Could your business use a grant? Women's clothing retailer Eileen Fisher is offering $10,000 grants to five women-owned companies with innovative, socially conscious businesses. At least one of the grants will go to a startup (an organization less than 3 years old); the rest will go to organizations that need funds to grow.

During the 2008 grant cycle, more than 125 businesswomen applied for the grants. Applicants will be evaluated on the innovation, social consciousness, sustainability, use of funds and their alignment with the Eileen Fisher mission. Continue Reading »

The Women's Business Enterprise National Council has announced its annual listing of America's Top Corporations for Women's Business Enterprises. This year a record 19 recipients are being honored for implementing programs that help women's business enterprises compete for corporate contracts.

The awards were presented Thursday, March 26, during WBENC's 2009 Summit and Salute to Women's Business Enterprise in Washington, DC. Continue Reading »

If you think you've come up with The Next Big Thing, then Dallas Market Center wants to hear from you. The three finalists in the national product search contest will have an opportunity to show their product to domestic and international retail buyers at the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market, June 24-30.

Finalists win airfare, hotel accommodations and free exhibit space to present their products at the June show. The overall winner, selected at the show, will win a prize package worth more than $10,000. Included will be exhibit space at the Dallas Total Home and Gift Market on Jan. 13-19, 2010, a profile in one of Dallas Market Center's publications, and consultations from industry experts on such topics as branding, public relations and visual merchandising. Continue Reading »

The American Small Business Coalition will celebrate its fifth anniversary April 23 with a day-long conference and gala. The theme of the Fifth Anniversary Conference and Gala is "Celebrating a Culture of Collaboration and Success." The event will be held at the Sheraton Premier Tysons Corner in Vienna, Va.

The organization, which assists companies doing business with the federal government, has facilitated more than $2 billion in direct and subcontract awards for its members since it was founded. Continue Reading »

Think your e-mails aren't having an impact on your clients, colleagues and prospects?

Mary Cantando thinks she has a creative way for any woman entrepreneur to stand out from the crowd. She's developed custom-designed greeting cards that feature your words of wisdom on the front of the card. Continue Reading »

Looking for a business or product that targets boomers? There are plenty of opportunities, according to Ladan Manteghi, president of AARP Global Network, who will address that topic in her keynote address at the inaugural Florida Boomer Lifestyle Conference. The conference will be held Tuesday, May 12 in Tampa.

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Sheri and John Williams moved to the Big Island of Hawaii in November 2001 to build and operate a bed and breakfast in paradise.

They sold their home in Fullerton, Calif., bought an oceanfront lot and began building their dream "Castle." That title is more than just an affectionate appellation: The structure not only resembles a castle, it features a moat, a drawbridge and even a dungeon. Plans call for a king and a queen suite, so two families can stay in The Castle at the same time. Continue Reading »

Savor the Success, a social network for women entrepreneurs, is introducing co-op PR services so small businesses can obtain publicity at a fraction of the going rate.

The social network has launched a pilot program, PR Client Services, in Southern California, where the organization has its largest concentration of Savor the Success chapters. Continue Reading »

Got an idea for an invention? Enter it in the American Women of Invention Search, presented by Bed, Bath & Beyond and Edison Nation. 

The contest celebrates the 200th anniversary of the first patent issued to a woman. She was Mary Kies, the year was 1809, and she invented a method of weaving straw with silk to make women's hats. Continue Reading »

Savor the Success, a boutique social network and PR cooperative for women entrepreneurs, has announced plans for a daylong conference, Women Entrepreneurs Rock the World, on Wednesday, May 6, in Manhattan, N.Y. The event will be held from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Altman Building, 135 W. 18th St. The event will feature inspiring speakers, motivational workshops, networking opportunities and expert roundtable sessions. Guests can also "Sip and Shop" members' products, and enjoy cocktails and pampering.

The cost is $105. (Savor the Success members receive a discount.)

Hosts for the events are Savor the Success, Cassera Communications and CurtainUp Events. Continue Reading »

WomenPR Wire is a niche press release-distribution service that helps entrepreneurs promote their news, products and ideas.

The newswire service is aimed specifically at women's media, including magazines, newspapers, radio, television and blogs that target a female audience. Continue Reading »

Handbag Designer 101 presents the third annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards, with the addition of shoes this year. There are eight categories for handbag and shoe design excellence. Winners will receive international recognition and a marketing press tour. Prizes include a Singer sewing machine and the opportunity to be featured on the Singer website, plus a booth at the WWD Magic trade show (a $10,000 value).

Five finalists in each category will be selected in late April. The awards will be presented June 17 at the New York Historical Society in New York City. A panel of handbag design professors, experts, editors, stylists and buyers will judge the finalists' designs and select a winner from each category who will receive the Best in each respective category and determine who truly stands out as an Independent Handbag and Shoe Designer. Continue Reading »

Women-owned firms are underperforming men-owned firms, according to a research report prepared by The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the world's largest foundation devoted to entrepreneurship.

Women-owned firms made impressive gains from 1997 to 2002, growing by 19.8 percent, compared with a 10.3 percent growth rate in U.S. firms overall. But the women-owned firms also recorded lower survival numbers, as well as lower numbers for size, growth, earnings and profits. The data suggest that women-owned firms are smaller and less growth-oriented than men-owned firms. Continue Reading »

The Women's Business Enterprise National Council will hold its first educational summit in March, in conjunction with its annual Salute to Women's Business Enterprises.

The March 25 summit is free, and will include panels, workshops and industry meetings designed for Women Business Enterprises and WBENC's corporate members. Keynote speaker will be Kevin Campbell, group chief executive of outsourcing for Accenture LLP. Continue Reading »

Accession Public Relations has launched a newswire service, LadyPR, specifically designed to target women consumers. LadyPR will help companies of all sizes deliver their press releases to women-based media online and in print.

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Black and Hispanic students can apply for an entrepreneurial scholarship launched this month by Donald A. Coleman, chairman of multicultural marketing communications agency GlobalHue. The Coleman Entrepreneurial Scholarship is designed for students majoring or focusing on entrepreneurship. CES will provide scholarships to college students attending select historically black colleges and universities and institutions serving Hispanics.

Up to 20 scholarships of $5,000 each will be awarded for educational expenses to full-time college juniors or seniors for use in the 2009-10 academic year.

"Private enterprise and entrepreneurship play a critical role in the building of America and our communities," says Kelli Coleman, Coleman's daughter and GlobalHue vice president. "For this reason, my father has established a scholarship to recognize students who have an entrepreneurial spirit and quest for a higher education."

For more information, visit thecolemanscholarship.org or call Scholarship Management Services at 800-537-4180 and ask for The Coleman Entrepreneurial Scholarship. Continue Reading »

 Women-omics.com is a new website that offers global reporting focused on women's growing economic impact worldwide.

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StartupNation has announced the first Leading Moms in Business competition, which will rank the top 200 mom-run businesses across America as determined by popular vote.

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Women entrepreneurs are invited to apply for the third edition of the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards. The international competition is aimed at women entrepreneurs in the early stages of business development. The application deadline is Feb. 13. Winners will be announced Oct. 17.

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You could earn $25,000 in seed capital for your media startup by participating in the We Media Pitch It Challenge at We Media Miami on Feb. 24-26. We Media will award up to $50,000 in seed funding to selected innovators during the three-day conference at the University of Miami.

We Media is looking for innovators who can bring bold commercial or nonprofit media ventures to life. Finalists will present their ideas before conference attendees and a panel of judges at the We Media Miami conference at the University of Miami. Judges will include venture capitalists, serial and social entrepreneurs. Continue Reading »