Our thoughts and prayers are with the troops and their families, and especially children everywhere - We hope that peace and freedom will return as soon as possible.

New Businesses Open!

It seems like the news about the economy gets worse and worse. But, like the old saying goes, “when the going gets tough…”

Meet four new Count Me In loan recipients

Claudia Mendoza
spent months reading books about law, payroll, accounting and workmen’s compensation to get her general contractor’s license and was ready to start her business, all while learning English and taking care of her husband and daughter,

Claudia Mendoza

Securing financing however, especially for someone new to the United States, was impossible. Claudia came to this country with big dreams for her family and turned to Count Me In to help finance those dreams when no one else would…and we couldn’t have been happier to make the loan. With her Count Me In loan, Claudia bought furniture, tools and paid the fee for her license.

Wait…there’s more to the story…Claudia Correa, also came to the United States from Colombia and settled in Florida. With no means to support herself and her two daughters, Claudia began cleaning houses. Claudia found Count Me In after deciding to make that a business. With her loan, Claudia bought equipment and called to thank us.

We put her in touch with Claudia Mendoza and now they’re sharing contacts in Miami!

Read on…we’ve got more great stories!

Nurture, Inc.
is a women-owned, family-owned business created by mother and daughter, Greta and Kate and Kate’s life-long friend, Sara . This is a really cool business. Nurture, Inc. is a North Dakota corporation formed by these women to excavate, process and distribute 100% natural volcanic ash. The ash is excavated near Lincoln, North Dakota from a deposit formed long before the buffalo roamed and is the sole ingredient in their line of home and garden products – Nurture Plants, Nurture Landscapes and Nurture Air.

They’re using their Count Me In loan to cover direct mailing costs, launching an internet storefront and advertising and marketing costs.

These girls tell us they “really know their ash from a hole in the ground”! Visit them at www.nurture.net

Beastly Bakes and Creative Cakes
After her wedding cake showed up wrong – Sherry knew that there was a need for someone who could really fulfill a bride’s wishes. She knew she could do it. So, this mother of two started making cakes – not just for her family and friends – but for the Seattle Mariners, local celebrities, sports figures, large events, parties, anniversaries…and the list goes on.

They told her she was crazy, “No business can survive just selling cakes”. So Sherry introduced cookies and bars aka Beastly Bakes.

Sherry’s loan from Count Me In built her website, purchased equipment, supplies and ingredients…and her cakes and cookies are amazing. See them at www.beastlybakes.com

Want to learn more about the women who’ve received loans from Count Me In? Visit Count Me In “Success Stories"

Count Me In is looking for more great women like these. If you have a friend, colleague or neighbor who wants to start a business – tell them to visit www.count-me-in.org

What has Count Me In been up to…?

Our First-Ever National Ad Campaign
On January 8th, Count Me In Board Member Pattie Garrahy invited magazine publishers to join us for a breakfast hosted by Morgan Stanley to discuss plans to launch our first-ever national ad campaign. What a turnout!

Pattie is the Chairman/CEO of PGR Media. She started her company 12 years ago and it’s now one of the largest independent media buying agencies in the country. Pattie really understands what it takes to build a business.

Pattie Garrahy

After learning about the resources Count Me In makes available to women, House Beautiful, Elle, Real Simple, Fitness, Martha Stewart, Shape, People and InStyle agreed to support us by providing donated ad space in their magazines.

Created for Count Me In compliments of Toth Brand Imaging

Hill & Knowlton Gets The Word Out About Count Me In
On February 3rd, Count Me In Board Member Vickee Jordan-Adams invited her friends and business associates to join us for cocktails at a reception for Count Me In hosted by Hill & Knowlton where Vickee is the Senior Managing Director of Media Communications Practice.

Vernon Jordan and Corporate executives from American Express, Citigroup, Yahoo,
IBM, MTV and Estee Lauder shared conversation and laughs with loan recipients Heather McCartney, Adrienne Papp, Gladys David-Flouney, Adele Horowitz, Count Me In Board Members Lorene Arey, Beth Nash, Richard Tambor, Harriet Mouchly-Weiss and guests.

Heather McCartney, Vernon Jordan, Adrienne Papp, Gladys David-Flouney, Adele Horowitz

Office Depot Silent Auction Raises $50,000 For Count Me In
On February 23rd, Count Me In was in Boca Raton, Florida to attend the Office Depot 3rd Annual Success Strategies for Businesswomen Conference. Nell Merlino, Count Me In, President & CEO is a member of the Office Depot Women’s Advisory Council.

A highlight of the Conference was Office Depot’s silent auction that benefited Count Me In. Attendees took a break from their seminars to bid on items that included products made by our loan recipients: Jenny Genter - Nattie Noodle, Kendra Lewis – Development Concepts, Shaunna Zeck – Bead Spirit, Sarah Liston – Tallulah Village, Kathleen Burke – Sun Stuff, Denise Johnson – Ginny Rae Bear Family and Dawna Brown – Accent Pottery among others.

Selections ranged from vintage handbags, gift baskets, jewelry, and furniture.

Count Me In President & CEO Receives the NAWBONYC Signature Award
Nell Merlino, Count Me In President & CEO received NAWBONYC’s Signature Award from OPEN The Small Business Network from American Express at a gala in New York City in March. The Signature Award recognizes the achievements of successful New York women business owners who have put their own unique mark on their company, on its success and on the business community.

Congratulations, Nell!

And – there’s more news from Count Me In…

Paid In Full
Loan Recipients Carla Tyrell, Carol Slaven, Chris Dale, Christy White, Gladys David-Flouney, Gwendolyn Richardson, Janet Holtz, Jeni Genter, Karla Sessons, Kathleen Burke, Mary Lou Curtin, Maryann Hazeghazem, Merri Brown, Michelle Kokukian and Sharn Knotek have all paid off their Count Me In loans in full.

Count Me In applauds each of you!

Spanish Loan Application
Count Me In has completed translation of our Loan Application into Spanish. Clic aqui para aplicar para un prestamo!

Sign Up For Our Online Spring Workshop “How To Increase Your Sales”
Increasing your Sales will focus on tips and techniques for growing the number of customers in your business. We will begin with some discussion of market research and understanding you current customer base. Tips offered will include ways to attract new customers, raise your sales from existing customers, and recheck your inventory and service to make sure you have what the customer is seeking.  

Learn more about the workshop, or register, here.

BizLine™
We developed BizLine™ to help you build your business. Email us your business question and the experts at Count Me In will answer it within 48 hours!

BizLine™ Archives
Business question stumping you? Check out our BizLine™ archives for a peak at some of your most frequently asked questions.

Keep In Touch
We want to hear from you! Send us your comments and ideas info@count-me-in.org

Happy Spring!