Seeds For Success on Shine

And the winner is....

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Please welcome back <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.findingwhatmatters.com/">Carolyn Kepcher</a>, who is here with the announcement of the Grand Prize Winner! Our <a rel="nofollow" href="http://seedsforsuccess.smallbusiness.yahoo.com/index.php">Seeds for Success</a> winner will receive an additional $10,000 and additional mentoring and web hosting resources. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.dapplebaby.com/" target="_blank"></a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.dapplebaby.com" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="http://a323.yahoofs.com/phugc/I8RBLfI_nVdv/photos/e03958c474cc9b9975748fa369820e45/ori_1fe84e79b283f0.jpg?ug_____DB5knuhgy" align="left" width="159" height="87"></a>Wow! What a fantastic ride the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://seedsforsuccess.smallbusiness.yahoo.com/index.php">Seeds for Success</a> grants progr<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.dapplebaby.com/" target="_blank"></a>am has been…for all involved! This grants program, designed to benefit women entrepreneurs, kicked off several months ago, when we began to review the 5500+ business plans submitted. Through an intense judging process, we selected our three finalists, <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.dapplebaby.com/">Dana Rubinstein of Dapple</a> , <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.redkoala.com/">Abby Port of Red Koala Canvas Co</a> ., and <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.head2toepub.com/">Karla Duncan of Head 2 Toe Publications.</a>

Scott Smigler to the rescue!

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As Karla, Dana, and Abby have grown their businesses and moved into uncharted territories, it quickly became apparent to all three Seeds for Success finalists and their advisers that they were in need of assistance in a specific and very important aspect of marketing: Internet marketing. Their three web-based businesses need to position themselves as best as they can in the densely populated Internet business world. Enter <a rel="nofollow" title="Exclusive Concepts" href="http://www.exclusiveconcepts.com/scott.html" target="_blank">Scott Smigler</a>. As President and Founder of <a rel="nofollow" title="Exclusive Concepts" href="http://www.exclusiveconcepts.com/" target="_blank">Exclusive Concepts</a> and primary Internet adviser to Dana Rubinstein of Dapple, Scott has been on the team since day one of the contest, assisting Dana with all aspects of her website. When asked to step in and go well beyond his original commitment by now also advising Karla and Abby in SEO and Internet marketing concepts, Scott immediately and graciously agreed. Here is what he had to say:

Your vote matters. (Really!)

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Before the comments section becomes ablaze with heated disagreement, I should mention that I'm talking about...

Seeds for Success: A Dapple update from Scott Smigler

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Seeds for Success finalist Dana Rubinstein has had the opportunity to work with Internet marketing expert Scott Smigler of Exclusive Concepts since the beginning of the finalist phase. Here is Scott's most recent update:

Cosmetics icon Bobbi Brown's advice for entrepreneurs

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Our Seeds For Success finalists are now well into the contest, and each has launched her website and made great strides in growing these three businesses. Along the way they have received coaching and mentorship from Carolyn Kepcher's team of business experts.

Yet another thrilling milestone for them was their recent opportunity to speak with the legendary Bobbi Brown, who offered the following advice for Karla, Dana, and Abby:

Coaching for success and happiness: Cathy Greenberg, PhD

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This week we are pleased to welcome mentor Cathy Greenberg, PhD-- executive coach, co-author of What Happy Companies Know ( with Dan Baker and Collins Hemingway), What Happy Women Know (with Dan Baker and Ina Yalof), Discover Your Inner Strength (due in early 2009!); and founder of h2c,LLC. Here is what Cathy had to say about our finalists progress....

Having spoken with Karla, Abby and Dana, it was clear that they were very capable women, each with a great business idea. It was also clear they needed to know the difference between a Coach and a Mentor. As a Coach, my role is help them learn enough about themselves to help them develop "personal mastery" and to transfer some basic skills so they could continue to grow into successful business people by also knowing themselves better and asking the right questions:

Peggy Klaus shows us the right way to BRAG!

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Oft-quoted workplace communications and leadership expert Peggy Klaus recently brought her whirlwind energy and brilliant advice to our Seeds For Success finalists...and they happily report that they will never present themselves or their businesses the same way again!

Finalists Karla, Abby, and Dapple partners Dana and Tamar graciously allowed me to push and prod them during our coaching time together. In each session, the focus was on how to effectively present yourself and your business, including learning how to brag (the right way, of course!) to the media, the investor community and to family and friends.

While we've all been raised to think that brag is a four-letter word and that talking about our accomplishments is a big no-no, in today's competitive business world self-promotion is a necessity, not a choice. And entrepreneurs especially need to be able to toot their own horn because no one is going to do it for them. So, knowing how to talk about yourself and your company in a conversational, story-like fashion-- as if you were telling a good friend about an amazing trip you've just taken-- has become a must-have skill. The following advice given to Karla, Abby, Dana, and Tamar will benefit any entrepreneur when it comes to presenting and self-promoting:

Using an affiliate program to grow your Internet business

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Abby Port of the Red Koala Canvas Co. has had the great benefit of ongoing mentorship from her primary Seeds For Success mentor, Christina Blenk. Christina is the CEO of WomanOwned.com, a wealth of information for entrepreneurs at all levels. Here is a recap of Christina's recent advice to Abby's questions about marketing her web site and setting up an affiliate program:

Negotiation: Be deliberate about the process

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Carol Frohlinger, Esq., co-author of Her Place at the Table: A Woman’s Guide to Negotiating Five Key Challenges to Leadership Success and co-Founder of Negotiating Women, Inc. is back with some final negotiation tips for our Seeds for Success finalists.

Three tips for negotiating with Goliath

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Our three Seeds for Success finalists continue to grow their businesses and learn from others in the business community through the mentorship provided by Carolyn Kepcher and FindingWhatMatters. This week we are very pleased to welcome mentor Carol Frohlinger, Esq., co-author of Her Place at the Table: A Woman’s Guide to Negotiating Five Key Challenges to Leadership Success and co-Founder of Negotiating Women, Inc. Here is what Carol had to say about our finalists’ progress: