3 Simple Rules in Building Your Dream Network

A new year can mean the beginning of so many new things. If starting a business or new career is one of those things, one area you should be concentrating on, that often gets overlooked, is networking. Networking can be a key strategy in conquering your fears and gaining the necessary momentum to conquer your goals.

People
Meeting the right people is a learning curve to get you where you need to be faster. People who have already accomplished the goals you have for yourself can serve as a reliable resource and can give you the information that you need right away. It's on you to take action.

Events
Attending events that speak to you and may attract the type of people you want to meet. Don't just go to an event, just to go and waste time. You'll feel unproductive and will lack motivation to attend another event. It's okay to pick events based on your personality type. If you're an introvert, meetups may prove more productive than a happy hour or cocktail reception. (Please note: #100BusinessGirls events are Introvert friendly).

Strategy
Before you go sending mass emails and asking everyone to coffee or lunch. Do some research and see if the people you want to meet will be hosting or speaking at an event, if they have a book, or were featured in an interview. Sometimes the questions you want to ask them can be answered by researching any of those key things or just by following them on social media. While you may be an awesome person, don't approach people expecting them to "put you on". Put yourself on, by showing through your actions what you are all about and you will attract the type of people you want to meet, naturally.

Building your dream network won't happen overnight, there is no time limit. It's a constant process of adding, eliminating, and maintaining relationships. If you are looking for more tips and strategies you can read and download our networking playbook, 0 to 100: How to Grow Your Network the #100BusinessGirls Way.

Thanks for reading!

- Jamillah Y. Johnson

[in the news] Women in Tech, Diversity & You - Meetup Recap from Nicole Patton

On April 30th, #100BusinessGirls hosted a Women in Tech meetup with Nicole Patton, a tech professional and STEM advocate, passionate about the importance of diversity and inclusion. Not just talking about it, but actually having solutions.

Here's a clip from the event: 

Read more about what we discussed and tips on how you can create a better experience for women in tech on Nicole's Blog: [Click Here]

Tips for Launching a Successful Internship Program

By James Mitchell, Intern Solutions

Special Guest Contributor

Every year, thousands of college students apply for internships to get a leg up on the hiring process. They apply for these programs to enhance their professional skills, form relationships with other employees, and learn how they can contribute to the success of the company. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the average conversion rate for interns is 58.6 percent. For interns and businesses alike, there are several factors that ensure a successful partnership. Here are some tips to make the hiring and onboarding process beneficial for everyone! 

The Recruitment Process

Internships are a one-time work experience that is typically related to a student’s major. Businesses should begin planning for an intern class the spring before fall recruiting. Hiring managers need to determine where the students will be placed and what projects they will be assigned. Proper planning ensures that the intern won’t be sitting idle or given the unrewarding tasks of getting coffee and making copies. When planned correctly, a successful internship will help minimize the company’s turnover rate and unlock the opportunity to screen potential employees prior to making a commitment.

Look for sophomore and junior students who have have strong communication skills and a desire to excel within the company. Offer a job description with great detail of the assignments they will be expected to complete and map out the length and timing of the internship experience. During the recruitment process, make sure you are aware of discrimination laws.

Create a Lasting Experience 

The main goal for your company should be to keep a strong intern presence within your organization to help achieve a high conversion rate. Through their performance, interns are “interviewing” for a full-time position. For this reason, they should be offered the chance to do the same work they would be doing as an entry-level hire. Interns should be given formal training while being exposed to the culture of the organization.

Close relationships should be formed with the executive leadership team and each intern should be looked at as if they are coming back as a permanent hire. Doing so will give the student a sense of belonging and inspire them to want to work for the company for many years to come. As interns grow professionally and develop relationships with other employees they become an investment that is a high source of entry level talent. Offers for full time employment should be offered within days of the internship program completion.

Compensation or Credit 

 A vital step in the planning process is discerning whether the internship will include compensation or not. Paid internships are preferred because it shows the intern that their skills and time are valued. Offering competitive wages also opens the door to a wider applicant pool because the financial needs of the student will be met. Unpaid internships are common, however they are diminishing because of certain legal stipulations. For example, unpaid interns cannot do any work that contributes to the company’s operations which includes documenting inventory, responding to emails and filing papers.
It is important to note that an unpaid internship does not lessen the quality of the program. Unpaid internships generally offer academic credit towards the student’s graduation requirements. They also help students find a clear career path if they are uncertain of which direction to go in after graduation. Also, as with paid internships, there is still an opportunity to advance to a full time position within the company.


It’s no secret that today’s job market is tight. Because of this, internships are becoming a prerequisite for many full time opportunities. The reward for students is the chance to gain real world experience and have access to contacts in their field of interest. Employers benefit a great deal as well by having the cream of the crop right at their fingertips. Successful internship programs are an absolute necessity to form lasting partnerships between extremely talented individuals and companies!

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Intern Solutions offers practical tools and resources to help educators, employers, and students with the internship process. Learn more!

[#100BGVanguard] How Golden State Warrior Andre Iguodala Became The NBA’s Ambassador To Silicon Valley

via Fast Company

In the past, the relationship between players and companies was fairly simple: Athletes got paid handsomely to endorse brands or products such as shoes, beverages, and cars. These days, the endorsement game is still important, but rise of entrepreneurship—especially in a place like Silicon Valley—presents new opportunities. Players who are willing to take some risk by accepting equity in exchange for endorsement or other involvement in a company can make far more than they would with the traditional cash-for-service arrangement of previous generations of athletes. 

[Read the Full Article at Fast Company]

[video] Dame Dash on Eliminating the Middleman, Business Plans vs Proof of Concept

Measuring Your Success in 2017

As the new year approaches or is already upon us (depending on when you read this), I wanted to take this time to go over a very important topic that we sometimes need to be reminded of: and that is Measuring Your Success.

Every year we all set goals and declare that which ever year is our year. I see a lot of people are planning SLAY 2017. Well do you, boo. I ain't mad at ya. But for those of us who don't want to be relegated to certain years, but a for life, here a few tips I share in my book, 70 Tips of Women in Business: A Compilation to Get Unstuck (Literary Candy Books, 2013). I think it can be applied to your own personal slay plan.

1. Set Resolutions throughout the year, not just for the new year. Every day, hour, and minute is an opportunity to set a goal and to start fresh.

2. If you slack off, start over. There's nothing wrong with picking up where you left off. Just remember to keep moving forward.

3. Be patient. Depending on what is required to reach your goal, it may not happen overnight or in a year.

4. Take time out to measure your progress and see how far you've come.

5. Measure YOUR success against YOUR OWN success. Don't look at what other people doing and question why you aren't where they are. You don't know what they put into their work or what connections they have. You will get to where you want to be in your own time and in your way.

Bonus Tip: Write down your goals in a notebook so you are able to map everything as you see it in your head. This is a great way to flush out your ideas and to sort your short and long terms goals. Plus every idea you have may not be doable, but the ones that are, you don't want to forget them.

Bonus Tip #2: If one of your goals is to write a book, don't put it off any longer. I wrote and self-published my first book eight years ago. I've published seven titles and completed a screenplay since then. Get it out of your head, If you keep saying you "want to write a book", you'll never write a book. You should be "writing your book". Just changing the wording in your mind is a great way to be self-motivated.

I wish you a very healthy + prosperous New Year and I want to personally thank you for visiting and taking the time out to read.

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Necole Kane (@JustNecole) Breaks Down the Real on Her Transition from NecoleBitchie to xoNecole

The Benefits + Dangers of Competition: 10 Major Keys to Remember

competition: the opposite of cooperation. It arises whenever at least two parties strive for a goal which cannot be shared or which is desired individually but not in sharing and cooperation. 


Having started #100BusinessGirls in 2011, I sometimes question if it's still necessary. When our meetups first started it was new and exciting. There were only a few groups like ours and we were niche. Well now that niche is no more. And while that's a great thing, it can be daunting if you're someone that has a competitive mindset. It's natural. It's one of the main things that you're taught in Marketing and Business 101. But is having a competitive spirit really healthy?

Competition can be empowering, it can keep your ideas fresh and business interesting. It keeps you sharp, determined, maybe even driven. You can learn from where your competition has failed. Most of all, when others enter your market or niche, it provides validity to the problem you want to solve.

 

 The Benefits + Dangers of Competition 

1. Competition can be empowering, it can keep your ideas fresh and business interesting.
2. Competition keeps you sharp, determined and driven.
3. You can learn from where your competition has failed.

4. When others enter the market, it provides validity to the problem you want to solve.

Focus on Your Own Race

5. Your ego is your biggest competitor. It will keep you from accomplishing your goals and keep you in a state of comfort. Comfort is your default setting that you need to break out of and continuously add things to make you grow stronger. You must master the ability to quiet your ego. So for every negative thought, combat it with two positive thoughts. With practice this will become a habit.

6. In our daily interactions with social media, we can get bombarded by individuals sharing their pictures and good news. Don’t look at individuals as your competition. Don’t believe the hype of the pictures being painted for likes. This will create the spirit of envy because maybe your life doesn’t look like their pictures, and neither does theirs. There are social media strategies and systems that are put into place to earn followers and likes strictly for the purpose of building social media clout. What you want is longevity. Longevity will sustain your business past the latest social media trends.

7. Hating your “competition” only has a negative impact on your well-being. Your goal should always be to focus on the people you serve (audience, customers) because those are the people who believe in what you have to offer.

8. Operate from a perspective of ‘Plenty’. There is enough to go around for everyone.

9.  Instead of seeing "competitors" see them as potential partners and allies. No one will understand your journey more than someone taking a journey similar to yours.

10. When you’re brainstorming new ideas, stay off social media. Social media cleanses can be a great way to set new goals and execute those ideas. They can vary from 24 hours to how ever much time you need.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you think competition is healthy in business? 

• Have you ever doubted yourself based on what others were able to accomplish? 

• What are some ways having competition has helped you succeed? Or has it ever? 

Written by: Jamillah Y. Johnson

jamillah@100businessgirls.com

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