CBWN provides the forum for you to connect and help grow each other’s businesses. Best practices include:

• Sharing business cards – Intent is to learn about each other’s business and be able to refer.
• If given a referral, may we suggest contact within 24 to 48 hours. Intro email contact works very well.  Your response reflects on both you and your referral partners.
• Learn about each other’s business. This is an opportunity to learn how to refer each other, not necessarily a sales meeting.  CBWN’ers are your referral partners and connectors.  The main  intent is relationship building; learning more about each other and your businesses. This is recommended in and outside of CBWN meetings.
• Hosting a Showcase tables is your opportunity to educate your referral partners and brag about what you do. If you are unable to fulfil your commitment, you are respectfully requested to advise CBWN owners seven (7) days prior to the meeting.
• Honor your offering by under-promising and over-delivering. Be clear on what you are offering and terms of your guarantees (if applicable).
• Respect each other’s time. If you set a time to meet, ensure you honor it.  Value each other’s time.
• Open and honest communication is extremely important. If you meet with a guest outside of CBWN consider what your intention is for the meeting and be honest with the person you are meeting. Meeting with colleagues is an opportunity to collaborate and share and might foster a greater relationship and opportunity which may not be evident if you focus on one agenda.
• Privacy: Be respectful of information shared. Protect other people’s information.
• Issues between parties – Should be resolved between the two partners and not by CBWN, in or out of CBWN meetings.

• Registration and informal networking
• Food service
• Opening remarks
• Introductions of owner/directors
• Thank you to our volunteers
• Early bird draw
• First Spotlight Speaker
• Introduction of New Members
• Networking Circles
• Break – network with Showcase Table Vendors
• Door Prizes
• Second Spotlight Speaker
• Second Networking Circle
• Testimonial
• Announcements
• Inspiration
• Wrap Up
• Informal Networking

Two spotlight speakers share their expertise and knowledge direct from their business experience. Business women will go away with real tips and knowledge.

Speakers must have attended at least five meetings (not consecutive).  Evening meetings precedent will be given to Loyalty Participants first.

They must be a regular and frequent attendee to qualify.

If you would like to speak sign up on the volunteers sheet or at our regular meetings

Please send your concise bio the one week prior to the meeting to imakar@shaw.ca.

Content must be approved prior to speaking spot.

Inexpensive way to promote your service or product and really gets you in front of the entire group.

Tables are 8′ and you can display/sell whatever products, literature etc. that helps you to explain/promote your business.

Many business women have found that a promotion, sale or draw of some sort does help to generate enthusiasm!

Draws at your table will be at the end of the meeting. Winner must be present.

Marketplace table vendors will need to arrive early the day of the meeting, so that they are set & ready by 15 minutes prior to registration opening.

They must be prepared to keep their table “open” until end of meeting.

• Great way to advertise to your target market and create brand awareness i.e. a way of identifying your business
• Provides you with a platform to promote your product or service to a large group that may have little or no knowledge of your products and services.
• Focused marketing time before, during and after each meeting
• Opens communication with the group about your business and promotes collaboration (and sometimes sales – although sales are not the ultimate goal in this setting)
• Depending on your type of business, product or service, guests can try out or market test your offering to gain knowledge and/or belief in your product
• Provides opportunities to branch out to many types of other businesses you may not otherwise encounter
• Create a database from the visitors to your showcase table
• Convert your leads into prospects
• If you are travelling to the meeting anyway, you might as well have a table – make best use of your time to network and market
• Displaying at our meetings is not costly – far below competitive events.

Providing a door prize helps to introduce you to the group and be top of mind.

Draws done in the second half of the meeting

Donors have solid lead to follow up with

Donors have a minute to speak to the group about their prize

Winners must be present

Check all guests in and have them draw a card designating which table they will be seated for the first portion of the meeting. This allows YOU to meet everyone attending the meeting.

Provide table decorations for each table at the meeting. This will allow you to showcase your products or services. Table decorations are not given away, unless you choose. Decorators are allowed a couple of minutes to speak to the group about their table displays.

Greet newcomers to the meeting and inform them about meeting format, familiarize them with the member table and make them feel welcome. This gives the host an opportunity to meet every attendee.

Always a powerful piece of the meeting! Do you have someone in the group that has done something for you or your business? You may want to tell the group! Sign up and share your positive experience! We prefer it to be an anonymous woman in our group, and ask that you write down your kind words to give to her for her keeping.