our body gets powerful phytonutrients called antioxidants which, as the word suggests, prevent oxidation from causing damage to our cells. Oxidation is a bi-product of being alive. Much like oxygen causes rust to form on iron, when we breathe metabolism changes oxygen into free radicals which can attack and damage our cells. Antioxidants protect our cells by forming a barrier blocking these free-radicals.

Despite the fact that fruits and vegetables contain so many preventative properties, the majority of Americans simply do not eat enough. This is why I am so happy that there is Juice Plus+. Juice Plus+ combines 17 fresh-raw fruits, vegetables and grains in a convenient capsule, gummie or chewable form. Juice Plus+ is WHOLE FOOD NUTRITION! It contains the nutritional essence of each of these fruits, vegetables and grains to bridge the gap between what we are eating and what we should be eating each and every day.

Juice Plus+ is supported by independent research which provides evidence as to the product's numerous health benefits. At present, Juice Plus+ has 12 published studies, seven of these studies show that Juice Plus+ is bioavailable meaning it is not only absorbed directly into the bloodstream, but once absorbed, the key phytonutrients and antioxidants found in the fruits and vegetables go right to work to protect our cells from damage. Additional research shows that Juice Plus+ helps to reduce oxidative stress, promotes a healthy immune system, lowers homocystein, protects our DNA and positively impacts key indicators of cardiovascular wellness. These studies can be viewed at my website: http://www.poweredby17.com.

If you would like to learn more about Juice Plus+ and hear about other practical tips for a healthier life, please attend one of my Wellness Presentations. I hold them twice a month and welcome everyone. Please feel free to contact me at: 734/369-8893 or sarabrintnall@hotmail.com to be added to my mailing list. My mission is to pass on the idea of prevention and wellness to as many people as possible and I would LOVE to talk to you.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my business with each of you.

Do you have a business plan? If not, get a book or other resource that will teach you the basics of what goes into a business plan, and then get started! Also do you have a written plan for 2008? If not, write down your goals for the year, break them into quarterly goals, and see how you did in the first quarter.

Karen Bayer, Aflac Supplemental Insurance
Diana Dayney, Isagenix International
Brenda Oldeck, A Helpful Hand
Maria Saez, Smith, Haughey, Rice & Roegge
Ginger Winter, Mary Kay

Helping Hand Computer Solutions, Computer training & troubleshooting, purchase & setup. 10% off, 734-995-6875
TLCI, Website Design, Development, Consulting, SEO, Marketing, Updates 12% discount, 662-0154
Healing in Motion, $20 discount for Myofascial Release and Exercise (Wellness Program), 913-4816
Cafe Marie of Ann Arbor, Breakfast/Lunch Cafe, 20% off, 662-2272
Strickfaden Photography, Complimentary Professional business portrait session $150 value. 734-996-4030
Instant Imprints, 10% discount, 734-929-0577.
J'spaa at Eastover, 10% discount, 734-827-9775
Genesis Service Associates, LLC, 10% discount off first graphic design project. Call Sue Stoker, 734-994-3900
Juice Plus, Free canister of plant-based Complete Shake with order of capsules or gummies. Contact Sara at 734-369- 8893
Rubenfeld Synergy, Complimentary Introductory Session, contact Peggy at 734-994-3719
I Sold It, 5% off on first $500, (734) 761-6187
Julie Battjes, 15% off any Arbonne purchase, (734) 765-6905
SKO Enterprises, Complimentary Website Critique, valued at $100, (734) 426-3613
1-800-Got-Junk? , 10% off any junk removal service. Please be sure to mention this discount when scheduling your appointment.734-904-1992
Theresia Radtke, Shaklee is offering 15% off all products, 734-646-0793
Cynthia Hagan is providing 10% off a Staging & Design Solutions consultation, 734-483-9555
Geraldine Markel, PhD is offering a 20% discount on all services or products from Managing Your Mind Coaching & Seminars.
Mary Seibert, RN, BSN, CHTP, BC-HN Healing Touch Practitioner, 10% off services, 734-323-2520
Friends 4 Paws, LLC, 10% discount on all services, 734-328-6035
J and T Ultimate Cleaning Inc, 10% discount and more, 517-651-5891
Amy's Elegance by Design, 10% off alterations, 517-851-4627
Town and Country Errands, LLC, 10% discount on all services, 734-761-8431
World Wide Stitches, 10% discount on all services, 734-272-1849
DOLEV LLC - Food Coach, 10% -25% discount on services; call for details. 734-276-1317