| Next meeting topic for Tuesday, November 10, 2015 |
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Unique Solutions For Your Business Challenges
Betsy A. Spencer, President, J. R. Kelly Company, Inc. – Since 1987, Betsy has worked in various capacities within the organization's general contracting business, focusing primarily on financial aspects of the business. In 2003, she assumed the reigns as President, and was proud to register the corporation with the State of Indiana as a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE). Betsy juggles 4 children and 4 grandchildren, along with her general contracting business. She has served on the board of Lafayette’s Friends of Columbian Park Zoo and Indiana Construction Industry. In addition, Betsy is a graduate of Leadership Lafayette, and holds memberships in Top Notch of Greater Lafayette, ICA, MICCS, Purdue's Supplier Diversity Development Advocacy Council and Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. In her spare time, Betsy enjoys spending time with family and friends at the lake, reading, traveling, Purdue University Athletics, and volunteering in the community. Betsy hopes to discuss with AWBO her accomplishments with her business where 85% of her employees are male and how she earned their respect to be able to run a very, fun, successful business.
3-Minute Spotlight:
| Deb Plue |
Consolidated Insurance Services, Inc. |
| Pam Michael |
The Longaberger Company |
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Board Member Spotlight-
Melony Ramsey
Ram-Z Exchange opened in 1988 on Elmwood Avenue. By 2007, they had outgrown that location, so everything was moved to 205 Farabee Drive North. In 2009, the name was changed to RamZs Emporium- “a store with a huge variety of merchandise under one roof”. It became a place “Where you’ll find things you didn’t know you needed, but now you desperately want”. While many new things arrive daily, some are so unusual that you would never expect to see them in Lafayette.
In 9,000 sq. ft. of space, there are over 130 displays of fine jewelry, coins for collectors and investors, antiques and collectibles, guitars and some electronics as well as firearms for hunting or protection. They repair treasured jewelry and miscellaneous items at their store daily (it isn’t sent out). RamZs can also custom design a new jewelry piece to meet your satisfaction. People also come to them in need of some cash so they became the oldest licensed pawnbroker in 1990, giving loans to those in need during crisis times. Notary service is also available.p
December of 2007, they won the Small Business of the Month award. Melony later served on the committee and became co-chairman. Currently serving on the Greater Lafayette Commerce Education Committee, she really enjoys helping with Golden Apple Award selections. Being in AWBO for several years and on the board has been a favorite thing because she’s learned so much, developed many friendships and found several members who have given her help in many ways.
Stop and see RamZs Emporium. With 17 staff members, RamZs is still family owned and operated.
Melony Ramsey, RamZs Co-Owner
AWBO Programs
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| A Note from Your President... |
The programs committee has been working hard to brainstorm and bring you presentations this next year that will better help you run your business. And they want to hear from you. Is there a situation you are dealing with and can’t quite solve? Is cash flow getting you down? How about that “new hire” - have you been left wondering if that was a good decision for your company?
We want to bring you topics centered around “Creating Your Legacy.” This topic is not just about an exit strategy. Creating Your Legacy asks you to re-visit why you started your business? Do any legal documents need to be updated? Have you grown enough it makes sense to change your legal identity from a Sole Proprietor to an "LLC" or even an "S" or "C-corp"? Is creating your legacy forcing you to evaluate when it’s time to stop doing the minimum wage work and start doing the “thing that brings in the money?” The question was posed to me three years ago and quite frankly, it felt like a slap in the face-but it was the wake-up call I now wish someone had posed to me much earlier.
Is creating your legacy helping you determine if you have a true business or is it really a hobby? We have probably all heard the statistic, that if you can leave your business for 60-90 days, and it’s still running when you get back, you have a bona fide business. For most of us small business owners that’s a stretch, but the concept serves a point.
Is the definition of insanity “doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results” helping you build an exit strategy? Is everyone in your organization’s job description matched with their true talents or skill sets?
If you need help brainstorming or answering some of these above questions we especially want to see you November 10th. Challenges are what drive us to find solutions to the problem. Our speaker Betsy Kelly is no stranger to challenges. Betsy brings to us a unique solution for handling the challenges her business handed her. You won’t want to miss it. I promise you will be inspired to look at your own challenges and business strategies in a different light. But attendance is a must, in order to see the light!
Instead of a tagline this month, let’s all be prepared to share the one thing we are most thankful for that owning a business has taught us!
Best regards,
Susan Benedict
AWBO President
Empowering Women
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News and Events
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Thank You For Being Our Guest!
We would like to extend a "Thank You" to our guests who attended our AWBO Meeting in October...
-Diana Salazar from Caregiver Companion
-Jennifer Teising from Sitewise Digital
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AWBO December Auction Donation Items
If you would like to donate an auction item to our benefactor:Cary Home for Girls, please send an email to Susan Benedict at Susan@MyDesignAlternatives.com or you can call765.477.1251
Please identify whether it is an auction item or a raffle item.
Please be thinking of businesses you know who may want to get involved and donate an item. We would like to have all the auction/raffle items collected by Thanksgiving weekend orNov. 29th.
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Edward Jones Financial Advisor Hosts Presentation -
What Happens After the Paychecks Stop? A Retirement Income Primer
Edward Jones Financial Advisor Sarah Schwarz, AAMS®, CFP® of Lafayette is hosting a free presentation titled, "What Happens After the Paychecks Stop? A Retirement Income Primer," at 1421 Union St Lafayette, IN 47904 on Thursday November 5,2015 from 12pm - 1pm & 5:30pm - 6:30pm.
Sarah Schwarz will examine how one can budget for retirement expenses and one's potential sources of retirement income. Identifying some of the potential risks to one's retirement income also will be addressed.
-Refreshments will be served-
The presentation is free, but space is limited. To make a reservation, call April Ford or Kelbe Douglass at
765-429-5289.
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Be the CEO of Your Own Career
The women of Wabash National invite you to “Be the CEO of Your Own Career,” an exclusive event for female managers, directors and other leaders who want to take proactive steps to manage their career development and evolve as influencers in their organizations.
Best-selling author and speaker Caroline Dowd-Higgins will help us reinvent and re-energize our careers and leadership styles by offering concrete advice and action steps related to:
• Playing to your strengths
• Honoring your personal values as part of your career
• Ramping up your communication skills and self-confidence
• Developing yourself and others – and becoming an active leader – through coaching and performance management
• Developing and applying “leadership skills” in volunteer and community engagement, as well as in your personal life
Seating is limited. Register today for this FREE, interactive event!
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In the News…
The Indiana State chapter of the National Kitchen and Bath Association asked Susan Benedict, our current president to give her presentation on Aging in Place on October 15, 2015. The event was held at Lee Supply (sponsor of our AWBO 2015 Summer Social) on Carmel Drive in Indianapolis.
Fifty Five Kitchen and Bath dealers or specifiers were in attendance for the event where Chef Ben made another fabulous meal at the unveiling of the newly remodeled showroom which now includes appliances to their already full line up of plumbing products.
Not only did Susan familiarize dealers with the concept of Aging in Place, she implored attendees to realize “all of us have to do a better job of designing and specifying products that will keep people in their homes as long as possible to bring the cost of these products down, so that American homes will be ready to handle the mass number of baby-boomers turning 65".
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Important!
Members will be able to update their profile at the November member meeting. Please make sure you have your log in and password information with you if you need to update. Amanda Snyder from Metamorphic Fitness will be available if you are having trouble logging in to your profile.
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What's Happening In Your Business?
AWBO Members are always welcome to post news about their business' special events, workshops, Open Houses, new certifications, or achievements in this newsletter.
Submissions are due in finished form (a/k/a written concisely) to kimberlyringler@gmail.com by the 20th of every month. You must include the words "AWBO" in the subject line.
Want to advertise a general product special or news item of your choice? AWBO members are welcome to distribute tabletop fliers at our monthly meetings and/or register for an upcoming 3-minute spotlight.
Please note: We reserve the right to edit or limit any form of marketing in keeping with the integrity of our membership and our meetings. AWBO does not share, or allow the use of its email distribution list for non-AWBO sponsored events.
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Greater Lafayette Commerce in November
Register at www.greaterlafayettecommerce.com/calendar
- Small Business of the Month Award Reception –Wednesday November 4, 2015 at 5pm, Old National Mortgage Center
- Economic Forecast Luncheon – Thursday November 5 at 11:30am at the Holiday Inn City Center
- Tippy Connect After Hours – Thursday October 8, 2015 at 5pm – TBD
- Mini Farmers Market at the Downtown Lafayette Market, 7:00am to 12:30pm Saturday November 14th and Saturday November 28th
- Eggs N Issues – Tuesday November 10, 2015 at 7:30am at the Hilton Garden Inn, West Lafayette: Work Force Development Manager for Greater Lafayette Commerce. Kara will share insight about workforce training resources and opportunities.
- Industrial Luncheon – Friday November 20 at 11:30am – Lafayette Country Club: Featuring Blichmann Engineering, Owner, John Blichmann has been an avid brewer since 1991 and is a BJCP judge. Like you, brewing is his serious hobby, but designing equipment for brewing and winemaking is his true passion.
- Business After Hours – Wednesday November 18 at 5pm – Stall & Kessler Diamond Center
Ribbon Cuttings/Ground Breaking:
- Tuesday November 17 at 4pm for White Willow Events, Grand Opening: 1605 Kossuth St, Lafayette, IN 47905
2015 Annual Events Dates:
Christmas Capitol of the Midwest December 5 & 6, 2015
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Hope to see you at the next meeting. Put it on your calendar today...and invite a deserving friend to join you.
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AWBO meets at Noon on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at the MCL Restaurant
& Bakery in
West Lafayette.
(Excluding June)
Visitors are always welcome. No registration is necessary and visitors may attend twice at no charge before becoming a member.
Arrive at 11:30 to enjoy lunch and networking time.
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