December, 2002
Holiday Networking Party
NOWA's Holiday Networking Party at the Marriott in Bridgewater was a smashing success. Many members and non-members attended, enjoyed the good food and company and forged stronger professional bonds. Thank you to Bob Baker, J.R. Bale, Cheryl Ertel, Tracy Ivie, Peggy Gallos, Melanie Davis and Frank Peluso for their efforts in putting this party together. Many of our non-member and buyer colleagues were lucky winners of door prizes that included donated services and a bottle of wine. Mark you calendar for next year -- we already are making plans to do this again.
October, 2002 Meeting
Working the Room into a Golden Opportunity
Conferences, chambers of commerce, and other business gatherings can be golden opportunities to do marketing. But how does the independent creative professional take advantage of these situations? Answers to that question came to NOWA members and their guests from Rayna Gillman, a career and management coach. Introverted creative people can find working a room a huge challenge. The key, Ms. Gillman advised, is to determine a goal and adapt a process for making the most of each business gathering. Some examples of Ms. Gillman offered: Make goals reasonable--"I will collect three business cards before I leave." Other tips include:
- Generate a brief statement to offer when someone asks what you do.
- Make sure the statement tells how you benefit your clients.
- Sit where the chairs are already occupied.
- Find someone who is alone to begin a conversation.
- Follow up contacts within a week and refer to notes you have jotted on the back of business cards to help you recall details of the conversation.
Ms. Gillman provides outplacement/career development counseling, executive coaching, and communication skills consulting to corporations and individuals across a broad range of industries. In addition Ms. Gillman is an award-winning fiber artist. Visit her website or email Rayna Gillman.
September, 2002 Meeting
Strategies for Surviving the Tough Economy
Members discussed their techniques and styles of adapting and succeeding in a challenging economy.
July, 2002 Meeting
The Value of Professional Organizations
What is the value of belonging to a business organization, such as a chamber of commerce or a professional alliance? Members shared information about their experiences with this topic.
June, 2002 Meeting
What's New in Image-Making
Graphic designers, photographers and multi-media experts in NOWA, led by Loren Fisher, discussed recognizing quality in images and developments in the technology of image making.
May, 2002 Meeting
Planning for Retirement--a Special Challenge for Independents
Jonathan Walsweer of Salomon Smith Barney explained the importance of proper retirement planning to NOWA members at the new (temporary) meeting site, the PeopleCare Center in Somerville. Mr. Walsweer specializes in retirement and college savings planning. He discussed Roth vs. traditional IRA and the option for an individual 401K that some small business owners are choosing. He also explained the new college savings plans that today are linked to Upromise.com and other "frequent customer" plans. Jon can be reached via email or at 973-618-4260.
April, 2002 Meeting
NOWA on the Move
Making www.nowa.org, and ultimately the entire organization, benefit members more than ever was the topic at the April roundtable meeting. NOWA's branding messages can be found on the web site. They include:
- NOWA functions as a "fee-less" agency but without agency overhead.
- NOWA is unique organization for creative professionals that is well-established in the community.
- Clients pay members no medical and other benefits, incur no office expense, and can use a variety of experienced, award winning talent as needed.
