Upcoming Event: #BusinessGirlMagic with April Tam Smith - May 20th (NYC)

Join us for brunch & conversations with April Tam Smith, Co-Owner of P.S. Kitchen

Topic
"THE BUSINESS OF GIVING BACK WITH IMPACT"

We will discuss April's philosophy on multicareering, how she started a restaurant enterprise with such an unique concept while managing her 9 to 5, how to give back in creative ways and so much more!

As always there will be opportunities to network and discuss topics pertaining to your own career, startup or business growth challenges.


About Our Featured Guest Speaker April Tam Smith has been in finance for the last 13 years and is currently a Managing Director on an equity derivatives team. She received her Bachelor’s in Engineering from MIT in 2005 and her MBA at Columbia Business School in 2009. Her experiences from serving orphanages overseas have planted a deep seed in her to be a voice for the poor and fight for justice while leveraging her Wall Street life, where resources to make a difference are found abundantly. She recently launched P.S. Kitchen Restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, a social enterprise that uses 100% of its net profit to fund justice work they do through the non-profit foundation arm of the social business.

You can learn more about April's restaurant P.S. Kitchen by visiting:
www.ps-kitchen.com 

Space is Limited. Early registration is suggested.

RESERVE YOUR SEAT

Free Playbook on Growing Your Network Available Now

The Zero to 100 playbook addresses the pain points of networking and how to stay motivated and inspired to build your network authentically and catered to your own needs and desires. It includes tip sheets and checklists to help begin the process of creating your dream network.

View and/or Download Here 

[#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]

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

How to Start Your Own Networking Group in 7 Quick Tips

If you're someone frustrated with type of connections you have or lack, are tired of attending lame networking events, or just want to connect with like-minded individuals, then starting a networking group could be right for you.

Are you organized? Enjoy meeting new people? Open-minded to trying new things? These are just some of the qualities that you should possess when taking on this task. Maybe you want to collaborate with friends or colleagues.

Everyone needs help building their network. We switch careers or jobs, start businesses and really don't have the connections that a traditional work environment provides. So starting a networking group not only helps you but serves the greater good.

1. Start with a small free event, by small I mean no more than 8 people. You want to get in the swing of learning who people are and engaging in conversation.

2. Have a discussion topic that pertains to something current in your industry or business, an issue or news topic that will allow for people to engage.

3. If you have an area of expertise, offer a discussion based around that or give tips for people to acquire new skills.

4. Choose a location that will allow for conversation without disruption (such as loud music, foot traffic, etc.).

5. If you host at a restaurant, choose affordable options with entrees under $24. (This will be different if you select to offer a prix fixed menu, have a caterer, etc.)

6. Promote on social media, email your LinkedIn contacts in your area, and utilize sites such as Eventbrite. (Eventbrite is just a suggestion, if you don't want to utilize direct email. If you host future events you will be able to reach your past attendees more easily.)

7. Give a thank you gift or parting favor. It adds a special touch to your event.


These are just a few quick tips, if you have any questions don't hesitate to connect with me at jamillah@100businessgirls.com.

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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Calculating Payroll Taxes 101

For many employees, payday is up there with Christmas and birthdays — but even better since it comes around more than once a year. For employers, on the other hand, payday can be a never-ending and sometimes pretty stressful responsibility. While payroll services and software are readily available, employers may still have to devote a good chunk of time and grit to comply with both employment and tax laws to make sure payroll flows smoothly each pay period. Thankfully, there are some general guidelines to follow when it comes to basic payroll calculations.

Laying the Groundwork
An employee should complete a federal tax withholding form, also known as the Employee Withholding Allowance Certificate, or W-4 form. A state tax withholding form may also be required. Based on the form(s), the company can then calculate how much money to deduct toward taxes (more on that soon).
Before it’s time to crunch numbers, it’s necessary to determine each employee’s gross pay (generally the number of hours worked in a pay period multiplied by the hourly rate). For instance, if an employee logged 40 hours at $20 an hour, his gross pay would be $800. If required, calculate overtime for non-exempt workers (at least one and a half times the regular rate of pay after 40 hours worked in a workweek). Exempt workers are not required to be paid overtime. Check out the Department of Labor’s criteria on overtime.

Taxes 
Calculating the correct amount for the taxes can be tricky. While it would be simple if taxes were based on employees gross pay, payroll generally doesn’t work like that.

 (Read More)





Please note this is not an endorsement of Sure Payroll's services. We are not clients. This article is being shared for information purposes only.