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  • We can't believe it's the LAST DAY OF April 2021!!! Time flies by too quickly. We wish we could hold still the hands of time to be able to catch our breath a bit! Since we can't do that for you WCE is has created another Social Media Post Ideas Guide for you.

    For those that are not familiar with our Social Media Post Idea Guide, it is FREE reference for you to use when you are just stuck on what to post on your business' social media platforms. It is super simple to use ~ you can either use it day by day and take advantage of all the ideas listed or you can pick and choose what works best for you and your business. Lots of people have told us that just reading our ideas have sparked new ideas of their own! Yay! We love that!

    Well, without further ado ~ you can click the link or the image below for your Social Media Post Idea Guide: May Edition!

    May Social Media Post Idea Guide

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    As always we hoped this helped. Our goal here at WCE is helping you find ways to make your business life easier! If you have any questions please contact us at wearewce@gmail.com. And if you did find this helpful….please don’t miss any of other helpful articles HERE and our Upcoming Entrepreneurial Workshops which you can find by clicking on the Upcoming Events tab or by going HERE!



  • As an entrepreneur building and maintaining your network is extremely important. Not only do you need this network of other entrepreneurs and business owners to help you build your client base, your network can be your go-to for support. As we have said before being a entrepreneur can be a lonely gig. It is so important to find that group of like-minded people that can be there for you and you for them.

    Here 5 ways we have found that can help build your network as an entrepreneur:

    1. ATTEND EVENTS

    We know this might seem overwhelming to some people! Going to events where you don’t know anyone ~ it can bring back horrible nightmares of the junior high lunch room on the first day of school! Haha! But, don’t worry! Networking events aren’t as scary as you think….at the right ones aren’t. They can be very welcoming, inviting and inclusive. Make sure you come prepared with how you are going to explain your business to people. In some events (like WCE’s networking events) you will have 30 seconds- 1 minute to be able to introduce yourself. Make sure you can get what you offer and a little about yourself in that time. Practice at home, it sounds silly, but it helps! Also, don’t just talk business!! We know this may seem counter productive, but you’re not necessarily trying to find clients, you’re trying to make human connections for your network. You want to build relationships. Be yourself and you will find ways to connect with those at the event.


    2. JOIN ENTREPRENEURIAL ORGANIZATIONS & FACEBOOK GROUPS

    There are so many great networking and support groups for entrepreneurs on social media and online (cough * WCE is our favorite * cough). To find some, we suggest by looking for local neighborhood groups on facebook. Once you’re in those you can ask if anyone knows of a good networking group in the area. There are other speciality groups you can join that aren’t necessarily for entrepreneurs, but they usually have days that you can post about your business and you can start making connections with the business owners on those days!


    3. TURN SOCIAL MEDIA CONNECTIONS INTO REAL LIFE RELATIONSHIPS
     

    Now that you have made connections in your online groups start making real life relationships with your connections. For example, on Mondays WCE offers Social Media Monday on Facebook and Follow Back Monday on Instagram. Say you comment on those posts and you follow the other business owners that have posted too. Make sure to reach out to them and thank them for the follow back and continue to actively follow them on those platforms by liking and commenting on their posts. You may even make a strong enough connection that you can meet in person! Which leads us to number 4...


    4. COLLABORATE WITH OTHER ENTREPRENEURS

    Collaborating with other entrepreneurs is so good for your business! It helps both parties grow their potential network of customers. You can find business owners in your industry that compliment what you do ~ or you can find connections completely out of your industry, but still compliment your business. For example, say you’re a boutique owner, but you collaborate with a photographer. Together you could do a mini fashion shoot at your boutique! For a certain price women can come with their friends, pick a cute outfit from your store and get a photoshoot with their friends. You could even add a makeup artist and hairdresser too! Think outside of the box on how you can work with others to grow your businesses TOGETHER!

    And Lastly…

    5. BE CONSISTENT

    None of the above will work if you don’t stay consistent. And we know this can be hard because there is so much work that goes into owning a business, but consistency is what truly works.


    These don’t seem too hard and lucky for you Women’s Council of Entrepreneurs can help you with all of them! Yay!!! You can go to our Upcoming Events to see our events near you (we also hold virtual ones too!). You can join our FREE Facebook group HERE to connect with women entrepreneurs all over the U.S. You can also check out all the benefits of being a member of WCE HERE, and as we mentioned before we have so many days on both Facebook and Instagram where we encourage connections and collaborations ~ so make sure you’re following us on all the platforms (see the icons at the bottom of the page)!! 

    Our goal here at WCE is help you find ways to make your business life easier! And we hope this helped you! If you have any questions please contact us at wearewce@gmail.com 


  • 19 Apr 2021 8:51 PM | Ali Everhard (Administrator)

    The world is slightly obsessed with videos - on youtube, facebook and just about anywhere you look you can find people streaming videos. 75 million people watch video everyday! So, the question is - Have you considered how beneficial videos could be for your business? We have done some research and found videos are important for the growth of your business.

    According to Hubspot....

    • 97% of marketers say video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service
    • 76% say it helped them increase sales
    • 47% say it helped them reduce support queries
    • 76% say it helped them increase traffic
    • 80% of marketers say video has increased dwell time on their website

    These stats say it all. Video helps drive traffic to your business and leads to actual sales! We know making a video is easier said than done. That is why WCE has created a video content marketing checklist for you! The checklist is simple to use and will help you get on the right track to making videos for your business. There are 5 topics on the checklist that we have broken down below.

    The first step is to Plan and Prepare! You need figure out what your main goal for the video you are creating. Do you have a product you want to talk about? A new service that you are excited about? Whatever it is, plan what you want your customers to do with the video they are watching. Make clear point and try to make a call to action at the end of the video. Another important thing to focus on when planning your video is your target market. Who is your target market and what do they like? Make the sure the content in your video appeals to those in your target market! 

    Next up is the equipment. You can can stay simple by sticking with your smartphone for your recording device. Other options to record on are a  Go-Pro or any type of a camera that records video. You will want to use a tripod to reduce camera shake. The tripod keeps your recording device steady while filming. An external microphone is recommended, but not necessary.  You will also need editing software or an editing app on your phone. The software that were recommended by Aja Vickers of Aja Vicker Global Media are: Adobe Premiere Pro ($21/month), Blender, Lightworks, Shotcut, DaVinci Resolve, and Openshot. And for the apps creativebloq.com suggests apps such as Adobe Premiere Rush, Lumafusion, Kinemaster, and good old iMovie. Other optional items when shooting your video are a backdrop and some lighting.

    Now onto the fun stuff ~ the Recording of the video! The first thing to do is find a location that is well lit (preferably with natural light), quiet (so there is no distracting background noise), and a background that is simple and not distracting to the viewers. If you are unable to find a spot with good lighting or a clean background this is where the backdrop and lighting would be needed for extra equipment. After you find your location and you set up your equipment do a test round to make sure audio is working and so that you can get comfortable with the content. It is a good idea to take multiple takes,  you then can edited the best takes together with your editing software or app. Added tip ~ when taking multiple takes leave a few seconds of silence before and after talking for easier editing.

    Speaking of editing ~ once you feel satisfied with your recordings it is time to move onto editing. Use one of the editing software or apps mentioned above or chose one that you have found that works well for you. When editing continue to be mindful of the length. Here are some stats from singlegrain.com on importance of video length:

    • “Shorter videos tend to have better engagement:
    • If a video is less than 60 seconds, over two-thirds (68%) of viewers will keep watching until the end.
    • If a video is over 20 minutes long, only 25% of viewers will finish it.
    • Generally, videos that are 2-4 minutes long perform best and will have more people watch to the end. But if your video supremely engaging, time is not as critical a factor.”

    Another thing to keep in mind when editing is branding your video. To brand your video you can put your business logo in the corner of the video or simply put a clip at the end of the video with your logo and contact information. It is always best to not use music or sounds that you don't own or that are not copyright free.

    Last on the checklist, but certainly not least is the uploading of the video! When uploading the video make sure the title of the video is relevant to the content. Do the same for the description and add keywords that relate to the content and your business. Include video tags that will make your video easy to find and be mindful if you want comments on your video to auto load or if you want to approve them. These tips pertain mostly to YouTube, but check the features on Facebook or other social media platforms to see what upload features are available to enhance your reach.

    We believe this is a great place to start to making professional quality videos! But, it really is just the tip of the iceberg. To get more in depth learning check out past Workshop on How to create Professional Videos with your Smartphone and our upcoming coming Workshop Getting Over Your Fears of Being on Camera!   

    This was a lot of information, but is all on the FREE printable Video Content Marketing Checklist that you can download HERE or by clicking the image below!

    If you found this useful please go through our other Articles where you can find more helpful tips and more FREE downloads. And please head over to our Upcoming Events or our Shop to see our other upcoming & past workshops we have more than just video production! Our  workshop topics are created to help you become the best business owner you can be! We always have your back here at WCE! 


  • 5 Apr 2021 2:48 PM | Ali Everhard (Administrator)


    We might ask ourselves ~ Is brand indentity and awareness even important for a business? Well, according to edelman.com "81 percent of consumers said that they need to be able to trust the brand in order to buy from them”. How are you able to get someone to trust your brand or your business if they don't know you? Well, that is why brand identity and awareness is so important ~ to get your business out to the consumer and gain their trust! But, creating a brand that can be trusted by consumers can be a daunting task. A good place to start according to Sophie Newman of Florida Winter Marketing is by asking yourself these questions:

    What do you want to be known for?

    Who do you best serve? 

    What is the story only YOU can tell?

    When answering these questions you need to keep in mind that being authentic is key! Being authentic is the fastest route to being trusted by consumers.

    80% of consumers said “authenticity of content” is the most influential factor in their decision to become a follower of a brand. 


    After you answer those three questions and begin to have an understanding of the “feel” or mission of your business the question now becomes ~ how do I get my brand seen by consumers?

    The answer is Brand Awareness.

    Brand awareness (defined by info.zimmermarketing.com) is "critical to the success of your business. When people are aware of your brand and its logo and other marketing, you will sell more. People are more likely to buy from a brand they know or click a website from a brand they are aware of."

    To create brand awareness you need to develop your brand identity. And according to learn.g2.com the 8 Elements of brand identity are:

    1. Name
    2. Logo
    3. Colors
    4. Slogan
    5. Image
    6. Shape
    7. Graphics
    8. Typography

    Let’s break each of these elements down.

    Name: You probably already have the name of your business, but if you don’t please take time to come up with your name. You want it to reflect what you are as a company and what you do and/or sell.

    Logo: As a former graphic designer I can’t stress the importance of your logo enough. You want the logo to be simple and easily recognizable, you want it to stand out from other brands. If you already have your logo, but don’t love it ~ you can always change it and do a brand revision.

    Colors: Using a signature color can increase brand recognition by 80 percent. Colors set the mood of your brand. You want to pick a theme of colors and stick with them. Make your brand and your social media feeds cohesive. You want people to see your content and know that it is coming from you before they even see your business name!

    Slogan: Your slogan should go with your mission, but be short and memorable. Make sure it projects what you do as a company.

    Image:  As stated by 8 Ways Mediait takes about 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds) for people to form an opinion about your website! YIKES! So, you want your images to be great! Your images are similar to color in that you want your images or photos to be cohesive. So, you can either do your own photoshoot to get your “look” down or pick stock photos that have the same look or feel to them. If you need help with this check out our workshop on How to Photograph Like a Pro HERE.

    Shape: This is for businesses with products. You want your product to stand out from others especially if they are on the shelves at stores. One way to do this is give your product a unique or eye catching shape. One that people can start relating to your business.

    Graphics: Again, like your images and colors you want your graphics to stay consistent. When creating graphics you want to use your brand colors and your brand logo. You will also want to use the 8th element of brand identity ~ Typography.

    Typography: The typography for your brand are the fonts usually used in your logo. But, you don’t have to just stick to those 1-2 fonts for all of your graphics. You can pick a few that go well together and again…..you guessed it ~ Stay Consistent.

    As stated above we suggest you add your logo to all graphics and content you create. With that said, if you find content that you like make sure to credit who said it or where your found it!! Not only is this a way to stay out of legal trouble, it’s just good business. Someone worked very hard to create that content ~ it’s not cool to steal it. What is cool is to share it! Even if you create that quote or idea into your own graphic/post give the person credit. You simply state who it came from in the graphic. You can also tag them in the comments it will help their brand recognition and most likely they will share your share and help you become seen by their followers! It usually is a win~win! 

    If it isn’t clear, the obvious theme with brand identity and awareness is staying consistent. Consistent presentation of a brand has seen to increase revenue by 33 percent  according to Lucidpress! You want your colors, images, and graphics to have a feel that represents the mission you created for your business. You want to make sure that these are used throughout all of your channels and social media platforms, so no matter how someone finds your business it all looks like YOUR brand! 

    We have an added bonus freebie! Let us begin by saying we do highly suggest getting a professional graphic designer for your logo and images for your website, but we know that hiring a graphic designer for all your social media posts is not in everyone’s budget. That is why we are big fans of canva.com. They make it super easy to make beautiful content with there templates. Now for the FREEBIE! WCE has created a quote graphic template for you!  Once you click on it you will be taken to Canva. If you do not have account with Canva it will ask you to create a free one. Once you do that you will be able to change the colors and add your logo, website and whatever else you need to do to it to make the graphic YOURS! You can download a template we made for you HERE or by clicking the quote image below!


    If you have never used Canva or not sure how to upload your brand colors and logo or use any of the other great features on Canva you check out our Canva Workshops lead by Media Jasmin! Design Like a Pro: A Canva Workshop 1 can be found HERE and Design Like a Pro: A Canva Workshop 2 can be found HERE.

    We really hope this helps, along with our Canva Workshops we have other amazing workshops to help you become the best business owner can! Our upcoming workshops can be found in the “Upcoming Events’ tab or by clicking here. And all of our past workshops can be viewed in the "Shop" tab or here. Make sure to browse our articles for more free downloads and other tips and tricks. And please don’t forget to join or FREE facebook group where you can connect with other entrepreneurs, share experiences, and promote their businesses. And always if you have any questions or concerns please never hesitate to contact us at: wearewce@gmail.com  


  • 29 Mar 2021 11:22 AM | Ali Everhard (Administrator)


    With the final days of March among us we can help but think of our social media posts…..

    Oh, the dreaded social media posts for your business! It can be so hard and so time consuming to think of, create and then schedule posts for all your business’s social media platforms. And although Women’s Council of Entrepreneurs can’t do all of that for you (we wish we could) we did come up with a Social Media Post Idea Guide! WCE does this MONTHLY to help relieve business owners of some of the stresses that come with owning a business so you can focus on other parts of your business. And we have the April edition of the Social Media Post Idea Guide hot off the presses!

    Before you download the Post Idea Guide we suggest that when planning your day, week, or month on social media you start with a goal in mind. Do you have a topic you want to target, a certain product or service that is new or you’re having a special on? Think about what you want to communicate to your audience and have that goal in mind when reading WCE’s Post Guide.

    Now, you can use our Monthly Social Media Post Idea Guide by following day by day, you can pick or choose which posts work best for you and your business, or you can use these tips simply as a guide and come up with your own posts! Whichever way you use it, we want you to always BE YOU and show your value! We found it’s best with any of our ideas to put your own twist on it that can really showcase you and your business. Use your platform and posts to present to your audience your value and the value of your product and/or service.

    With all that said you can download for FREE WCE’s April Social Media Post Idea Guide by clicking HERE or clicking the photo!


    We hope that this streamlines your workflow and really helps you get more interaction on your social media platforms. A bonus tip: to get even more interaction on social media don’t forget to like and comment on other people’s post and interact with anyone that comments on your posts too! We know it’s time consuming, but it’s worth it!

    For more tips and free downloads please browse through our other Articles HERE. And to learn more in depth about business topics, such as, learning how to grow your business on LinkedIn, overcoming your fear of the camera, or even how to use Facebook Ads check out WCE’s Upcoming Workshops HERE or our past workshops HERE. WCE is always here to help ~ if you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at wearewce@gmail.com.


  • 22 Mar 2021 12:00 PM | Ali Everhard (Administrator)


    Back in November of 2020 WCE held a Workshop called How to Photograph Like a Pro. During this Workshop Leslie Osbourne of Bessie Bakes Backdrops went over in detail on how to take professional quality photos of your products. We thought the information was so amazing we wanted to revisit a snippet of it here on our blog. Continue reading to learn about the different types of lighting, lighting angles and camera angles that can be used in photographing your product.

    “Photography Principle number one ~ Light is at the heart of photography. You can get wrapped up in countless details, but in the end it all comes back to light. Light is arguably the most important element of a photo. It can make or break it, it paints your subject and it creates depth and helps give your photo a WOW factor.” ~Leslie Osbourne.

    First type of lighting we will be talking about is Hard Lighting. According to photokonnexion “Hard light is found where the lighting is direct, undiffused, and is not bouncing or scattered by local objects or conditions. The flash on your camera is a hard light source. When direct and undiffused by clouds the sun is also a hard light source. A hard light source is relatively small and/or large and distant.”

    Here is Leslie’s example of Hard Lighting. 

    Leslie took  this photo next to a window when the light was beaming through the window. There were no diffusers between the object and the direct light source which created strong shadows. She took this photo in the afternoon when the sun was starting to set and the window was facing directly towards the sun. Hard light is usually used when you want to create drama or a mood in a photo.  


    Next is Soft light. Soft light is described by photokonnexion “is light that creates shadows with a gradual transition from light to dark. There are no hard shadow lines. It is created from a scattered or diffused light source. Soft light is found where the lighting is indirect or where it passes through a diffuser, clouds or some other medium which scatters the light. Diffused light can be light that has bounced off one or more surfaces before it hits a photographic target.”


    In Leslie’s example you can see that the shadows are much softer and gradual and you don’t have the harsh light coming through the photo. 

    The lighting is much more even throughout the photo. Soft light is diffused, you can get this on a cloudy day, you can get it artificially with parchment paper or a translucent curtain over your light source or window.  

    Now onto directional lighting. First up is Backlighting. 

    Leslie described backlighting as  “lighting up your photo from the back of the scene. Lighting it from behind creates a very beautiful glow casting over the items you are shooting.” In the example that Leslie shows she is shooting the back lit photo from above so you can see how the backlighting casts over the objects in the photo. These photos work the best for objects that can be viewed from above, such as a table spread. This type of lighting does not work well with objects such as “bottles, or subjects that are standing upright”. You will lose the detail in the front of your object, so if you have a label on the bottle you want to be clear you may not want to use this type of lighting.  


    You can see in this  behind the scenes of a backlit photo that:

    • Backlight lights photo from behind

    • Camera is overhead or at the angle opposite of the light (don’t block the light)

    • Photographer is opposite the light (don’t block the light)

    • If using a tripod, you can stand anywhere that doesn’t block the light.

    • You may need to use a reflector to bounce light back into the photo



    Another type of directional lighting is Side Lighting. 

    In the Workshop Leslie explains Side Lighting as lighting that “comes from the side of your photo from either the left or the right. So, you can have a window or artificial light on either the left or right side of your scene” She goes to say that side lighting is “generally much more even in the way that it lights your photo”

    In Leslie’s example of Side lighting she uses diffused (or soft light) side lighting which creates softer shadows and has more even lighting. In this particular photo Leslie used a reflector to bounce light back into the photo so the lighting even throughout the photo and the side of the photo opposite of the light didn’t fall into shadows. This is a good lighting situation for the bottles with the labels.

    Overview on Side lighting for Flatlay:

    • Light is coming from the left or right of the subject

    • Lights your subject evenly

    • Also works best for photos taken head-on like a burger or items standing upright

    Leslie added “Side lighting is consistent and it’s a go-to lighting angle”.

    Leslie goes on to explain the option of a mixture of both back and side lighting. 

    Back and side lighting can be achieved when light is at a 10:00-11:00 or 1:00-2:00 position in regards to location of your scene.

    The benefits of combining back and side lighting is that it “lights your subject evenly yet gives the glow of backlighting”.

    Below is a behind the scenes of how Leslie achieved the lighting in this particular photo.

    In the behind the scenes Leslies backdrop is positioned at a slight angle and her camera was located at the base of the subject she was shooting as she didn’t want the photo composition to look crooked.



    Next up on directional lighting is Overhead lighting. This is when the lighting is positioned directly  over or above the subject. When photographing food or objects Leslie does not suggest having the “lighting directing above or even directly in front of it. What this does is it flattens out the shadows and it doesn’t allow for enough dimension” This lighting could be ok when shooting a person. 

    Leslie shot the example photos in a restaurant (right) and on her dining room table (left). You can see that the objects look flat and the overhead light is unflattering for food. You can use overlight to showcase your product on your website to show all of the detail with little shadow. When using overhead light use an infinity backdrop or light box that can reflect the light all around the object. But, for food or product STYLING photos it’s best to stay away from overhead lighting.


    Camera angle is also important when taking a photo. In this photo Leslie shows three examples of different types of angles. 

    ~ Overhead Angle: Gives a “birds eye view” and used in flatlay photos
    ~ 45 degree Angle: Camera is in front of the subject, but angled just slightly above it
    ~ Straight On Angle: Camera is directly in front of the subject



    There is a plethora of knowledge that Leslie gives in the almost 1 hour long How to Photograph Like a Pro Workshop. You can watch the workshop HERE. And you can learn more about Leslie Osbourne and how to purchase the beautiful backdrops that Leslie uses in some of her examples at www.bessiebakesbackdrops.com

    Our goal here at WCE is helping you find ways to make your business life easier! If you have any questions please contact us at wearewce@gmail.com. And if you did find this helpful….please don’t miss any more of our upcoming virtual workshops! You can find them in the menu bar under Upcoming Events or you can click HERE



  • 18 Mar 2021 10:40 AM | Ali Everhard (Administrator)

    Women's Council of Entrepreneurs had the privilege of interviewing Laila Ghauri the woman behind Antares Law Firm. Learn all about Laila, the risks she took, and how her diverse background became her biggest asset and drives her passion to help fellow entrepreneurs pursue their dreams.

    Tell us a little bit about your business and what you do

    I am the founder and principal attorney at the Antares Law Firm. Antares Law Firm is a boutique law practice dedicated to providing innovative services to individuals and small businesses. I support our clients in building and protecting great companies and generational wealth. Most of my work is focused on trademarks, domain name issues, small business advising, and contracts.  

    How or why did you decide to start your own business?

    Prior to starting my own company, I used to work for a larger law firm and was a small gear in a big machine. I had very little contact with people we served, our clients. I began to notice that in most firms, there were not many partners or leadership that looked and had life experiences like mine. I decided to go out on my own to take a chance on myself, my skill sets, and my dreams. I wanted to see the impact of my work in the world, I wanted to know my clients. These past two years have been amazing and humbling. It's incredible to see how your work impacts and changes lives. 


    Why did you choose this business or industry?

    The legal field found me. I was previously working for and teaching at universities. I chose to work on projects that incorporated legal matters in higher education and learned my mind was made for this kind of work. I focus my legal practice in the world of small business and trademarks because I love creating things and enjoy helping other people do the same. 

    Did you have any major setbacks or obstacles getting started?

    It's terrifying to start your own business when you know you can have stable employment elsewhere. It requires an emotional level-up. When I first started I took a pay cut. Law school doesn't teach you how to run a business. There was a learning curve. When I first started, I was the accountant, the marketing team, the intake team, the business strategist, the paralegal, and the lawyer. It was a lot. It's been worth it when you see it come together and take life.  

    What differentiates your business from your competition?

    I am an anomaly in the field. There are not many female, South Asian attorneys running their own law practices in the United States. I worked extensively in three different industries before I became an attorney. I have lived in numerous places in different parts of the world, not to mention traveled extensively for work and pleasure. I speak three languages. The conglomeration of my experiences situate me in a really amazing space to provide out-of-the-box solutions for my clients. Being different, I have learned, is one of my greatest assets. 

    I am an artist as much as I am a lawyer. Running my own boutique practice has allowed the artist to come out and play and create things. Once you overcome the fear, the process of being an entrepreneur can become rather enjoyable. 

    What are you most proud of about your business?

    I'd have to say that would be the first case I won for a small business client against a multi-million dollar conglomerate.  In that moment, the impact of my boutique law practice became real for me. I saw the tangible effect my work had on others.  

    How has your industry changed in the last few months and how do you see it changing in the future (or will it)?

    The pandemic is reshaping the law. While in some ways many legal processes are slower, the pandemic is making legal services more accessible. Attorneys are more likely to work with clients on digital platforms. So folks in areas that could not physically access an attorney, can now do that. 

    In my line of work, the number of people starting new businesses and filing trademarks has increased substantially. It shows us that the pandemic has not killed the American spirit of ingenuity and creativity. We are a nation that knows how to survive and thrive. I enjoy being part of that process. 

    What is your favorite small business?

    The Katra Box, which is a small business founded and operated by Ghonva Ghauri, my little sister. It is the first-ever lifestyle and wellness subscription box for South Asian women. You should check them out.  


    Antares Law Firm offers an hourly rate or a flat rate depending on the type of case. You can connect with them on social media or visit their website to find pricing and book an initial consultation to walk you through your needs, the scope of your goals, and your budget. 

    Website: www.antareslawfirm.com

    Instagram: www.instagram.com/antareslawfirm/

    Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/antareslawgroup

    Facebook: www.facebook.com/antareslawfirm

    Twitter: www.twitter.com/AntaresLawFirm



    If you would like to share about your business with WCE please contact us at wearewce@gmail.com

  • 15 Mar 2021 7:29 PM | Ali Everhard (Administrator)


    Finances. Such a dreaded word. It is such a dreaded word that a lot of business owners (and people in general) choose to avoid that word and any tasks that come along with it. Even though we try to avoid it, we know that keeping track of finances is essential for business owners to do! It is how they know where their money is coming from and where it is going to which helps them to continue to financially grow! You might be thinking ~ I don’t fully understand my finances, but I do know that I am making more than I did last year ~ so I must be growing as a business! Well, that is partially true. Making more money is, of course, a good indicator of a thriving business, but you might also be spending more in places you didn’t think you were. Getting a good grasp of your finances, creating a budget and a forecast for your business will help you get rid of costs that you might not actually need.

    Women’s Council of Entrepreneurs has created a Finance Tracker so that you can get a monthly estimate of what you spend, what you make and your monthly financial forecast. You can download this worksheet for FREE right HERE! And please continue reading so you know how to use the worksheet appropriately. 

    If you have already printed out the WCE Finance Tracker you will see that that there are 3 columns and 5 rows in the first box. The columns are labeled monthly forecast, monthly actual, and variant. Our first task is how to find the numbers you will be filling out in the “Monthly Actual” Column on the Worksheet. We will then explain at the end how to figure out your "Monthly Forecast" for next month! Let’s begin on explaining each row.

    When looking at the WCE Finance Tracker you will see there are rows for your Monthly Income, Cost of Goods Sold, Gross Profit, Operating Expenses, and your Net Income. And you may already want to give up, and believe us we don’t blame you! Going through finances is never fun, especially when you can never remember what all of these terms mean! But, don’t worry! WCE is here to help! And below is your cheat guide!

    First up ~ what to put in the INCOME section of our worksheet.  Investopedia defines Income as: “money or the equivalent value that an individual or business receives, usually in exchange for providing a good or service or through investing capital.”

    Simple terms:

    INCOME is the amount that you made for the month! Yay! This number is BEFORE any cost is taken out or any expenses at all. Income is the total number of sales you made. If you made $4,321 in sales than that’s the number you put in the monthly Income section. It doesn’t matter yet that your supplies cost you $333, that’s the next step.

    Now for the next step! Cost of Goods Sold section!  Investopedia definition of Cost of goods sold (COGS): “The direct costs of producing the goods sold by a company. This amount includes the cost of the materials and labor directly used to create the good. It excludes indirect expenses, such as distribution costs and sales force costs.”

    So, the COST OF GOODS SOLD section will hold a negative number and will be the total amount of money that it took to create your goods. If you are service company you most likely do not have any cost of goods.

    Moving on to the Gross Profit section. This one is fairly simple, but we want you to know what Gross Profit means! According to Shopify “The gross profit of a company is the total sales of the firm minus the total cost of the goods sold. The total sales are all the goods sold by the company. The total cost of the goods sold is the sum of all the variable costs involved in sales.”

    GROSS PROFIT can easily be explained as subtracting monthly cost of goods from your monthly income. Easy Peezy. 

    OPERATING EXPENSES is next. This one is a bit trickier only because you will need to think of all your monthly expenses outside of the cost of goods. Investopedia defines Operating Expenses as “Costs that are associated with the maintenance and administration of a business on a day-to-day basis. Operating costs include direct costs of goods sold (COGS) and other operating expenses—often called selling, general, and administrative (SG&A)—which includes rent, payroll, and other overhead costs, as well as raw materials and maintenance expenses. Operating costs exclude non-operating expenses related to financing such as interest, investments, or foreign currency translation.”

    This might seem a bit overwhelming, but again never fear WCE has you covered! On the Finance Tracker Worksheet we also added a second box to total up your Costs called the “OPERATING EXPENSES BREAKDOWN”. We have items that are common operating expenses, as well as, blank sections you can add custom costs you may have your business!

    Once you have you have totaled all of your operating expenses items together from the monthly “operating expenses breakdown” you can log that total number to the Operating Expenses ssection in the upper box. Again this will be a negative number.

    The last section of the WCE Finance Tracker is the NET INCOME. CFI defines Net Income rather perfectly: “Net income is the amount of accounting profit a company has left over after paying off all its expenses. Net income is found by taking sales revenue and subtracting COGS, SG&A, depreciation, and amortization, interest expense, taxes and any other expenses.”

    So, to get your Net Income simply take your Gross Profit and subtract the operating expenses from it! Now you have what you ACTUALLY made this month!

    That wasn’t so bad, right?!

    Well, we’re guessing you are looking at your worksheet and you’re maybe wondering ~ "ok, now what is with the “monthly forecast” and “variant”?!"

    Creating a monthly forecast is essentially making an estimate of what you could make and spend in the next month.

    You can find your monthly forecast for the upcoming months or you can skip it, it is up to you. We suggest you do it since it helps you understand your finances even more and gives you a visual of where you are actually spending your money and if you are using your money wisely. Don’t know how to create a forecast? That’s ok. You can get one in 2 simple steps.

    1. Look back in your files and gather the last 3 months of Income (remember this is before cost of goods or operating expenses). 
    2. Take those three numbers and find the average by adding them together and then dividing the total by 3. 

    The number you get is a indicator of what you can put in your next month’s Income Monthly Forecast. You can also look back on past years and see if the month you are forecasting is usually a good month or bad month for sales and adjust accordingly.

    Do the two steps above for Cost of Goods Forecast as well so you can take your Cost of Goods Forecast total and subtract it from your Income Forecast for your Gross Profit Forecast.

    To find the Operating Costs Expenses Forecast do those same steps above, but for each item in the “Operating Expenses Breakdown”. Total those all up and add it to the upper box. Some of these numbers are set each month so this could be fairly easy. But, if you have one that can be adjusted, try it for a month or two a see how it goes. For example: your marketing and advertising, for a couple months add more to (or take away some of) your budget and see if it affects your Net Income! It's a good way to see if you need adjust your spending.

    And finally to find the Net Income Forecast you will (you guessed it) subtract the Operating Costs Expenses Forecast from the Gross Profit Forecast and your difference is your New Income Forecast!

    And lastly, your monthly VARIANT is the difference behind your forecast and your actual. Take the total and fill in your monthly variant section. The Variant for the Operating Expenses Breakdown box works the same way.

    We know this is a TON of information for some people. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at wearewce@gmail.com. If you found this useful please go through our other Articles where you can find more helpful tips and more FREE downloads. And please head over to our Upcoming Events or our Shop to see our upcoming & past workshops and other events that will help make your the best business owner you can be! We always have your back here at WCE!


  • 2 Mar 2021 5:32 AM | Ali Everhard (Administrator)

    Marsha Lynn Hudson

    The email list is the small business owner’s best friend. Unlike social media, we own our email list. Social media can shut down at any time or block you. You own your email list, and a good list will turn lookers into buyers. Even if you don’t have a big email list, you can grow a good list of active subscribers from ground zero.

    5 Ways to Grow Your Email List…

    1. Go through your present email and make a good list of people who you know could benefit from your services. Go through your personal emails and compile a good list from friends and family.
    2. Create a welcome or welcome back email to let people know that you will be emailing them some valuable information on a monthly basis.
    3. After you have gotten this list active, now you want to start adding to the list. It is time to create a lead magnet or opt-in. This doesn’t have to be long.
    4. Your lead magnet or opt-in can be a PDF that is something of value that prospects can download for free in exchange for their email. A lead magnet can be created with Canva or from a landing page.
    5. Be consistent with sending an email on the same day of the week so your subscribers can expect, anticipate and look forward to getting your email.

    If you follow these 5 steps, and you are consistent,you will see growth. An active email campaign will not only keep your business on “top of mind” of your ideal client, but will bring in loyal, paying customers.


    To read more tips on how to successfully grow your business from Marsha Lynn Hudson go HERE! You can also join Marsha and WCE to learn more in-depth on to How to Build a More Profitable Email List at next week's virtual Workshop! You can register for that by visiting our Upcoming Events!


    We hope this helped! Our goal here at WCE is helping you find ways to make your business life easier! If you have any questions please contact us at wearewce@gmail.com

  • 23 Feb 2021 5:48 AM | Ali Everhard (Administrator)

    We are in the final week of February and like each month that has gone by this quickly we just can't believe it. As a parent they say the days are long and the years are short and we feel this applies to being an entrepreneur too! There is so much to manage and juggle as an entrepreneur. Because of this here at Women's Council of Entrepreneurs we try to take some of that burden off of you and each month we give you a free monthly social media post idea guide. 

    For those that don't know ~ WCE's Social Media Post Guides can be followed day by day, you can pick or choose which posts work best for you and your business, or you can use these tips simply as a guide and come up with your own posts! Anyway you use it we hope that this streamlines your workflow, as well as, helps you get more interaction on your social media platforms.

    To download the FREE March Social Media Post Guide you can click the image or click HERE.

    You can find more helpful tips and downloads in our other Articles and WCE also offers online workshops that provide invaluable knowledge all things you need to know about owning your own business. To register for the virtual workshops, such as, How to Build a Profitable Email List please go to our Upcoming Events. You can also visit our Past Events to view recorded workshop topics! 

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