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Count-Me-In and OPEN from American Express
are providing Make
Mine a $Million Business participants with
the three keys to success: money, marketing
and mentoring. Women business owners
from around the country who have
already surpassed the million-dollar revenue
mark are doing their part by mentoring
women in the program.
One common thread: many of the
women who have surpassed the million-
dollar revenue threshold are members of
The Women Presidents’ Organization, a
non-profit organization of entrepreneurial
women presidents who have guided their
businesses to generate at least $2 million
in gross annual sales ($1 million for service-based businesses). Chapters serve as
peer advisory groups and empower members
to achieve increased business and
financial success.
Among the many WPO members who
are serving as mentors for the Make Mine
a $Million Business program are
Enterprising Women National Advisory
Board members Clarice Kennedy of CCN,
Inc., Linda Coughlin of Metro-Home
NYC, Mercedes LaPorta of Mercedes
Electric Supply, Inc., and Faye Coleman,
PhD, of Westover Consultants.
Since January, Clarice Kennedy has
been mentoring Maureen Borzacchiello,
CEO of Creative Display Solutions.
Clarice’s company posted 2005 revenues of $12 million. Maureen has a strong
background in the trade show and exhibit
display industry and
Clarice was immediately
impressed with her level
of enthusiasm, energy
and knowledge of her industry. It was
clear to Clarice that Maureen knew what it
would take to move her company to the
next level.
“We immediately set both business and
personal goals for the upcoming year and
worked on prioritizing them. Hiring a sales
team and working on a compensation plan
was at the top of Maureen’s list. I was able
to share my experience at setting sales
goals based on gross profit (bottom line)
and not on the top line. Maureen was able
to take the model and incorporate it into
her compensation plan for her sales team,”
Clarice notes. “As business owners, regardless
of the size of our businesses, we all
have the same issues. I certainly don’t
have all the answers, but I can share what
has worked for my business and what has
not and hopefully give Maureen another
perspective — business owner to business
owner,” Clarice adds.
In a mentor/mentee relationship, both
partners help each other grow. Clarice
looks forward to continuing her relationship
with Maureen and hopes together they can strive to “Make Mine a Billion.”
Editor’s note: If your business has surpassed
a million in revenues and you would like to
become a mentor in the Make Mine a $Million
Business program, contact Count-Me-In at www.countmein.org or call 212-245-1245.
Also of interest:
(This article is reprinted from Vol. 7, No. 4 of Enterprising Women magazine. Copyright 2006, Enterprising Women Inc. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited, except by express permission of the publisher.)
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