"Marketing Expert to Present in Fort Bragg"

By Heather Gurewitz

Women's Business Center Director
West Company

I wish I could say that our economy is going to magically going to recover, but as I tell my clients, I don't have a magic wand and I don't have a crystal ball, so I can't guarantee anything. Yes, things have been tough lately and somewhat depressing, but as a business owner, it is critical to your success to think positively about the future and position your business so that you are the master of your market niche. No, there are no guarantees, but, if you don't plan for success you are guaranteeing failure. True, people are saving right now, and also true that our economy is in a major shift, but there is a tomorrow, and the one thing you as a business owner cannot afford is not to be ready for what's coming.

West Company's purpose is to help businesses grow and expand to create jobs and create strength from the ground up, which is why West Company, through the City of Fort Bragg Community Development Block Grant is offering a two hour seminar with marketing trends expert Rieva Lesonsky of GrowBiz Media. On Wednesday, May 11th from 1:30-3:30 pm, join West Company and Rieva at the CV Start Center for "Travel, Weddings, and Luxury Products: Trends for the Future."

This dynamic presentation by one of the nation's top experts in marketing trends will address: What visitors to the coast will be looking for in seasons to come; who is getting married next and how to reach them; where and how to market art, crafts, gourmet food, and other luxury products made in Fort Bragg and on the coast.

Prior to co-founding GrowBiz Media, Lesonsky was Senior Vice President/Editorial Director of Entrepreneur Magazine. A nationally recognized speaker who regularly addresses audiences across the country, she has appeared on hundreds of radio shows and numerous local and national television programs, including CNN, Good Morning America, and the Today Show. A driving force in small business across the country, Lesonsky served on the Small Business Administration’s National Advisory Council for six years, and was honored by the SBA as a Small Business Media Advocate and a Woman in Business Advocate.

There is no cost to attend "Travel, Weddings, and Luxury Products: Trends for the Future" but registration is required. To sign up call 964-7571 or visit our website.

Pondering Procrastination

By Hannah Alexander, Administrative Support

Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task. ~William James

As a future small business owner, you have more to gain by overcoming procrastination then the average human being (and that is saying something). Because your business success will rely heavily on your being on top of your affairs, a tendency to put off less desirable tasks will have a deleterious effect on your small business’ success.


We human beings procrastinate for many reasons. Most of those reasons, plainly put, are rooted in fear of success and a lack of personal mastery. Take a moment to sit back, place your two feet on the floor, and breathe deeply. Consider: What have you been putting off? Very quietly and with compassion for yourself, consider: Why?

Interestingly, it takes patience not to procrastinate. We have to have patience with ourselves as well as patience with the task.

For more information about procrastination and how to manage it, see this link and this one.

Speaking of things you may have been putting off, the next Building a Better Business series kicks off soon with “Does Your Idea Make Cents?”, wherein you learn how to assess the feasibility of your business idea!
Find out more and sign up on line here.