http://www.savorthesuccess.com/member/romy-taormina/blog 2010-01-11T02:29:00Z Romy Taormina en http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/i-unexpectedly-can-t-walk-and-why-this-matters-to-you-as-an-entrepreneur On Friday I had outpatient surgery. Upon awakening from the anesthesia, I had tingling and numbness down my right leg and foot. Two days later, I still am unable to walk normally (I hobble and can't manage the stairs in my house). The surgery had nothing to do with my leg or foot so this was very unexpected, not to mention disconcerting. It appears to be a compressed nerve.   Like what all successful entrepreneurs do, I am ADAPTING. Without the ability to adjust and... 1614 2010-01-11T02:29:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/are-you-giving-holiday-gifts-to-your-employees-clients Like most businesses in this economy, you are likely cutting back. For some that means no holiday party, no gifts, no nothing. But, even if you can’t afford to give out a present to a team member/employee/client, be sure to express your gratitude. Some ideas for doing so:     Mail a hand-written card (on your company note card). It goes a long way these days when everyone uses email to communicate. Pick up the phone and let someone know you appreciate them. A friendl... 1555 2009-12-09T02:16:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/know-your-numbers-five-practical-tips You have all heard this statement and intuitively know it to be true: “Knowing your financials is the key to your business success.”   Here are FIVE practical ways to apply this statement:   Look carefully at your daily, monthly, quarterly and annual sales. Your sales will drive all other decisions. Are you selling more on certain days, seasons, holidays? Understand where your sales are coming from and capitalize on them. Will you extend business hours duri... 1453 2009-10-28T16:10:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/learning-from-mistakes-even-costly-embarassing-ones      Thankfully that is NOT my car...   About 8 months ago, I backed out of a sandwich shop and hit a cement post that was low to the ground and that could not be seen out of my rear view window. I took out my tail light and did unsightly damage to my car – even at 5 MPH. Cars can be finicky (pricy!) in that way.   After consulting with my insurance company, I was told that if I waited until October to have the repairs done, my insurance premium ... 1417 2009-10-12T21:23:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/three-fatal-business-distractions I am returning from the Moms in Business Unite conference in San Diego (Psi Bands won the all-expense paid trip from Boogie Wipes). From that conference I learned many things. Here are some more relevant business tips to help you grow your business.   From Susan Fowler, one of the foremost experts on personal empowerment, I learned the following:   #1 Acting on the false promises of external motivators An extrinsic motivator includes power and status, money, and image and be... 1371 2009-09-28T17:13:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/four-sustaining-qualities-to-help-women-in-business As I mentioned in my previous blog, I am returning from the Moms in Business Unite conference in San Diego (we, Psi Bands, won the all-expense paid trip from Boogie Wipes). From that conference I learned many things. Here are some more relevant business tips to help you sustain and grow your business.   The following four qualities are what the Boogie Moms, Mindee and Julie, believe define today's woman entrepreneur...with some of my own embellishments.   1. Vuln... 1364 2009-09-25T03:20:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/women-in-business-great-tips-for-success I am returning from the Moms in Business Unite conference in San Diego (we, Psi Bands, won an all-expense paid trip from Boogie Wipes). From that conference I learned many things. Over the next few blogs, I will share some of those relevant tips with you.   Maria Bailey shared the following three business tips that she learned from successful entrepreneurs:   1. Where’s the exit strategy? A tip she learned from Steve Berhard of Blockbuster If you don’... 1363 2009-09-23T02:47:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/be-good-to-people-are-you-up-for-this-easy-challenge-to-grow-your-biz "Be Good to People". Are You Up for this EASY Challenge to Grow YOUR Business?   Have you heard about Savor the Success member Kris Wittenberg's new business, Be Good to People?   Three Reasons Why You Should Be in the Know. 1.      Because it Will help your business grow. We all know that networking is about developing relationships. When you network, you should seek information from others to help them grow their business. Spend more time list... 1322 2009-09-02T19:23:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/customer-service-down-the-drain-or-not I went to a nationally recognized chain this morning after seeing a yummy looking picture of a latte in their store window. I purchased the latte, but it was so hot that I could not drink it for awhile. By the time it cooled down, I was in front of my computer about to jump into work. I took the first sip and it was yuk! The milk had fermented. I got back in my car and went to get a replacement. The replacement was less hot but it still didn’t taste great. I won’t be going back ... 1307 2009-08-26T14:43:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/cpa-vs-bookkeeper At Psi Bands, we recently had a coaching session on financials. In that conversation, we learned something that was surprising to us…that CPAs look in the past and book keepers look towards the future with an eye on the past. The light bulb went off for us.   We have been using a CPA. We thought they were more equipped to help us review our numbers, but what we really need is a book keeper with a great deal of experience in helping to review our numbers, project for the futu... 1298 2009-08-25T11:16:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/10-tips-or-traits-for-trailblazing-entrepreneurs Passion. Every business faces challenges. It’s all a process and a journey. You have to be able to weather the storm. In order to successfully do so, you must believe in your product or service to get you through. If you are waivering about your business, ask yourself why. Get to the bottom of it and restructure and redefine your business so that you love what you do. If you don’t love what you do, you are more likely to give up when things become overwhelming.  Creativit... 1241 2009-08-06T18:26:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/calculating-your-margins If you sell wholesale, read on to understand the basic formulas to help you successfully negotiate.   Assuming your margin is a % of your retail sales price, let’s go through the basics:   R = Retail Price S = Sell in Price/Wholesale M = Margin   Calculating the Wholesale Price Let’s say you want to make a 40% margin and your suggested retail price is $20.00.   S = R – ( R X M)   S = $20 – ($20 X .40) S = $20 - $8 S = $14 &... 1209 2009-07-29T01:15:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/the-entrepreneurial-flare-this-independence-day While fireworks did not go off in my home town on July 4th (due to budget cuts), sparks were flying every which way anyway. Everywhere I looked, entrepreneurs were claiming their independence by doing what they love, making a positive difference, and living their dreams. The Savor the Success community is one solid reminder that we are a diverse and powerful group committed to helping one another succeed.   Whether you are thinking about launching a business, recently launched, or run... 1095 2009-07-07T04:04:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/effective-inventory-management If you are a product-based company, then you can relate to how difficult managing inventory can be.   We just faced our first scenario where we didn’t have inventory to fulfill on our best-selling sku. It was NOT fun. You have to alert the buyers, you have to re-do POs to different timeframes, it’s just a time sucker and you don’t get paid if you can’t fulfill orders.   We constantly ask ourselves the following:   What is on the horizon? ... 1030 2009-06-15T05:21:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/top-3-things-no-one-told-you-about-being-a-mompreneur-during-the-summer I have two school-aged children. During the school year, I drop them off at school in the morning and I am there to pick them up at the end of the school day. They attend public school. I do not pay for tuition or childcare.   During the summer, it’s an entirely different story. The kids are out of school and I am challenged with how to balance work, summer fun, and the budget.   Here’s the summer skinny (and if you are about to become a new parent, many of the sam... 1022 2009-06-12T10:47:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/responding-to-disappointing-news I always say running a business is like riding a roller coaster. It’s windy, curvy, bumpy, scary, and fun – full of highs and lows. I happen to like roller coasters, so maybe that’s why I enjoy being an entrepreneur. When I get off the roller coaster, I want to ride it again.   That said, what happens when you have one of those low moments? I just received some disappointing news.  I could wallow in my sorrow, but that’s not going to help. I would rathe... 992 2009-06-03T14:11:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/have-a-product-based-company-a-guide-to-working-with-reps What is a rep? Broker rep. Sales rep. Showroom rep. They go by different names, but their job is the same. They represent your product and the goal is for them to help you get new accounts.   Why would you want/need one? Because they might be able to help you get in front of a buyer when you might not have been able to do so on your own. They should be familiar with the retailer that you are seeking so they can educate you on what to expect when working with this retaile... 975 2009-05-30T12:55:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/maximizing-driving-time Yesterday I had an out of town meeting. Roundtrip the drive was 7 hours, and I was the driver with no passengers. And, by the way, I don’t care for long road trips.   I was trying to maximize my driving time. I think I faired well in some cases, and failed in others. In advance of that next road trip, consider the following ideas:   Check out a book on tape from the library – listen to something productive or fun  Make a list of those people you need and/o... 900 2009-05-21T14:36:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/try-laughing-when-things-go-off-kilter Last Friday my home and home-based office were turned into a filming platform for an upcoming video. While being interviewed (my microphone was attached to the back of my chair so I could not get up without assistance), the videographer says “bogie in the background”. I turn my head and look and it’s my cat, and she is squatting down about to pee on my rug! Because I can not get up in time to stop her, she does the deed. She apparently didn’t care for these strangers a... 896 2009-05-21T14:11:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/just-say-no-a-sense-of-relief Why do most women have a hang up with this two letter word? It’s usually one the first words we say as babies because we hear it so often (“No, do not touch that hot pan.” “No, you may not have a 10th cookie.” “No, do not go into the street without holding my hand.”) So why is it so difficult for most women to say? There are likely numerous studies conducted on this topic (which I don’t have the time to research), but I am going to make the as... 811 2009-05-07T16:27:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/three-quick-steps-to-reducing-email-clutter-less-is-more Too many emails. Too much clutter. Three quick steps I recently took to de-clutter my in-box.   Daily Digest: If you are part of a yahoo group, online forum, etc., get the daily digest version (vs individual emails spread throughout the day). It will dramatically streamline your work flow. You can sit down once per day and scan through the emails of the day – and then you can decide which one(s) you wish to respond to. Newsletters Subscriptions: somehow I am the recipient of... 810 2009-05-05T15:54:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/do-you-have-the-opportunity-to-do-what-you-do-best-every-day Short answer: yes. Long answer: chances are you don’t because your natural talents are going untapped.   My business partner and I recently read “Strengths Finder 2.0”, by Tom Rath.  This is a #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller by a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author. I would like to suggest that you also read it and take the accompanying online assessment.   The book is about uncovering your talents – and is rooted in more than 40 years of resea... 808 2009-05-01T14:08:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/barter-for-a-free-full-page-ad-in-a-major-magazine A word that is creeping into our vocabulary of late is “barter”. As the economy is taking its toll, we believe that companies are even more open to entertaining the idea of bartering; therefore, Psi Bands looks for appropriate, targeted opportunities that are mutually serving.   We also look at bartering as one component of a strategic partnership. We align ourselves with companies that serve common audiences so that we can help each other propel to the next level.  ... 780 2009-04-23T15:28:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/10-tips-for-getting-in-o-the-oprah-magazine-self-magazine-daily-candy-etc We all want great press. The benefits are priceless. It creates consumer awareness, drives sales, gives you prestige, opens up new retail channels, etc. So how do you get it?     Here’s a highlight of Psi Bands’ press…   …and how we got it: 1)     We have a great story to tell – and the media embraces it. Here’s ours: Most people are familiar with the saying, "Necessity is the mother of invention".&nbs... 705 2009-04-02T01:50:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/stop-feeling-like-a-pest I could feel like a pest right now, but I am choosing not to.  I offered one of our retailers a semi-exclusive opportunity to participate in a promotional opportunity that will not cost them a dime yet drive sales, and they have yet to respond by the deadline provided.   Questions going through my head: is the offer not enticing enough (one of my other retailers replied so we think it is)? Do they have bigger fish to fry? Either way, I need to move forward. My solution: I just ga... 692 2009-03-31T18:31:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/ready-to-super-size-it-with-the-big-box-stores Going “big” is not for the weak at heart. And I don’t mean supersizing it at McDs. When I say “big”, I mean landing that big dream account of yours – maybe its Nordstrom or Babies R Us or CVS. Whoever it is, are you ready to do business with the big retailers?   Large retailers are demanding. Here’s some food for thought (one might think I am hungry with all these food analogies).   They want large amounts of inventory. Are you pre... 663 2009-03-24T03:46:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/the-skinny-on-partnering-part-2 So you have a business partner, or maybe you’re considering adding one.   What happens if you have disagreements? What if one person is pulling more weight than the other? What if …   Let’s cut to the chase. In any relationship, there are going to be disagreements and life is not fair.   Disagreements There will be disagreements because no two (or more) people can be in a relationship and never have a disagreement. But, this doesn’t have to be... 662 2009-03-24T02:51:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/partnering-or-going-solo Have you considered a business partner? I thought I would flesh out some of the pros/cons to having a partner(s). Some of you may have been on the fence about this choice, or maybe never considered it. Maybe it’s for you, maybe it’s not. But worth pondering, I think.   As some of you know, I have a business partner. What most of you probably don’t know is that I have two business partners. My female biz partner is Carla Falcone (who, by the way, just joined STS). You... 647 2009-03-18T00:54:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/shopnbc-part-3 On 3/2 and 3/3, Psi Bands had a total of 4 airings on ShopNBC, located in MN. As I previously mentioned in Part 2 of this series, this, too, was an exhilarating and exhausting experience.   Exhausting because I am traveling from the west coast (PST) and so must adjust to the two hour differential (CST). And, because the air times can be early. For example, one of my four airings was at 6am CST. You are expected to arrive to the “green room” (where you wait before goi... 617 2009-03-08T21:38:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/balancing-motherhood-with-work-related-travel As you might imagine, traveling for business does not come easy when you are also the main caregiver in your family. That is the case for me. I have two boys, ages 9 and 6 ½. They are school aged, which helps, but what about those in between times when the kids get out of school and before dad gets home? Or, those times when travel conflicts with minimum school days or school vacation days like 4 days off during the week because it’s President’s Day?   The short answ... 607 2009-03-04T18:26:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/how-do-you-define-success The other day, my business partner, Carla, and I got on the topic of success as it pertained to a specific milestone, where she helped me to realize that I was focusing on financials and neglecting to look at the overall picture. She was right.   Why was I so focused on the numbers? Well, I need to be as a business owner in order to pay the bills, keep employees/consultants paid, and to support my family. That said, Carla correctly reminded me that success can be defined in many ways.... 581 2009-02-25T13:38:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/negotiate Yesterday I was able to finalize negotiations with a reputable on line retailer. They have a standard, one-time set up cost. I asked for a significant departure from this set price, explaining that we were a small retailer and that based on the sales projections that they provided to me (how similar products were performing), that it didn’t make sense for Psi Bands to move forward under the standard set price – but that we very much welcomed the opportunity to do business with the... 570 2009-02-20T18:59:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/survival-biz-strategies-when-the-going-gets-tough-the-tough-get-going I keep hearing entrepreneurs/biz owners asking themselves what they can do to stay afloat during these tough economic times. We are all feeling the impact – in one form or another. Some ideas to get you brainstorming on how to survive this economic hurdle. Psi Bands has either implemented all of them, or is in the process of implementing.   P=Problem I=Idea(s)   P: Are your vendors/clients going bankrupt and/or not paying bills on time?   I: Receivables insurance. ... 568 2009-02-20T17:22:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/shopnbc-part-2 On 2/11, Psi Bands debuted on ShopNBC, located in MN. What an exhilarating and exhausting experience.   We received our PO with just more than a week before our on-air date. I think this was unusual, but it did have us scurrying in many directions to pull it off – from fulfillment to travel arrangements to childcare arrangements (I am a mom of two boys, and the boys happened to have a short week at school during my travels due to the President’s Day holiday which meant pul... 551 2009-02-13T06:29:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/shopnbc-the-process Save the Date! Psi Bands is going on ShopNBC. And, read below to learn about "the process". We are excited to announce that Psi Bands will appear live on ShopNBC, a home shopping television network, on Wednesday, 2/11, at the following times: 3am, 8am, and 5pm EST 2am, 7am, and 4pm CST 1am, 6am, and 3pm MST 12am, 5am, and 2pm PST   You can support us by tuning in and purchasing and/or forwarding this information to others who you feel would benefit from... 526 2009-02-03T03:09:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/do-not-hesitate I was recently reviewing some applications, and on more than one, the applicant used the word “hesitate”. I thought I should blog about this, because it really struck me.   The definition of hesitate: to pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness.   When you apply for something, do not hesitate.   It’s one thing to change your mind later because of newfound information, but to hesitate when you want something, NO. You must not want it bad enoug... 516 2009-01-28T21:01:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/psi-bands-announces-it-s-sponsorship-winners-into-the-m3-race Psi Bands is truly inspired by the dozens of applications that were submitted to us representing such diverse businesses. Such talented women making remarkable contributions!  Although it was a VERY tough decision, we selected the following TWO ladies to sponsor into the Make Mine a Million $ Business RACE: Angela Jia Kim of Om Aroma & Co. and Savor the Sucess www.omaroma.com and http://www.savorthesuccess/ Jordan Veatch-Goffi of Doce Vida Fitness Inc. ht... 513 2009-01-27T14:32:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/you-have-two-days-left-to-get-sponsored-into-the-m3-race You have TWO DAYS LEFT (till Sunday, 1/25, 12am EST) to be SPONSORED by Psi Bands into the Make Mine a Million $ Business RACE.   Keep in mind, that we will be in close communication with this selected biz - so you benefit from Psi Bands' input to help you grow your biz in addition to all the other RACE benefits.     For the sponsorship, we are looking for a female entrepreneur (in the US) who: has a solid biz model is motivated to move her biz forward, and has... 502 2009-01-23T14:53:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/psi-bands-is-sponsoring-one-company-to-join-the-make-mine-a-million-business-race-are-you-in Psi Bands is a past winner of the Make Mine a Million $ Award sponsored by Count Me In. Count Me In is an amazing organization and we so greatly believe in this RACE and what it stands for, that we are willing to sponsor one other company to join. Read on for details!     Create, Grow and Thrive in 2009 Make Mine a Million $ Business RACE   After years of coaching women business owners on how to pitch their business to a dream client or potential investor, Count Me In ha... 492 2009-01-20T16:57:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/how-to-prepare-a-winning-elevator-pitch When Psi Bands were selected as a finalist for Count Me In’s Make Mine a Million $ Business, we had to create and deliver a three minute elevator pitch to a live audience. We were instructed to utilize the following tips for delivering a winning three-minute pitch. We ended up winning.   Background Why do they call it an “elevator pitch”? The idea is that you have a brief period of time to pitch a prospective client. Know what you are going to say in t... 486 2009-01-16T19:04:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/time-management-tips-who-doesn-t-need-help-here I had this blog written and posted, and then, coincidentally, I had a coaching session today that led me to the topic of time management in which my coach gave me some tips on how to be that much more productive. (Yes, I am sitting in my office with a candle burning, very unlike me, but why not! It's relaxing and smells good!) So, I am back adding the tips to the list. As I said, who can not benefit from time management tips?! Please add to the list. I don’t know ab... 477 2009-01-13T14:05:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/a-rising-tide-raises-all-ships I read this saying the other day, and loved it. Our Savor the Success community exemplifies this “coming together” where we support each other for the benefit of all. I encourage you all to engage in this community in whatever capacity you are able to – participate in the Cafes, dialogue with individual members, blog, purchase other members’ products/utilize their services, give a shout out to a fellow member, forward an external PR lead to someone in the group, etc. O... 474 2009-01-12T21:09:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/join-the-race-new-pr-opps I have blogged about this before, but I would like to impress upon you the importance of joining, if you haven’t already. It’s a great way to start off the new year!   And, there is a PR update…keep reading…   Join the Make Mine a Million $ Business™ RACE – It’s It's a great way to support each other in reaching our individual goals, creating jobs for others, and helping to turn our economy around. We can be each others' success storie... 448 2009-01-06T18:25:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/balancing-work-and-home I would like to share some strategies that I use for balancing work and home and welcome your ideas, too (I will put them to the test!).   I am a WAHM (work at home mom). I have two sons, ages 9 and 6 ½. My day is busy from start to finish, but I would not have it any other way. It’s a challenge and one that I welcome so that I can do what I love to do – spend time with my family and grow my business.   Balancing Strategies: Ask for help – whethe... 438 2009-01-04T00:48:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/2009-goal-setting-ideas-to-help-your-company-reach-the-next-level In no particular order, some thoughts and resources for goal setting for the new year:   Join the Make Mine a Million $ Business™ RACE – It’s It's a great way to support each other in reaching our individual goals, creating jobs for others, and helping to turn our economy around. We can be each others' success stories, and no business is too small to participate. If you have a business -- and want to grow it -- then this is for you. If you choose to participate, p... 420 2008-12-31T13:41:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/chronicling-the-steps-for-landing-an-account After a 2-day “adventurous” travel experience across the country (I was traveling during the holidays during snow storms), we landed an important online retailer account and have a chance at landing the in store account, too. We won’t know for a few weeks. Yes, nerve wracking and exciting at the same time.     Here’s a snapshot of the steps I take to land an account:   BEFORE you have the meeting Define your sales strategy – who are you goin... 395 2008-12-22T13:01:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/when-one-door-closes-another-opens-better-yet-when-one-door-closes-open-another Today I learned from a dear friend of mine that one of her colleagues got laid off from a major corporation. This person has a prototype for a new product, but has not taken action beyond the prototype due to lack of time. Now that she has the time, she is pressing forward. I commend her. My belief is that when one door closes, open another. There are always opportunities out there for those who reach or ask for them.   I am a firm believer in making things happen. In other words, don... 378 2008-12-18T02:08:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/steps-to-getting-the-in-person-meeting You want to pitch your idea or product or whatever it is you’re selling, but how do you get the in-person meeting? Here are some tips: Be pleasantly persistent (not painfully persistent). It shows that you are passionate and committed to what you do. It may take a lot of patience, but keep at it. I have been pitching some of the same accounts for a year now. Some have materialized and others are a work-in-progress (but they know I am here to stay).  Make sure you have th... 359 2008-12-12T20:11:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/the-benefit-of-strategic-partnerships You've heard the adage that the sum is greater than the parts. Consider how a strategic partnership could help to grow your company. For example, Psi Bands is working with several companies on creating and distributing an in-office doctor display. The participating companies have their own goals and objectives for partnering, but the end result is a win/win. We build relationships, spread out marketing dollars, drive physician and consumer awareness, generate sales, and provide a service to c... 358 2008-12-12T17:34:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/female-entrepreneurs-the-race-is-on Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence is the leading national not-for-profit provider of resources, business education and community support for women entrepreneurs seeking to grow micro businesses to million dollar enterprises. Through pioneering multi-platform programs, Count Me In unleashes the full capacity of women’s entrepreneurial spirit and the power of women’s economic potential.   Today, Count Me In is launching a major initiative, Make Mine a Milli... 350 2008-12-10T19:49:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/creative-marketing-can-be-contagious-even-on-a-t-shirt Check it out: http://twitter.com/iwearyourshirt   I am posting this for two reasons: 1. It is a creative, fun, and inexpensive way to market your product/service (i.e. choose a date to tie-in to your marketing campaign); 2. It shows that we need to be creative in our marketing. Just think what kind of exposure this guy is going to get as a result of his fun idea. It’s contagious! I learned about it on Twitter. He was selected as the Featured Entrepreneur on SmallBizBee. Small... 340 2008-12-09T13:40:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/marcia-cross-just-signed-a-set-of-psi-bands Earlier this year, in partnership with our charity, Fertile Hope, we launched the Psi Bands Celebrity Design Challenge. Over the months, we have received signed/decorated Psi Bands from Marcia Cross, Trista Sutter, Denise Richards, Evan Handler, Josie Maran, etc. The decorated Psi Bands will be auctioned off in 2009 with proceeds to benefit Fertile Hope. As a business, we benefit from the exposure that will be created surrounding the buzz of this auction while supporting a very worthwhile cau... 324 2008-12-05T03:02:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/you-miss-100-of-the-shots-you-don-t-take My version of Wayne Gretzky’s famous quote is similar: if you don’t ask, the answer is no. I truly believe in this statement, and put it to the test today when I asked one of my important retailers if he would be willing to give us a recommendation to another retailer (yes, his competition). You could say this was bold, and it was, but the answer would be no if I didn’t ask. So, I asked. And guess what? He said yes. The point: “You miss 100% of the shots you don&rsqu... 323 2008-12-05T02:38:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/want-quick-unbiased-results-on-a-business-question Yesterday in my attempt to familiarize myself with Twitter and all the Twitter-riffic accompaniments, I came across a web site that surveys groups of independent voters with quick results (we can reach further than we could before with unbiased results). I thought I would test it out…so I just posted a question. Now I’ll wait, and report back in later with results. Do you have a burning question that you would like to have answered…something that would add value to ... 304 2008-12-01T12:17:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/examples-of-how-social-networking-can-grow-your-business I thought I would provide you with some specific examples of how Psi Bands has benefited from social networking. It is one thing to hear that your time spent on social networking will pay off, but sometimes real-life examples are best.   As a result of participating in social networks such as Facebook, Linked In, Savor the Success, LadiesWhoLaunch, private female entrepreneurial yahoo groups, etc., Psi Bands has been introduced to new business opportunities that have resulted in the f... 295 2008-11-24T17:59:26Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/is-the-in-person-meeting-vs-teleconference-with-a-potential-new-client-worth-the-investment In less than two weeks I will fly across the country to meet with a potential new retailer. It will take three full days to have a one hour (or less) meeting. Two days are dedicated to travel from the west coast to the east coast and then my afternoon appointment precludes me from flying home the same day (I don’t fare well with red eye flights anyway). Does this three-day investment make sense? Could we just have a teleconference?  Well, we could just have the teleconference b... 275 2008-11-19T14:16:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/are-you-ready-to-take-on-a-new-large-retail-account I am writing this blog from the standpoint of a product-based company… If you were given the opportunity to work with a new, large retailer, would you be ready? Large can be defined as something larger than what you currently have. Before you make the plunge, consider the following: proper inventory – you need to have enough inventory to support ongoing orders otherwise you risk jeopardizing your relationship with your retailer (and customer); bar coded packaging; fulfi... 255 2008-11-12T11:45:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/promoting-your-company-on-a-small-budget Most of us have small marketing budgets but small doesn’t mean ineffective. What are you doing to stretch your marketing dollars? Are you following your marketing plan (do you have a marketing plan?). Advertising. SEO (search engine optimization). PR (public relations). Direct response. Social marketing. Are these sounding familiar? If not, start researching. The bottom line: it all needs to lead to sales. If it’s not, rethink your messaging, channels, tactics, target audienc... 241 2008-11-06T02:47:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/when-a-retailer-says-no-does-it-really-mean-no When I am pitching to a potential new retailer, and they tell me they are not interested, I view this as an opportunity to reflect. Why are they not interested? What can I learn from this situation? Was my pitch targeted and succinct? Is the timing appropriate? Am I speaking to the right person? I have heard “no” many times, and many of those “nos” are now Psi Bands retailers. Why the change of mind? For us the main reason has been timing and/or proving ourselves with ... 221 2008-11-01T00:11:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/the-benefits-of-cause-related-marketing Have you heard about cause-related marketing? Do you have a charitable partner? If you thought you couldn’t afford a charitable partner, ask yourself how you can afford not to have one. The relationship should be one of mutual value and serve common audiences. For example, at Psi Bands, our charitable partner is Fertile Hope. Both organizations support cancer patients whose parenting dreams are coming true (dual audiences: oncology and OB/GYN). The partnership allows us to make contribu... 209 2008-10-29T13:56:00Z http://www.savorthesuccess.com/blog/romy-taormina/psi-bands-savors-the-success Hi ladies. This is my first blog entry, and I am thrilled to be a part of the Savor the Success community! My name is Romy Taormina and I am Co-Founder of Psi Bands. FDA-cleared Psi Bands are stylish, acupressure wrist bands for the relief of nausea due to morning sickness (pregnancy), motion sickness/travel, chemotherapy, and anesthesia. Psi Bands sell nationally at Rite Aid (more than 5,000 stores), Longs Drugs (500 stores), REI, drugstore.com, Amazon.com, Babycenter.com, etc.... 203 2008-10-27T09:06:00Z