COUNTING ON YOU! The Quarterly Newsletter from Count Me In	Issue 2, Volume 1, October 2001
Welcome to the first issue of COUNTING ON YOU! In June, we introduced the first issue of the Count Me In quarterly newsletter – just one problem: we had no name. Thanks to all of you who emailed us your suggestions. We are delighted to name our newsletter Counting On You. We think it conveys the responsible, positive, take-charge sensibility of our loan recipients and of our contributors. We all count on each other, as much as we count on ourselves. Arnetta Scott made the winning suggestion and will receive a printer from Count Me In friend and sponsor Office Depot. Congratulations, Arnetta!
Count Me In News Alert September 11, 2001
Like the rest of New York City, the country and the world, Count Me In was devastated as we witnessed the terror attack on the World Trade Center. Count Me In expresses our deepest condolences to the thousands of families who have been affected. Our dear friends and sponsors American Express, Morgan Stanley and Verizon all lost employees in the attack. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Although our offices in New York were not affected, many small businesses and offices were. Located 2 miles from Ground Zero, Count Me In is raising money to make business loans available to women micro business owners who have been negatively impacted by the World Trade Center disaster and for other women who need micro business loans in these challenging economic times. Please send your donations to Count Me In, 22 West 26th Street, Suite 9H, New York, NY 10010.
New Friends
Count Me In is honored to introduce – and thank – four organizations that have made generous donations to our loan fund:
Stree: Global Investments in Women,	Balance Oasis,
is an organization founded by Dr. Malini Alles – herself a businesswoman – that focuses on women and girls’ education and preventive healthcare. Dr. Alles has granted Count Me In $200,000 for loans and operations and to investigate microlending overseas. Read more about Stree and its founder below.	Are makers of a nutritional health bar for women, is supporting Count Me In by making two grants of $50,000 each over the next two years. Balance Oasis is letting others know they are “nurturing entrepreneurial women” by mentioning Count Me In on their brochures and in advertisements.
The Allegany Franciscan Foundation	The NAFE Foundation
The Foundation is giving Count Me In $40,000 to make loans to qualified women in Southern Florida. Rooted in the tradition of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, the foundation “is a catalyst for systemic change by committing resources and working collaboratively with others to promote physical, mental, spiritual, societal and cultural well being in communities served.”	The NAFE Foundation (National Association of Female Executives) has granted Count Me In $25,000 “to ensure that the wonderful work your non-profit is doing for business women across America continues to flourish for years to come.” NAFE has 100,000 members across America, and is supported by organizations like the AT&T Foundation and the UPS Foundation.
Dr. Malini Alles
Count Me In is extremely grateful to Dr. Malini Alles, founder and CEO Stree: Global Investment in Women, who recently donated $200,000 to Count Me In. In her early 30s, Malini has had a life long goal of revolutionizing the role of under-served women globally. Her financial success as an angel investor in Silicon Valley enabled her to found Stree, which funds strategic programs that impact women and how they view themselves. The name Stree is a Sanskrit word signifying women, dignity, empowerment and strength. Malini’s Stree focuses on weaving together three critical components for elevating the status of under-served women globally: health, education and entrepreneurial skills. Behind Malini’s investments has always been the desire to equip women to face the economic and cultural barriers that she herself has encountered. Behind her philanthropic efforts are the same desires. That is why Stree and Count Me In are such a good match – we have a shared commitment. Thank you Malini, for your donation to Count Me In and for sharing our enthusiasm and vision. Count Me In looks forward to working with Stree to promote better health for all women.
Without the support of Stree, Balance Oasis, the Allegany Franciscan Foundation and the NAFE Foundation, Count Me In could not do the work we do. Thank You to all our sponsors
Count Me In Holiday Marketplace 2001
We are pushing ahead with the Count Me In Holiday Marketplace. Beginning in November, you can list and display your products in an on-line Holiday Market on the Count Me In website. We will post your Web address, alongside a brief description of your products or services. Any transactions will be done directly between the buyer and seller. Interested? Please forward your web address, a brief description of what you are selling, and a logo or picture to info@count-me-in.org. Please get it to us by October 12.
BIZLine fielding questions
In the summer, with the help of a generous grant from Morgan Stanley, Count Me In introduced “BIZLine”, an online business help line. We have received hundreds of questions and the most frequently asked has been “How do you know when you are ready to start a business?” We’ve published the answer, complete with a handy checklist, below. Please keep emailing your business related questions to: BIZLine@count-me-in.org
Big Tips for Small Business
How do you know when you are ready to start a business? Get prepared with as much experience and information as you can obtain. Work in the same industry in several different jobs to gain widespread experience. For example, if you are weak in sales, get experience in this area. Practice! Make your product and offer it for sale in a limited quantity. For a service business, create a brochure and see if you can attract any clients on a limited basis. Before you quit your current job, see if you can go the full cycle from design to production to sales to collection, etc. Try selling to family and friends, at church, at a street market – this is a way to see what running a business is like and if it is something you can do successfully. Take a free class at a Women’s Business Center, a Small Business Development Center, or a local community college. The SBA mostly funds these groups -- look in the blue US government pages to find the local number for the SBA or try www.sba.gov for more information. Write a business plan and include cashflow projections.
Use this checklist to see if you are ready to start your business:
Understand what type of business you are starting. Have a clear definition of your products and services. Make sure that you understand your strengths and weaknesses. Make sure you know what your costs will be for producing your product or service.   Identify your customers. Who are your target customers? Do not say everyone! Every business has a niche and a target customer. Figure out who the customer is for your product or service.   Determine your legal structure. What type of business will you organize? Get the legal documentation in place. Obtain a book form your state secretary of state’s office on starting a business in your state. They should be free and have good information on the laws in your state.   Find a location for your business. Determine the best site. Shop for the best prices and the best location. Read all leases and get advice if you need it. If you are going to start at home, find a spot and create your own home office.   Write your business plan. Make it complete and include weaknesses. All businesses have weaknesses and your job is to address them in a concrete and thoughtful way. Write down the plan. Take a class or get help writing the plan. There are many great classes run for free by the SBA, Small Business Development Centers, Women Business Centers, and other nonprofit organizations. Take the classes now while you are in the planning phase.   Register the name of the business with your state. Most states have an online process for registering business names.   Get business cards and stationery printed or do them yourself on the computer.   Start your financing research and determine if you can borrow money. How will you obtain the money you need to start your business? How much money of your own money can you put into the business? Do you have credit cards, family and friends you can borrow from? What about a bank loan or other financing? Chances are your financing will be a combination of all of these sources.   Obtain any of the local business licenses that you need. Obtain a sales tax number from the state if you have to charge sales tax. File all of the legal documents that are necessary. Obtain a federal tax ID number if you have employees or are incorporated. You can phone the IRS for their free Small Business Tax kit at 1-800-829-3676.   Open a separate banking account for your business. Find a user-friendly bank and open an account. The bank may need to see a copy of your business license before opening the account.   Set up your office with phone lines, computer lines, etc.   Hire employees. Create job descriptions, salary levels, and benefits before hiring. Recruit and interview several people before hiring.   Publicize your business. Let others know you are in business. Network and promote your business.
Credit Corner
Are you in debt? Many people find themselves in situations where they receive more bills each month than they can afford to pay. The reasons for this are varied. Income might be less than expected or hoped for, a job is lost, maybe there is a divorce or someone becomes ill. There are several steps to take in order to manage the situation with the least amount of damage to your credit rating. Filing for bankruptcy is a last resort, and can have very negative consequences that last for years. (Bankruptcy stays on your credit report for 8 years or longer, you can’t get credit for the first few years after filing, and when you do get credit again, the interest rates are extremely high. Also, a bankruptcy might limit your employment as some employers now look at your credit history.) Be proactive. Before you get more than 90 days behind in bills, try building a budget to determine how much you can afford to pay each creditor each month. Then write to each of your creditors with a proposed payment plan. Make it realistic! You have to stick to it monthly or it could cause further problems with the creditors. Contact Consumer Credit Counseling. There are chapters of this nonprofit in most major cities. They provide counseling, and will help you set up budget. Usually, they contact creditors to arrange a payment plan, and then consolidate the dates so you make only one monthly payment to them. They in turn pay your creditors. Depending on how much you are in debt, they can usually get you out of debt in a year. Remember, the best way to manage debt is to stay out of debt. Do not charge more than you can payoff in a couple of months. Do not run large balances on your accounts. Save money for a “rainy day” that time when you need cash but sales might be lower.
Count Me In Family News
Let us know what is going on with your lives and your business and we’ll pass the news on to others in the Count Me In community. Congratulations to Chris Ann Dale of www.Cyberspacebaby.com on the birth of Logan Christopher, born in July. Chris is also the first Count Me In loan recipient to receive a second loan! This mother of two is planning to launch her personalized children’s book line website soon. Speaking of babies, Nancy Dreier of Professional Mobile Grooming is expecting her first child in January, 2002. Wendy Harris, who runs www.billersnetwork.com was quoted on real-time flexibility in “Mompreneurs online” a new book by Patricia Cobe and Ellen Parlapiano that features strategies from hundreds of moms who have found success in cyberspace. Count Me In was featured in the August 2001 issue of Victoria magazine and in the August issue of Woman’s Day. Karen O’Hollaren, Kate Dyer-Seeley and Sandy Knodel were all featured in an article in the Oregonian newspaper about women’s small businesses. In great collaborative spirit, Karen and Kate of Urbanabox made sure that the reporter knew about other Count Me in funded businesses in the area. As a result, all the businesses got good PR! The Boulder County Business Report wrote a glowing piece about Good Use, Kellen McCluskey and Rebecca Seems’ creative recycled furniture store. In November, it will be time to wish this booming Boulder business a happy first birthday! Congratulations.
Send your news to: info@count-me-in.org. Remember, keep us informed and we’ll keep you informed.