COUNTING ON YOU!
The Quarterly Newsletter from Count Me In
Issue 4, Volume 3, Spring 2004

Happy Spring from Count Me In!
Spring has finally come to New York City. The trees and tulips that line Park Avenue are out and people are lingering on sidewalks all over the city. Spring means growth. In this newsletter, you’ll see how Count Me In is growing and you’ll meet six new Count Me In loan recipients who are growing their businesses this year. If personal growth is your thing, read on to learn more about our FREE online classes and workshops…

Count Me In Introduces A Variable Interest Rate Loan!
Count Me In announces a new pricing structure for the interest rate on its loans. Beginning April 1st (NO FOOLING!) Count Me In will begin applying an interest rate that will vary with the lowest rate at 8%. Approved loan applications will receive an interest rate priced to reflect their experience in the business area, their credit and repayment history and the risk level of their business endeavor.

The Board of Directors approved the rate change and a variable interest rate program at the February meeting. Count Me In loan staff will now begin offering these rates on new approved loans. The move was approved to support loan applicants with great repayment records, strong business experience and a strong business plan.

New Businesses Open!

	Koryn Johnson – Santa Clara, CA Ms. Johnson’s Sinless Desserts Koryn has always had a sweet tooth. As a young girl, she spent her allowance on chocolate. She was only 12 when her father died at 52 from diabetes and heart disease, but she remembered how hard it had also been for him to stay away from sweet desserts – and now her mother was struggling with diabetes, too. Koryn made a decision to create great-tasting desserts expressly for diabetics and low-carb dieters. But she was turned down for a small-business credit card, and assumed that no bank would give her a loan, either. With a Count-Me-In loan, Ms. Johnson’s Sinless Desserts was born. As Koryn is fond of saying, “life is short – eat dessert first!”
	Mary Ragon – Bolivar, OH Ragon House Collection Mary has been involved in the antiques and folk art business since 1982. At that time, she opened her first retail shop. The shop grew as did her family of five children. When her children moved out of the house, Mary opened a small shop in her renovated 1880’s barn. It was doing extremely well. Then one night, Mary was awakened to the news that her barn and business were burning to the ground…the building, the materials, the original patterns – everything! But with the help of her children, friends and a loan from Count Me In, Mary picked up the pieces and started over.
	Tammy Ford – New York City, NY Tammy Ford Agency Tammy Ford is the President and CEO of Tammy Ford Agency – a New York City-based company that provides leading photographers, fashion stylists, hairstylists, and makeup artists to clients within the fashion and entertainment industries. Her entrance into the world of fashion and entertainment started with her five-year modeling career with Elite Model Management in New York. Under Elite, Tammy graced the covers of Essence, Glamour and Mademoiselle. While Tammy was known in the fashion world, she had no reputation with the bankers she met. She was turned down by all of them. Then she found Count Me In and her company was born.
	Isabeau Esby – Rochester, NH Stratham Fitness Center and Holistic Spa Isabeau is the mother of two boys who she homeschools. Her husband works as floor contractor. When she began her family, she put aside her dreams of opening a Holistic Spa. When her children got older they encouraged her to “Go For It!”. Isabeau tried to secure funding from every bank and every person she knew. It took her a year of “No’s” before she found Count Me In. She is now the proud owner of Stratham Fitness Center and Holistic Spa and her children “couldn’t be prouder”.
	Laura Browske – Cleveland, OH Get It Done Errand Service Laura was recently widowed when she opened Get It Done Errand Service. She was complaining to her mother that the demands of working a full-time job and her duties as a mother and a homeowner were overwhelming. Her mother challenged her to do something about it. Laura thought about all the other families in her neighborhood that were under time crunches and Get It Done Errand Service was born. She knocked on every door to get her business financed. None opened. One day while surfing the internet, she found Count Me In. Her loan has given her the opportunity to hire another employee to help her run the errands and she expects to hire four more employees by June of 2005.
	Lourdes Pita – Boca Raton, FL Spanish Translators Lourdes Pita is the Founder and Managing Director of Spanish Translators, a Boca Raton, Florida, firm dedicated to the translation of business documents from English to Spanish. A native from Ecuador, Lourdes attended grammar school in Guayaquil and moved to Miami in 1980 where she graduated from La Salle High School. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Management and International Business from Florida International University and recently earned a Masters Degree in Business with a focus in marketing from Syracuse University. Lourdes has worked in several private firms with business interests in Latin America. She has extensive sales and marketing experience in the Latin American market and most recently in the South Florida Hispanic market. She currently resides in Boca Raton with her husband and four children.

News From Count Me In…

Office Depot Silent Auction Raises $75,000 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.

This conference brings together some of the world’s most extraordinary women to motivate and inspire others with their revealing insights into the world of business.

Keynote speakers this year included: Hillary Clinton, Katie Couric, Mary Matalin and Iyanla Vanzant.

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, Dawn Dalto – Blue Bear Beads, Karla Vandenberg – Monkey Dooz, Sarah Liston – Tallulah Village, Linda Ippolito – Cookie Master, Katrina Kruse – Nurture, Inc, and Josie Casaments – Josie’s Sweet Nuts and Things.
Selections ranged from vintage handbags, gift baskets, jewelry, and furniture.

The Auction raised $75,000.

Count Me In President & CEO Received the Matrix Award
	Nell Merlino, Count Me In President & CEO received the Matrix Award from New York Women in Communications, Inc. at a gala luncheon in New York City on April 19th at The Waldorf Astoria. The Matrix Award honors the extraordinary achievements of outstanding women in the Communications Industry. Nell was honored for her achievements in Online Media. Other honorees this year included: Bernadette Peters and Paula Zahn, among others and presenters included: Joel Grey, Ellen Burstyn, Candice Bergen, Hilary Swank and Caroline Hirsh who presented Nell’s award.

Online Classes – Back by Popular Demand Count Me In instructor Kathy Keeley will be offering two classes each month on starting a business. Please visit our website for a class schedule. The class is offered live on the Internet using AOL instant messaging. Classes last for an hour with presentation by Keeley, questions and answers from the participants and the opportunity to network with others from around the country. Participants must have AOL instant messaging to participate – it’s free at www.aol.com. If you are thinking about starting a business, want more information about your business situation – join us for BizLine.

BizLine™ Classes
Count Me In offers a variety of business and financial classes. Go to our website (www.count-me-in.org/biz/) to learn about our online financial planning class.

BizLine™
We developed BizLine™ (insert link) to help you build your business. Email (BizLine@count-me-in.org) 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.

Remember
Tell your friends that Count Me In has ONE MILLION DOLLARS available to loan to women starting small businesses! Let them know about this amazing opportunity – we can help them:

Count Me In
240 Central Park South
Suite 7H
New York, NY 10019
Phone – 212-245-1245
Fax – 212-245-1236

Credit Desk – Pay on Time
Count Me In would like to remind all current and new loan recipients that we report all loan activity to the credit bureaus. This includes both positive and negative payment information. This helps you establish a credit history as all of the information is reported in your name. Please also be aware that if you’re late or behind in your payments, this will be reflected in your credit history as well.

Invest In Your Future By Investing in Women Entrepreneurs
Count Me In is proud to offer a unique opportunity to individuals and institutions who want to invest in the economic independence of women. Count Me In’s Invest in Women Notes program seeks investments through the purchase of Invest in Women Notes, a security with a value of $2,000 or greater, for one, three or five-year terms. The assets are loaned directly to women entrepreneurs who use the capital to start or expand their small businesses. For more information on Invest in Women Notes please click here.

Spanish Translation
Las instrucciones para aplicar para un prestamo de Count-Me-In. Clic aqui para aplicar para un prestamo.

Make A Donation
If you’d like to make a donation to Count Me In in your name or as a gift for someone else, please visit our website at (www.count-me-in.org/contributions/)

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

Happy Spring!