February 2010

HELLO AND WELCOME!

Everyone is invited to our meetings.
Our next Meeting is

Thursday, February 25, 2010
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Come, join us and connect with other sewing enthusiasts.

Meeting Location:
TACtile Arts Center
7777 E Hampden Ave
Denver, CO 80231
Tamarac Square Shopping Center

Message from the President

Dear SRN members,

How many of you got to the Sewing Expo the first weekend of this month? Thanks to all who helped staff our booth, which again was a last-minute addition (so we weren't on the "map" of the Expo) but seemed to be in a good place. We had some good conversations with potential members, hope to see some at our meeting! I was there all three days, mostly in classes, but also at our booth, and "looking around." It was exhausting but fun. I got the impression this year was less "suppressed" (by the economy) than last year: there were more vendors, and I thought more attendees. Whether the economy is up or down, I believe we are in exactly the right business.

Our January 28 meeting was well-attended, with 23 present, and with speaker Debbie Tejada who is our new web manager. Perhaps we all feel we need to know more about the web, and how to use it to maximize our business exposure. With that in mind, our VP Tracy Kreiling has sent out a questionnaire to each of us, about our web use and experience, and our February 25 meeting program will address these matters.

Dianne Denholm, of TACtile Textile Arts, talked to us about the future of Tamarac Square mall -- it's a bit up in the air, but not scheduled for demolition yet! However, if you see a likely spot for sale or rent, for a future home for TACtile, please email the info to buildingtactile@tactilearts.org.

All the best,
Marci Heiser, President

Program Information

LeNore Kerber will have written directions on how she was able to use Google to increase her business 280%!!! Now wouldn't we all like to duplicate that experience! LeNore cannot attend the Feb meeting but Sharon Ryan has agreed to present it in her absence so be there!

Happenings and Events

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! We all appreciate everyone's help with the SRN booth at the Rocky Mountain Sew Expo. We had over 20 gals help in various ways. I hear it went well and lots of brochures were handed out. I am sure we will get some new members and new customers from these contacts.

Sewing As a Business

During my nearly sixteen years with a major copier company, I saw their business dwindle and my stock plummeted in value to a frightening low. The biggest factor was the extreme focus on garnering new business while overlooking the existing customer base which was rushing out the the back door. Retaining existing customers is every bit as important (if not more so) than romancing new customers. Let's face it. Winning their confidence/trust in the first place is a key cog in the wheel. Negativity that causes an existing client to move to another company, is something that will have an even more powerful, long- term effect. The old adage being that a happy customer may tell a few people, but an unhappy one will tell a multitude, still holds true today. Today's economic climate forces us all to be much more discriminating.

Remember, you must be willing to devote extra time and effort to your business, especially as you're getting established. With a strong commitment to success, you will be better equipped to make your home-based business financially and personally rewarding.

"You have to LIVE entrepreneurship to LEARN it! The most important breakthroughs, accomplishments and things that you learn are those things that generally can't be taught." (Shonika Proctor, Pioneer of Teen- Entrepreneur Coaching)

SRN Member Corner

If anyone has or knows of anyone that has yarn they would like to find a home for, please contact Carla Gosney. She can put it to good use in the crocheted items donate to the Littleton hospital.

Promoting Sewing Skills

Our membership is a great source of knowledge. Several of our members are sharing their talents by teaching individually and in businesses. Who better to learn from than our members.

If you are involved in a sewing education opportunity and want it in the newsletter, forward the details to Sharon Ryan, editor, sewsure@comcast.net.

Diet Tips

1. Set a goal. Identify your ideal weight and set up a plan to start reaching your goal.
2. Don't be afraid to ask for and get help. You're not going to lose weight alone. Tell you family. Get support.
3. Vitamins are good for you. The American diet lacks essential vitamins and minerals. Balance your health with the best supplements.
4. Walk the Walk. When parking your car, park farther away than normal to get as much exercise possible.
5. Sleep it off. To be an efficient fat-burning machine, your body requires at least eight hours of sleep a night. If you think that you're doing yourself a favor by sleeping less, you're mistaken.
   

Member Information

ANNUAL DUES:

Be sure to get your dues in by the first of March. Spring Brochures will be printed in a couple months, and dues must be up-to-date to be included.

USE OF SRN LOGO ON MEMBER SITES

As a member of The Sewing Referral Network, you can play a big part in helping to grow the organization!

The Board of Directors has approved the use/display of the new SRN logo on member sites for more exposure. If you need a Web-ready JPG image of the logo, please email MaryJo Regier at mj@mjregiercopywriter.com with "SRN logo request" in the subject line.

If you do display the SRN logo on your private business site, please use the format guidelines below, along with a link to the SRN website (either link the logo or the URL or both!), to ensure professional exposure consistency:

Proud Member of
[insert SRN logo jpg]
www.sewingreferralnetwork.com

MEMBERSHIP PAID REFERRAL POLICY

A one-time fee of $10 is paid for each referral that becomes a paying customer (Project minimum is $25). The $10 is paid to the person that referred that customer to you. Whether you have too much business or need more business-referrals can work for you!

Recommended Links

MaryJo Regier http://www.mjregiercopywriter.com

TACtile - Textile Arts Center http://www.tact ilearts.org/

Debbie Tejada
debbie@tejadadesign.com
http://www.tejadadesign.com

Has Your Email Address Changed?

Please click the link at the bottom of the newsletter that reads Update Profile/Email Address . Then send an email to LeNore Kerber, lkerber@earthlink.net, so she can update the membership roster and website.