Wealthy Bag Lady Blog

Celebrate Your Entrepreneurial Freedom

As a business owner, you can celebrate a different kind of freedom this Fourth of July.
 
You have time freedom, location freedom, people freedom and money freedom.
 
You can set your own hours, work wherever you want, and make as much money as your ambition dictates.
 
Enjoy spending time with your family and friends and declare your independence.

Bill Gates and Warren Buffett Say Give It Away

Did You Know That Bill Gates and Warren Buffett Created the Giving Pledge?

Microsoft founder Bill Gates and investor Warren Buffett are asking hundreds of billionaires to give away at least 50 percent of their wealth to charity.

They named the campaign the Giving Pledge. It does not accept any money. It asks billionaires to make a commitment to give money to charity.

Americans Continue Their Charitable Giving

Even though charitable contributions fell by 3.6% last year, Americans continued to be generous to charitable causes. The total giving was $303.75 billion dollars to non-profit charities.

Areas that saw an increase in charitable contributions included human services, health, international aid and environment/animals sectors.

Sponsors and Companies are Giving More to Causes

Corporate giving was up 5.5% to $14.1 billion, which included billions of dollars' worth of in-kind donations, particularly from information technology firms and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Top 5 Business Secrets from Reality Shows

In the finale of Top Chef Masters, underdog chef, Marcus Samuelson, beat out his older and more "seasoned" (I couldn't resist the pun) rivals, Asian fusion chef, Susur Lee and the seafood luminary, Rick Moonen.

Reality shows illustrate powerful strategies for success in business. 

1. Focus on Your Uniqueness: Marcus Samuelson, winner of Top Chef Masters, was born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden. For his final entrée, he cooked a traditional African sea urchin, a risky move, but it told his story, illustrated his unique point of view, and made him stand out from the other chefs.
2.  Be Teachable: Put together a stellar Success Team of coaches, colleagues and mentors. The most successful contestants on American Idol are the singers who listen to their vocal coaches and the judges.
3. Make Decisions Quickly: Reality shows force contestants to act on their choices. The highly successful business owners I interviewed for my book, Bags to Riches, had vivid visions, made decisions quickly and took action.
4. Spotlight Your Sponsors: I love to watch the masterful way that reality shows feature their sponsors. On Project Runway, they had the fashion designers go to the Saturn Showroom and make dresses out of car parts. On Dancing with the Stars, they have the Macy's Stars of Dance showcase. Give credit to the people and companies who make your dreams possible.
5. Give Back:  The new generation of reality shows focus on giving back. Oprah's foray into reality shows was the Big Give. Her contestants gave away money to deserving people and causes. The winner, Stephen Paletta, got $500,000 for himself and $500,000 to give away. Celebrity Apprentice and Top Chef Masters also have the contestants give back to their favorite charities.

 

Dawn Dishwashing Liquid Does Great Cause Marketing

I just bought Dawn dishwashing liquid because of the photo of the cute little white seal on the bottle. They are doing great packaging and phenomenal cause-related marketing. For every bottle of Dawn, the company will give $1 to save wildlife.

Dawn dishwashing liquid is even being used to clean the oil-soaked pelicans in the Gulf Coast.

 

Corporate Sponsorship and Cause Marketing

 

People feel better when they are buying from companies that give back to the community. I love this kind of social responsibility. Dawn dishwashing liquid is a great example for other corporations and something to look for in your corporate sponsors.

$47 Billion Dollar Pets?

Did You Know That People Spend Over $47 Billion Dollars a Year on Their Pets?

And guess what? Spending on our furry friends goes up every year.

Shopping for pet products is easier than ever with more retail outlets and selection. Pet-owning homes like mine stay cleaner with automatic, self-flushing litter boxes, cleaning cloths for muddy paws and scented gel air fresheners to keep rooms free of pet odors.

Check out my beautiful mother and daughter rescue cats, Sneakers and Carmella. My husband and I refer to them as "the girls". They are members of our family and we love spoiling them.

Pet Suppliers Are Great for Corporate Sponsorships

Look for growing markets like pet supply companies to approach for corporate sponsorships.