Women LOVE Contests!

“You will never win if you never begin.” Helen Rowland

A few days ago I wrote about contests, blogs and more. I mentioned that one of my friends Beverly Mahone, the BABY BOOMER DIVA was doing a program about how to use contests to boost business coverage. I forgot to mention that Beverly is the QUEEN of Contest Creation. She seems to have a contest for every season and even no reason. And she has received a lot of press for her efforts - more importantly she has made great friends as she has announced winners and contributors to her efforts. So I just had to start this post with her Hot Fun in the Summertime Essay Writing Contest. Entry deadline is July 6th. Be sure to submit your entry with "My Vacation from Hell" (in the subject line) to babyboomervalentine@gmail.com.

Here are some more summertime contests you can enter:

Sunsilk is hosting the "Hairapy Makeover Sweepstakes." When you enter you might win a fabulous makeover, a trip for you (plus 3 friends) to NYC for Fall Fashion Week, and $10,000 cash. Enter now and get free samples http://www.gethairapy.com/makeover/ *and $2 in gift cards*.


Neutrogena is giving young women a forum to share tips on how they deal with stress with a Web series and a contest that awards a posh trip to the Bahamas. Got to The Big Blush and check it out! www.thebigblush.com/


BOOMj.com, Inc.(TM) is hosting the "Getaway with BOOMj" Hawaii Sweepstakes. Each member that joins BOOMj.com between June 1, 2007 and July 31, 2007 will be automatically entered into the Hawaiian Sweepstakes. To enter the sweepstakes, register at BOOMj at http://www.boomj.com/.


Enter the Italian Grand Prix Getaway Sweepstakes With AT&T Williams for the chance to win a trip for two to the September 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship Race in Monza, Italy. Now through Monday, July 16, fans aged 21 and older can go to www.attblueroom.com/attwilliams to complete the official entry for the sweepstakes.

The Grand Prize includes: Admission for winner and one (1) guest, to the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship Race in Monza, Italy Round-trip air transportation for two to Italy and more!


Buona fortuna (good luck) to all!

Heidi

Of Contests, Blogs and The Media

“Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.” Oprah Winfrey

Today I received a Google alert for a sweepstakes being held by my good friend Yvonne DeVita of Lip-sticking blog fame. Not only is Yvonne highly regarded in the blogging world, she is one of my personal heros. I had the pleasure to interview her for our Marketing to Women series back in the fall of 2006. That's when I got to know her. She is by far one of the most innovative and interesting bloggers out there. Just check out her blog Lip-sticking and see what I mean.

In the meantime, I wanted to put in a word about her first monthly sweepstakes. She writes: "My goal is to support small businesses across America (yes, it’s local to the U. S. at this time), and to learn a little more about my readers. By learning more about you, I will be able to focus my content on your wants and needs in the marketing to women online space. "

And she means it! She is forever promoting and getting to know other bloggers and what a great way to encourage more interaction than with a sweepstakes or contest. And she makes it easy to enter. All you need to do to ENTER is fill out the Lip-Sticking Sweepstakes Entry Form (click here). ** And the prize … Blue Moon Bliss Bath & Body Products. Be sure to visit Lip-sticking and enter her contest today.

And speaking of contests, at 2pm EST join Access Referral Network and learn about Using Contests to Boost Business Coverage with Beverly Mahone - Beverly, a veteran journalist and savvy marketer, will be presenting "Games People Play: Using Contests To Generate Business!"

Do you wonder how to attract customers to your site? How do you let people know about your business? The truth is people like to win, and they love contests! As a journalist and media coach, Mahone has used multiple hooks to capture the attention of her audience. She is now bringing her expertise to business owners needing to upgrade their advertising techniques.

With Beverly's extensive media background, she is the perfect person to discuss ways to bring traffic to your business. If you've heard Beverly speak before, you also know she is one of the most entertaining speakers you'll ever hear, and she knows her stuff!

She will share techniques she uses herself, and teaches others, that landed her a recent interview that was just published last week in the New York Times!

Join Beverly and Access Referral Network for this complimentary webinar when you download the following VAisBorn (conference room) link, save it to your desktop, and you'll be able to attend this and future webinars at: http://www.hotconference.com/software/conference.php?id=35995932

For directions on how to be an active participation in a Webinar, visit: http://www.foraccess.com/info/viewArticleDetails/58.

Looking forward to seeing you today!

Warmest regards,

Heidi

What Makes Your Administrative Professional So Special? Enter our Contests!

"We don't accomplish anything in this world alone ... and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one's life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something."
Sandra Day O’Connor

Administrative Professional Week is April 23^rd - 27^h

This annual event was originally organized in 1952 as "National Secretaries Week" by the National Secretaries Association (now known as the International Association of Administrative Professionals) in conjunction with public relations executive Harry Klemfuss and a consortium of office product manufacturers. It was established as an effort to recognize secretaries for their contributions in the workplace, and to attract people to secretarial/administrative careers.

In the year 2000, IAAP announced a name change for Professional Secretaries Week and Professional Secretaries Day. The names were changed to Administrative Professionals Week and Administrative Professionals Day to keep pace with changing job titles and expanding responsibilities of today’s administrative workforce.

Over the years, Administrative Professionals Week has become one of the largest workplace observances. The event is celebrated worldwide, bringing together millions of people for community events, educational seminars, and individual corporate activities recognizing support staff with gifts of appreciation.

Today, there are more than 4.1 million secretaries and administrative assistants working in the United States, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, and 8.9 million people working in various administrative support roles. More than 475,000 administrative professionals are employed in Canada. Millions more administrative professionals work in offices all over the world.

(Source: International Association of Administrative Professionals)

Now’s the perfect time to honor the “gatekeepers” in your office and the office of your top clients and customers. Some of the things you can do are: Send flowers, plants or a bouquet of balloons. Be sure to include a personal note or a card that mentions the occasion and an appropriate sentiment, such as "Thanks for all you do," or "I appreciate your help." Be sure to send the gift to the office, not to the recipient’s home – visit: www.edenflorist.com for more gift-giving ideas.

2 Contests you can enter!

The WECAI Network™ and Eden Florist are sponsoring a contest.

Enter Our
ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS CONTEST

Your Assistant could win a FREE bouquet of fresh flowers every month for a year and be featured in an upcoming issue of WE Magazine for Women!

Please tell us what makes your Assistant so special. If your story is chosen, your assistant will receive a FREE bouquet of flowers every month for a year. She will also receive a one page profile in an upcoming issue of WE Magazine for women. And that’s not all, everyone who is nominated will be mentioned on this blog and receive a beautiful downloadable Certificate of Appreciation! Be sure to include your contact information in your entry.

Deadline for submission 5:00 pm, April 27, 2007.
All entries will receive a beautiful
Administrative Professional of the Year
Certificate of Appreciation.

Please submit your entry by sending it to:

Administrative Professional Entry
c/o Eden Florist & Gifts
7100 Pembroke Road
Miramar, FL 33023

You can also fax your story to (954) 964-3135 or email your story to flowers (at) EdenFlorist.com

Be sure to include your name, address, phone, fax, and email in the event your assistant is chosen!

My friend, and Charter Elite Member Teresa Morrow is having a contest too!

In Celebration of Administrative Professionals Week and the recent launch of her new business Key Business Partners, Teresa is hosting a "Share the Love" Contest

The first 3 people who answer all the questions correctly will receive:

1 FREE Hour of VA services (value of $25)

AND

20% discount off VA services until May 15, 2007

Send an email to Teresa at keybusinesspartners (at) gmail.com with "Admin Contest Questions" in the Subject line and you can play too!

Celebrate those who make your life easier...

Warmest regards,

Heidi Richards, Founder & CEO

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." Confucius (Chinese Philosopher 551-479 B.C.)

Women's Happenings All Over the Net!

"Enthusiasm is contagious. Be a carrier." Susan Rabin

So many things are going on during Women’s History Month – it seems honoring women is something we celebrate with enthusiasm and passion. I just wanted to share a few of the women I know doing their part to make their mark during Women’s History Month.

Beverly Mahone Author, Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age is sponsoring a "Women on the Move and Making History" Contest, where one lucky winner will receive $75 for guessing the correct answers. Another winner will receive $25. The questions won't be easy but I'll be offering a hint :) THERE IS A CATCH...... You must be a subscriber to my Live to Be Drama Free Newsletter because only the subscribers will be eligible to enter this contest. You can subscribe by going to her website: http://www.talk2bev.com

Rebecca White of HYTR Radio in Toledo is going to do a show on National Women’s History Month. Stay tuned… more information to follow.

Angel Brown Women’s Business Gallery - created a whole month's worth of Women's History weekly assignments for her daughter, who is 14, and who she just started home schooling a couple of weeks ago. It's so important for young women to understand how far along we've come and how we can continue to shape the world from the female perspective. What a great opportunity to help her daughter further develop into the amazing young woman she's already blossoming into!

Bea Kunz of Sagehill Farms and a friend are hosting a luncheon next week for the women leaders in their city. They plan to use the resources they garner through these contacts to research and make available to the local library the history of one or two women who played a vital role in the founding of their city/county.

WAIT! There’s more…

I will be posting events as they are sent to me. If you are a hosting an event in celebration of WHM, drop me a note at Heidi (at) wecai.org with “WHM Event” in the subject line.

Be sure to register for the Virtual Woman’s Day™ Online Conference taking place on Thursday, March 15, 3007 – there is absolutely no charge to attend. Just enter your email address and name in the boxes on the right of the blog. Looking forward to helping you promote YOU!

Regards,

Heidi and Suzannah